When the Teaching Gets Tough — Staying with Jesus When It’s Hard (John 6:41-71)
Have you ever heard something that challenged what you thought you knew? Maybe it made you uncomfortable or confused you. In John 6:41–71, Jesus says some things that were hard for people to understand—and many walked away from Him because of it. But others stayed. This moment helps us see what real faith looks like, especially when following Jesus isn’t easy.
The People Start to Complain
Jesus had just said that He was the “bread that came down from heaven.” That sounded strange to the crowd. They said, “Wait a minute—we know His parents. How can He say He came from heaven?”
The people couldn’t get past what they thought they knew. They looked at Jesus as just a regular man, not someone sent by God. Because of this, they started to doubt Him.
Jesus Explains Even More
Jesus didn’t back down. In fact, He took the conversation even deeper. He said that to have eternal life, people had to eat His flesh and drink His blood.
This sounded shocking! But Jesus was speaking spiritually, not literally. He meant that people needed to fully accept Him—His life, His death, and His sacrifice. He was offering something greater than physical food. He was offering life that never ends.
Still, the words were hard to hear. Many people didn’t understand, and some were offended.
Some Disciples Walk Away
What Jesus said was difficult. It challenged the crowd’s ideas, and many didn’t want to hear more. So they left. They walked away from the one who had just fed thousands and healed the sick. They were okay with the miracles—but not the message.
This was a turning point. Not everyone who followed Jesus wanted to follow Him forever—especially when the road got tough.
Peter Speaks Up with Faith
After many left, Jesus turned to His closest disciples and asked, “Do you want to leave too?”
Peter answered with a beautiful reply:
“Lord, where else would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Peter didn’t fully understand everything Jesus said—but he knew who Jesus was. And that was enough to stay.
A Quiet Warning
Jesus also mentioned that one of the Twelve (Judas) would later betray Him. This reminds us that even people close to Jesus can struggle with belief. It’s not about being near Him physically—it’s about truly trusting Him.
What This Means for Us
This story teaches us an important truth: following Jesus isn’t always easy. Sometimes His words challenge us. Sometimes life brings questions we can’t answer. But real faith means staying close to Him—even when we don’t understand everything.
Peter’s response is a great example for us. When things are confusing or hard, we can still say, “Lord, where else would I go? You have the words of life.”
Reflection:
Has there ever been a time when something about faith felt confusing or difficult? What helped you keep going?
Encouragement:
Jesus invites you to walk with Him, even when it’s not easy. He doesn’t expect us to have all the answers—He just asks us to trust Him and stay close.
John 6:41-71 (WEB)
6:41 The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.” 42 They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?”43 Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up in the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father and has learned, comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. 47 Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”52 The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”53 Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves. 54 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will also live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.60 Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?”61 But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62 Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life. 64 But there are some of you who don’t believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him. 65 He said, “For this cause I have said to you that no one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.”66 At this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. 67 Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You don’t also want to go away, do you?”68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”70 Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71 Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve.