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Sermon

Words of Eternal Life

Speaker
David Capoccia
Scripture
John 6:60-71

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In this sermon, Pastor Dave Capoccia examines John 6:60-71 and the depressing aftermath of Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse. Many of Jesus’ so-called disciples leave him over his unacceptable words, but, in these verses, John shows you the life-giving nature of Jesus’ words so that you will believe, rely on, and devote yourself to Jesus’ words as his true disciple.

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Note: This transcript and summary was autogenerated. It has not yet been proofread or edited by a human.

Summary

John 6:60-71 reveals the life-giving nature of Jesus’ words and the two responses they provoke. When Jesus declared himself the bread of life who must be received by faith alone, the vast majority of his disciples abandoned him because his words offended their fleshly expectations. Yet the twelve remained, with Peter confessing, “You have words of eternal life.”

We are reminded that the difference between false and true disciples is not intelligence or circumstance but belief—a belief that is ultimately granted by the Father. The flesh profits nothing; only the Spirit gives life through the words of Christ.

Key Lessons:

  1. Jesus’ words are spirit and life—they are the very means by which the Holy Spirit imparts eternal life to those who believe.
  2. When people reject Jesus, the problem is never with his words but with the unbelieving hearts of the hearers.
  3. Saving faith is not self-generated but is granted by the Father, who sovereignly draws his chosen ones to Christ.
  4. Even among those closest to Jesus, false disciples can exist—as Judas demonstrates—making vigilance and mutual encouragement essential.

Application: We are called to treasure and devote ourselves to Jesus’ words rather than seeking satisfaction in signs, works, or worldly comforts. We must encourage one another daily so that none are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, and we must faithfully declare the gospel trusting that the Spirit will use it according to God’s sovereign will.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is it that Jesus’ words—which are spirit and life—can simultaneously draw some people closer and push others away? What does our response to Scripture reveal about our hearts?
  2. How should the doctrine of God’s sovereignty in salvation (that no one can come to Jesus unless granted by the Father) shape both our evangelism and our response when people reject the gospel?
  3. In light of the warning about Judas and the many disciples who turned back, how can we practically encourage one another to persevere in faith and devotion to Christ’s words?

Scripture Focus: John 6:60-71 is the central passage, with key verses including John 6:63 (“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing”), John 6:65 (no one can come to Jesus unless granted by the Father), and John 6:68-69 (Peter’s confession that Jesus has words of eternal life and is the Holy One of God). Supporting references include Romans 10:17, 1 Corinthians 1-2, and Hebrews 3:12-13.

Outline

Introduction

Lord Jesus, you have the words of eternal life. Your words are spirit and are life. We want those words this morning. The flesh profits nothing, so Jesus, give us your word. And Father, Son, Spirit, work in our hearts to believe it. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have You Ever Blown It?

Did you ever encounter a great-looking situation where a wonderful result seems totally assured, and then you blow it? You say something. You do something that totally ruins everything.

Maybe as a kid, you were making a request of your parents, and you were very respectful. You laid out careful arguments. You’re pretty sure that wasn’t a bad thing. Your parents seem close to accepting.

But then you add one more reason that you thought would be helpful, and poof—you blow it. “Whom did you say would be there?” “Oh, well, no question. You can’t go.” And you’re like, “Man, why did I think saying that last thing would be helpful?”

Or maybe you’ve prepared a romantic evening with your significant other. You’ve had a great day together. A wonderful dinner. You feel closer than you felt in a long time.

And then your spouse says something to you that seems that tiny bit critical. And you think to yourself, “I didn’t really like that. Should I say something about it?” You decide that you will, and you immediately regret your choice.

Because when you respond with your counter-criticism, your significant other takes offense, and an argument ensues. The whole evening is ruined. And you think to yourself afterwards, “Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut?”

Probably one of the main places that we feel like we blow it is evangelism. An opportunity appears to talk about Jesus, and your tongue just seems glued to the roof of your mouth.

Or someone asks you a spiritually-related question. It’s like an evangelistic opportunity on a silver platter. And you’re so happy, but you can’t think of what to say. You don’t know how to answer. Your mind goes blank. All the verses you memorized just seem to evaporate from your mind.

“One of the main places that we feel like we blow it is evangelism.”

So you spout out some kind of disjointed, pitiful response, and it goes nowhere.

The worst, though, is when someone seems so interested in the gospel. They’re very receptive to what you have to say. They’re eager to hear more about Jesus and salvation. They seem so close to the kingdom.

But when you share that one extra truth—maybe you tell them one more thing about what it means to believe in Jesus—suddenly the enthusiasm evaporates, or it turns to anger. That person is not interested in talking to you about Jesus anymore, or even talking to you at all, actually. They’d like to talk to your boss.

And you think to yourself, “Where did I go wrong? How did I blow it so badly?”

It Looks Like Jesus Blew It

I mention these situations to you because in our next section of the Gospel of John, it sure looks like the Lord Jesus blew it. He had accumulated a massive crowd of followers who were so excited about him and so sure that he was the promised prophet and Messiah that they were ready to proclaim him King and march him straight to Jerusalem right then and there.

But then, with just one speech, Jesus makes this whole excited group abandon him. “Jesus, what went wrong? How did you bungle that message so completely?”

But the truth is nothing went wrong with Jesus’ speech. He faithfully declared his Father’s word, trusting that the Father would use it exactly as the Father will, which was to draw some to Jesus and to push others away.

“Nothing went wrong with Jesus’ speech. He faithfully declared his Father’s word.”

Jesus’ words, you see, are no ordinary words. They are words of the Spirit. They are words of life. Thus, the response to Jesus’ words shows more about the one responding than Jesus.

For all those who ignore or reject Jesus’ words, they show that nothing could ever draw them to God. But for those who receive Jesus’ words and come to him and stay with him and follow him, they show that they had already been chosen in love by the Lord to receive his life forever.

Which one of these groups are you? That is the central question in our next text this morning.

If you haven’t already, please take your Bibles and turn to John 6:60, as we look at “Words of Eternal Life.” John 6:60 through verse 71 is our passage today. If you’re using the pew Bibles, it’s on page 1,167.

The Context: Bread of Life Discourse

We’ve been working our way through the Gospel of John. Recall the context of our next section. Just one day before the event we’re looking at, Jesus miraculously fed 20,000 or so people with just five loaves and two fish.

Then, just the night before, Jesus manifested his divine person and power by walking on water in the midst of wind and waves.

Then, right before our text—which is what we looked at last time—we were in John. Jesus has this conversation with a crowd of Jews, even his Jewish disciples, at a synagogue in Capernaum on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee.

These persons come looking for Jesus so that they might get more miraculous bread from him, or maybe see an even greater sign or miracle. But Jesus tells them that they should be looking for the true and lasting bread from heaven—Jesus himself.

Jesus says in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst.”

John 6:35: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst.”

When the Jews grumble about this answer from Jesus, Jesus plainly tells them that they cannot come to him or believe in him unless the Father has first chosen to draw them. Moreover, Jesus insists that he will succeed in his life-giving mission to give up his own flesh as bread for the life of the world.

When the Jews argue about this statement from Jesus, Jesus clarifies that only those who eat Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood have eternal life—which is a figurative way of saying that only those who wholeheartedly accept and trust in the intercessory life and the sacrificial death of the Son of God on their behalf can be saved.

It’s only by his death that he can offer his people life, and it is only by faith in Jesus that life enters a person like food and sustains him forever.

I told you last time: it is by union with Christ—he in us, us in him—that we receive eternal life and all the blessings of God and salvation.

This is what comes right before our passage. We heard Jesus end his speech, but we didn’t see the crowd’s final reaction. But now we will.

Reading the Passage: John 6:60-71

Let’s read John 6:60-71.

“Therefore, many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a difficult statement. Who can listen to it?’ But Jesus, conscious that his disciples grumbled at this, said to them, ‘Does this cause you to stumble? What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’

“For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who it was that would betray him. And he was saying, ‘For this reason I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted him from the Father.’

“As a result of this, many of his disciples withdrew and were not walking with him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘You do not want to go away also, do you?’

“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.’

“Jesus answered them, ‘Did I myself not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.’ Now he meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.”

Two Reactions to Jesus’ Words

You can see their reaction to Jesus’ wondrous bread of life discourse is a sad one. Mostly, the vast majority of Jesus’ disciples leave. Only a few stay.

Yet, looking at the passage as a whole, do you notice why most leave and some stay? It’s the same reason in both cases. It’s because of Jesus’ words.

Most of Jesus’ ex-disciples say, “I can’t stand these words anymore. I got to leave.” Meanwhile, Jesus’ true disciples say, “It’s because of these words I know I can’t go anywhere else.”

“Most leave and some stay—in both cases, it’s because of Jesus’ words.”

John, our author, is showing us something important about Jesus’ words. Here’s the main idea in John 6:60-71:

John shows you the life-giving nature of Jesus’ words so that you will believe, rely on, and devote yourself to Jesus’ words as his true disciple.

The passage divides into two basic sections, each focused on one reaction to Jesus’ words. So let’s take a closer look at the first reaction to Jesus’ words, starting in verses 60 to 66, where we see:

False Disciples Reject Words of Eternal Life

Number one: False disciples reject words of eternal life.

“False disciples reject words of eternal life.”

False disciples reject words of eternal life. We’ll start with just verse 60.

A Difficult Statement

“Therefore, many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a difficult statement. Who can listen to it?’”

Without reading the preceding context, you may not have noticed that there’s a shift starting in verse 60. Up to this point in the chapter, those who had been having difficulty with Jesus’ teaching were labeled “the Jews”—which is what we see in verse 41 and verse 52.

But that’s not what we see here. Now we read “many of his disciples.”

No doubt these disciples were Jewish—probably Galilean Jews. But with the change in label, John wants us to see that the ones who are about to make a despairing comment about Jesus are not angry opponents or disinterested observers. These are people who have believed and have decided to follow Jesus.

That’s what “disciple” means: it means a follower or a learner.

“These are people who have believed and decided to follow Jesus—because that’s what ‘disciple’ means.”

But Jesus had said something that gave these enthusiastic disciples second thoughts. What did Jesus say?

Verse 58 is a good summary, and it’s spoken as if Jesus were pointing at himself as he says it.

Verse 58: “This is the bread which came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

In response to that, Jesus’ own disciples say, “This is a difficult statement. Who can listen to it?” More literally, “This is a hard word. Who is able to hear it?”

The Problem Is Not Clarity—It’s the Message

Now, could it be simply that these disciples don’t understand Jesus? “Jesus, your teaching is too cryptic. We don’t get what you’re saying. What’s all this about eating your flesh and drinking your blood? That’s weird. It’s too hard to figure out. We’re leaving.”

Is that the issue? We might think so. But Jesus is going to reveal in the next few verses that lack of clarity in Jesus’ word is not the problem. It’s actually Jesus’ clarity that is the problem.

These disciples do understand, to a sufficient extent, what Jesus is saying. And they don’t like it.

“Lack of clarity in Jesus’ word is not the problem. It’s actually Jesus’ clarity that is the problem.”

You see, these disciples have certain ideas about who Jesus is, what he comes to do, what he requires. But then, in Jesus’ speech, Jesus revealed that he’s not the Jesus they thought he was.

He didn’t come to meet all their fleshly desires and fulfill all their dreams. He didn’t come to affirm their self-righteous efforts to get into God’s kingdom by keeping rules, by going through rituals.

Instead, Jesus shows these disciples that the only way to eternal life is to set aside all efforts to earn God’s favor by good works and, instead, believe in Jesus, identifying with Jesus in his coming sacrificial death on their behalf to deliver them from the wrath of God, which is justly coming upon them for their own sin.

Jesus has made this message sufficiently clear. But it’s not the message, and it’s not the mission, that these Jewish disciples are looking for from their Messiah.

Now they know what Jesus is really about. They’re ready to leave him.

Oh, but Jesus, maybe if you pull off some spectacular miracle now, you can get them to stay. Is that true?

Would a Greater Sign Help?

Look at verses 61 and 62.

“But Jesus, conscious that his disciples grumbled at this, said to them, ‘Does this cause you to stumble? What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?’”

At the beginning of verse 61, we see once again Jesus’ supernatural knowledge put on display. You see the word “conscious” there in the New American Standard translation. More literally, we could translate it as the ESV has it: “knowing in himself.”

Therefore, “But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples grumbled,” Jesus doesn’t have to overhear people grumbling to know that they are in fact grumbling. Many of these grumblings might not even be said out loud or in an audible way.

But what have we already seen in John? John 2:24: “Jesus knows all men. He knows their misgivings about him without having to hear it.”

Yeah, Jesus is not panicked. Actually, he uses this moment of grumbling to expose further the true problem in his so-called disciples.

Notice Jesus asks his disciples two questions: “Does this cause you to stumble?” That is, “Does what I said cause you offense? What then if you see the Son of Man—me—ascending to where he was before?”

Now, what’s Jesus getting at in this second statement? Some say that Jesus is alluding to his coming scandalous work on the cross. The idea would be: “If you think what I just said is offensive, wait till you see how offensive to your way of thinking is my actually dying on the cross for the sake of sinners—even supposedly religious, God-fearing people like you—who will crucify me yourselves.

“Far from a defeat, however, this will be how the Father glorifies me and eventually brings me back victorious to his side in heaven after resurrection.”

That’s not a bad interpretation of Jesus’ words. But this view does ask a lot to be contained in that one word “ascending.” Nowhere else in the scriptures is the word “ascending” or “ascend” used as a specific reference to Christ’s crosswork.

Therefore, I’d say that Jesus is communicating something more basic here, saying essentially: “Did my words offend you? What if I now gave you what you originally asked of me—a spectacular sign greater than what God did with Moses and Israel in the wilderness? I told you that I am the bread come down from heaven. What if you saw me ascending back to heaven with your own eyes? Would you believe me then?”

What’s the expected answer to that question? No, we wouldn’t. Why not? Because we don’t like your words. Your signs can’t make up for your words.

“Would you believe me then? No. Because we don’t like your words. Your signs can’t make up for your words.”

Exactly. Jesus would say, “Because that is essentially what he says next,” in verse 63.

The Spirit Gives Life Through Jesus’ Words

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

See, the disciples who are following Jesus were really just seeking the flesh. That is, they were seeking that which is external, which feels good, that which is passing away and unable to give life.

They were seeking physical bread. They were seeking the works of the law. They were seeking miraculous signs.

And Jesus clarifies here, like he did with Nicodemus back in John 3:1, that only the Spirit of God can give life. No amount of physical bread will give you eternal life. No amount of good works will satisfy God’s holiness and justice. No amount of miraculous signs will give you a new and cleansed heart.

You need the washing and regeneration of the Holy Spirit. You must be born again. You must be begotten from above.

In the end, whatever the flesh seeks or is able to achieve gives no profit. It gives zero lasting benefit.

Well, if everyone needs life by the Spirit, how does the Spirit give life? Jesus provides the answer. He says, “The words—the words that I have spoken to you—are spirit and are life.”

John 6:63: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

That is to say, “My words—yes, even the revelation of who I am, what salvation is, who you are—these are what the Spirit uses to impart the very life of God to you.

“Don’t look for signs. Don’t trust in works. Don’t devote yourself to that which is passing away. Devote yourself to my words, because these are the words of the life-giving Spirit.

“The flesh profits nothing, but the Spirit gives eternal profit. And the Spirit, Jesus says, is in my words. Thus, eternal life is in my words.”

We might ask: “Well, if Jesus’ words are life and spirit, if Jesus’ words are the very treasure that people desperately need, then how can it be that Jesus’ words are the exact problem to which his disciples object?”

As I said earlier, it’s not a problem with the words. It’s not a problem with the speaker of the words or of the Spirit in the words. Where’s the problem? It’s in the hearers of the words.

The Problem Is Unbelief

And what’s the problem? It’s unbelief.

Verse 64: “But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who it was that would betray him.”

Jesus knows why his life-giving words do not have a life-giving effect on most of his disciples. He even tells his grumbling hearers: “The problem is not my hard words. The problem is your hard, unbelieving hearts.”

“The problem is not my hard words. The problem is your hard, unbelieving hearts.”

Yet, even their unbelief, though surely painful to the Lord, is no shock to him. For we’re told, notice that Jesus knew from the beginning. That phrase surely goes back to the beginning of his ministry, and perhaps earlier.

Jesus knew from the beginning which persons did not believe and which person would ultimately hand over Jesus to be killed. No false believer deceives Jesus. Surprises Jesus. Jesus knows it from the beginning. He has known it from eternity.

We are surprised when a supposedly faithful brother or sister suddenly falls away from Jesus. But he is not. He knew it all along. He knows it all along.

Why do Christians fall away from Jesus? Why do some who are so close to believing suddenly turn back? It’s not really because some Christian blew it, said the wrong thing, did the wrong thing.

It’s not really because that falling-away person lacked some sign of God’s goodness or truth in the circumstances of that person’s life. It’s because that person does not believe, does not hold fast to the life-giving, Spirit-filled words of Jesus.

It all comes down to the words. If someone does not believe the words, nothing else will help.

It’s like we talked about previously: Jesus’ words are the greatest proof of the truth of Jesus’ words. They are spirit and life. God himself is testifying through the words of Jesus.

If that doesn’t cause someone to believe or to persevere in belief, nothing else will.

God’s Sovereignty in Salvation

Oh, but how can we then get people to believe and hold fast to Jesus’ words and be saved? Well, ultimately, there’s nothing we can do to force that to happen. God must do it.

Yes, in obedience, we are to follow the Lord’s pattern here. We are called to speak Jesus’ words ourselves. We are called to declare his gospel, speak his scripture. We are called to explain it, persuade on that basis, and to back up what we say with a holy life and a loving testimony.

That is God’s ordained role for us. But as Jesus says, “It is the Spirit who gives life.”

And though God does work through Christ’s words, unless God chooses to make that work effective for a particular person, that person will never believe.

Is this like what we read in other places in the Bible? Romans 10:17: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

If they don’t come to faith on the basis of Jesus’ words, they will not come to faith and thereby to salvation.

And what about the passage we read earlier in the service? 1 Corinthians 1:23-24: “God was pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save. We preach Christ crucified—to the Jews a stumbling block, to the Gentiles foolishness. But to the called, to those chosen of God, we preach Christ the power of God and Christ the wisdom of God.”

If that one is called and chosen, that message—and only that message—will be the thing that is effective to bring him to believe.

1 Corinthians 1:23-24: “To the called, those chosen of God, we preach Christ the power of God and Christ the wisdom of God.”

Jesus affirms this reality himself even further in verse 65 of our passage.

“And he was saying, ‘For this reason I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted him from the Father.’”

Sounds like what he already said earlier in the passage, doesn’t it? What is the “this reason” to which Jesus refers at the beginning of the verse? It’s what he had just said in verse 64.

Before that little parenthetical explanation, he says, “There are some among you disciples who do not believe.”

So what does Jesus say? And notice the verb tense: “he was saying.” That’s imperfect, which means it was likely happening more than once.

What does Jesus keep on saying when confronted by the unbelief of his hearers? That God is completely sovereign in salvation. And ultimately, God will—God has chosen and will draw effectively according to his own plan—those he’s chosen to believe.

Notice verse 65 says that no one can come to Jesus. That is to say, no one can believe in Jesus unless that belief has first been granted to that person by God the Father himself.

Anyone granted such belief obviously will believe. But anyone not granted that belief, Jesus makes clear, they will never believe. Not even with the greatest miraculous signs you could think of. Not even with the Son of God himself being in their presence. Not even with the words of eternal life being spoken to them.

God must grant their belief.

Now, to be sure, knowing this truth does not mean that we should become apathetic about unbelief or become callous about the situation of the lost. No, they are image-bearers of God like we are.

We ought to tremble for the lost. We ought to have great sorrow for them, even as we are in awe of the holiness and sovereignty of God. He’s the Potter. We are the clay. He has the right to do with his vessels as he wishes.

But, like Jesus, at the very least, we should not be fundamentally destabilized when we see even professing disciples, Christians, followers of Jesus, turn back because they no longer want Jesus’ life-giving words.

If it happened with the Son of God in their presence, don’t be surprised if it happens now.

Many Disciples Withdraw

This is exactly what happens in verse 66.

“As a result of this, many of his disciples withdrew and were not walking with him anymore.”

Because of Jesus’ words, many previously enthusiastic disciples totally and permanently abandon Jesus. They turn back. They’re no longer willing to go around wherever Jesus goes.

“Because of Jesus’ words, many previously enthusiastic disciples totally and permanently abandon Jesus.”

Their miracles weren’t enough. When those miracles were paired with Jesus’ offensive message declaring himself to be the bread of life—the true treasure—even as he has given over in death so that all those who might believe in him would have eternal life.

However, not all of Jesus’ disciples leave.

We move now to the second section of this passage, verses 67-71, where we see the opposite reaction to Jesus’ words—a reaction that shows us how the author hopes and prays we will react to Jesus’ words by the grace of God.

True Disciples Receive Words of Eternal Life

Number two: True disciples receive words of eternal life.

True disciples receive words of eternal life.

“True disciples receive words of eternal life.”

Look at verse 67.

“So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘You do not want to go away also, do you?’”

This is actually the first time, and one of only a few times, that we see the term “the twelve” in this gospel. Our author John never explains who the twelve are. He just assumes his readers are already familiar.

The twelve are the twelve close disciples of Jesus, chosen by Jesus himself and called by Jesus himself. We know many of their names.

Amid the exodus of hundreds and perhaps thousands of other disciples from Jesus, Jesus asks the twelve—the twelve closest—if they also want to leave.

Now, there are different ways to ask questions in Greek that indicate the kind of expected answer. The question here expects a negative answer. Surely the twelve don’t want to leave, right?

Well, look at the beginning of the twelve’s response in verse 68.

Peter’s Confession: Words of Eternal Life

“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.’”

Considering how talkative Peter is in the other gospels, it’s kind of amazing that we haven’t heard Peter speak in this gospel since chapter one, when Jesus first called Peter.

But here we see Peter doing his thing—characteristically speaking up for the entire group when Jesus asks a question.

And what is Peter’s answer? The answer of the twelve: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Jesus, there’s no one else who’s like you. There’s no one else who has a better claim to truth than you do.”

Then Peter clarifies what makes Jesus unique when he adds, “You have words of eternal life.”

John 6:68: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.”

Peter was listening to what Jesus said in verse 63, when Jesus claimed that his words are spirit and life. Peter, speaking on behalf of the twelve, affirms this to be true. They all agree in this.

“Jesus, you have indeed the words of spirit and life. You have words of eternal life.”

Now, to be sure, the disciples do not understand everything that Jesus says. And sometimes, even when they do understand, they are slow to believe.

But notwithstanding their incomplete understanding, the twelve recognize that Jesus does not speak ordinary words. He speaks the very words of God. His words are life and spirit.

And realizing this, why would you ever want to take yourself away from those words? Why would you take yourself away from life-giving words—even words that embody and bring about eternal life?

Sure, sometimes Jesus’ words seem hard. Sometimes others turn back from following these words, from receiving these words. But these words and the one who speaks them are such treasure. You dare not let them go.

Believed and Come to Know

In fact, notice the next part of Peter’s answer in John 6:69.

“We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Here, the contrast between the twelve and the other abandoning disciples becomes even sharper. The others left because they despise Jesus’ words. The twelve stay because they treasure Jesus’ words.

“The others left because they despise Jesus’ words. The twelve stay because they treasure Jesus’ words.”

The others left ultimately because they would not believe. The twelve stay because they do believe.

But what kind of belief do the twelve have? Is it that kind of shoddy belief that we saw in John 2:25—the kind that Jesus himself would not believe in?

Well, notice Peter here. He doesn’t just say, “We have believed”—that is, “We began to believe in the past and still do.” But also, “We have come to know.”

There’s a strength to Peter’s and the twelve’s faith in Jesus. This is not an anti-intellectual faith. This is not a mere feeling-based faith. This is a conscious, fully informed, fully convinced trust and belief in Jesus.

And you can notice the perfect tense again: “have come to know,” or more literally, “have known.” The twelve came to this knowledge in the past, and they have continued in it to the present.

The Holy One of God

What is it exactly that the twelve have come to believe and know about Jesus? “That you, Jesus, are the Holy One of God.”

Now, that is a rare description of Jesus in the Bible. We might have expected Peter to say instead, “We’ve come to know that you are the Christ” or “that you are the Son of God,” as Peter does say elsewhere on another occasion.

Yet “the Holy One of God” is a profoundly appropriate title for Jesus.

“Holy” means special or set apart—especially from that which is common or sinful. And though the term is sometimes used in the Old Testament for an angel or even the Davidic seed, “Holy One,” “Holy One,” most often appears in the Old Testament as a title for God himself: “the Holy One of Israel.”

After all, who is more special? Who is more high and lifted up? Who is more set apart from all that is imperfect and sinful and common than God himself?

So then, for Peter and the disciples to confess Jesus as “the Holy One of God”—or “from God”—that is not only to confess Jesus as special, but even that, though a man, Jesus is as pure and set apart as God is.

“For Peter to confess Jesus as ‘the Holy One of God’ is to confess that, though a man, Jesus is as pure and set apart as God is.”

That is quite the confession for a first-century Jew. Good job, Peter. Good job, twelve.

And if you are a true disciple of Jesus, you should be able to make this same confession from your own heart: “Jesus, you are the Holy One of God—even God himself.”

Jesus Chose Us First

But how did the twelve reach this conclusion when most others didn’t? What caused the disciples to believe and know and not turn back from following Jesus?

Well, Jesus has already told us, hasn’t he? Back in verse 65.

And lest the disciples become full of themselves, Jesus again emphasizes the true origin of their faith at the beginning of verse 70.

“Jesus answered them, ‘Did I myself not choose you, the twelve?’”

Why did the twelve choose Jesus? Because Jesus chose them first. Not merely as close disciples, not merely as workers in his earthly ministry, but as recipients of saving faith and thus as heirs of salvation—the salvation of God through Jesus Christ.

And make sure you catch the order here. Sometimes people, trying to understand God’s sovereignty and salvation, will say, “Well, God chose people based on whom he foresaw would choose him.”

Yet here, in response to Peter’s confession of the disciples’ own choice and belief in Jesus, Jesus insists that he himself first chose the disciples. He himself chose for himself the twelve.

In short, we choose Jesus because he first chose us. Not the other way around.

“We choose Jesus because he first chose us. Not the other way around.”

So, brethren, if you are in Jesus this morning, be in awe of this truth. Rejoice in this truth. Give thanks to God for this truth.

Your confession, your faith, your life in Jesus, is nothing short of a miracle. How on earth did that happen? How did you become a true, faithful follower of Jesus, an heir of God, in Christ?

Well, God had mercy on you, and he chose you. He caused the word of Christ to be preached to you. He opened your heart to hear the life-giving word of the Spirit. And he gave you the faith to believe. And believe you did—willingly, happily, fully.

Why should God have done that for you when he has not done it for everyone? You don’t know, and I don’t know. But all we can say is, “Thank you, gracious God, for saving a wretched sinner like me. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for your words of eternal life. Thank you for being my bread of life, and not simply letting me perish like you would have been so just to do.”

A Call to Believe

And if you’re listening today and you are not yet in Jesus Christ, maybe God is drawing you right now. No one can see the secret and sovereign workings of the Spirit. All we can know is your responsibility.

Jesus has words of eternal life. Will you believe them? Will you thereby confess Jesus as the Holy One of God, which is who he truly is?

Remember, as Jesus said, “The flesh profits nothing.” You do not need more evidence to believe. God has given you enough in the words of Jesus.

“The flesh profits nothing. You do not need more evidence to believe. God has given you enough in the words of Jesus.”

Furthermore, external acts like good works, rituals, church attendance cannot save you. Your sinful heart pollutes all the supposedly good acts that you do.

How can you be saved? You must believe. You must repent of your sin and believe in Jesus Christ.

You are to put off—you are to turn from—you are to give up your old way, your sin, your efforts to earn God’s righteousness, the world’s treasures. And you would take with both hands, with all of you, the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

Trusting his righteous life to be accounted as your righteous life, and trusting his sacrificial death to count as the payment for what your sin deserved. And that payment is accepted because of Jesus’ resurrection.

Jesus makes those who believe in him right with God once and for all, apart from works, only by repentance and faith in him. He calls you to do that. Will you do that?

You respond as you ought to words of eternal life.

One of You Is a Devil

Now, there’s a little bit more to the passage, and what remains is startling. For Jesus did not only respond to Peter in verse 70 with, “Did I myself not choose you, the twelve?” But he adds the second part of verse 70.

“And yet one of you is a devil.”

Wow. That’s kind of a surprising way to respond to someone’s profound confession of faith, indeed.

The Greek word for “devil,” “diabos,” can be translated “slanderer” or “adversary.” Often in the New Testament, though, the term is used to refer to that great enemy of God, the fallen angel Satan.

In fact, some commentators believe that the most proper translation here is, “And yet one of you is the devil”—one of you, one of my chosen twelve, is the very vessel and embodiment of Satan.

“One of my chosen twelve is the very vessel and embodiment of Satan.”

That would have been a shock to the original twelve, I think, and probably a shock to the first-time readers of John’s gospel.

Jesus does not go on to explain further to his disciples here. But John does add an explanation for the reader in verse 71.

“Now he meant Jesus meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.”

Jesus knows every man and woman. He knows from the beginning those who did not believe and who it was who would betray him. He even knows in the very moment that a group of his twelve closest disciples stand together and say, “Whatever others may do, we have believed and have known that you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus knows in that moment that one of the ones making that confession does not believe and will soon betray Jesus.

This is the first time Judas Iscariot is mentioned in John’s gospel. But, as is the case in the other gospels, as soon as Judas is introduced, he is identified as Jesus’ betrayer.

Now, is Judas sincere here? Does he really think he does believe in Jesus? Does he actually put his heart behind what Peter is saying to Jesus in verses 68 to 69?

Or is he already walking hypocritically? Is he already planning how he can use Jesus to further Judas’s own fleshly ends?

We don’t know. But Jesus does.

Judas: Chosen but Not for Salvation

And verses 70 to 71 remind us of Jesus’ supernatural knowledge as well as of God’s complete sovereignty.

It was no accident that Judas the betrayer was part of the twelve. He too was chosen by Jesus. Jesus chose Judas before Judas chose Jesus.

But Judas was not chosen for salvation. He was chosen to experience the words of eternal life, to enjoy the sweet fellowship with the Holy One of God, and then to betray all those privileges in the most heinous way.

“Judas was not chosen for salvation. He was chosen to experience the words of eternal life and then to betray all those privileges.”

Notice the repetition of the word “the twelve” between verses 70 and 71. “Judas, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.”

Could there have been a greater crime? A greater ingratitude for love and generosity?

Yet God ordained that it would happen. Yet, in such a way that God did not make Judas sin, nor forced Judas to do something that Judas did not already want to do.

Judas did exactly what he wanted. And yet it was all according to the plan of God.

Where Did Judas Go Wrong?

We might ask, from a human perspective: “Where did Judas go wrong? How did Judas blow it? He was literally so close to the Savior.”

There are many ways we could answer that question accurately. But one answer that’s very relevant to our passage is: Judas, like the crowd, at some point began to despise the words of eternal life rather than treasure them.

“Judas, like the crowd, at some point began to despise the words of eternal life rather than treasure them.”

And that’s instructive for us, friends and brethren. What about you? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe in his words to the point of being devoted to them?

Are you devoted? Do you rely on and treasure the words of eternal life?

Preparing for Apostasy and Encouraging One Another

One sobering application of this passage is that—and we’ve already seen this throughout—the betrayal and turning back of even longtime, zealous, productive followers of Christ is a sorrow for which every church in every age must prepare.

It makes me very sad to think about, but it’s true. For this church too, some of the people that you love and look up to, you learn from, you serve with—some of them will turn back from following Jesus.

How can you say that, Pastor Dave? It’s just because I know a church is not unique. I don’t know that for any of you. I just know what the scripture says.

It is always a grief. It is always a shock. It’s always terribly discouraging. Who will it be? When will it be? How will it be? We don’t know. We can’t know. We cannot see into each other’s hearts. Only the Lord can.

But he says in his word that he will reveal what is secret into the open at the appropriate time.

But what are we to do in the meantime? We are to be sober, and we are to obey the exhortations of the scripture.

One scripture that we’ve heard recently, and I think is worth repeating as we end our examination of the scripture this morning, is Hebrews 3:12-13.

The Lord himself speaks through the writer of Hebrews when he says: “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

It is inevitable that some will turn back. But our calling is to encourage one another, to protect one another, to warn one another, to keep striving together after the Lord Jesus Christ—after him as our prize and after his words.

Hebrews 3:13: “Encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Let us renew our commitment to that this morning.

Closing Prayer

Let’s close in prayer.

Jesus, to follow you sometimes is very hard. When our flesh is so incited by sin, when we are suffering long and deeply, trying to be obedient to you, trying to stand up for you as your disciple, and we are tempted in that moment to say, “Is this really worth it? Maybe I should give up being a Christian. Maybe I should give up following Jesus.”

Oh, Lord, your passage exhorts and warns us not to do that. Where else? To whom else shall we go? There is no other hope. There is no other truth in the world.

We can bury our heads in the sand and maybe enjoy the pleasures of sin for a while. But we cannot escape. We cannot escape the fact that everything you declare in this word is true.

Lord, to whom else shall we go? Only you have words of eternal life. It would be foolish for us to hide from the truth. Not only because destruction awaits that path, but also because we would be denying ourselves true life and joy.

Jesus, you did not give us your word so that you can make us all miserable for the rest of our lives. No, you came so that we would have life, that we would be satisfied in a way that no other satisfaction of the world even approaches.

You are the bread of life. He who eats you will never hunger, and he who drinks you will never thirst. Calling us to come after you, to believe, and yes, even to suffer for your sake, you were saying, “This is how you will discover and experience the greatest joy. You will experience eternal life even now as you wait for the fullness of eternal life to come.”

God, I pray for this people, this assembly, the brothers and sisters here. Lord, that we would not fall away, that we would persevere and help one another to persevere, to treasure your words, to rely on your words.

The flesh profits nothing. It is your word that saves. It is your word that sanctifies. Help us to be devoted to your word. Help us not to neglect it or to think that some worldly wisdom is better than it.

Your word is so precious, God, because it shows us you. I pray that everyone in this church would come to know Jesus in a saving way, but also come to know Jesus more and enjoy knowing and walking with him.

Lord, please do that for this assembly, for your own glory, in Jesus’ name, amen.

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