From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.At this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
6 sermons cite this verse
… He said, from that day, because of that one sermon, from this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. They did what I don't want you to do. They missed Jesus because of something they misunderstood. They missed Jesus. They missed the Messiah. They missed the son of God. from that point on, as the story continues, they're out of the picture. They miss Jesus because of something they misunderstood. And here's what happens next. As the crowd is leaving, the 12 apostles, Jesus' closest followers, they're thinking about leaving too because this is about to get hard. If we lose the crowd, we lose our cover. If we lose the crowd, we lose the momentum of this movement. If we lose the crowd, they're gonna think we're crazy to follow this guy. And Jesus turns to them, it's so great, And he says, hey, you don't wanna leave too, do you? Jesus asked the 12. Nobody says a word. And Peter looks around and he thinks back. …
… we don't want no part of you you got to leave our region we do not want you are not welcome in our city jesus look at this next one john 6 verse 66 from that time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. Luke 13, 34, Jesus, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and you were not willing. Jerusalem rejected him. All kinds of cities rejected him. The crowds turned away from him. Put on the screen, Nazareth heard him and then drove him out. The Gerasenes saw freedom and then asked him to leave. Jerusalem welcomed him and then handed him over. See, the Bible is proof that you can be around miracles and not want to follow the miracle worker. See, we live in a generation that's like, man, we need more miracles. We need more signs. …
… This is one of the saddest verses in the Bible after one of the happiest miracles. John chapter 6, verse 66. Look at this. From this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. So, Jesus was amazing, but he was also abandoned. Abandonment. As amazing as he was, there were disciples who said, we don't want to follow you where you're going next. Now, this is the question I want to ask you. If Jesus had people leave his life… and he was perfect. If Jesus had people leave his life and he was all-knowing, if Jesus had people leave his life and he was the Savior of the world, how do we expect that we're going to make it through our life without ever being betrayed, abandoned, rejected? I know this really hurts to put it here, but I felt the Lord speaking to me that there is a whisper he wants to give you about the people who have abandoned you. Now, as I step on this, I tread tenderly, because it's one thing to talk about the people who were in your life in high school that are not in your life now that you're 73. It is one thing to talk about abandonment in a theological capacity that will help you to understand how it relates to God, who will never leave us or forsake us. There are some times where the fact that people are leaving you causes you to feel as if God did too. We don't say that, but we begin to feel that way. …
… until they finally crucify him, right? In John's gospel, John chapter six, verse 66, 666, I've mentioned this to you before, is a verse where Jesus has fed the multitudes. Then he says, I'm the bread of life. Those who come to me will never go hungry. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood shall have life. And all of a sudden, that was just too much for too many people. And 666 says that many of his followers turned away from him at that time. That's Jesus. and people turned away. And then he turns to his disciples and there's such pathos in this. He says, will you leave me also? I mean, you know, sometimes practicing courageous leadership means, you know, that there are going to be people will be upset, not like what you did. Maybe turn away from you. This week I spoke with Irv Hockaday. I met Irv when he was CEO at Hallmark Cards. Before that, he was CEO and president at Kansas City Southern Railways. …
… These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a difficult statement. Who can listen to it? 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, our spirit and our 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? …
… These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of His disciples when they heard this said, this is a hard saying. Who can understand it? And when Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe. But Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who would betray Him. And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father. And from that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. And then Jesus said to the twelve, Do you also want to go away? …