Be Still and Know - "We Believe, And We Know You Are The Holy One Of God"

(from www.premierchristianradio.com)

1. John 6:66-69 
   
   At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
   
   Up until now Jesus seemed to have been attracting more and more followers. In John 4 we hear that he was attracting more disciples than John the Baptist and, even in the hostile territory of Samaria, people were believing in him. In the Galilean region of northern Israel, he had miraculously fed thousands of people but the next day, the mood was very different. He spoke seriously to his followers about the nature of the bread that he was offering them, and that this was, in fact, his flesh. They concluded: “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” (John 6:60). As a result, many turned away and deserted him.
   
   Jesus’ question to his remaining disciples is heart-rending: “Are you also going to leave?” As it was so often, Simon Peter spoke up for the others. He bluntly summarised the situation by saying that had no desire to leave Jesus because there was nowhere else to go. Only Jesus had the words of eternal life. No other philosophies or religions were offering that. 
   
   In our society, there is any number of people and organisations wanting to attract our attention and get us to sign up. They make bold claims and offer glossy publicity for their philosophies, but only Jesus makes the offer of eternal life. If we want to receive this amazing gift, there is nowhere else to turn.
   
   When Peter gave his response, he wasn’t saying that he understood everything. In fact, it is likely that he had as many questions as those who had turned away. But he was declaring that he was committed to Jesus and that he trusted him for the future. Equally, when we make a commitment to follow Jesus, we are not claiming that we have a full understanding of who God is and his plans for our lives. We are simply saying that we trust Jesus as a person and know that he can be entirely relied upon.
   
   Question – Why are you committed to Jesus?
   
   Prayer – Lord Jesus Christ, I worship you because you have the words of eternal life. Amen