“After this many of [Jesus’] disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’” John 6:51-69 (ESV)
Following Jesus is not easy. Some of His teachings and sayings were, and still are, offensive. Praying in public, wearing a cross, or serving in Jesus’ name can be met with hostility, even in modern times and in a nation founded on defending our personal freedoms. Like the first disciples, we too, may say of Jesus’ teachings, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (John 6:60b) Sometimes, in the face of opposition, we may be tempted to deny our faith or to abandon it altogether.
But to whom shall we go? Jesus alone has “the words of eternal life.” He alone suffered, died, and rose again to save us from our sins and raise us to new life now and forever. Jesus is the Holy One of God. No one else can promise and provide that which He gives. In Him alone we trust and believe. In Him alone we find hope, and love, and life everlasting.