Who Are The “Many”?

John 6

59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

60 MANY therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

66 From that time MANY of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, WILL YE ALSO GO AWAY? (my emphasis)

68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

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I have to admit that, to me, this is one of the most heart-wrenching passages in Scripture. If you’ve ever been in a position of leadership then you understand the pathos in this passage. It moves me profoundly and makes me incredibly sad every time I read it.

It might be incorrect to conclude this but, this had to have been one of the lowest points in the ministry and life of Christ. I can’t imagine Him asking the twelve “WILL YE ALSO GO AWAY?,” and yet He did. How does one even begin to process that question in the moment in which it’s asked? I want to think it would have ripped my heart out, as it does now.

Probably most followers of Christ would place themselves in the category of those that would never walk away from Christ. But I can tell you, it happens. And when it does, if you know the person, something breaks inside of you that never gets healed.

Do you know anyone, I mean a close personal friend, that’s walked away from Christ and denied Him? I have and you feel it down into the depths of your very gut.

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Do you ever wonder what you would have done/said in the same exact situation then, or even now? I do. However, I honestly do believe that those who are truly in Christ will stay faithful to Him. How can I say that?

We have some God given aids to help us during our times testing …

**The new birth

**along with the indwelling aid of the Holy Spirit

**making application of God’s Word to our hearts.

Notice what Paul has to say in I Corinthians 6 ——

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD. (my emphasis)

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

As you and I open up the written Word of God, it’s God’s desire and intent for us to enter into the impact of the words we ingest. He wants them to come to life within us. And they can …

“For the word of God is quick (alive/living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12)

My heart aches and breaks for those disciples that “went back, and walked no more with him.” But I also wonder how many there are amongst us that profess to be disciples of Christ but are only so in name, not in true faith.

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I think we are, in part, supposed to be stirred to vigilance through this incident in the life of Yeshua. We should, at the very least, consider the possibility that some claiming to be disciples of Christ are not. As it says in 1John 2:19 —

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

But …

We are not to be stirred for the purpose of passing judgement. Rather our vigilance should spring out of a deep, genuine heartfelt need to not only make our own calling and election sure (II Peter 1:10) but also the calling and election of the many that are in our midst just as they were in Christ’s day.

It’s a sobering thought to consider that some of the MANY who sit in our congregations, or perhaps even in our own families, are in need of salvation. ——

**“Many are called, but few are chosen.” (Mt. 22:14)

and that

**“Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.” (Mt. 7:13)

**Closing thought:

If many walked with Jesus at one moment and then didn’t the next moment, it’s incumbent upon us to never take anyone’s salvation for granted.

Because …

That’s the most loving thing we can do for anyone.