Many Disciples Desert Jesus

MANY DISCIPLES DESERT JESUS

RYAN JAMES HAMILTON

I Would like to share this passage with you from the book of John. Jesus had 12 and they all wanted to desert and abandon the calling. The calling upon doesn’t promise cake and ice cream. It demands giving up your life and everything about it and handing it over to Jesus. It will cost you everything, but will bring great riches in eternity.

On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a hard teaching: Who can accept it?” Aware that HIs disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you- they are full of the Spirit and life.  Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.  He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.  “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.  Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the song of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

See Jesus already knew He was going to be betrayed yet still called Judas to be one of his disciples. Jesus is nothing but the perfect definition of a disciple and set the perfect example of a follower, yet we still choose to reject Him. Following Jesus is the most beautiful thing I have ever done.