" 'It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are 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."
On the heels of miraculous ministries where food was multiplied, healings were causing great excitement, and His fame spread like wildfire, the Lord Jesus reveals His utter resistance to the deceitful lure of popularity.
He always and only cared for the will of His Father, period. His was an unnerving lack of concern for so much that everyone else valued so dearly. He alone understood perfectly that the flesh profits nothing, and so He lived with nothing to lose, with a fearless spiritual boldness. In the face of intensifying hatred from the religious leaders, and increasing disappointment from the multitudes, He unflinchingly spoke every word the Father gave Him to deliver (John 17:8).
Interesting that, when the disciples withdrew and walked with Him no more, there is no record of His following after them, pleading for them to return. As far as we know, He let them go. He would not "water down" the message to increase its appeal. Neither should we.
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Actually Taking God Seriously:
Isn't it interesting how Roman Catholics tend to ignore "John 6:63-66" so they can protect their precious little eucharist? You'd think that the "true church" (if it's really the true church), would take God more seriously and be more interested in showing the world Jesus than in obtaining vast popularity, but alas, human beings are awfully egocentric.
Excellent title! Very concise!
I wonder how many people really realize how much more extreme heaven and hell are compared to this planet. That title sort of caught me off guard.
Concerning this topic, you certainly could expand on this topic. I would expand on the authority of His Word, since that is very important to Him (esp. the verses you brought up).
However, I have a question. For people who aren't taking God seriously, but think they are, how do we take God seriously? Is it just to follow the ten commandments?
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