DaleTedder.com
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
    • Every Sphere Links
  • Devotions
    • Prayer Journal
  • Study Center
    • Men's Discipleship Basics
    • Philippians
    • Costly Discipleship
    • Spiritual Life Checkup
    • Heidelberg Catechism
    • Pastor's Study
    • Southside Men
  • Bookstore

Discipleship is Hard, Part 1

8/14/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Text: Selected verses from John 6 and 1 John 2

In John 6, Jesus laid some hard, heavy, and profound teachings upon the hearts and minds of the disciples – not just the Twelve – but to all who were following him at the time. We might do well to remember that earlier in chapter 6, Jesus had basically accused many of those so-called “followers” of only tagging along because of what they thought Jesus could give them – what he could do for them. Why? Because earlier (John 6:1-15), Jesus fed the 5,000 and they were duly impressed. Who wouldn’t want to be around someone who could do that? They liked it. It benefited them. They wanted more. So they followed him.

But Jesus knew their hearts and how the heart of man is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9; cf. Psalm 64:6). Thus, he knew their real motives. That’s why he tells them in verse 26:

“I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 

He then uses that fact as a jumping-off point to tell them about the Bread of Life that could sustain them eternally. Of course, we know that it is he who was (and is) the Bread of Life – and only by believing in him could they and would they receive real life (John 6:29, 47-48).

Jesus then developed this idea of receiving him as the Bread of Life by telling those half-hearted disciples that they must eat his body and drink his blood (it’s teaching like that, by the way, that led many in the Roman Empire to level the charge of cannibalism at the early church). This was and is a truly amazing notion, and I think that we can appreciate that on that side of the Cross – without 2,000 years of Christian tradition and teaching on the subject – it would have been pretty hard to swallow.  So we can understand why many responded:

“This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (John 6:60) 

Again, Jesus knew this is what they were saying and thinking. He knew that this was a massive shock to their systems, so he reminded them that his words were (and are) life (John 6:63).

And yet, again, he also knew their hearts (John 2:24-25) and he knew the real reason why they were following him around. But he also realized that some, even if a minority, would accept this hard teaching and remain with him and in him (John 15:1-8).

But alas, verse 66 of John 6 is the bearer of the sad news:

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 

Discipleship was (is) hard. Following after Christ means picking up crosses and denying one’s self. It includes hard teachings. It wasn’t all giant picnics on the countryside and incredible, crowd-pleasing miracles performed by Jesus. Following Jesus included some tough ideas, ideas that run contrary to how unregenerate man (and our dark world) think. So they turned away.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Discipleship Is Hard

Grace and Truth,
Dale

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    100 Godly Men
    Anger
    Apologetics
    Baxter's Directory
    Bible Studies
    Biography
    Books
    Boyhood
    Burning Heart
    Calling
    Catechesis
    Character
    Children
    Christ & Culture
    Christian Influence
    Christianity
    Christian Living
    Church
    Communication
    C.S. Lewis
    Culture
    Devotional & Encouragement
    Devotional Life
    Discipleship
    Doctrine
    Eternal Life
    Evangelicalism
    Evangelism
    Faithfulness
    Family
    Fatherhood
    Glorifying God
    Godliness
    Godly Manhood
    God's Love
    Good Reads For Kingdom Minded Men
    Gospel
    Heidelberg Catechism
    Holiness
    How To Be A Real Man
    Humility
    Husband
    Jesus Christ
    Justification
    Kingdom Discipleship
    Kingdom Man
    Kingdom Of God
    Knowing God
    Library
    Manhood
    Man In The Mirror
    Marriage
    Mediocrity
    Men
    Men's Ministry
    Men's Studies
    Mentoring
    Mercy
    Micah Mandate
    Missions
    My Book
    Parenting
    Peace
    Poverty
    Prayer
    Prayer Journal
    Prayers
    Puritans
    Purpose
    Reading
    Rest
    Restoration
    Richard Baxter
    Right Path Devotions
    Salt And Light
    Salvation
    Sanctification
    Satan
    Savior
    Screwtape Letters
    Sin
    Small Groups
    Social Justice
    Sons
    Southside United Methodist Church
    Spiritual Growth
    St. Patrick
    Study
    Success
    Thanksgiving
    Theology
    Theology For Men
    Truth
    Vlog
    Vocation
    Walking Points Podcast
    Wisdom
    Witness
    Work
    Worldview


    Archives

    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015


    RSS Feed

Dale Tedder.com

Let's Connect

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
    • Every Sphere Links
  • Devotions
    • Prayer Journal
  • Study Center
    • Men's Discipleship Basics
    • Philippians
    • Costly Discipleship
    • Spiritual Life Checkup
    • Heidelberg Catechism
    • Pastor's Study
    • Southside Men
  • Bookstore