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September 10, 2006
B-Pentecost 14
John 6:60-69
Pastor Robert Raasch

To Whom Shall I Go?

1. To the One Who is Offensive to Many
2. To the One Who has the Words of Eternal Life

It's a dilemma that I expect we've all wrestled with many times over. When the little stem on my watch got bent, I found myself asking, "Now what should I do? I wonder who I can go to to get it fixed?" When my computer went on the fritz, I thought the same thing: "Okay, who knows more about these things than I do? Who can I get to help me with this?" When our family first moved to Appleton, what were some of the things on the "to do" list? Find a doctor; find a dentist, and maybe the most difficult of all, find a car mechanic I can trust. Let's face it, there are times when we all need to look to some one else for help, times when we need some expert advice, times when we need a skill that we don't possess. And because there are often a lot of different choices out there, a lot of different people peddling their services, we often find ourselves asking the question, "To whom shall I go?"

Well, I hope you realize that that question applies to more than our need for someone to fix our car, computer or our teeth. It also applies to our need to have someone fix our lives. Deep down we all know there are things about ourselves we don't like. Issues we just can't resolve. Problems we can't fix. We're looking for answers, looking for help; we're looking for someone we can trust. All of which leaves us asking the question that Simon Peter asked almost 2000 years ago, namely: "Lord, to whom shall we go?" Today we have a chance to apply that question to our hearts as each one of us asked the question,

To Whom Shall I Go?

Here in our text we're going to meet two groups of people who came to two entirely different conclusions when they asked that question. One group decided they had to go to Jesus. The other group decided they just couldn't go to Jesus. And why was that? Because:

1. To the One Who is Offensive to Many
2. To the One Who has the Words of Eternal Life

First, Jesus is the one who is offensive to many. Now, maybe you're thinking, "How can anyone say that Jesus is offensive? Isn't Jesus like one of the most admired men in history? If you ask anyone on the street, "What do you think of Jesus?" do you think you would find one person who would say, "Oh, I hate that guy. He just ticks me off. You wouldn't catch me trying to model my life after him." Are you kidding? Doesn't everyone love Jesus? Who could possible be offended by this gentle, loving rabbi from Nazareth?

Well, actually, most people aren't offended by Jesus-until they really listen to what he said. Isn't that what happened here in John, chapter 6? You maybe remember that this is Jesus' Bread of Life Discourse. After miraculously providing bread for over 5000 people, Jesus went on to tell them that he was the true Bread from heaven, and that whoever eats of him would have eternal life. In fact, in last weeks' sermon we heard Jesus get downright graphic when he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."

My friends, that was the statement that proved to be the turning point for many of Jesus' followers. John tells us, "On hearing it, many of his disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?'" Literally, the Greek there says, "This is a rough, a dry, a harsh teaching." You might say it's a teaching that's hard to swallow. But the people are not just gagging on the idea of eating Jesus' body (which, by the way, was in and of itself a misinterpretation of Jesus' words. Jesus was not asking them to physically eat his body nor was this a reference to the Lord's Supper and where we sacramentally eat the body and blood, in, with and under the bread and wine.) No, actually, all that Jesus is saying is that people had to put all their trust in him as God's Son and the only path to heaven.

It was Jesus' claim that he was the only way to heaven-his claim that a person's heritage or good deeds or sincere efforts didn't matter at all-that's what really offended Jesus' followers. "Who can accept this?" they said. Actually, in the original language that phrase, "Who can accept this" can just as easily be translated, "who can accept him?"-which would also be true, for if a person rejects what Jesus says, he's ultimately rejecting Jesus himself. And in the end, that's exactly what happened, isn't it? John tells us, "From this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed (Jesus)."

In this case, the word "disciple" refers not to the Twelve hand-picked Apostles that made up Jesus "inner circle" of followers, but rather to the larger mass of people who had been spending time with Jesus, listening to him, benefiting from his miracles he had performed. It was a large portion of that group that now turned their backs on Jesus. As Jesus put it, they were the ones who had been "offended" by what he said. Literally, they had tripped over Jesus' words. They regarded what Jesus said to be scandalous.

The question is, were they the only ones who have ever regarded Jesus' teaching to be offensive? Or could it be that there are a lot of people today who are still offended by what Jesus has said? For example, think of Jesus' claim that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no one comes to the Father except through him. How many people buy into the idea that only believers in Jesus will go to heaven? There are a lot of people that would say, "No, that's too exclusionary. That's being intolerant of other people's belief, their cultures. We believe there are many roads to heaven. The idea that there's only one way to heaven-that offends us." Or how about Jesus' claim that he is, in fact, God? There are a lot of people who would say, "Yes, we believe that Jesus was a good man, a fine teacher, maybe even some kind of religious prophet. But God?!? No, we're not buying that one. That's a hoax that the church has perpetrated."

Or how about Jesus' claim that he offers his body and blood with a piece of bread and sip of wine? Or that to one of his disciples, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. These are all things that Jesus said that have led people to stumble over Jesus. You maybe know some of those people. You've maybe even tripped over some of them yourself.

And why do people often trip over Jesus' words? Well, Jesus answers that question when he says, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing." In other words, there are some things that only the Holy Spirit can lead us to believe. If we rely on our sinful flesh, that is our human reason, we just won't get it. Our misguided human reason will reject much of what Jesus said. That's what St. Paul meant when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:14, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." The point is, unless God gives a person the ability to trust in Jesus, it will never happen. That's what Jesus means when he says that "no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

With these words, Jesus is teaching us a lesson on the doctrine of conversion. Human beings, in and of themselves, do not have the ability to "make a decision for Christ." By nature, our human reason rebels against the idea that there's been only one person in the world who has ever lived up to God's standards and that God has applied his righteousness to my account and that my standing with God is 100% dependent upon my trusting in Jesus. Human reason says, "That's bunk!" But God the Holy Spirit has the ability to retool our hearts to say, "No, that's the truth. I may not completely understand it, but by God's grace, I believe it."

In fact, isn't that exactly the confession that Jesus' disciples made here in our text? When Jesus gives the disciples the opportunity to walk away with everyone else, the disciples refuse to go. Why not? Because, as Simon Peter puts it, Jesus is:
II. The One Who has the Words of Eternal Life.

John records the interchange between Jesus and his disciples beginning with Jesus' words, "'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 believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'" I want you to notice that with those words, Peter basically confesses four things. First, he acknowledges that he and his fellow disciples have a need. They need to go to someone to fill a void in their lives. They need forgiveness,; they need hope, they need a purpose in life. They need to know where they stand with God. And why are they going to Jesus? Peter says, because "we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Really, that's Peter's second confession. He is confessing Jesus' identity. He's saying that Jesus is not just a really good man. He's the Holy One of God. That means, he's the sinless one.

And that brings us to the third confession Peter makes, namely, that who Jesus is is going to have an impact on where Peter spends eternity. Peter confesses, "Lord, you have the words of eternal life." Peter's not referring to the fact that Jesus is going to live forever. He's confessing that Jesus is going to give that life that never ends to all who put their trust in him. And finally, Peter confesses the means by which Jesus in going to deliver that life. Peter says, "Lord, you have the words of eternal life." Peter is confessing that no one is going to be saved by standing next to Jesus, or by following his example. Rather, eternal life comes to those who believe his Word. That's why the disciples have come to Jesus-because he has the words of eternal life.

The question is, have you and come to the same conclusion these disciples came to? Do you recognize that there is a huge need in your life? Do you recognize that you need someone to cover the ugliness of your sin? You need someone to give you peace from a guilty conscience. Someone who will make all things serve your eternal good and grant you eternal rest when you die.

Secondly, do you believe that you have that someone in God's Son, your Savior, Jesus? Do you believe that all the different people in your life, there is no one who loves you more than he does? Do you believe that he not only died for you, but that he also lives in you, and is able to produce in you the Christian qualities that are pleasing to God? Do you believe that Jesus is the one who has the words of eternal life?

My friends, by the power of the Holy Spirit, working through this living Word of God, you can believe that. In fact, isn't that fact, the fact that we know Jesus has the words of eternal life-isn't that what brings us back here each week? Isn't that why we gather into groups to dig a little deeper into his Word? Why we call Sunday School teachers to lead our children into a deeper study and application of his Word? Are there other things we could do with our time? Are their other lifestyles we could pursue, other philosophies we could follow? Sure there are. Yet God invites us to consider our attitude toward his Son. May God grant us the grace to draw the same conclusion that Simon Peter of old came to: "Lord, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life." Amen.