“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.” John 6:68-69
We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69
Lord, to whom shall
we go?
Many of Jesus’ disciples, other
than the Twelve, had turned back and no longer followed him. Why would they
turn away? It was the “hard teaching” (vs. 60) that offended them. One
commentator has gleaned four factors from John 6 that explain their desertion.
These fickle followers were more interested in the practical things Jesus
offered, especially food, than in the spiritual realities conveyed in his feeding
of the five thousand. They were incapable of taking the first steps of genuine
faith because they were unwilling to give up control of their lives. They were
offended by Jesus’ claim to be greater than Moses. And they were repulsed by
the idea of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood.[1]
But Peter,
representing the Twelve, looks past all of those obstacles and sees in Jesus
something no one else has to offer. Jesus has been in relationship with them.
He has spent time with them. He has conveyed his love for them. He had spoken
words of truth to them. “Who is like you, Jesus? There is no one else to follow.”
You have the words of
eternal life.
Peter acknowledges
that Jesus has spoken words that lead to eternal life. Are these magical words
that open heaven’s doors? Certainly not! Jesus’ words that live within his
disciples enable them to live forever.
The phrase “eternal life” is
special in the fourth Gospel, for it occurs more often here than in all three
synoptic Gospels combined. We have been taught since childhood, “whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (3:16). Jesus said, “Indeed, the water I
give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (4:14). “Very truly I tell you,
whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and
will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (5:24). “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that
endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (6:27). “Whoever eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up
at the last day” (6:54).
We have come to
believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.
Peter calls
attention to the common conviction among the Twelve. It’s as though they had
discussed it and come to agreement.
Peter also uses the verbs “to
believe” and “to know” to convey that he and his fellow disciples came to this
conviction at a point-in-time in the past. And they continue to believe and to know,
especially at that moment. One commentator paraphrases this part of Peter’s message
this way: “We have come to a place of faith and continue there. We have entered
into knowledge and retain it.”[2] Saint
Augustine followed Peter’s word-order when he wrote, “Therefore do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe that
you may understand.”
The phrase,
“the Holy One of God,” isn’t a title like Messiah or Lord, so we can think of the
phrase as a description of Jesus.[3] He
is the person the Hebrew Bible anticipates:
set apart by God and pure for God’s purposes. Jesus is among us, the One truly
sent by God.
Consider
spending time with Peter’s confession, one phrase at a time, in the coming
weeks. See if it strengthens your faith in and your relationship with our Lord
Jesus Christ.
For Reflection and Discussion
Do you find Jesus’
presence and words understandable and comforting? Under what circumstances are
you tempted to follow someone or something else?
What “words of eternal life” are especially meaningful to
you?
Can you pinpoint a time when you came to believe and to know
that Jesus is the Holy One of God? More importantly: Do you believe and do you
know Him as the Holy One of God now?
Which typically comes first for you: believing or
understanding?
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