When Following Jesus Gets Hard
There are times when following Jesus is easy—when His promises comfort us, His blessings encourage us, and His presence gives us peace. But what happens when Jesus says something we don’t understand? What happens when His teaching challenges our beliefs, our priorities, or our way of life?
In John 6:60–69, many of Jesus’ disciples reach a difficult crossroads. They hear His teaching and say, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” Some turn away and walk with Him no more.
But Jesus turns to the twelve and asks, “Will ye also go away?”
Peter’s response gives us one of the most powerful declarations of faith in Scripture: “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”
This episode looks at what happens when following Jesus becomes difficult—and why faith means continuing to follow Him even when we don’t understand everything He says.
Sometimes the question isn’t whether Jesus’ teaching is difficult. The question is whether we trust the One who is teaching us.
Key Takeaways
- Even dedicated followers of Jesus will inevitably face moments when His teachings challenge their personal beliefs, priorities, or way of life.
- In John chapter 6, many disciples turned away and stopped following Jesus because they found His words too difficult to accept or understand.
- Jesus directly challenged the remaining twelve disciples by asking if they also wanted to leave, giving them the freedom of personal choice.
- Peter's response—asking to whom else they could go because Jesus has the words of eternal life—stands as one of Scripture's most powerful declarations of loyalty.
- True faith means continuing to walk with Christ and trusting the Teacher even when His methods and messages are hard to comprehend.
When Following Jesus Gets Hard
John 6:60–69 presents a sobering moment in Jesus’ ministry. Many who had been following Him struggled with His teaching and decided they could no longer continue with Him.
Jesus didn’t change His message to keep the crowd.
Instead, He challenged the twelve: “Will ye also go away?”
Peter answered with a question of his own: “Lord, to whom shall we go?”
Peter didn’t claim to understand everything. He simply recognized that Jesus had something nobody else could offer: “the words of eternal life.”
Three Truths From This Passage
1. Following Jesus won’t always be easy.
There will be teachings we struggle to understand and commands that challenge our preferences. Difficult moments don’t necessarily mean we are on the wrong path.
2. We shouldn’t walk away simply because we don’t understand.
Faith doesn’t require us to have every answer before we continue following Jesus. Sometimes faith means trusting Him while we seek understanding.
3. Jesus has the words of eternal life.
Peter understood something crucial: there was nowhere else to go. The world may offer alternatives, philosophies, pleasures, and promises, but only Jesus has the words of eternal life.
- Have you ever encountered something in Scripture that was difficult for you to understand or accept?
- How do you respond when God’s Word challenges something you believe or want to do?
- Are there areas of your faith where you are tempted to walk away because following Jesus has become difficult?
- What does Peter’s question, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” mean to you personally?
- Are you trusting Jesus even when you don’t have all the answers?
Heavenly Father, help us remain faithful when following You becomes difficult. Give us the humility to accept Your Word even when we don’t fully understand it, and give us the faith to trust Jesus even when the road is hard. Help us remember that He alone has the words of eternal life. May we never turn away, but continue to follow Him faithfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did disciples leave Jesus in John 6?
Many disciples turned away because they found Jesus's teachings to be difficult sayings that challenged their understanding and expectations.
What did Jesus ask the twelve disciples when others left?
Jesus turned to the twelve and asked them directly, 'Will ye also go away?' to test their commitment.
What did Peter say when Jesus asked if they wanted to leave?
Peter declared, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life,' affirming his deep trust and loyalty to Jesus.
What does it mean when following Jesus gets hard?
It means trusting the character and authority of Jesus even when His commands or circumstances in life do not make immediate sense to us.
