the crowds start to dwindle

The Word for today:
John 6:41-71


mark this:
John 6:66 --
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

The world loves Jesus the great philosopher and teacher. They love Jesus the moral genius. They might even believe that a man so connected with God could perform the miracles Jesus performed.

But the world will not follow Jesus to the cross.

In today's passage of scripture, Jesus explains that without receiving his sacrifice at the cross--graphically portrayed as eating his flesh and drinking his blood--we are spiritually dead, separated from God: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.

Jesus knew that many in the crowds did not believe in him as Messiah and Son of God. These false disciples followed the popular Jesus. They loved his personality. They were in awe of his miracles. But His teaching concerning the cross offended: So from that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

Our pride is offended by the cross (1)--by the notion that we can't make it without God, without His sacrifice on the cross. In our pride, we want to believe that we can live independently of God. Jesus said we can't, and the crowds started to dwindle.

If you have never gone to the cross of Jesus Christ, then you can do one of two things right now:

You can walk away. Many have.

Or you can place your sins in a big bundle, go to the cross of Jesus Christ, and exchange your bundle for the righteousness of God (2).

I don't know what's in your bundle. It's none of my business. I just know that if you choose to walk away and face judgment on your own, you will pay the wages of sin, which is death (3). But should you choose to take your sins to the cross, Jesus Christ will pay the wages of sin for you.

If we've never met, I hope to see you at the cross. I'll be the one with just about the biggest bundle there.

(1) Galatians 5:11; (2) 2 Corinthians 5:21; (3) Romans 6:23; (4) Deuteronomy 30:19