The Test of Following Jesus

Attended a men’s fellowship the other night and one of things that was brought out was why do we follow Jesus. I believe it is the most pertinent question of our faith. If our faith is in Jesus Christ, it doesn’t matter what happens around us because God never changes. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).

John 6:47-51
47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.
50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Jesus was saying here that He is the bread that we need to be nourished with. There is no other bread that can give us life, not healing, nor can miracles or even our daily needs being met give us eternal life. Only Jesus and partaking of Him can do this.

John 6:53-58
53 Jesus said to them, "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.
54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."

When our faith is in Jesus Christ, we can endure anything because we trust His ways, His power, and not our own. How strong are you? You are as strong as whatever your faith survives, this is the continual test that will keep us strong and help us grow stronger. Just as muscles develop strength the more they are used, so too our faith gets stronger the more we exercise it. The greatest tests of faith, thus the greatest potential for growth comes during times of hardship.

This saying was derived when I lived in Southern California “When there is only sun, all you get is a desert. Without the storms of life there is no growth.” Lived at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains and when you took the 215 to the upper desert and onto Las Vegas all there was is desert, a few Joshua trees, cacti and other succulent plants and lots and lots of sand. Out towards Baker California it would get as hot as one hundred and thirty degrees. Once in a while some long soaking rain storms would come through that would bring rains for a week straight. If you were to travel through there a couple of weeks after those storms came through, you would see some of the most beautiful wild flowers that you have ever laid your eyes on. Miles and miles of them, purple, blue, red, yellow and green flowers everywhere, that is the way our faith grows when we go through hard times. What is produced is a beautiful life from those storms of life.

If you trust in the Lord, get ready for the tests, for examination day is coming. If you were to lose a job or a house, or if your child were sick and your prayer produced no discernable results, would you still believe in God’s goodness? Having confidence in the Lord no matter the circumstances is true faith. May we have the true faith like the prophet Habakkuk depicts in the following passage:

Habakkuk 3:17-19
17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

Are we only looking for what Jesus can do for us or we looking for Jesus for who He is? Am reminded of the many times when I was single and would get invited to Sunday dinner at various people’s home. Have had almost forty years of experience in the technical field and have had my hands in just about everything electronic. So consequently we would be sitting down eating and invariably the question would come up. By the way we have a problem with our computer, can you look at it. Next week I would be over at someone else’s home and the question would come up, by the way Jeremiah we have a problem with our stereo, can you look at it? But once in a while I would be at someone’s home and they would not ask me for anything, they just wanted me over to enjoy my company. Do you know how that made me feel?

Are we doing that with God, are we just using God to have our needs met all the time as if He is the big Red Staples Button that we push constantly, or are we worshipping Him because of who He is?

John 6:23-29
23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
26 Jesus answered, "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.
27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

Their motives for following Jesus was for what they could get from Him. They had no concept of true faith. He is asking us here to not work for bread that spoils which means belief in Jesus Christ should not be motivated by the positive benefits we can receive from the relationship, but by the character and nature of the Lord who loves His people.

His test for us is the quality and object of our faith and wants to correct our misplaced focus. Many people of that day failed the faith test. Ours and theirs is a call to rise to the challenges, overcome obstacles, and triumph over hardships, and many people simply are unwilling to pay the price. It was certainly true then and it is true of many now who are put off by Jesus’ call to eat His flesh and drink His blood.

John 6:60-69
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?
62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Why did the people consider Jesus’ words a hard teaching? They had realized He was calling them to follow Him with no guarantees of fish and bread: calling them to be satisfied with Him and Him alone. He was calling them to follow Him without knowing outcomes in advance, content to leave the future in His hands. Real faith trusts Jesus whether He blesses or not, whether He delivers or not, whether He heals or not. True faith trusts no matter what, because one knows that Jesus has the words of eternal life.