John 6:66-69 66After this many of his disciples went away to the things behind and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also not want to go away?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69and we ourselves have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Many of those in the crowds who had been following Jesus left him. Verse 66 is one of the saddest verses in John’s Gospel. Many people were interested in what Jesus had to say because he was a good teacher. They were intrigued by what he did and marveled at his miracles. But when it came to the point of believing in him as God’s revelation of truth, they could not accept him. There were two types of disciples that appear in the Gospel accounts: those who commit all to follow Jesus and those who are casual and curious onlookers.
An important word in John’s Gospel and his Epistles used in this verse is walked (periepatoun). This word has a strong connotation when used for disciples of faith, trust, and obedience. The crowds did not see in Jesus what they wanted: a political king to free them from their social, economic, and political oppression. Jesus came to free them from their spiritual oppression, but they were too self-focused and would not break free from their prejudices and limited worldviews. They wanted to put Jesus into a box, but he could not be put into this box.
This point was also a crisis moment moment for the twelve disciples Jesus called “apostles.” This is the first time in John’s Gospel that this group of disciples is numbered as twelve. Would they make the decision to walk away also? Jesus’ question could be paraphrased as, Do you believe in me and what I have said? Simon serves as the spokesperson for the group in the Synoptic Gospels as well as here and proclaims the disciples’ faith.
Simon Peter’s response reveals several things about what was happening in his mind, and we assume for the rest of the group. His words also serve in the larger context of showing what response all people should have to Jesus. First, Peter acknowledges in his question the searching and longing of the human heart. People are looking for answers to life’s deepest and most profound questions. One of the most important questions is what is the meaning of life? Are we accidents in the universe and just need to fight for survival to make our temporary and short lives comfortable?
Second, Peter acknowledges that Jesus has the words of eternal life. What Jesus said was the truth. Peter and the other eleven were listening closely to what Jesus said and understood them enough to know they had power and truth to them. To what level they understood the theology can be debated based on their later experiences, fears, and doubts, but the seed of truth had been planted and was growing in their hearts and minds. They saw hope in Jesus, and this hope was strong enough to believe Jesus was the way to eternal life.
Third, the disciples believed that Jesus was the Holy One of God. This statement is another way to say that they believed Jesus to be the Messiah. This passage is a mirror of the experience in Caesarea Philippi in Mark 8 when Jesus asked his disciples about what people thought about him, and in that situation, Simon also responded for the group with his famous confession of Jesus as the Messiah. Peter uses uses two key words found in other places in John: believed (pepisteukamen) and know (egnōkamen). Both are perfect active verbs, which indicates that the disciples had already come to faith and were growing in their faith and understanding of Jesus. They had been following Jesus because of they believed in him, and this believing continued as they came to understand him more and more.
The twelve disciples serve as a pattern for all people. Jesus came for the whole world. Everyone is invited; sadly, many turn away and return to their old lives of doubt, fear, and wandering. Others, like the twelve, put their trust in Jesus because they see in him the words of eternal life. Their faith is strengthened over time as they learn and come to know more about Jesus. This is the pattern of discipleship that John highlights in his Gospel.
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