Following Jesus For The Wrong Reason

John 6

In John 6 – there are people seeking Christ, but not seeking him spiritually, but physically.  They are looking for a king, not a Saviour. They do not believe they need a Saviour, but they believe they need a king.

Verse 5-13 – Those disciples close to Christ, who obey his commands, are challenged as “casual” disciples are never challenged.  Verse 10, Jesus made the 5,000 sit down and do nothing, but get waited on by the disciples.  There was plenty of food for everybody and some left over.  The lesson for the disciples is that Jesus will be able to supply all their needs if they will put him first, but the lesson the “casual” disciples received is that Jesus ought to feed them.  They believe they deserve the easy life of letting Christ do everything for them, while they do nothing at all.

Verse 16-21 – Those disciples close to Christ, who obey his commands, go through things in the night that “casual” disciples know nothing about.  Jesus leaves all the disciples, both the “casual” disciples and the disciples close to him.  The faithful disciples have much work to do in rowing across the Sea of Galilee during a storm, but the “casual” disciples have it made waiting out the night on the sea shore or in nearby towns.

Verse 22-24 – “Casual” disciples are constantly looking for Christ, while faithful disciples know where Jesus is, because he is with them.  Jesus knows those that belong to him, and he knows those that will betray him.

Verse 26 – There is a marked difference in following Christ for what you can get out of it, and following Christ because he is the Son of God – our Saviour, Lord, and King.  Christ encourages “casual” disciples to become faithful disciples.  Read verse 26 and see that Jesus understands exactly why some people follow him.  Some people today go to church because there is an economic benefit in going to that particular church.  Some people go to a certain church because there is a political benefit in going to that particular church.  Why do you go to the church you go to?

“Casual” disciples constantly think only in physical, worldly terms.  Christ constantly directs them to think spiritually, but it is beyond them.

Verse 44 – I have heard that we should never preach election to the lost, but Jesus did.  It is important for lost people to understand they must have the drawing of God to be able to come.  It is not wrong for a lost person to pray that God draw them, burden them with their sins, and save them.