The Uncomfortable Truth

John 6:41-71

When Jesus spoke of Himself as the Bread of Life, it wasn’t a popular message. He boldly proclaimed that no one could come to God except through Him. He wasn’t worried about hurting people’s feelings or coming across as narrow-minded. He was only concerned with the fate of people’s souls. When Jesus shared the truth about salvation, He didn’t try to lighten the message to make it more appealing. He didn’t give people the impression that there were many ways to the Father. He told the truth! There is only one way to be made right with God.

“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing.” – John 6:63 NLT

We face the same opposition to the truth today. People don’t want to hear the truth. They want to hear something that makes them feel good about themselves. They want someone to tell them they are fine just the way they are. They want to believe they can accomplish their salvation by being “good enough”. But the Word of God is clear. No one is good enough. We have all sinned and someone has to die to pay the price. (Romans 6:23)

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood.

God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.

Romans 3:23, 25, 26 NLT

Jesus knew the truth made people uncomfortable. He knew many did not believe what He said, and many of His followers turned and walked away from Him because they could not accept the truth. But Jesus did not water down His message to make it more palatable. He knew that if they were not given the opportunity to respond to the gospel message, their soul was destined for an eternity separated from God.

In the same way, when we proclaim the truth about salvation, we will face opposition and even persecution. The devil has successfully sold the lie that everyone can have their own truth and be okay. He has succeeded in making the world believe that there are many ways to God, all equally good. But that is a lie! If there were many ways to God, then Jesus Christ would not have had to die a sacrificial death.

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation]. – Acts 4:12 AMP

Those that stayed with Jesus even when His message seemed hard to handle had come to understand that He is the only way. Many of them went on to die for boldly proclaiming the truth. Are those of us who have made Jesus our Lord and Savior ready to do the same? Is living only for what makes us comfortable today worth an eternity separated from God?

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” – John 6:68-69 NLT