Introduction
Have you ever stopped a good movie before it finishes?
It’s something that’s always been really hard for me. But back in high school and college, if there was a good movie on, I had to see it through to the end. I had to hold on to see the big climax and the resolution or cliffhanger ending. Seeing the story as a whole. Even if I had seen it before.
Of course now, good movies that are on TV start and finish so late that sometimes you just have to step away and adding commercials they run even longer.
But imagine that you’re watching a really good movie for the first time, and you decide to just get up and walk away.
Like if you were watching the Sixth Sense back in 1999 and get halfway through and thought “Haley Joel Osment is a cute kid, but I just have to stop here.” Missing the iconic end of that movie, could you imagine?
In case you haven’t seen that one, I’ll mention a couple others.
Shawshank Redemption
Casablanca
Inception
Good Will Hunting
Memento
Or Planet of the Apes
Many of these are incredible movies, cinematic masterpieces, but their glory is truly revealed in the ending. The culmination of all the dialogue, suspense, magic, and story. The end is the best part and if you miss it, you lose almost all of the meaning.
This is the hint that we get in our Gospel text today as the we get to the end of chapter 6 of the Gospel of John, the end of the Bread of Life discourse. Congratulations church, together we have made it through 5 weeks of talking about bread.
Narrative Context
Now, I want to put in perspective what’s been happening to this point in the Gospel of John. Jesus has many, many, followers around him right now as he talks about the Bread of Life from heaven. And here’s why:
To this point, in the Gospel of John, the disciples have seen Jesus turn water in wine at the wedding at Cana. They have seen him drive the money changers from the Temple in Jerusalem and not get arrested. They have seen him know the entire history of Philip & Nathanael, Nicodemus, and the Samaritan woman without ever having met them before. Jesus healed a royal official’s son without even being near him. He healed a man who had been ill for 38 years and makes him walk again. And now he has just fed 5,000 people with 5 barley loaves and 2 dried fish.
The miracles that they have seen in the short time that they’ve been with him are absolutely astounding. The 12 disciples have seen so much. These followers from Capernaum, Cana, and Galilee have latched on to the crowd wondering what else they might see. At the very least they might get some more bread and wine.
This Week’s Context
Many of the disciples and followers look around, as Jesus talks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, things that would have been considered unclean. And as Jesus promises eternal life and calls himself the Son of God, the disciples look around and start seeing religious officials around. Religious leaders—with some authority— who are beginning to get more and more upset with this Jesus of Nazareth.
In today’s Gospel, these followers begin to get unnerved. Both by the words that Jesus is speaking and by the powerful authorities that are beginning to watch Jesus closely.
60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?”
61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you?”
Jesus knows that what he is teaching is offensive. He also knows where he is going. He knows where this story goes and that things will only get more offensive as the religious authorities try to entrap him. And so, Jesus is giving an opening for the followers to leave. What is about to come, will require even greater trust, greater challenge, and more threat.
Does this offend you?
Jesus continues… “62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But among you there are some who do not believe.”
Jesus is subtly pointing to where this will all lead. If they hang on to watch the end of the story.
But we hear in vs 66 that this is all getting a little too intesnse for some of these following and they began to turn away and leave. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?”
68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
We’ve Seen Too Much
I love Simon Peter’s response here. Jesus asks the 12 if they also want to leave. And Peter responds: “Lord to whom can we go?” Simon Peter is essentially saying to Jesus, “We’ve seen too much to turn back now. We have to see where this is going.”
With religious authorities around glaring at Jesus from everything he does, after traveling many miles, after getting kicked out of synagogues and towns, after leaving their family and friends behind, I’m sure there are plenty of days when each of these disicples has thought about leaving. Returning to families, hot meals, and a warm bed.
But after all they have seen Jesus do, after all they have heard Jesus promise, how could they possibly leave now?
Back in chapter 1 of the Gospel of John, as Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael, he says, “‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under a fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of Man’” (verse 51).
In other words, what we know (as we have heard the Gospels before), is that the decision to leave (or stay) is arguably premature without the fullness of the story… the story of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, and the gift of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit.
And Peter can sense that. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of Eternal Life.”
From what they have seen, and what Jesus has been teaching, nothing is as it seems.
Water is not just water. Wine is not just wine. Bread is not just Bread.
When following Jesus nothing is surface level.
Preaching Possibilities
We Have Not Seen the End of Our Story
Although we may know the end of the Gospel story, although we have heard the Good News of Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the journey of discipleship is not over yet. We have not seen the end of our story.
And as we journey with Jesus, things are still not what they seem.
There is more to see in God’s amazing presence and actions in this world. There is more goodness and wholeness to be found. There is more love and grace to be shared. There are more meals to be served. And all of that can be found as we continue to follow the journey with Jesus.
As Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Beloved, I can’t tell you how our story will end. I can’t tell you all of the challenges and difficulties that we will face. I can’t tell you all of the good and joy that we will encounter.
But I can tell you that there is an amazing story ahead of us. One that will be full of the presence of God and the love of Jesus. One with a wide welcome and an open table. One in which we will see greater things than this.
So let us continue to journey with Jesus, acknowledging that the life he calls us to will be challenging and the teachings he gives us will be difficult and sometimes hard to accept. Let us continue to journey with Jesus, refusing to live surface-level lives and instead searching for deeper and more authentic relationships. Let us continue to journey with Jesus, being open to the twists and turns of the story and open to God’s faithful and surprising action in our lives. Let us journey with Jesus, knowing that he will see us through until the end.
Micah Krey 