John 6:66-69 “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Within our text, we see a thinning of the ranks the closer our Lord got to Calvary; “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” Watching the exodus, Jesus turns to the twelve and asked if they too would leave. Peter, the group’s spokesman, said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” What motivates you to do what you are doing? Many people do the right thing for the wrong reason! For a period of time it appeared that the whole world would become disciples of Jesus. This was the fear of the chief priests and Pharisees; “If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him” (John 11:48). Multitudes of people were actively seeking out Jesus for to see Him.  King Herod had a desire to see Jesus because of our Lord’s fame; “And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him” (Luke 23:8). It was not the Master as much as it was the miracles that drew Herod to Jesus. The masses ran all the way around the Sea of Galilee to catch up with Jesus who had crossed in a boat. They were drawn to Jesus by the food; “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me . . . because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (John 6:26). It was not the person, but the provisions that caused these people to follow the Lord. As the masses returned to their old ways, Jesus asked His disciples if they too were going to turn back. Peter’s answer revealed that it was not fame or food, but faith that drew them to Christ; “thou hast the words of eternal life.” If you have come for the wrong reason, somewhere down the road, you’ll turn away! When Church or serving God is no longer popular or the in thing to do, you will seek the attractions of the world. When you don’t get what you want from religion, you will return “to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25). You will return to the ways of the world and the will of self; proving that there was never a real change. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17 Change only comes to those that come to Christ in faith!