When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
Comment: Maybe with hindsight we can get a good grasp on what Jesus was saying but for many the decision to stay with this young Rabbi had to be made on other things – like what he had said and what they had seen. Many left, and Jesus asked His inner group of twelve what they were planning to do. Simon Peter for all his faults answered beautifully and from the heart. ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’ I guess it is true that we will never understand every detail of who Jesus is and what He has done for us but Peter has spoken the essential truth that we need to confess if we are going to walk the Jesus Way. The bit that Jesus adds, about one of them going to betray Him, was sad but historically we know that it happened.
Prayer: I do believe that You are the Promised Messiah and I would follow You, Lord Jesus.
As I read it! 