Today Devotional 6th August 2025, Wednesday Message
TOPIC: Words of Eternal Life
Scripture Reading — John 6:60-71
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[a] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
Key Verse: Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” — John 6:68
Crowds can be fickle, switching quickly from enthusiasm to rejection and even violence. Sometimes these dramatic swings are triggered by just a few words. Jesus’ hard teaching in John 6 shows that his words can trigger rejection or lead to life.
As Jesus’ reputation grew, the crowds of people around him dramatically increased. Why? Because he was a wonder worker. Just a day or two earlier, Jesus had fed a huge crowd of several thousand people (John 6:1-15). But while the crowds were drawn to his miraculous works, they didn’t always like his surprising teachings. At the synagogue in Capernaum, he had told the crowd that if they wanted to have eternal life, they had to eat his body and drink his blood (6:53-59). Turned off by that imagery, many people rejected Jesus and left.
Jesus asked his closest disciples if they wanted to leave too. Speaking on behalf of them all, Peter asked, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” And then he made this bedrock confession: “You have the words of eternal life.”
When the Holy Spirit softens our hearts and opens our eyes to faith in Christ, we can see Jesus for who he really is, just as Peter did. Jesus is the Son of God, our only truth for faith and life. And then, like Peter, we can also trust him as we live and serve.
PRAY: Jesus, only “you have the words of eternal life.” Help us to follow you faithfully as we live and serve in your name each day. Amen.
About the author — Kurt Selles
Kurt Selles is the director of ReFrame Ministries and serves as the Executive Editor of Today. He is a graduate of Calvin College and Seminary, and received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to ReFrame, he served 19 years in Taiwan and China with CRC World Missions. Kurt later taught missions at Beeson Divinity School, where he also acted as the director of the school’s Global Center. Kurt and his wife, Vicki, reside in Grand Rapids and have three adult children.