Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 3210
“Then Jesus said unto the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:67, 68.
[See Sermons #2914, Volume 50—A MOURNFUL DEFECTION and #1646, Volume 28—A HOME QUESTION AND A RIGHT ANSWER.]
I. WITHOUT any preface, we will proceed at once to consider the first division of our subject, which is that THE PREACHING OF THE DOCTRINES OF TRUTH IS OFTEN THE MEANS OF SEPARATING THE PRECIOUS FROM THE VILE.
In the case before us, we see that the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ acted like a great winnowing machine. His nominal disciples were like a heap of wheat and chaff all mingled together on the threshing floor. His words were like a mighty wind passing through the whole mass, separating the chaff from the wheat and driving it away—leaving only the good corn lying all around Him. This leads me to say that apart from afflictions, temptations and persecutions, the preaching of the Gospel is, in itself, a means of dividing the true followers of Christ from those who are only His disciples in name and, wherever there is a faithful, Christ-like ministry, you will find many going away from it for the very same reasons that those nominal disciples went away from Christ. “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him.”
Some went away from Christ because His doctrine was too mysterious. They heard His wondrous words only with their outward ears and, judging them in the letter and not comprehending the spirit of them, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” They misunderstood and misrepresented what intelligent Sunday school children nowadays easily comprehend! And as they did not know what the Savior really meant, they argued that this was a reason why they should not listen to Him any longer. We must, therefore, not be surprised if when we are speaking to our congregations upon the deep things of God, there are some who do not comprehend the spiritual meaning of what we are saying, and who, instead of patiently waiting until they can understand it, or coming to us for an explanation of their difficulties, turn away from us, crying, “We will hear no more of these mysteries! We cannot at once understand them and, therefore, we will not take the trouble to learn what the preacher intends to teach us by them.”
Others went away from Christ because His teaching was too spiritual for them. He said to them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” They gave only a carnal interpretation to Christ’s words and altogether missed their spiritual meaning. If He had talked to them as the Pharisees did, they would have understood Him and enjoyed His message. If Christ had spoken to them about phylacteries, making broad the borders of their garments, the tithing of mint and anise and cummin, fasting two or three days in a week and washing their hands before they ate bread, they would have comprehended such talk as that and would have exceedingly liked it! And there are still many, even in England, who would listen gladly to the praise of mere outward rites and ceremonies and who would find intense satisfaction in millinery, wax candles, crosses and anything that is externally ornamental or attractive—but they have no love for that which is spiritual! Our Lord’s teaching was too spiritual for those nominal followers of His. He did not give them husks such as swine might relish, but He gave them the very kernels of the Truth of God and, therefore, they turned away from Him. He gave them not chaff, but the very finest of the wheat—but they, being unrenewed by Divine Grace and, therefore, having no appetite for such food, “went back, and
walked no more with Him.” And every ministry that is truly spiritual will drive away some who come for a while under its influence, for there are still many to be found who will say, “If the preacher would confine himself to moral duties, or even to Scripture histories, we would not mind listening to him. But when he talks about feeding upon Christ, and about communion with Jesus, and about the spiritual separated life, these are things of which we know nothing and of which we do not wish to know anything.” And so they go their way.
Others there were, no doubt, who were offended with Christ because what He said glorified Himself. He contrasted Himself with the manna that their fathers ate in the wilderness and of which they naturally thought very highly, for man then “ate angels’ food.” But Jesus said, “Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead…I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever.” He proclaimed Himself the Son of Man who came down from Heaven and who would go back to Heaven—and this offended them—and there are still many to whom the glorifying of Christ is obnoxious. If the Doctrine that is preached glorifies the Creator and abases the creature, there are some of our hearers who at once get angry! They cannot endure the extolling of our glorious Lord and Master. Our praise of Him makes discord in their ears. If we would prate about the dignity of human nature. If we would extol that poor foolish creature, the son of Adam, they would be pleased enough! But to put all crowns upon Jesus Christ’s head, to ascribe all honor and glory to Him and to Him alone—to preach up nothing but a full Christ for empty sinners—there are many who will be annoyed by such preaching as this and straightway they will turn back and walk no more with us.