“My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him.” (John 6:56)

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” (v. 60)

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. (v. 66)

Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” (v.67)

But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (vs. 68,69)  

By the hand of God Israel walked out of Egypt. They left the roofs over their heads and the comforts such as they were. Easy access to water was in their rear-view mirror. With that and giants looming it did not take much time until they longed for “the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Num 11:5) Israel despised the daily ration of manna even though it kept them alive. They wanted to turn around and go back to Egypt - back to small and temporal pleasures. And to slavery and to suffering and to cruel bondage. 

Centuries later standing before Israel Jesus told them, “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.” (John 6:48-50) Israel didn’t want this bread either. They turned away and went back to their slavery, suffering and bondage to sin.

We’re in today’s audience and Jesus speaks. As ever He has the words of eternal life. He offers abundance and freedom. He also promises crosses to bear and enmity with the world. These are like the giants in the land. But He assures us “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Rom 8:37) Egypt, on the other hand has no giants just the promise of death. Egypt offers small and temporal pleasures and eternal bondage.  

So let me ask you, “To whom shall we go?”