“From that time many of his disciples went back , and walked no more with him.”
My Notes
What Does John 6:66 Mean?
John 6:66 records one of the most painful moments in Jesus' ministry: "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." Not enemies. Not Pharisees. Disciples. People who had been following Him, learning from Him, identifying as His. And they left.
The context is Jesus' hard teaching about being the bread of life — "except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" (verse 53). The crowd found it offensive, incomprehensible, and too costly. They had followed Jesus for the miracles and the free bread (the feeding of the five thousand opens this chapter). But when the teaching moved from physical provision to spiritual demand — when Jesus asked for more than their attendance, when He required their entire selves — many decided the cost was too high.
"Walked no more with him" is final. Not "took a break" or "struggled with doubt." They walked away and didn't come back. This verse demolishes the idea that following Jesus is supposed to be perpetually comfortable or universally popular. Jesus didn't chase them. He didn't soften the message. He turned to the twelve and asked, "Will ye also go away?" (verse 67). He let people leave. The truth wasn't negotiable, even when the crowd was.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Has there been a time when you were tempted to walk away from following Jesus because the cost felt too high — and what kept you or didn't?
- 2.What's the difference between struggling with hard teaching and rejecting it outright?
- 3.How do you respond to the fact that Jesus let people leave without chasing them or softening the message?
- 4.If Jesus asked you today, 'Will ye also go away?' — what would your honest answer be, and why?
Devotional
They walked away. Not because Jesus failed them. Because He asked too much. They wanted the miracles, the bread, the excitement of being part of something. They did not want the hard teaching. And when the cost became clear, they voted with their feet.
This verse is honest about something most churches won't say out loud: following Jesus will thin the crowd. There will be teachings you don't like. There will be demands that feel unreasonable. There will be moments where what Jesus asks of you doesn't fit neatly into the life you've planned. And in those moments, you'll face the same choice these disciples faced: stay or go.
What's striking is that Jesus doesn't run after them. He doesn't water down the message. He doesn't form a committee to figure out how to make the teaching more palatable. He lets them go and turns to the twelve with the most honest question in the Gospels: "Will ye also go away?" Peter's answer is the only solid ground there is: "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life" (verse 68). If you're in a season where following Jesus feels hard — where the teaching is uncomfortable, where the cost is real — that's not a sign you're in the wrong place. It might be the moment where casual following becomes actual discipleship. The question is whether you'll stay.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then Simon Peter answered him,.... Who was strong in the faith of Christ, and full of zeal for him, and love to him; and…
Many of his disciples - Many who had followed him professedly as his disciples and as desirous of learning of him. See…
Many of his disciples went back - They no longer associated with him, nor professed to acknowledge him as the Messiah.…
We have here an account of the effects of Christ's discourse. Some were offended and others edified by it; some driven…
From that time This may be the meaning, but more probably it means in consequence of that. Hereupon has somewhat of the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture