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If you’re joining us this morning, I want to tell you, you’re catching us at the tail end of a of a series we’ve been on together on the discipleship and following after Christ and what that means as believers. If you’ve been here throughout this series, you no doubt, hopefully have learned that because if not, I have done a horrific job at what our goal was as we’ve gone through this, uh, series together. And hopefully when you’re walking away with some big ideas of what to think when Jesus gives his call in Matthew four and he tells the disciples to follow after me. When you consider Jesus’s statements throughout Scripture and pursuing him, hopefully you have learned that Jesus’s goal isn’t in your life. It’s not for you to behave. It’s not just for you to to believe. His desire for your life is for you to follow. And how do you follow him? Well, some people think that God’s goal for your life is simply for you to be moral. And what it means to follow after Jesus. It’s not about you just becoming moral, or it’s the goal isn’t about your morality. Well, God’s desire for your life is his goal. For your life is a transformation that begins with a new faith in Christ. In fact, the Bible tells us that those that are in Christ are a new creation. And it tells us, as we gaze upon the face of Christ, moment by moment, we are transformed into his image.
God, in your faith in Jesus and what he has done for you. The Bible tells us that a new relationship in God has begun that will last throughout all of eternity as God continues to work his life in you. We looked together at the life of the disciples and throughout their their ministry with Jesus, they would have said, I think especially in the beginning when they started to follow after Christ, man, we we are ready to do this. And we even looked at the commitment of of a rabbi. When someone pursues a rabbi, it’s not just an intellectual time of learning. It’s a a dedication of all that you are to all that they are. So that you begin to mimic the life of the rabbi. You learn everything about this rabbi and the scriptures in which he teaches. In fact, when you look at the life of the disciples and you see their commitment to Jesus, Thomas in John chapter 11, verse 26, at one point he said, let’s follow Jesus and die with him. And we even learned that that Peter, he’s somewhat of a samurai ninja. At one point he takes out a sword to defend Jesus and lops off people’s ears. I don’t know if he was aiming for that target or not, but but these guys are. They seem committed at certain points and following Jesus. If not, that behavior says to us, okay, these guys are they’re really in it.
But at different points throughout Jesus’s ministry and especially at the crucifixion of Christ. They abandoned him. This morning we’re going to turn to the book of John. We’re going to be in chapter six and in chapter 20. And as we conclude this series together, there’s one particular thing I want to focus on. And that’s the simple answer to the question. And what do you do when you follow Jesus? And it gets hard. How do you make it? And what can we learn from the lives of these disciples? And the adversity that they faced that kept, kept them pursuing after Christ, even after abandoning him? You know when you read the book of John. I love the way this book plays out because really, chapter by chapter, it’s broken up for us in in interactions with individuals as Jesus continues his his ministry in this world. In John chapter one, it’s Jesus’s interaction with the people in John the Baptist and John chapter two. It’s the the wedding at Cana in John chapter three, it’s his interaction with Nicodemus. And in John chapter four, it’s his interaction with the woman at the well in John chapter five, it’s it’s the sick man at Bethsaida or Bethsaida. And John chapter six. I love this chapter. It’s about food. And Jesus’s interaction with the disciples as they’ve just experienced a meal with Christ. And in fact, John chapter six is the feeding of the 5000.
A story that Jesus is themed to us is to say that that God is sufficient and able to supply what he promises for his people. But when you get to John chapter six and verse 26, Jesus begins this dialogue to help the people recognize that their faith within him isn’t genuine, or at least it’s not one that’s durable. And after Jesus feeds the thousands, he makes this statement in John chapter six and verse 26, and he continues on from verse 26, as if to validate the point he makes through an illustration that he gives about the sufficiency of himself. And he concludes this story with a statement to Peter. And he sort of juxtaposes within this context of identifying who he is within these people, the idea of most of the disciples around the life of Jesus with this idea of Peter’s perspective of Jesus. And it gives us this thought of distinguishing what it really is for a disciple to view Christ in a healthy way, to remain consistent in the midst of adversity. Now I will tell you when I when I go through this text from from verse 26 on, I am going to skip through a large section of Scripture that points to the deity and sufficiency of Christ, only because the point in which I want to make rests in verse 26 and on at the end of the chapter, in verse 66 and to 68, when, when, when Peter identifies for us his position in Christ, or the way he is perceiving Jesus as it relates to his life.
But this is what Jesus says. Jesus answered them, talking about the disciples after the feeding. And he says, truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me not because or not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. And Jesus then said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread of heaven, but it is my father who gives you the true bread of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. Then they said to him, Lord, always give us this bread. And Jesus goes on further in verse 51 and says, this I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread also, which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat? Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, this is a difficult statement. Who can listen to it? And as a result, many of his disciples withdrew and were not walking with him anymore. And so Jesus said to the 12.
You do not want to go away also, do you? And Simon Peter answered him. Lord. To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Uh, I think in Peter’s statement, he he is acknowledging. The following after Jesus is an easy. The call to be a disciple of Christ isn’t easy. In the life of Peter. He may say so because it’s not popular. It is costly. But as Peter begins to give the explanation for the reason for which he pursues Jesus, it’s distinguishably different from the way Jesus speaks to the rest of the crowd. I mean, Jesus tells him, you’re following me, basically because I, I have satisfied this temporary, uh, this temporary demand of your life. This. You just wanted your bellies full. That’s the only reason you follow me. Peter. Peter goes further beyond just this, this miracle that satisfies the temporary. And he he acknowledges that that what these miracles pointed to him is that the source of what life is about goes beyond just the temporal. But it’s found in in Christ alone. And so when Peters brought to the point of pursue Jesus or leave. It says. But Jesus, you have the words of life. If I were to ask you a question this morning and just say. In following Jesus. If nothing external in your life changed. Would you still do it? You know, this morning a friend was telling me about this missionary who lost his life in Africa.
I can’t help but think when something like that takes place, knowing they’re going to such a place that that at any moment in their lives, they recognize before they ever make a decision to go, they could quickly lose their lives. Read a story about a young lady who went to Ecuador as a missionary and never saw any of her work. Anyone ever come to know the Lord? She worked with some Indian groups in Ecuador and never saw anyone come to know the Lord. But one of the things that she acknowledged in the middle of the story was that a lady came to her and just said. What if? What if none of these people that you think that you’ve come to reach, ever come to know the Lord? Would would you do anything differently? What if it doesn’t happen that way? Y’all know when following Jesus, the Bible tells us that there is joy in our lives and our pursuit of of God. But. But what if nothing around you changed? What if the people you love and care about that you want to come to know the Lord? What if they don’t? I mean, what if what if relationships that were stressed continue to be stressed, and maybe even more so because of Jesus? What if. I think that’s where Peter is in this. I think that’s where the group that Jesus is talking to in this chapter, I think that’s where they are.
Jesus were in it, as long as it’s beneficial to me. But the moment, it’s not beneficial to me. You know what? This is hard. I quit. But what what was different about the life of Peter that in in these moments, even at adversity, he chooses to pursue after Christ, even though the rest of the group abandons him? I think this in my head. If you use Jesus for just personal gain or what you might get out of it when it seems hard, you leave. If Jesus is used simply as an ends to the personal gratification in my life, an ends to my means. When it gets hard. I leave. But if I see Jesus for who he is. King of Kings. Lord of Lords. The truth in what he is. The peripheral in those moments no longer matter. I think, Peter, and seeing the ministry of Jesus, he’s come to this place in his life and he’s just made that statement. He’s saying, looking at Jesus. Not to be honest, in Peter’s life, we know he abandons Christ. But in this moment, one of the things he recognizes in the midst of a verse that what keeps him near Christ isn’t what’s happening on the external around him. It’s it’s that he’s looked at Christ, and he sees the worth and value of who Jesus is in them, of himself. Jesus. These things around us may be difficult, but this is what I’ve recognized in you.
There, there is truth. You. You have the words of life. How how did Peter find comfort in these moments? It was. It was the truth of who Christ is. As he’s beginning to see this revealed to himself. Now, reality is, if I just thought of a transitional thought for a minute, sometimes just because something is true doesn’t mean we always follow it. In fact, with the life of Peter, just because he’s discovering who Jesus is, we see at the end of Jesus’s life, Peter’s not always going to follow Jesus. Even in the truth. So how do you work through this? In John chapter 20. I’m going to invite you to turn there for just a moment. We’re going to pick up in verse 24 of the story of the disciples interaction with Christ. And just look at some of the details of these verses now. But in John chapter 20, we get a different story of another disciple going through the same adversity and following Jesus. And I think this guy, he does not get a fair shake in in our minds today. I mean, we often call him Doubting Thomas right now. The passage tells us in verse 24, this is how Thomas deals with it. He says this. But Thomas, one of the 12 called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came, so that the other disciples were saying to him, we have seen the Lord. But he said to them, unless I see in his hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.
When Thomas is making this statement. It tells us in this very first verse in verse 2524, he wasn’t with the disciples. You know, it’s interesting when you study the dynamic of the lives of the disciples. They they handle things in different ways, right? I mean, sometimes you have the loudmouth disciple that’s got to work everything out verbally. You know, you know, people like that, like there’s some people that process it by themselves alone, and there’s some that’s just got to work it out by talking. Right. You probably know three we’re going to we’re going to tell everyone in the church, point to the most talkative, mouthy person. No, we’re not going to do that. But that’s Peter, that’s Peter. He says everything on his sleeve, what he’s thinking exactly. He’s always when Jesus calls the disciples to something, it’s like it’s always Peter making the statement, is it Jesus? You’ve got the words of life, Jesus, the gates, or Jesus? You are the Christ, the son of the living God. And Christ says, I’ll build my rock. It’s Peter who’s who’s always shooting off and saying those things. Thomas is a little different. When difficult things happen his way. He’s the guy that likes to go off by himself and work through that.
Verse 24. The same thing’s happening with with Thomas here again, he sees Christ has been crucified and he’s been devastated by this. Jesus was the one that he was following. And so in silence he wants to work through this. He he wants to just find a place of dependability. Right. I mean, how can I get my feet back under me again? I mean, some of us have been there in life, if not all of us were. You just feel like it’s been ripped out from under you. You’re just looking for something to grab Ahold of, something to trust in again. You know, one of the interesting things I’ve seen in ministry in Utah, um. One of the questions I think I get asked more than any other question. I get to ask lots of questions. There’s no question off the books. By the way, if you ever wanted anything, just ask. Um, we take no offense to that and in fact encourage it. But one of the questions I get asked a lot. Is is a question personal to me? People want to know, um. Am I going to go anywhere? Like, how long are you here? That’s that’s the question. You moved here from out of state, you foreigner. How long are you going to be here? And usually I give two responses to that, but I know where that question comes from. Like. Someone in their heart is saying, I’m about to make a decision.
That is is not easy. And I want to know I’m making that decision with someone that’s going to be there, right? Now I’ll tell you, don’t build your faith on a person. Our encouragement of our church is to always do that in Jesus, because people will disappoint you. And God’s never called you to build your faith in people. He always calls you to a relationship in him. On the other end of that the statements a beautiful statement to. It shows us how important each other can be and the encouragement of our own faith. Right? In fact, when Thomas is going through this in a personal time by himself, away from the disciples, one of the one of the beautiful pictures here is that the disciples come back to Thomas. I’m sure they thought to themselves, you know, he needs some space for a minute. But that community that he was a part of. Wrap themselves around them in this adversity and the first joyful news they receive and the challenge that they’re faced. And they come back to Thomas and they share it. And Thomas is still pessimistic about it. They’re like, they’re not giving up. Easy on Thomas, but he’s still a little pessimistic about it. And and he says, you know what? And less and less I put my I don’t know why he wants to do this, but put my hand into his side. I’m not going to believe that’s gross.
But he this is what I mean. He’s saying I need some verifiable proof. I need something to to really give me a rock solid thought about this, that I know that when I commit to Jesus that I am all in. And so the story goes on in verse 26, after eight days, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. And Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst, and said, peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, reach here with your finger and see my hands, and reach here your hand, and put it into my side. And and do not be unbelieving, but believing. You know, one of the. Thoughts in verse 26. Even though the disciples are with Thomas, and even though they’ve seen Jesus. It tells us here in this passage, the doors have been shut. Now, if you ever you ever want to have a. A freaked out moment. It’s. You’re in a room with all the doors locked, and all of a sudden Jesus is standing there and you’re what in the world, right? This guy could just go through buildings so there’s no escaping him. But it tells us in this passage, these doors are shut. And I want to tell you, this is the new American Standard Version. Um, this this verse, the doors being shut, it can be translated as being shut. But but the more correct terms, I mean, it gives either the opinion this door is firmly shut or this door is locked.
Right now, I think the more accurate translation the King James and the New American Standard said the door is shut, which is accurate to the Greek text, but I think it’s this door isn’t just shut, this door is locked. Because you got to think, these disciples right now, in these moments are hiding. They’ve just seen Jesus’s life taken. Now they’re worried as a follower of Jesus, their life is going to be taken. They’re going to go in these rooms and they don’t want anybody coming in. And these doors are locked. In fact, in John chapter 20 and verse 19, the same word for shut is used with the 11 disciples as they’re or the ten disciples as they’re gathered together, they’re in a room, and it tells us that they are in hiding. And the same Greek word is used for being shut. I think it’s the word for locked. It’s also the same Greek word that when John the Baptist is thrown into prison in Luke chapter three and verse 20, he is he is in prison. The doors aren’t just shut, they’re locked. Right. And these guys don’t want anything coming in. And these guys by, by, by their acts are just showing just how fearful they still are. Even though they’ve seen the resurrected Christ, they’re still hiding. Here’s another important point. And Jesus shows up.
And the words that Jesus shares. They’re not just some thought out expression that he wanted to share. It was based on what Thomas had said, right? Here’s what I think is important that we’re learning about Christ in the midst of adversity. Jesus hears you. Thomas. Even when you were locked up in your room. Even when you had given up on Christ. Even when you’re claiming that you no longer believe. Even when you think the rest of the world can’t get in. Jesus was there. How else would he have known in verse 27 to show up and say the very things that you just expressed that would take you, or that you said would, would, would have to happen for you to believe? Jesus was there. Maybe that’s a challenge, right? Even if you built the deepest bunker in this world, preparing yourselves for whatever zombie apocalypse you think might come. It’s not keeping Jesus out. Even if you’ve given up, turned away and locked the door. Even if you don’t want to let anyone else in. And Jesus is there. I know these doors are physically locked in the lives of the disciples, but I think it works great as a metaphor for us. You know, sometimes in our lives we get so wounded, we just want to shut everything away and just give up. Jesus cares too much about you. Jesus says this to Thomas, and this is what happens in the life of Thomas.
In verse 28, he gives this beautiful pronouncement of Christ. Thomas answered and said to him, my Lord and my God. So this passage no doubt points to the deity of Christ. And Jesus is is God come in the flesh. And and that is significant for us to understand. But but related to the text and what I want to share with us this morning, Jesus certainly is God, and Jesus is certainly present. And what’s important is the way that Thomas responds to that understanding. So we saw in the life of Peter. Peter said, you know, this is what is true. And regardless of everything going around me, regardless of the adversity, I know this is true and I cannot deny it. But but the truth is, just because something’s true doesn’t mean you’re going to act upon it. Why? Because it isn’t personal. For Thomas in these moments of adversity. It turned around. When it became personal. It’s not just Lorde anymore. It’s not just God anymore, but it’s it’s. It’s my God, and it’s my Lord. So for us in the midst of adversity and regardless of what’s happening around us, what’s important for a foundation is, is not only to rest ourselves in the truth, but rest ourselves in the truth that is personal to our lives. And and then Jesus goes on from the statement, this is what he says. Jesus said to him, because you have seen me and have you believed, blessed are they who do not see and yet believed.
In verse 30, therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of of the disciples, which are not written in this book, but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. In verse 29. Uh, sometimes we read this text. I think we, we think this is a negative statement against against Thomas. I don’t think it is. Verse 29 I think what Jesus is first recognizing, he’s saying, listen, I have performed many things in the lives of people. They never saw the significance of who I was. But Thomas, you did exactly what you were supposed to do by my actions. You have seen through the miracles, through my statements, you have seen it declared the value of who I am for your life. And so you have taken it the step that it was intended to go. You you have believed. But now thinking about beyond Thomas, then there’s going to be a world. Once Jesus ascends to the father, there is going to be a world that’s going to live on the pronouncement of these disciples, having seen the resurrected Christ. And now we ourselves are going to believe in Jesus says that you too, like Thomas, are being blessed. And Jesus performed signs. And in verse 31. The writer of John.
He ends his book on this story. This is if all of John and the stories of the interaction of Jesus and the lives of people he continues to to share how Jesus interacts and people respond, and Jesus interacts and people respond. And in chapter 20, when he gets to the end of the book, it’s like it’s like the story of Thomas is the pinnacle of what the author wants us to understand and what Jesus has done and who Jesus is. And seeing now how Thomas responds, he’s saying. He’s saying just like Thomas. Making this truth personal. This. This is what Christ has come for. He has come for you to set you free in him by dying for your sin, that you may enjoy this personal relationship with him. This is what it’s about. You know, when I think about what Thomas did in verse 28, and I see how his faith became personal, this is one of the things I think is important to encourage us on. Is that Thomas’s faith, it met a moment with Jesus where it became personal. What can I tell you? I don’t think it ended there. I think Thomas used that opportunity to make his faith in Christ personal every day. I think for us to stand in the midst of adversity in our walk with Christ, it’s important for us to make our faith personal in our relationship with God every day. History tells us that Thomas went on from this moment.
Eventually he begins to travel to to share the gospel of who Christ is and what Christ came to do and the good news of Jesus. And he ends up in the country of India. Only to meet the end of his life. Thomas was speared. You know, when I think about the life of Thomas, I think about the lives of people that pursued after Christ with all that they were, you know, something important that I see in their story is that not only did they make their faith personal, they made their faith monumental. Right? And this is what I mean when John is sharing this story about Jesus. The disciples knew John was there with Thomas. The disciples knew the impact and the significance of this moment. And so when you go back and you read stories of events that happened in the lives of people as they interact with God, they’re sharing monumental moments of decision making in their lives as it relates to the relationship with God. And in a personal way to them when they continued in their relationship with the Lord, when they would look back, having experienced adversity in the moment, they would look back to these moments and recognize how significant they were to their faith and how personal it became to them. When Thomas, when he goes to India and he loses his life, his personal faith as he is out there and he’s facing the midst of adversity and he knows he’s about to lose his life, I don’t think Thomas is just focused on the moment like, oh, this stinks.
I think Thomas is looking back at important parts of his life, saying, I am here in this moment because I know how valuable it is, because in my life there was this place where I gave up in the midst of adversity. But God met me there, that monument, that pillar that stands in my heart. And when you study that throughout Scripture, you see not only how important it was to the disciples, but throughout the history of the nation of Israel. In fact, at one point in Israel, you’ll see these in your notes when you have your small groups. This week we’ve outlined a few of them for you, but at one point in the life of Jacob, can I tell you when I read the story of Jacob, I’m like, man, if he were alive today, I think I’d smack him a little bit like he is. He irritates me until something happens in his life. He is a very irritating person to me and I read in Genesis chapter 28, I wouldn’t seriously, I just mentally smack him. Okay, I’m a pastor. Please. No, I’m just kidding. So in Genesis chapter 28, it says this in verse 18. So Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone that he had put under his head.
He’s running away from his brother because he’s just he has just taken the birthright and his brother wants to kill him. So he’s out sleeping with some stones. Sounds great, doesn’t it? And set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel. However, previously the name of the city has been Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, saying. If God will be with me. And will keep me on this journey that I take. And will give me food to eat and garments to wear. Listen what he says in verse 21. And I return to my father’s house in safety. Then the Lord will be my God. So Jacob has this moment when he’s leaving where God comes and he shares with with Jacob in a dream what what exactly he’s going to do in the life of Jacob. So Jacob just says, okay, God, if you’re going to do that when I come back, you, you’ll be my God, right? It’s like to this point you hear sometimes in Scripture, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, right? Well, to this point, the God of Abraham and Isaac, it’s he doesn’t belong to Jacob. As Jacob continues to shove away. Then in verse 32. Chapter 32. Excuse me. Jacobs. Now, on the way back for the land he ran away from. He has just sent his family ahead of him back to the land that he left, and he is all by himself.
It says. Then Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. And when he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh. The man touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh, so that the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said, let me go, for the dawn is breaking. But but Jacob is saying to him, I will not let you go unless you bless me. So he said to him, what is your name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel. For you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved. Therefore to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh and the sinew of the hip. What Israel’s created here. It’s a monumental moment. Well, not only did Jacob’s faith become personal. But it came so became so intimate and real and life changing. Regardless of what happened around him. He wouldn’t let it go. It’s a place in his life. Or he remembered. The goodness of God. Madam. I love that the name of Israel means wrestling with God.
Because it says to us as people that the journey, the journey may not be easy. But it’s so important that you see the value of your relationship with God that that in the midst of that battle, you refuse to let go and you wrestle in that adversity with the Lord. I love this verse in Second Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 12. Israel has an enemy coming in to attack them. And this is what they say to God our God. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. And my kids are. Young and wrapping their heads around Jesus and what he’s done for them. And. But in my mind, as they continue to grow older, I cannot wait. For days where I can take them to places. And just say, you know what happened here? This is where I met the Lord. This is the spot in the woods when I was 19 years old, when I went up and I just gave my life and I said, I don’t want it. God. It’s yours. Or I could take him to to to Lions Park. When I first moved to Utah in the middle of the city and I stopped. And I’m thinking God’s leading my heart to a place like this to do ministry for him. I have no idea what it’s going to look like. I’m nervous. I’m worried. We’ve got no money. I don’t know how it’s going to happen.
God does it. Or I’ll take him to this building. Maybe we’ll be here. Maybe we’ll not. Who knows what the future holds. But. But times where I would run from my home down to where our old church was in a in a storefront and would run past this building and I run in circles and just pray God would give us a place permanent in the city that we could meet and know God. These monumental moments where you can look back because, you know, sometimes in your life it’s going to get hard. But my gosh, the truth of who God is. The intimacy of making that personal. And remembering the places in your life where he shows up. And he’s there. They’re so important that the best part of a meal they don’t even eat. I mean, give me that thigh, man. They’re like, no. Why? Because something more important has happened. This is where we as people. This is where we met God. And so we take this as a family, as a people group, as a time just to stop and reflect, as an offering before God. The beauty of what he has done in our lives by making that faith personal. Shall I tell you? You may not wrestle with God, and he may not dislocate your hip in a physical way, right? But can I tell you? Israel takes place in you. Every time you take, take the opportunity to to lift up the Word of God and meet with a God in a personal way.
Every time you gather with his body of believers and you interact for the encouragement one another and building one another in the faith. Every time you take an opportunity to to to pray and to wrestle and to meet Lord, the Lord and your needs and to to praise him for what he’s done. Those become monumental moments where you can point back over a period of time, and your kids recognize that’s where, mom, that’s where where dad met the Lord. He read his word right here, and he prayed right here. Those those moments sear in your children’s mind over the significance of who God is. Why? Because the truth of who God is became personal in your lives. And you buried it in your heart. And you held on to it every day. Looking back at the moments where God was there. Because, you know, adversity comes, but you. In the midst of that. Keep your eyes on the Lord. Because he, as Peter says, has the words of life. What drew the disciples back? Wasn’t the ease of following Jesus. You look at John 20, they gave up. What drew them back. What’s the truth of who Christ was and a personal way. And that’s how you move forward.