What does John 6:66 mean?
The Greek word translated "disciples" is this verse is mathētōn, meaning "students." This is not a reference to the inner circle of twelve men; those men will be addressed in the next verse. Rather, this statement describes the general group of people following Jesus and listening to His teachings. Some of these were probably with Him prior to His string of miraculous healings (John 6:2). Others might have joined because of those. Certainly, some were interested in Jesus because of His feeding of thousands the previous day (John 6:9–14).However, Jesus has just finished explaining that miracles are meant to point to spiritual truth. Jesus is the "true bread from heaven," and only those who believe in Him can see eternal life (John 6:29, 32–33, 40, 47–51). This requires complete commitment, not shallow interest. This teaching generated controversy (John 6:41), and even outright arguments (John 6:52). Jesus' teaching challenged their beliefs (John 6:60), and for some, this is simply too much to bear. Rather than change their minds, they walk away. This is the fundamental reason people reject Jesus Christ: He doesn't coordinate with our own selfish interests.
The Greek used here to describe the reaction of these people is apēlthon eis ta opisō, kai ouketi met' autou periepatoun. This sentence is alternatively translated using "withdrew," "turned back," or "turned away," such that the people "deserted," "no longer walked," or "no longer followed" Jesus. The words used here are specific and dramatic. An alternative paraphrase might be, "His students went back to not adhering to His teachings anymore." They dropped their interest in Jesus and returned to their previous spiritual attitudes.
This verse says much more than "the people no longer went where Jesus went." It specifically says that a large number—probably most of those who had been learning from Him—rejected His teachings. They no longer lived, thought, or acted according to them. When confronted with a challenging truth (John 6:60), these people decided to completely reject it, rather than change their minds.
