Then He added something, almost as though, when John's disciples had started to leave, Jesus thought of something else they should know. Who Christ is Now, that is an extremely important statement, and it holds the key to our response to Jesus' call to discipleship. Jesus realized that the people had not been content with the prophecies about the Messiah. Naturally, they thought, if He had the power, He would use it when the occasion arose. There was to be no power play or pressure for commitment.
Love always does.
No man or woman, for example, would want a spouse's love if it were not given freely, without manipulation and force, precisely because such a relationship would not be love at all. God wants us to choose Him, but He makes it easy to refuse. Because God wants our response to discipleship, if given, to be worthwhile. Free decision Discipleship, then, involves a relationship, a reaching out in love on the part of the Lord, and a free and deeply personal response on our part to God's caring embrace.