"The news spread swiftly that by His own confession Jesus of Nazareth was not the Messiah. And thus in Galilee the current of popular feeling was turned against Him, as, the year before, it had been in Judea. Alas for Israel! They rejected their Saviour, because they longed for a conqueror who would give them temporal power. They wanted the meat which perishes, and not that which endures unto everlasting life. DA 393.1"
"From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."
Both passages describe a turning away from Jesus. The EGW passage provides context and explanation for the disciples' departure mentioned in John 6:66.
"With a yearning heart, Jesus saw those who had been His disciples departing from Him, the Life and the Light of men. The consciousness that His compassion was unappreciated, His love unrequited, His mercy slighted, His salvation rejected, filled Him with sorrow that was inexpressible. It was such developments as these that made Him a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. DA 393.2"
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."
The EGW passage directly alludes to Isaiah 53:3, using similar language to describe Jesus as 'a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief' in the context of rejection.
"Without attempting to hinder those who were leaving Him, Jesus turned to the twelve and said, “Will ye also go away?” DA 393.3"
"Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?"
This is a direct quote and clear allusion to John 6:67.
"Peter replied by asking, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” “Thou hast the words of eternal life,” he added. “And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” DA 393.4"
"Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."
The EGW passage directly quotes John 6:68, making it a clear and explicit allusion.
"“To whom shall we go?” The teachers of Israel were slaves to formalism. The Pharisees and Sadducees were in constant contention. To leave Jesus was to fall among sticklers for rites and ceremonies, and ambitious men who sought their own glory. The disciples had found more peace and joy since they had accepted Christ than in all their previous lives. How could they go back to those who had scorned and persecuted the Friend of sinners? They had long been looking for the Messiah; now He had come, and they could not turn from His presence to those who were hunting His life, and had persecuted them for becoming His followers. DA 393.5"
"Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."
The EGW passage directly quotes and expands upon the meaning of John 6:68, making it an explicit allusion.
"“To whom shall we go?” Not from the teaching of Christ, His lessons of love and mercy, to the darkness of unbelief, the wickedness of the world. While the Saviour was forsaken by many who had witnessed His wonderful works, Peter expressed the faith of the disciples,—“Thou art that Christ.” The very thought of losing this anchor of their souls filled them with fear and pain. To be destitute of a Saviour was to be adrift on a dark and stormy sea. DA 393.6"
"Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."
EGW directly quotes and expands upon Peter's statement in John 6:68, making the connection undeniable.
"Many of the words and acts of Jesus appear mysterious to finite minds, but every word and act had its definite purpose in the work for our redemption; each was calculated to produce its own result. If we were capable of understanding His purposes, all would appear important, complete, and in harmony with His mission. DA 393.7"
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
EGW's statement about the mysterious nature of Jesus' actions and the limitations of finite minds in understanding them echoes the sentiment in Isaiah 55:8-9 about God's thoughts and ways being higher than human understanding. The connection is thematic and not a direct quote, but the parallel is clear.