What Kind of Food Are You Working For? John 6:25-33

Jesus the Bread of Life

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 

In this passage the crowd asks Jesus three questions. (Guzik)

1. When did he get there (Capernaum)?

Rather than answer their question and when he came, he tells them why they came. 

In the crowd was a mixture of Pharisees and other Jews. Within these two groups there was likely a mixture of motives.  Some were probably truly seeking Jesus, or at the very least wanted to be fed again. While others were only interested in Jesus' miracle working powers, and how they might use him to fight back against their Roman oppressors. 

But Jesus' reason for doing this particular sign of feeding the 5,000 was to point to himself as the true bread of life. After eating this meal, the people would be hungry again, but the food he provided would last eternally. 

"Jesus made a contrast between material things and spiritual things. It is almost universally true that people are more attracted to material things than spiritual things. A sign that says free money and free food will get a bigger crowd than one that says spiritual fulfillment and eternal life." (Guzik)

2. What must we do to do the works God requires?

Like most people when Jesus told them about the food that endures to eternal life, they wanted to know what they had to do to get such food. But Jesus says that if you want to do the work of God then first believe the One whom God had sent. The obvious implication was he was referring to himself, and they confirm this by asking him what sign he will do so they can believe him.  

"The sense behind their question seemed to be, “Just tell us what to do so we can get what we want from You. We want Your miracle bread and for You to be our Miracle King; tell us what to do to get it.”(Guzik)

3. What sign then will you give us that we may see it and believe you?

Rather than believe in the sign he had just done, they wanted more. They remember the story of the God providing manna to their ancestors in the wilderness through Moses. But they are missing the point. The point of God providing manna in the wilderness was so they would learn to trust in God's provision. The purpose of the provision of daily manna was to point to the faithfulness of God not not the power of Moses. 

"Jesus tried to lift their minds above earthly things and on to heavenly realities; to an understanding that He is necessary for spiritual life just as bread is necessary for physical survival." (Guzik)

I love what renowned New Testament scholar F.F. Bruce says, “What they wanted, he would not give; what he offered, they would not receive.” (Bruce)

How are people today like the people in Jesus' day? How is it tempting to put your faith in a particular leader rather than God himself? When did you realize that the most important thing you could do for God was to believe in the One (Jesus) whom he had sent? What food are working for lately?  Food that will only spoil and rot in the long run? Or, the food that will last for eternal life?