Day 910: A vital question - John 6 vs 25 - 35

25-26 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labour for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

30-31 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32-33 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:25-35 English Standard Version

See in vs 25-26 how fickle the human heart can be, and how well Jesus knows what's in them. They had enjoyed the miraculous meal Jesus had provided, but completely missed the significance. So even today many may want the comforts they believe religion can bring, yet not want to think more deeply of what God's mercies should lead to. We may be more concerned with provisions for this world than preparing for what lays beyond this life. Jesus urged them not to labour for what was perishing, but for what is eternal. (vs 27) That led them to ask the vital question: “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

Perhaps it was Jesus' use of the word 'labour' that made them immediately think of the sort of good deeds they should do to earn God's approval. That ties in with thinking that religion is like an exchange system where, if we do enough good deeds, God will reward us with the comforts we desire. But what was Jesus' surprising response to their question? (vs 29)

Doing what is good and right in the world is important and should never be belittled. But our 'good and right' deeds can never make up for the bad and wrong things we are guilty of. The one who saw the fickleness of the hearts of those who came looking for a handout, is the one who knows the true condition and thoughts of your heart and mine. Good deeds cannot cover guilt. It is only by believing that Jesus is the one whom the Father has put His seal of approval on, and that He alone can give us eternal life, that our sins can be forgiven and we can be acceptable to God.

It was yet another bold claim that Jesus made and it led to the people demanding a sign such as God had given through Moses over a thousand years earlier. God had provided a mysterious food to appear each morning in the desert for the Israelites who had fled from Egypt. And in Exodus 16:15 we read: “When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For they didn’t know what it was. And Moses said to them, 'It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.'” The Hebrew for 'manna' means 'what is it?'

Once again we see how many of the events in the Old Testament were pictures of something better that would come when God sent the Messiah into the world. Just as the temple sacrifices were a forerunner of the ultimate perfect sacrifice, so the manna was a foretaste of the true bread that God would provide, not just for Israel, but for all the world. (vs 32-33) Understandably, the people immediately asked for a daily supply of this 'bread' that Jesus spoke of. (vs 34) What was the wonderful reply He gave? (vs 35)

This is ‘the work of God' that Jesus spoke of in vs 29. The man, woman or child who takes those words to heart is the one whose thirst for peace with God and eternal life will be quenched forever.