Trying to Comprehend

Lesson #102

We are currently working through the section defined by John 6:25 – 36. So far we have covered verses 25 – 27. In the last lesson Jesus told the people not to work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life. The people in the crowd responded by saying to Jesus, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (John 6:28 ESV). What are those works? How does one work for bread that gives eternal life? Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29 ESV). To work for bread that gives eternal life one simple had to believe in Jesus whom the Father had sent to them.

What if you were in the crowd standing before Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, before you had been born again; what do you think your thoughts would be; how do you think you would have responded? Jesus is telling them that he is the treasure they should seek, the Bread of Life, which they needed. They cannot work to obtain that treasure; they must come to him in belief and he will give himself to them. The “work of God” they must do is to believe and see by faith the feast that is before them and come and freely eat and live forever. No amount of work on their part, or yours, will ever accomplish that. It is simply an act of faith.

It is clear that the people in the crowd did not understand; they did not have faith to see what Jesus was laying out before them because they respond with, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?” (John 6:30 ESV). These people already saw a great sign when Jesus fed them on the other side of the sea, but it is now a day later and they are hungry again. They want to know if he is going to feed them again. I say this because of their next statement.

 

“Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” (John 6:31 ESV). Every day for forty years God provided manna in the wilderness. If Jesus claims to be the Messiah then how will he meet their continued hunger? They wanted Jesus to keep feeding them as Moses did. But Jesus responds with, “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” (John 6:32 ESV). Jesus is now creating a powerful connection. The bread (manna) received in the wilderness was from God. That bread met their physical needs, but Jesus tells them that his Father gives them the true bread from heaven; the bread that endures to eternal life. We will continue this in our next lesson to see that this bread is Jesus.

Prayer

Father, as I study this I see a people who have seen several signs performed by Jesus. As a result they see Jesus with power to meet their physical needs in various ways and as a result they refer to him as Messiah. But I see a people who cannot see the spiritual connection. They cannot grasp who Jesus really is and what he can truly provide. Father, thank you for giving to me the ability to believe, see and accept the gift of eternal life.