After Jesus fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish, the people continued to follow Him. But they had shallow motives; they wanted Jesus to continue to feed them bread in miraculous ways.
Jesus told the people to work for “food” that endures eternally, not “food” that spoils. Anything that doesn’t have eternal value spoils; it is not worth our time and energy. The people asked Jesus what they must do to do the works God requires. They wanted a to-do list that they could check off. Jesus answered that they simply must believe in Him. This is the only work God requires for salvation.
No one can be justified before holy God with human works. God extends His grace to sinners by giving them faith to believe in Jesus. After we are justified, God gives us works to do. A sincere profession of faith is followed by a changed life with good works that have been ordained by God. We are justified through faith; it is God’s work alone. (See Ephesians 2:8-9.)
The same people who just the day before watched Jesus miraculously feed more than 5,000 now asked for another sign from Him so they could believe Him. There was a teaching at this time that the promised Messiah would provide manna from heaven just as God did for the Israelites in the desert. Jesus explained that God continues to give bread from heaven; now it is Jesus Himself who came from heaven to give life to the world. Jesus is the manna.
Jesus told them, “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” We can’t do anything to undo our salvation, and we can’t do anything to improve our status before God.
Jesus said that His work is to graciously receive everyone whom God brings to Him and to secure believers in Him.
Things to Think About
- Are you striving for something that doesn’t have eternal value?
- The only work involved with receiving eternal life is believing in Jesus Christ.
- Jesus Christ, the bread of heaven, gives eternal life, security, and lasting satisfaction to all who receive Him.
- We make sure that we receive physical nourishment daily. But is it a daily priority for you to receive spiritual nourishment daily from Jesus?