John 6:22-27
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs 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. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
Observations for Living Today:
This is a very serious warning to those who are beginning to understand who Jesus is and what He is teaching about the “kingdom of God/heaven” being near (Mk 1:15; Mt 10:5-15; Lk 10:1-12). It is a proverb with a promise: stop doing what you normally do—take what I’m feeding you, think about it and live a different life. Compare what Jesus taught the woman at the well who was thirsty and the disciples who recommended He eat something (Jn 4:4-42). Again Jesus is about to take the temporal things of this world man understands and convert it to the things of God, spirit and eternal life, so people might know God’s truth and live.
Jesus spent the previous day teaching the crowd about God. The truth and wisdom of God’s words were loud and clear to those searching for truth; people recognized Jesus’ teaching was different from their institutional teachers (Mt 7:28-29; Mk 1:21-28; Lk 4: 31-37). They knew Jesus was from God, but they did not understand how to integrate what they heard into their daily life. The feeding of the five thousand in the afternoon confirmed what they suspected about His teaching—He was the prophet from God Moses wrote about (Deut 18:15-19). They were going to make Him king by force, but Jesus withdrew from them while His disciples departed in the boat they arrived in. The most intense in the crowd watched Jesus send His disciple away in a boat and after dismissing them He went off by Himself to pray (Mk 6:45-46). In the morning, as soon as the crowd realized Jesus was no longer in the vicinity they used the boats that arrived earlier from Tiberias to set off for Capernaum (Jn 6:24).
The crowd slept while Jesus rejoined His disciples in their boat and landed at Gennesaret just before dawn (Mt 14:22, 34). Getting out of the boat they were immediately recognized by the people in that place and a new crowd was formed. Jesus and His disciples without a break from the day and night before began healing the sick wherever they went (Mt 14:34-36; Mk 6:53-56).
When some from the crowd from the other side of the Sea of Galilee found Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum (Jn 6:59), they began a polite conversation—“Rabbi, when did you get here?” It appears they were trying to refocus His energy on their interest from the day before, when they failed to make Jesus their king.
Jesus did not let the conversation dwell on national politics; rather He redirects their thoughts to the heart of the God’s message. They sought him because He satisfied their hunger yesterday on the mountainside; they were focused on the things of this world and not the spiritual/eternal things of God. Though He cured every illness without speaking a word when the ill touched the edge of His cloak, this crowd did not recognize these “miraculous signs” as a seal showing He was sent from God (Mk 6:56; Mt 14:35-36). Their unbelief is confirmed with a demand for another sign to verify His authority (Jn 6:30). Therefore, Jesus turns the conversation away from temporal “food that spoils” toward spiritual “food that endures to eternal life”. Jesus is about to deliver a sermon/teaching, which provides the student of truth with a practical method for realizing the promise of Isaiah 55:
1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me; hear me that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.
Jesus always met people wherever they were in their spiritual journey and immediately began to move them (mind, body and soul) toward a better place/condition. He recognized the crowd’s attempt to focus on “the things of this world” was a result of their leaders/teachers not understanding God’s message and redirects their focus to the “things of God.” Compare what He did here for the crowd and what He did for Peter, when after identifying Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt 16:16-20). Peter too, momentarily lost focus on what Jesus and the Father were teaching him and became “Satan” trying to block God’s purpose (Mt 16:21-23).
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food the Son of Man gives, which endures in—throughout eternal life! Do not focus all your energy on temporal and ignore spiritual, but work to spiritual ends and the temporal will be met as well.
Reality in Christ:
Trusting the Reality in Christ is always turns out better than we can imagine; therefore we must listen closely to Jesus to understand the fullness of God’s love for us. The reality of the words of Christ are no less true today than they were for those who heard Him speak that day in the synagogue in Capernaum—if you believe God, you will hear the truth and act upon it because it leads to eternal life; if you do not believe you will not act, you will do something else, wonder, question, doubt, but you will not act to incorporate it into your life.
To fully understand and integrate this idea into daily life, one must understand God’s intent for mankind:
< Purpose: making everything new (Rev 21:5).
< Method: agent of change is Christ (2 Cor 3:16-18; Col 1:15-23; 2:2-3, 9-15), changing the spirit by, renewing the mind, transforming the soul, and metamorphosing the body—a new creation of God’s making, the old is gone, the new has come! (2 Cor 5:18).
< End state: old order is passing away, being replaced by the new, where mankind dwells with God without any separation—of any kind (Rev 21:3).
Two thoughts always come to mind when I read this part of John’s gospel about “working for food.”
First and foremost, seek God’s kingdom—every benefit worth having flows from or is a direct result of that effort (Mt 6:28-34). The first and greatest commandment given by God is to love God (Mt 22:34-38; Deut 6:4-9). God wants you to seek Him and know Him as a good Father (Mt 7:7-11). This why the Apostles taught you to pray for wisdom, asking God to help you understand what is happening (Jas 1:2-8). God is very good to us; each believer has a personal tutor living within them, promised by our teacher, the Christ, who takes from God’s treasure of wisdom and gives whatever is needed (Mt 23:10; Jn 14:12, 15-31; 16:12-16). When you reflect/meditate on Jesus, you are growing from one degree of glory to an ever-increasing glory (2 Cor 3:12-18). With a teacher like Christ, working with the Holy Spirit of God, you are able to understand and know the “deep things of God” sufficient to understand your circumstance—reality in Christ: you have the mind of Christ at work in your life (1 Cor 2:6-16).
Second, you must believe what God said, i.e., you must put it into practice; if you do not, then you really do not believe God. Simple and direct relationship of “If you believe this is true, then this is how you will act!” If you believe God you will do what Jesus said to do; just as Jesus did what He saw God doing and said what God told Him to say. Those who believe God will do what He taught, i.e., His will; those who do not do what God taught, even if they call Jesus Lord, are not part of the kingdom of God—so said the Son of God (Mt 7:18-27).
When you are taught by God, He makes you a living stone which is built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God (1 Peter 2:4-5). It has begun and we wait to hear the voice from the throne say: "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev 21:3-4)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs 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. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
Observations for Living Today:
This is a very serious warning to those who are beginning to understand who Jesus is and what He is teaching about the “kingdom of God/heaven” being near (Mk 1:15; Mt 10:5-15; Lk 10:1-12). It is a proverb with a promise: stop doing what you normally do—take what I’m feeding you, think about it and live a different life. Compare what Jesus taught the woman at the well who was thirsty and the disciples who recommended He eat something (Jn 4:4-42). Again Jesus is about to take the temporal things of this world man understands and convert it to the things of God, spirit and eternal life, so people might know God’s truth and live.
Jesus spent the previous day teaching the crowd about God. The truth and wisdom of God’s words were loud and clear to those searching for truth; people recognized Jesus’ teaching was different from their institutional teachers (Mt 7:28-29; Mk 1:21-28; Lk 4: 31-37). They knew Jesus was from God, but they did not understand how to integrate what they heard into their daily life. The feeding of the five thousand in the afternoon confirmed what they suspected about His teaching—He was the prophet from God Moses wrote about (Deut 18:15-19). They were going to make Him king by force, but Jesus withdrew from them while His disciples departed in the boat they arrived in. The most intense in the crowd watched Jesus send His disciple away in a boat and after dismissing them He went off by Himself to pray (Mk 6:45-46). In the morning, as soon as the crowd realized Jesus was no longer in the vicinity they used the boats that arrived earlier from Tiberias to set off for Capernaum (Jn 6:24).
The crowd slept while Jesus rejoined His disciples in their boat and landed at Gennesaret just before dawn (Mt 14:22, 34). Getting out of the boat they were immediately recognized by the people in that place and a new crowd was formed. Jesus and His disciples without a break from the day and night before began healing the sick wherever they went (Mt 14:34-36; Mk 6:53-56).
When some from the crowd from the other side of the Sea of Galilee found Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum (Jn 6:59), they began a polite conversation—“Rabbi, when did you get here?” It appears they were trying to refocus His energy on their interest from the day before, when they failed to make Jesus their king.
Jesus did not let the conversation dwell on national politics; rather He redirects their thoughts to the heart of the God’s message. They sought him because He satisfied their hunger yesterday on the mountainside; they were focused on the things of this world and not the spiritual/eternal things of God. Though He cured every illness without speaking a word when the ill touched the edge of His cloak, this crowd did not recognize these “miraculous signs” as a seal showing He was sent from God (Mk 6:56; Mt 14:35-36). Their unbelief is confirmed with a demand for another sign to verify His authority (Jn 6:30). Therefore, Jesus turns the conversation away from temporal “food that spoils” toward spiritual “food that endures to eternal life”. Jesus is about to deliver a sermon/teaching, which provides the student of truth with a practical method for realizing the promise of Isaiah 55:
1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me; hear me that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.
Jesus always met people wherever they were in their spiritual journey and immediately began to move them (mind, body and soul) toward a better place/condition. He recognized the crowd’s attempt to focus on “the things of this world” was a result of their leaders/teachers not understanding God’s message and redirects their focus to the “things of God.” Compare what He did here for the crowd and what He did for Peter, when after identifying Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt 16:16-20). Peter too, momentarily lost focus on what Jesus and the Father were teaching him and became “Satan” trying to block God’s purpose (Mt 16:21-23).
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food the Son of Man gives, which endures in—throughout eternal life! Do not focus all your energy on temporal and ignore spiritual, but work to spiritual ends and the temporal will be met as well.
Reality in Christ:
Trusting the Reality in Christ is always turns out better than we can imagine; therefore we must listen closely to Jesus to understand the fullness of God’s love for us. The reality of the words of Christ are no less true today than they were for those who heard Him speak that day in the synagogue in Capernaum—if you believe God, you will hear the truth and act upon it because it leads to eternal life; if you do not believe you will not act, you will do something else, wonder, question, doubt, but you will not act to incorporate it into your life.
To fully understand and integrate this idea into daily life, one must understand God’s intent for mankind:
< Purpose: making everything new (Rev 21:5).
< Method: agent of change is Christ (2 Cor 3:16-18; Col 1:15-23; 2:2-3, 9-15), changing the spirit by, renewing the mind, transforming the soul, and metamorphosing the body—a new creation of God’s making, the old is gone, the new has come! (2 Cor 5:18).
< End state: old order is passing away, being replaced by the new, where mankind dwells with God without any separation—of any kind (Rev 21:3).
Two thoughts always come to mind when I read this part of John’s gospel about “working for food.”
First and foremost, seek God’s kingdom—every benefit worth having flows from or is a direct result of that effort (Mt 6:28-34). The first and greatest commandment given by God is to love God (Mt 22:34-38; Deut 6:4-9). God wants you to seek Him and know Him as a good Father (Mt 7:7-11). This why the Apostles taught you to pray for wisdom, asking God to help you understand what is happening (Jas 1:2-8). God is very good to us; each believer has a personal tutor living within them, promised by our teacher, the Christ, who takes from God’s treasure of wisdom and gives whatever is needed (Mt 23:10; Jn 14:12, 15-31; 16:12-16). When you reflect/meditate on Jesus, you are growing from one degree of glory to an ever-increasing glory (2 Cor 3:12-18). With a teacher like Christ, working with the Holy Spirit of God, you are able to understand and know the “deep things of God” sufficient to understand your circumstance—reality in Christ: you have the mind of Christ at work in your life (1 Cor 2:6-16).
Second, you must believe what God said, i.e., you must put it into practice; if you do not, then you really do not believe God. Simple and direct relationship of “If you believe this is true, then this is how you will act!” If you believe God you will do what Jesus said to do; just as Jesus did what He saw God doing and said what God told Him to say. Those who believe God will do what He taught, i.e., His will; those who do not do what God taught, even if they call Jesus Lord, are not part of the kingdom of God—so said the Son of God (Mt 7:18-27).
When you are taught by God, He makes you a living stone which is built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God (1 Peter 2:4-5). It has begun and we wait to hear the voice from the throne say: "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev 21:3-4)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)
RSS Feed