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John 6:22-35

²² On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. ²³ Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴ So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. ²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

²⁶ 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 work 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 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? ³¹ Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ³² 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. ³³ 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.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

You could sit down at lunch today and stuff your face until you have to be rolled away from the table in a wheelbarrow. But do you know what you will be tomorrow? Hungry. Your teeth, stomach, and intestines will have done their thing. The nutrients, vitamins, and calories will do to your body what God has designed them to do. And you will wake up in the morning and need to eat again.

These crowds who are coming to Jesus had eaten their fill. The five loaves and two fish had become a banquet that filled all their bellies. After eating, they wiped their mouths and decided to make Jesus their king – their bread king – by force (Jn. 6:15). With a king like Jesus, they would never face starvation or famine again. With a king like Jesus, they would never fear again. With a king like Jesus, there would be no more suffering in this earthly life. But Jesus won’t have it. Jesus did not come to be a bread king; He came to be a crucified King. So He dismissed the crowds and quietly walked across the sea to meet up with the disciples.

Our text begins the day after. The crowds have empty stomachs again, so they search for Jesus. Now, of course, it is good to seek Jesus when you are in any need. It is good to pray to God when you have a lack. But they are looking for Jesus to meet a particular type of lack, a very temporal lack. But Jesus refuses to give the crowds even one crumb. Yesterday, Jesus had compassion on the crowd – they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Mk. 6:34). He fed the crowd’s souls with the word of His teaching. And when the day grew late, Jesus, in His mercy, filled their stomachs with the bread and fish. But today, He refuses to give one measly morsel to munch on.

Had Jesus’ love and compassion for the people stopped? The crowd probably felt like It had. But of course Jesus still loved the people. But Jesus’ love is shown to be even greater today in His refusal to feed them. The people had failed to see the sign. They refused to believe that Jesus was truly the God in the flesh who provided manna for their fathers in the wilderness, and they refused to believe that Jesus was the God who wanted to feed their souls for eternity.

Jesus loves the people enough to disappoint them by telling them that He won’t be the bread king they want Him to be. He loves the people enough to speak the truth which would be hard for them to hear. Jesus says, “You want Me for a bread king. I could be that for you. But what good is feeding your stomach for a day or even a lifetime if you remain damned in your sin? I’m not going to fill your belly with bread while your souls are still malnourished and starving for God’s mercy. So do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you as a free gift.”

We all waste so much time and energy and worry about the things of this world that perish. All the food, clothes, house, home, and luxuries that God is providing – it all will perish. Do not work for the stuff that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.

The work of God is not really a work at all. The work of God is that you believe in the One whom He has sent. Faith in Christ is everything. When you have faith that the death and resurrection of Christ is for you for the forgiveness of sins, everything else falls into place. You could own the whole world, but without Christ it would mean nothing. Jesus says He is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives eternal life to the world and whoever believes in Him will never hunger or thirst.

At this point, we know Jesus is not talking about normal food anymore. You could be in perfect health, you could never be hungry or thirsty, but you will still die. We know that the things of this creation can fill us up temporarily, but we will always want more if this is all there is. As they wandered in the wilderness, the people ate manna from heaven, and they all died. But Jesus claims that He is the true bread, and if you eat Him in faith, you will never hunger or thirst. The question is this: is Jesus enough? Can Jesus really satisfy all your needs? Jesus says that He is the bread of life, but is He enough?

The answer is, “Of course He is.” His death covers your sin. No action you have done is able to escape His forgiveness. Jesus’ word of forgiveness is for you. He invites you to eat His true Body and Blood. With His life-giving food within you, you will rise from the dead just as He rose from the dead. There is nothing else you need. His body is broken, Jesus says, for you. His blood is shed, Jesus says, for you. It is all for the forgiveness of your sins. Even the sin of working and worrying for the food that perishes. Even the sin of thinking that you need something more than simple faith in Jesus. Even for the sin of thinking that you have to do something to earn it.

In this supper, here is Jesus. Here is your Savior. Here is His gift to you. Come and receive – it is free. Everything is provided. Here is the food that will sustain you until the day when you take your place at the marriage supper of the Lamb in the kingdom that has no end. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.