The Work of God

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. John 6:16-21

It had been big, busy day, with the crowds following and with the spectacular manner in which Jesus provided food for so many people out of such meager supplies. Jesus had gone up into the mountain alone for a while and His disciples took their baskets of miracles onto a boat and headed toward Capernaum.  As darkness fell, Jesus was still not with them and a sudden storm was tossing their boat.  They kept rowing, and after a few miles they saw Him walking toward the boat, on the water. Of course, they were frightened by what seemed to be an apparition. What He said was: “I AM. Stop being afraid.” As He entered the boat with them, they realized they were already at their destination.

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. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 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. John 6:22-24

Jesus and His disciples apparently couldn’t make any move unobserved by the ever-present crowd. That crowd had watched as Jesus went alone into the mountain, and they had watched as the disciples boarded the boat without Him. He and His men were gone, and the crowd wanted to see more, so they boarded other boats which had converged at that shore. They headed also for Capernaum, in pursuit of Jesus.

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. 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.” John 6:25-27

Of course, they were bound to find Him. Jesus wasn’t really trying to hide from the people. He had great things to say and do for these people. He would say and do them, however, on His own terms and at the right time. He now had their undivided attention. This man had fed them well, all they could eat, with next to nothing. That was more impressive to them even than the healing miracles they had seen Him do. Jesus wanted them to understand that there is a more important necessity than physical food, which does not last. Spiritual food, which comes by eternal life, is the greatest need, and only Jesus Christ (the Son of Man) can supply that. God the Father has ordained Him for this.

Ah, and here it is, the big question:

Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” John 6:28

That is the universal question of mankind. Almost everyone in every society knows there is a God and those who are interested want to know what He requires of them. You have our attention, now, Jesus of Nazareth. You say we are not accomplishing anything by just following you around, waiting for the next feeding. What else do we need to do, to WORK the WORKS of God?

They had already noticed by this time that Jesus was not impressed with the legalism of the Pharisees. He Himself had done things in public that defied the ritual and religion that those Jewish leaders represented. If those works are not enough, what then? How can we earn eternal life?

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29

Stop being preoccupied with the details of life. The work of God is not doing. The work of God is believing. IN someone. In Him (God the Son) Whom He (God the Father) has sent. Until we have believed in Him, nothing we do is of any importance whatsoever. No works, no sacrifices, no rituals, no morality, no human good activities of any kind are God’s work, unless we have first believed in Jesus Christ. He provides the salvation and He provides the spiritual sustenance for each believer as we grow in grace and knowledge of Him.

I have been exactly where these people were at this time. If you were saved as an adult, you have been there too. If you are not yet saved, you will come to this personal quandary in your quest to comprehend the truth of Jesus Christ. Just stay with Him. He will bring you truth and God the Holy Spirit will enable you to understand it, when you are willing to believe.

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.’” 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.” John 6:30-33

Still hung up on signs and works, the people were trying to compare the loaves and fishes to the manna which was supplied to the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for forty years. It does seem like they were trying to muddle through the astonishing events they had been witnessing. People always seem to overthink the things they don’t understand. Speak to unbelievers about Jesus, and they will usually make references to various religions, human behaviors or morality. That’s because all they have to think with is human viewpoint. It takes Holy Spirit guidance to give us spiritual comprehension, aka divine viewpoint, aka the Mind of Christ.

Jesus confirmed God as the source of both the manna and the bread they were given. Those were physical stop-gap measures to combat physical hunger, first through Moses as the agent and then through Himself. That physical bread, however, represented a much greater reality: the true bread of God, Who comes down from heaven and gives (spiritual, eternal) life to the world.”

Well, this sounds wonderful! Whatever He means, we think we want that.

John 6:34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”