What bread are you seeking?
Notes
Transcript
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.
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.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
What does our passage tell us about God?
First, He is the one that knows our hearts. Look at verses 25 & 26 from our passage
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.
So they saw one boat leave and Jesus wasn’t in it so they ask the obvious question how did you get here? Jesus saw right past the obvious question and got to their heart. People really never change. We really struggle to learn from our past. These people had the recorded history from the forefathers. They saw how they failed in the wilderness after God brought them out of Egypt. Do you remember from our old testament reading earlier? Look at Psalm 78 with me again,
18 They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
20 He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?”
21 Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel,
22 because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power.
How frustrating must this have been for Jesus? Here we go again! This time the people are seeing God face to face and nothing has changed has it? Just like their forefathers did not believe God and did not trust in His saving power here they are doing the very same thing and they are blind and can’t see it! He warns them directly. Look at verse 27
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.”
We tend to strive for the here and now. Things of this materialistic world. But Jesus lovingly warns us. How do the people respond?
28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
They are still missing it. Aren’t they? Look back at Psalms again.
21 Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel,
22 because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power.
Do you see, salvation was never about you or your works. Even under the law, what was required of people? belief in the saving power of God! Not keeping the law. We are called to love His law and it is our guide and rule for life. But it also points us to our need of a savior. No one could ever keep the law it was always ment to point us to our need of grace and our need for God to save us. Jesus reiterates this truth. Look at verse 29
29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
What else does our passage say about God?
Salvation is only form Him. Look at verse 45-47
It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
Does this mean we need to do nothing? Of course not! We are called to respond to the drawing.
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.”
We are called to work. But Jesus has a very stern warning for us. He tells us that by nature we pursue after food that perishes es. What does He mean by that? We aren’t supposed to work to buy food? Of course not, scripture says if you don’t work you don’t eat. Jesus is saying don’t waste your life chasing after things that perish. Money, Fame, Pleasure! Everything in this world will pass away except peoples souls and God right? So Jesus is telling us to peruse Him!
When we hear the call of God we must respond and we must seek. Let’s look at how Ryle describes it.
How are we to labour? There is but one answer. We must labour in the use of all appointed means. We must read our Bibles, like men digging for hidden treasure. We must wrestle earnestly in prayer, like men contending with a deadly enemy for life.
We must take our whole heart to the house of God, and worship and hear like those who listen to the reading of a will. We must fight for liberty, and must conquer or be slaves. These are the ways we must walk in if we would find Christ, and be found of Him. This is “labouring.” This is the secret of getting on about our souls.
~J.C. Ryle
I want to close with the story of John Newton’s conversion.