The Life of Christ

Jn. 6:24 When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

This time they were seeking Him, not for His teaching, but for more bread and fishes as He says in verse 26.

Jn. 6:25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

They were stumped by the logistics of how He could have possibly gotten there.

• Jesus stood and watched the disciples leave without Him in the boat, and no one else testified of having given Him a ride across the lake.

• This unsolved mystery became the talk of the morning.

Jn. 6:26-27 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. 27 “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal.”

The food that endures to eternal life will later be explained as the bread of His flesh in verse 53.

The seal upon Jesus comes from the age-old tradition of the writer putting his wax seal on a letter, to verify that he, indeed, is the sender of that letter.

• The Father has set His seal upon Jesus, confirming that Jesus is indeed His son.

• That seal is the anointing power of the Holy Spirit, responsible for the innumerable miracles performed by the Lord.

• It was also the custom among the nations to set a seal upon an animal destined for sacrifice.

Jn. 6:28 They said therefore to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

They want to know how to make bread like Jesus did!

Jn. 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

The “work of God” is always to believe!

• Believing can be the most difficult part of the Christian life, as it often requires letting go of our natural reasoning when it conflicts with the voice of God.

• Prov. 3:5-6 describes the work of believing: “ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

• Believing is what got Peter out of the boat; believing is what moved Peter and John to run to the tomb upon hearing that the body was missing; believing was telling Jesus to just “say the word” and the servant would be healed.

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