John 6:22-35
Make Sure of Your Motives
Introduction
A couple weeks ago we saw how Jesus fed more than 10,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. This is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels. Now that is an important fact because we know 90% of what we read in John’s gospel is NOT in the other 3 Synoptic gospels. John wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of supplementing those first 3 gospels.
As you study each Gospel you can see that each one of them emphasizes something about Jesus. In Matthew, you see King of the Jews; in Mark, you see Him as the Servant; in Luke, His humanity. Those three Gospels are called the Synoptics, which means “to see together”, because most of their content is the same.
But, in John’s Gospel we see a host of new content that is not included. And right away we see the emphasis of this gospel is the Deity of Jesus Christ. From beginning to end, John wants you to see that Jesus is the eternal God who became a man. He didn’t give up being God, He added to His divine nature the human nature. He came from heaven to the earth and entered humanity to become like us.
Why? Why does John tell us this? Why tell us about these 9 wonderful miracles Jesus did? Why does John record for us the teachings that He heard directly from God Himself in the mountains, in the synagogues, on the roads, in houses, in the upper room? Because, listen, especially if you’re visiting with us today, John wrote all this down “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have eternal life” (John 20:31).
So, when John gives us a 4th record of the miraculous feeding with the 5 loaves, then our antennas should go up. This is important enough to record again. But, it’s not to tell you for the 4th time about this miracle. John is going to give you what the other 3 gospels don’t: the teaching that Jesus gave that corresponds with this miracle. You don’t get Jesus’ claim to be “The Bread of Life” anywhere but in John’s gospel. This is what John wants you to see. Jesus is the bread of God that came down from heaven to give you and the rest of the world life everlasting.
In a synagogue in Capernaum, the day after feeding 5,000 and walking on the water to His disciples
Moving after Jesus (22-25)
In verses 22-25 we see the crowd continuing to move after Jesus. The next day after He miraculously fed them they wake up and see that He’s not there among them anymore. Now they were going to make Him king and He’s gone! They saw the disciples get into the boat alone the night before and knew that Jesus was not with them. How did He slip past them?
While they were scratching their heads a bunch of boats arrived from Tiberias, which is across the lake. The crowds hop into the boats and go to Capernaum looking for Jesus. They probably saw the direction the disciples were going across the lake and guessed Capernaum was their destination. So, they get back on the move and continue moving after Jesus.
Now, how did these people have time to follow Jesus like this? I find it admirable the sacrifice these crowds made to keep on the move and continue following Jesus. Didn’t they have jobs? Didn’t they have homes and fields and animals to keep up? Didn’t they have kids? It’s hard enough to take kids to the grocery store(joke about taking Evan to store), but, to haul them around for days and weeks on end to follow Jesus from town to town is dedication.
Mixed up Motives (26-27)
However, despite the crowd’s dedication to following Jesus they had mixed up motives. Notice verses 26-27, “__________”.
They were working for the wrong kind of food. They were following Jesus for the wrong reason. Jesus calls them out. He says you aren’t following me because you saw signs, but, because you got your bellies filled.
Now we know that signs don’t produce faith, but, here’s what they do: they prove that God is with that person who is doing those signs. Nicodemus knew that in John 3:3. To do what Jesus was doing required divine power, so, God must be with Him.
In the beginning of the chapter, in verse 2, John tells us that they were following Jesus because they saw signs. They were on the right track. By focusing on the signs they were focused on Jesus and His power. They would be impressed with what He was doing and might come to the point where they would listen and believe who He was and be saved.
BUT, after that miracle, their focus turns to their appetites. Their focus turns from Christ’s power to their personal gain from Him. “What can Jesus do for me? How are you going to give me everything my appetites want, Jesus?” Their motive for following Him just degraded to selfish wants instead of believing He was sent from God. They moved farther away from being saved because their motives became all mixed up.
They were zealous for Jesus and gave up so much to follow Jesus around but they did not believe. There is the temptation we have to start adding up all the things we do for Jesus and to feel like we’re good people. “Look at what I do, certainly God is pleased with me.” Like we’ve earned God’s seal of approval.
But only The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, has God’s seal of approval. This means that the Father, who has life in Himself (5:26) and is the One who gives life (5:21) has approved Jesus as the only One by whom we are to receive life. Jesus has authority to give life and the ability to give life and this from the Father Who has placed His seal of approval on Him.
Was Jesus impressed with this crowd for following Him around? Was He impressed with all the sacrifice they made to follow Him? No. As a matter of fact, in Mark 7 He expresses that He was disgusted with their shallow, heartless commitment. They saw Him as a magician, not the Messiah. In their hearts they did not believe in Him.
Do you want to see what impresses Jesus? Turn to Matthew 8. It was faith that impressed Jesus. Hebrews 11 says that it is impossible to please God without faith. Try and try and try and you will fail to bring one moment of pleasure to the Holy God with your good works and your sacrifice for Him if you do them without faith. He will have none of it.
Mistaken Method (27-29)
The problem with a mixed up motive for following Jesus is it leads to a Mistaken Method for getting eternal life. This is what Jesus points out in verses 28-29, “
This crowd thought it was their religious and moral achievement that would get them eternal life. “What do WE need to do?” was their question. The answer is you can’t do anything. The answer is eternal life will be available to you not because of your work, but, because of Jesus’ work. He was going to accomplish their redemption; He was going to achieve the forgiveness of sins; He was going to make the way to God the Father by His work. So what are they supposed to do if they can’t do anything? The question is for us too: What are we supposed to do for eternal life if we can’t do anything?
One thing…..What if I told you that God does require that you work for your salvation? What if I told you that He required you do only one work to have eternal life? What work do you think that might be? Feed the poor? Go to church? Be better than the next guy? What is it that God demands from us in order for us to have eternal life? This is what they asked Jesus. “If we are to work for this eternal life that God will give us, what are those works that God requires of us?”
Jesus answers, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” The one and only work that God demands from us; the only work that qualifies us to have eternal life is not a religious work or a good work. It is to believe in Jesus Christ. He is God’s Son whom God sent into the world to save the world. Believing in Him is the one thing God requires of us before we can have eternal life.
You can work hard to be a good employee, to feed the poor, to pay your taxes, to be a good citizen, to be a good spouse, to be a good parent, to be in church and even to serve in church. But, none of it qualifies you to receive eternal life. None of those things are what God demands for us to have eternal life. There is no good work, or amount of good works that get eternal life for us. There is no spiritual practice; no religious devotion - God demands one work and only one work - and that is to believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Don’t mistake the method for getting eternal life.
Miraculous Manna (30-31)
Now the crowds are starting to understand what Jesus is saying. And now that they understand, they admit they don’t believe Him. They want Him to perform a miracle to prove Himself before they would believe Him. Notice verses 30-31, “____”
In my opinion, this has to be one of the most absurd things said from the mouth of human beings found anywhere in the Bible. They will not believe until Jesus proves that He can really give eternal life to them by performing a miracle.
The miracle they wanted was like the miraculous manna God provided their forefathers in the desert. What they are referring to is the time in the OT after God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt by incredible miracles, and, then led them in the wilderness before bringing them to the Promised Land. While in the wilderness God fed them by letting bread from heaven rain down every morning. They called it manna because they didn’t know what it was, “manna” means “what is it.” Every morning they just woke up, went out, and gathered all the manna God provided miraculously.
Do something like that Jesus. Provide bread for us miraculously. Are you kidding me?!
Had Jesus already done any miracles for them? Yes! In the first place, verse 2 says they already had been following Him because they saw miracles. In the second place, verse 15 says they wanted to make Him their king because they saw Him perform miracles. He already was doing what they asked. In the third place, Jesus just gave them bread miraculously the day before and they knew it! Already He had done a miracle like God to prove that He was God and they did not believe Him.
You know why? Because they are just like their forefathers in the desert. They saw the miracles of God time and time again in Egypt and the wilderness and they still were stubborn and did not believe. They didn’t believe when they saw all the miracles of God then, and just like their ancestors, these Jews still won’t believe no matter how many miracles Jesus does – or has done.
Here’s the point, people may hold Jesus in high “honor”, even very high honor, but, unless they believe He is God and He is the only way they can have eternal life all their so called “honor” is an absolute insult to Him. They honored Him enough to want to make Him king, but, they rejected Him as soon as He said they must believe in Him for eternal life. “Jesus is a great man” - That is an insult to Jesus. “Jesus is a great prophet” - That is an insult. “Jesus is a social revolutionary” that is an insult. “Jesus shows us a good way to live” - That is an insult.
If that is as high as you think of Jesus than you have got some other Jesus in mind. Jesus of the Bible is high and lifted up. Jesus is at the right hand of the Majesty on high above the heavens. His name is above every name and all powers, all principalities, all rulers, all dominions are under Him. He is the One every eye will someday see. He is the One to whom all will bow. He is the One who everyone will confess to be Lord. He is nothing less than very God of very God, clothed in flesh. To think of Him as anything less is not only an insult, but, it is the sin of idolatry and blasphemy.
They wanted miraculous manna, but they already got it. Jesus had provided enough for them to have faith. In the same way, what John gives us in his gospel is enough for us to believe in Jesus too. We don’t need to look further for more miracles. These are written about so that we believe Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God and that we may have life in His name.
Messiah the Manna (32-35)
It is through the miraculous manna they were to see the Messiah as the true Manna. Jesus is the true bread from heaven. Notice verses 32-35, “_____________”
Their problem was that they thought they could get this gift from heaven from man. They hoped in Moses but Jesus told them not to hope in Moses at the end of chapter 5. Jesus is pointing their attention upward. True bread does not come from man or this world. People today are looking to the latest spiritual guru or to their own efforts to get eternal life. But, Jesus says that His Father gives the true bread from heaven – the bread that comes down and gives life. No one should look anywhere but God for the bread that brings eternal life. God is the true source.
Second, He finally identifies the bread from heaven: its Himself. Verse 35 He says plainly, “I am the bread of life” “The bread of life is HE who comes down from heaven.” It is here that the crowds should have realized that by “bread” Jesus was speaking of Himself. The bread they should be looking for is the Messiah. He is the true Manna from heaven. God sent Him into the world to give life to the world, not to simply feed them a meal.
Thirdly, Jesus is talking about another kind of hunger that He satisfies – a spiritual hunger. It’s the hunger in the soul. And, like with the woman at the well He says it’s that thirst that is spiritual that He came for.
This is a satisfaction that only comes in Christ. In other words, your soul will continue to hunger and thirst unless you come to the only One who can satisfy it. You will seek out everything else in this world to try and quench what is starving within you. Take the bread of life. You do that by coming to Jesus and believing in Him for eternal life. He is the only One who can give it.
Make Sure of Your Motives
Introduction
A couple weeks ago we saw how Jesus fed more than 10,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. This is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels. Now that is an important fact because we know 90% of what we read in John’s gospel is NOT in the other 3 Synoptic gospels. John wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of supplementing those first 3 gospels.
As you study each Gospel you can see that each one of them emphasizes something about Jesus. In Matthew, you see King of the Jews; in Mark, you see Him as the Servant; in Luke, His humanity. Those three Gospels are called the Synoptics, which means “to see together”, because most of their content is the same.
But, in John’s Gospel we see a host of new content that is not included. And right away we see the emphasis of this gospel is the Deity of Jesus Christ. From beginning to end, John wants you to see that Jesus is the eternal God who became a man. He didn’t give up being God, He added to His divine nature the human nature. He came from heaven to the earth and entered humanity to become like us.
Why? Why does John tell us this? Why tell us about these 9 wonderful miracles Jesus did? Why does John record for us the teachings that He heard directly from God Himself in the mountains, in the synagogues, on the roads, in houses, in the upper room? Because, listen, especially if you’re visiting with us today, John wrote all this down “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have eternal life” (John 20:31).
So, when John gives us a 4th record of the miraculous feeding with the 5 loaves, then our antennas should go up. This is important enough to record again. But, it’s not to tell you for the 4th time about this miracle. John is going to give you what the other 3 gospels don’t: the teaching that Jesus gave that corresponds with this miracle. You don’t get Jesus’ claim to be “The Bread of Life” anywhere but in John’s gospel. This is what John wants you to see. Jesus is the bread of God that came down from heaven to give you and the rest of the world life everlasting.
In a synagogue in Capernaum, the day after feeding 5,000 and walking on the water to His disciples
Moving after Jesus (22-25)
In verses 22-25 we see the crowd continuing to move after Jesus. The next day after He miraculously fed them they wake up and see that He’s not there among them anymore. Now they were going to make Him king and He’s gone! They saw the disciples get into the boat alone the night before and knew that Jesus was not with them. How did He slip past them?
While they were scratching their heads a bunch of boats arrived from Tiberias, which is across the lake. The crowds hop into the boats and go to Capernaum looking for Jesus. They probably saw the direction the disciples were going across the lake and guessed Capernaum was their destination. So, they get back on the move and continue moving after Jesus.
Now, how did these people have time to follow Jesus like this? I find it admirable the sacrifice these crowds made to keep on the move and continue following Jesus. Didn’t they have jobs? Didn’t they have homes and fields and animals to keep up? Didn’t they have kids? It’s hard enough to take kids to the grocery store(joke about taking Evan to store), but, to haul them around for days and weeks on end to follow Jesus from town to town is dedication.
Mixed up Motives (26-27)
However, despite the crowd’s dedication to following Jesus they had mixed up motives. Notice verses 26-27, “__________”.
They were working for the wrong kind of food. They were following Jesus for the wrong reason. Jesus calls them out. He says you aren’t following me because you saw signs, but, because you got your bellies filled.
Now we know that signs don’t produce faith, but, here’s what they do: they prove that God is with that person who is doing those signs. Nicodemus knew that in John 3:3. To do what Jesus was doing required divine power, so, God must be with Him.
In the beginning of the chapter, in verse 2, John tells us that they were following Jesus because they saw signs. They were on the right track. By focusing on the signs they were focused on Jesus and His power. They would be impressed with what He was doing and might come to the point where they would listen and believe who He was and be saved.
BUT, after that miracle, their focus turns to their appetites. Their focus turns from Christ’s power to their personal gain from Him. “What can Jesus do for me? How are you going to give me everything my appetites want, Jesus?” Their motive for following Him just degraded to selfish wants instead of believing He was sent from God. They moved farther away from being saved because their motives became all mixed up.
They were zealous for Jesus and gave up so much to follow Jesus around but they did not believe. There is the temptation we have to start adding up all the things we do for Jesus and to feel like we’re good people. “Look at what I do, certainly God is pleased with me.” Like we’ve earned God’s seal of approval.
But only The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, has God’s seal of approval. This means that the Father, who has life in Himself (5:26) and is the One who gives life (5:21) has approved Jesus as the only One by whom we are to receive life. Jesus has authority to give life and the ability to give life and this from the Father Who has placed His seal of approval on Him.
Was Jesus impressed with this crowd for following Him around? Was He impressed with all the sacrifice they made to follow Him? No. As a matter of fact, in Mark 7 He expresses that He was disgusted with their shallow, heartless commitment. They saw Him as a magician, not the Messiah. In their hearts they did not believe in Him.
Do you want to see what impresses Jesus? Turn to Matthew 8. It was faith that impressed Jesus. Hebrews 11 says that it is impossible to please God without faith. Try and try and try and you will fail to bring one moment of pleasure to the Holy God with your good works and your sacrifice for Him if you do them without faith. He will have none of it.
Mistaken Method (27-29)
The problem with a mixed up motive for following Jesus is it leads to a Mistaken Method for getting eternal life. This is what Jesus points out in verses 28-29, “
This crowd thought it was their religious and moral achievement that would get them eternal life. “What do WE need to do?” was their question. The answer is you can’t do anything. The answer is eternal life will be available to you not because of your work, but, because of Jesus’ work. He was going to accomplish their redemption; He was going to achieve the forgiveness of sins; He was going to make the way to God the Father by His work. So what are they supposed to do if they can’t do anything? The question is for us too: What are we supposed to do for eternal life if we can’t do anything?
One thing…..What if I told you that God does require that you work for your salvation? What if I told you that He required you do only one work to have eternal life? What work do you think that might be? Feed the poor? Go to church? Be better than the next guy? What is it that God demands from us in order for us to have eternal life? This is what they asked Jesus. “If we are to work for this eternal life that God will give us, what are those works that God requires of us?”
Jesus answers, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” The one and only work that God demands from us; the only work that qualifies us to have eternal life is not a religious work or a good work. It is to believe in Jesus Christ. He is God’s Son whom God sent into the world to save the world. Believing in Him is the one thing God requires of us before we can have eternal life.
You can work hard to be a good employee, to feed the poor, to pay your taxes, to be a good citizen, to be a good spouse, to be a good parent, to be in church and even to serve in church. But, none of it qualifies you to receive eternal life. None of those things are what God demands for us to have eternal life. There is no good work, or amount of good works that get eternal life for us. There is no spiritual practice; no religious devotion - God demands one work and only one work - and that is to believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Don’t mistake the method for getting eternal life.
Miraculous Manna (30-31)
Now the crowds are starting to understand what Jesus is saying. And now that they understand, they admit they don’t believe Him. They want Him to perform a miracle to prove Himself before they would believe Him. Notice verses 30-31, “____”
In my opinion, this has to be one of the most absurd things said from the mouth of human beings found anywhere in the Bible. They will not believe until Jesus proves that He can really give eternal life to them by performing a miracle.
The miracle they wanted was like the miraculous manna God provided their forefathers in the desert. What they are referring to is the time in the OT after God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt by incredible miracles, and, then led them in the wilderness before bringing them to the Promised Land. While in the wilderness God fed them by letting bread from heaven rain down every morning. They called it manna because they didn’t know what it was, “manna” means “what is it.” Every morning they just woke up, went out, and gathered all the manna God provided miraculously.
Do something like that Jesus. Provide bread for us miraculously. Are you kidding me?!
Had Jesus already done any miracles for them? Yes! In the first place, verse 2 says they already had been following Him because they saw miracles. In the second place, verse 15 says they wanted to make Him their king because they saw Him perform miracles. He already was doing what they asked. In the third place, Jesus just gave them bread miraculously the day before and they knew it! Already He had done a miracle like God to prove that He was God and they did not believe Him.
You know why? Because they are just like their forefathers in the desert. They saw the miracles of God time and time again in Egypt and the wilderness and they still were stubborn and did not believe. They didn’t believe when they saw all the miracles of God then, and just like their ancestors, these Jews still won’t believe no matter how many miracles Jesus does – or has done.
Here’s the point, people may hold Jesus in high “honor”, even very high honor, but, unless they believe He is God and He is the only way they can have eternal life all their so called “honor” is an absolute insult to Him. They honored Him enough to want to make Him king, but, they rejected Him as soon as He said they must believe in Him for eternal life. “Jesus is a great man” - That is an insult to Jesus. “Jesus is a great prophet” - That is an insult. “Jesus is a social revolutionary” that is an insult. “Jesus shows us a good way to live” - That is an insult.
If that is as high as you think of Jesus than you have got some other Jesus in mind. Jesus of the Bible is high and lifted up. Jesus is at the right hand of the Majesty on high above the heavens. His name is above every name and all powers, all principalities, all rulers, all dominions are under Him. He is the One every eye will someday see. He is the One to whom all will bow. He is the One who everyone will confess to be Lord. He is nothing less than very God of very God, clothed in flesh. To think of Him as anything less is not only an insult, but, it is the sin of idolatry and blasphemy.
They wanted miraculous manna, but they already got it. Jesus had provided enough for them to have faith. In the same way, what John gives us in his gospel is enough for us to believe in Jesus too. We don’t need to look further for more miracles. These are written about so that we believe Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God and that we may have life in His name.
Messiah the Manna (32-35)
It is through the miraculous manna they were to see the Messiah as the true Manna. Jesus is the true bread from heaven. Notice verses 32-35, “_____________”
Their problem was that they thought they could get this gift from heaven from man. They hoped in Moses but Jesus told them not to hope in Moses at the end of chapter 5. Jesus is pointing their attention upward. True bread does not come from man or this world. People today are looking to the latest spiritual guru or to their own efforts to get eternal life. But, Jesus says that His Father gives the true bread from heaven – the bread that comes down and gives life. No one should look anywhere but God for the bread that brings eternal life. God is the true source.
Second, He finally identifies the bread from heaven: its Himself. Verse 35 He says plainly, “I am the bread of life” “The bread of life is HE who comes down from heaven.” It is here that the crowds should have realized that by “bread” Jesus was speaking of Himself. The bread they should be looking for is the Messiah. He is the true Manna from heaven. God sent Him into the world to give life to the world, not to simply feed them a meal.
Thirdly, Jesus is talking about another kind of hunger that He satisfies – a spiritual hunger. It’s the hunger in the soul. And, like with the woman at the well He says it’s that thirst that is spiritual that He came for.
This is a satisfaction that only comes in Christ. In other words, your soul will continue to hunger and thirst unless you come to the only One who can satisfy it. You will seek out everything else in this world to try and quench what is starving within you. Take the bread of life. You do that by coming to Jesus and believing in Him for eternal life. He is the only One who can give it.
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