What’s Worth the Work? (John 6:22–29)

Series: “John: Life in Christ’s Name”Text: John 6:22–29

By: Shaun Marksbury Date: May 7, 2023

Venue: Living Water Baptist ChurchOccasion: AM Service

Introduction

There’s been a decades-long call from the mega-church movement for churches to become “seeker sensitive.” These churches grew because they conducted surveys on what would attract non-churchgoers. They said that their motivation was to remove any roadblocks that may scare off curious unbelievers who come and point to their booming numbers as evidence of spiritual success.

Churches should indeed care about where others are coming from, and we shouldn’t have anything that is unnecessarily offensive in our midst. However, the focus in these churches becomes market or consumer-driven, with upbeat and popular music performances and shortened and simplified sermons. At some point, these churches cross the line into becoming entertainment centers for unbelievers rather than houses of worship for the people of God; they become gatherings of goats, not sheep.

Numbers don’t necessarily indicate success. Moreover, a high percentage of people can come faithfully to these big-box churches, participating and even serving, and not know Christ. If everything there is as light theologically as possible, avoiding teachings that someone might find unpleasant, then many may never have found their sins and their lives confronted by Christ. A reasonable question would be, “Is this worth all the work?”

Of course, false converts are not only found in snazzy church brands. They are also found in smaller churches which strive to teach the truth. There may even be one or two here this morning, even among the faithful. You may have gotten up early every day to arrive at church, serving in children’s ministry or somewhere else, but have you asked yourself for what purpose you give your toil?

We’re entering a section of John 6 that we will be in for a few weeks. This is another one of Jesus’s discourses that John records for us, and it’s inextricably linked to Jesus’s miraculous feeding of the thousands. We’ll see that He didn’t feed them to establish Himself as merely a daily provider of material needs, but as a spiritual provider of eternal necessities. He’s going to be telling them about the Bread of Life.

To properly consider this, we must still consider the people who linger after the miracle from the previous day. It is through them that we understand the connection between our Lord’s miracle and what He means when He says that He’s the Bread of Life. We can see the contrast between the physical bread and the spiritual.

As we consider their spiritual state and true need, we understand more about ourselves, as well. They struggled to find Jesus. They were putting in the effort, and we might be tempted to think it’s effort going in the right direction. However, what we’ll see is that it’s possible to seek Jesus for the wrong reasons. Let’s consider that this morning.

First, it’s possible to seek Jesus for the wrong reasons (vv. 22–26)

The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate 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 small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

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.”

This point should be obvious in v. 26, but let’s work our way there. Back in v. 15, Jesus goes up on the mountain alone. In v. 16, John uses a transitioning conjunction, translated variously, but “now” in the NASB, though he doesn’t state when or why Jesus’s disciples left in the evening. John is probably relying on his readers’ familiarity with the parallel passages to provide a fuller image, and Matthew 14:22 records, “Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.” So, in John 6:15–16, it’s best to understand this as Jesus sending everyone away and, while His disciples and the crowd withdraws, He ascends the mountain alone.

John then includes the miraculous account of Jesus walking on the water (which we considered last week). He now notes in v. 22 that, on the following day, there are people remaining from the previous day. By the way, while reading this, perhaps you, like I, often imagined that most of the crowd lingered a short distance away after Jesus dismissed them. Some obviously did, but it seems that most of the crowd left; consider down in v. 59 that the entire discourse we’re about to consider occurs in the synagogue.

Though diminished in number, these remaining people were zealously seeking Jesus. However, they’re not certain where He might be. They begin to reason through where He might be at that moment. They first inspected the boats, having witnessed Jesus send His disciples away before dismissing them. One remained, while the other had been taken by Jesus’s disciples.

In v. 24, though, we read that they deduce Jesus had left the area. It’s not as though one of His disciples was there to ask, but there was no camp or any other sign of Him there. So, as impossible as it may seem, they conclude Jesus must have crossed over to the other side at some point in the night. As such, if they want to catch up with Him, they must also travel to the other side.

In v. 23, we read just how that would be possible — “There came other small boats from Tiberias.” John doesn’t record why these boats came. Tiberias was the capital city of Herod Antipas, and he was curious about Jesus, so maybe word reached him about the events of the previous night and he sent this flotilla to investigate. It may also be that some of the people commissioned these boats to ferry them home. Or, more simply, perhaps these boats just happened to come, in the providence of God. Either way, this provided them an opportunity to cross and follow after Jesus, and they take it.

John also doesn’t explain why he repeats that this is “near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.” Perhaps this is again providential; the rest of the passage does state that they had the miracle in their mind, meaning that it was what so motivated them to find Jesus. There may also be a subtle rebuke of the crowd here — while they were willing to make Him king by force the evening before (v. 15), they were not ironically unprepared to seem Him as their Lord, and they were not giving the same thanks to God by which the Lord Jesus fed them. Still, they witnessed the miracle, were inquisitive, and boarded boats seeking Jesus.

They embarked (or KJV, “they also took shipping”) and made their way to Capernaum. Did they know where to go? It’s possible that they heard Jesus tell His disciples to go there. It’s also possible that they guessed correctly, knowing that the His ministry is based there while He is in the region (Matt. 4:13).

It may also be that they followed the trail of Jesus’s ministry to Him. They landed in Gennesaret, where He began to heal the sick (Matt 14:34; Mark 6:53). In any event, the crowd found Him, showing their determination to get back to Jesus.

In fact, note that they come not with answers, but questions. First, we read in v. 25, “When they found Him on the other side of the sea.” He somehow, without conveyance, arrived on the opposing shore, so amazed, they ask Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” Incidentally, that’s a fascinating question in the Greek, as it “means both when did you get here? (niv) and ‘How long have you been here?’ (not unlike questions in French beginning with ‘Depuis quand …?’).” They are respectful, and their question expresses wonder at what they may suspect is another sign.

Yet, none of this means they come with a humble heart before Him. Here’s the difficulty for all of us. There can be people who seem, from a human perspective, to be genuinely curious about the Lord. They may even have impressive stories to tell about past experiences with Him, evidencing some familiarity with the Lord and Savior. They may be excited to join the gathering. While we might be impressed, thinking that God might be softening a heart for genuine conversion, that is not always the case.

This doesn’t mean that we adopt a stance of inhospitality. First, we can’t always discern whether a person is ready to become a disciple, for only our Lord Jesus knows what’s in the heart of man (John 2:24–25). Moreover, as Matthew Henry notes, though Christ knew these people to be hypocritical of heart, “yet he was willing to be found of them, and admitted them into fellowship with him. If we could know the hearts of hypocrites, yet, while their profession is plausible, we must not exclude them from our communion, much less when we do not know their hearts.” As long as a person isn’t living an unrepentantly sinful lifestyle, bringing a blight on the church, we welcome anyone who professes curiosity about Jesus to sit and learn together with the rest of us. Church is for believers, but we are hospitable to those who say they’re seeking Jesus.

Yet, those not ready to be Christ’s disciples will find in Him some challenges. First, He doesn’t answer every question we have, as these people find out in v. 26. Second, He calls out the issues of the heart instead.

In this case, He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” He sees their good works in finding Him, but He cuts to the quick, revealing why they pursued Him. He first states it in the negative, stating that they didn’t come because they saw the signs. In other words, they failed to see the purpose of the signs, that they would trust Him and follow His ways.

Instead, theirs was a trifling motivation — they came for food. They had the physical food and wanted more. In part, it’s hard to blame them for wanting more; we have to imagine that the food miraculously provided was some of the best they ever had. However, the fact that they came all this way, seeking Jesus, just to get another meal is ignoble and immoral. This is no different than what the Lord condemned in ancient Israel in Psalm 78:18 — “And in their heart they put God to the test by asking food according to their desire.” It debases the blessed Savior into a food dispensary and ignores His calls upon the soul.

Today, there are people who come to Jesus for the same kind of material satisfaction. The most famous pastors in America sell a message of health and wealth to the church. There are professed Christians who waste their money on sinful living, and then ask God for more provision. There are those who even lose their homes to wanton living, and they prey upon God’s people for handouts so they can continue to feed their addictions and desires. God condemns all of this.

Others see Jesus as a social justice warrior. There are those who say Jesus came to specifically identify with the marginalized, that He came for the oppressed and poor peoples of this world to give them something more. Sometimes, this becomes a message of anti-capitalism and pro-Marxism, saying that there are poor because we’re not following Jesus in providing enough social programs. Ironically, they want Christians to stop seeing the church as sufficient for helping people and support sweeping governmental policies and changes in the name of Jesus. Not only is this idolatrous, it twists the gospel into a message that says Jesus came to make sure that there’s a chicken in every pot.

We don’t want to come to Christ for the wrong things. Christianity isn’t first about filling the belly. It’s about the cross. It’s about the salvation that Jesus Christ brings and repentance from sin. So, let’s consider what Jesus says next.

Second, seek Him instead for eternal life (vv. 27–29).

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

Jesus continues with a difficult but necessary word for them. All their labor in seeking Jesus is symptomatic of their true idolatry: food. They worked in finding Jesus, just as they work day in and day out for food. This means that food is their god, and they need to replace it with something better.

He is still compassionate on them and builds the case slowly. He first contrasts food that perishes with food that’s eternal. Physical food eventually spoils or is consumed, and people are always hungry later. Just as treasure on earth corrodes, their mealtime treasure should be in heaven (cf. Matt. 6:19).

Of course, the problem isn’t eating in itself. When God created the Garden of Eden, He told Adam to eat of the fruit of any tree except the one (Gen. 2:16–17). After the flood, God told Noah, “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant” (Gen. 9:3). God made the foods of this world, and we glorify Him when we enjoy them in His name. However, we deny Him when we make food and drink the focus of our lives, gluttonously consuming and hoarding as though He has not promised to bless His children.

Jesus says that, if we’re to devote our lives to working for food, it should be food that has benefit for our eternal souls. Consider Isaiah 55:2 — “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.” Jesus tells them to work for food which “abides” or “remains” unto eternal life, just as Jesus does.

He speaks of Himself in the third person again, “the Son of Man.” They would understand this to be a Messianic title He’s appropriating for Himself, referencing Daniel 7, so they will ask Him for another sign to prove it in v. 30. He says that He, as the Messiah, will give them this spiritual food which will endure unto eternal life.

He speaks in the future tense because this “food” must await His work upon the cross. It is only because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, that such food could even be offered. This is why God has selected Him and set His seal on Him. Christ can be the only mediator between God and man, as Scripture reveals.

Of course, we’re jumping ahead a bit, because all they’ve heard so far is that Jesus told them to work for something. So, at this point, they ask Him that all important question: “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” (v. 28). This is much like the crowds asked John the Baptist: “Then what shall we do?” (Luke 3:10). Asking questions are important, as long as we accept the answer that our Lord gives.

They begin to see their need, but note the religious heart at the middle of it. It’s reminiscent of the rich young ruler, who came to Jesus asking, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16). The expression they use here is very Hebrew, translated literally here “work the works of God.” What they mean is how can they perform that which honors God for eternal life.

Perhaps you’ve asked a similar question in your life. Maybe you would think like they; one must keep the Ten Commandments to get eternal life. The Judaizers added requirements for the Gentiles coming to Christ, demanding circumcision and kosher living. Perhaps you would add your own requirements in the name of loving one another. Yet, Jesus’s response denies every bit of this.

He says, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” He seems to be answering with a religious requirement, a law to be kept, and the people are certainly looking for assurance through work. He does give a verb here, but the “work” is the exercise of belief in Jesus Christ.

Is faith a work? On the one hand, no. Scripture reveals that faith is actually the work of God. He regenerates hearts so they can actually believe. Moreover, Ephesians 2:8–9 doesn’t accept faith as a work, describing it instead as part of the gift of God.

Yet, on the other hand, it is something we exercise, which is, definitionally, a work. Jesus is clearly calling for belief here, which means He’s calling for an obedient response. Back in John 3:36, John the Baptist parallels believing in Jesus with obeying Jesus. When Paul addresses the church in Thessalonica, he speaks of “your work of faith” (1 Thess. 1:3). No one is saved who does not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, so it is a work, and those who refuse to believe will face judgment for their disobedience.

So, in a very literal sense, faith is a work of God, and we who exercise it work the work of God! No one is saved by choosing to trust in Jesus or praying a prayer to Him, and no saved person would avoid coming to Jesus (He will clarify this just a bit later, particular in vv. 37–44). No one exercises saving faith unless God has first changed the heart, and no one with a changed heart fails to exercise faith in Jesus.

This will explain why so many chose to reject Him later on — their hearts are unregenerate. Still, the gracious Lord answers the question and extends the general call. Those who want to work the works of God must simply believe in Him. He can give eternal life.

Conclusion

We might have been excited for the people. They were putting in so much effort to find Jesus. They had a lasting, personal encounter with Him at the feeding. They think He’s the prophet, that He’s worthy to be king, and that there was something unusual about the way He must have crossed the sea. We would think that these seekers are believers.

However, the Lord can see the heart. He knew that, though they saw the previous signs, they did really see. Again, in v. 30, they’ll ask Him for another sign as evidence. Theirs was ultimately only a fickle attention toward Him, and they will walk away from Him this very day.

The question for you is why you are here this morning. The kingdom isn’t in eating or drinking (Rom. 14:17), and our doughnuts and coffee aren’t as good as what Jesus offers. I hope that you’re here for the eternal life that He alone can provide, placing your faith in Him.

Keep in mind what we just learned, too. If you’re exercising any faith in Jesus, even if it feels as small as a mustard seed, it comes as a gift from the Lord. So, don’t put your hope in the kind of faith you exercise, but in the Lord who gives the faith. Trust in Him alone, knowing that He gives you food and drink which endures unto eternal life.

If you are unsure at all about the state of your soul, please talk to us as soon as possible so we can help.