Answering Questions Series

JOHN 6:25-27

That seems like a pretty straightforward question, doesn’t it? Jesus, when did you get here? But Jesus knew better. Jesus is God, and as God, He not only knows the words we speak, He knows the motives of our hearts. And He knew the motives of the people’s hearts who were asking Him this question. That’s why Jesus never really answered their direct question. He knew that they didn’t really care what time He got there. He knew that their motive was not curiosity. Their motive wasn’t friendly conversation. Their motive wasn’t even that they were honestly seeking Jesus. Their motive was that they wanted to have more of their physical needs fulfilled. After all, they were hungry again. Have you ever noticed that no matter how full you are at dinnertime, the next morning you need to eat again? That’s the way these people were. They had been stuffed at dinnertime. But now it was the next day and their stomachs were growling again. Plus, several more people had come who hadn’t eaten the night before. Their motive for asking the question they did wasn’t an honest motive. Their motive was that they had physical needs that they wanted Jesus to fulfill. Their motives were purely selfish. Jesus saw right through their question—right through to their motives. And He said, “I know that you came to me to have your physical needs met. But I didn’t come here to fulfill your physical desires. I came here to take care of your spiritual needs.” Physical needs come and go. Jesus had just filled their physical needs to overflowing less than 24 hours before. And it didn’t last. Jesus came to fill a much deeper need than that. He came to fill spiritual need. The need to be cleansed of our sin. The need to be given righteousness that we can never earn. The need to be reconciled with our creator. The need to have peace and contentment and fulfillment, no matter what our physical circumstances. That is the food that doesn’t parish. That is the food which endures unto everlasting life. That is the food that Jesus gives. If you come to Jesus looking for anything else, your motives will be exposed. He calls us to seek Him for everlasting fulfillment—even if it costs us temporary fulfillment. Not the other way around. But that wasn’t what the people were looking for. So they asked Jesus another question. Look with me at their second question in verse 28 and Jesus’ answer in 29:

JOHN 6:28-29

Once again, a pretty straightforward question. But this time it’s a whole lot bolder. It’s like they knew that their motives had been exposed, so they didn’t have to beat around the bush anymore. Jesus, how can we do miracles like you do? That’s bold isn’t it? Jesus, I’ve seen you do miracles. I want to know how you do them, so I can do the same thing. And do you know what Jesus did? Once again, He didn’t answer their question directly. Once again, He immediately dug beneath the surface to expose the real issue behind their question. And this time, He exposed their unbelief. Did they believe that Jesus could do miracles? Of course they did—they had seen it with their own eyes. And remember that Jesus fed the people in the first place because they followed Him to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. And why did they follow Him there in the first place? John 6:2 tells us that, “a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased.” They saw Jesus do miracles. They knew He could do miracles. But if the Gospel of John is teaching us anything, it’s teaching us that seeing is not always believing, is it? Because it takes absolutely no faith to see a miracle. What takes faith is believing in the One who can perform miracles if He so chooses. And what takes even more faith is believing in the One who might choose not to perform a miracle. Jesus knew that the people did not believe in Him for who He is. They only saw that He could do really neat stuff. And they wanted Him to tell them how He did it, so they could do really neat stuff. But Jesus exposed their unbelief. And when He exposed their unbelief, He told them that it’s not about working miracles… it’s about believing in the greatest miracle of all. It’s not about performing wondrous works. It’s about seeing the wondrous work of God and believing in His Son whom He sent. If you come to Jesus looking for power for yourself, He will expose your unbelief. Jesus calls us to believe on Him. Look to Him in faith believing for the miracle of salvation… not for some sort of other miracle working power. But that wasn’t what the people were looking for. And they asked Jesus another question. Look with me at their third question in verses 30-31 and Jesus’ answer in 32-33: