When we analyze our deepest needs, I think we can agree that man has a gnawing hunger for both the physical and the spiritual. A person hungers for both food and material things AND for God and spiritual things, things like love, and peace within, and joy. So most of man’s time and energy are spent in trying to satisfy that hunger.
Tonight we are still in John 6: 22-29. Only eight verses but within these 8 verses we will find 4 answers to man’s great hunger. Let’s get right into the Scripture.
To update our story, Jesus had fed the 5000, gone up on a mountain to get away from the crowd that was trying to make Him a king, sent His disciples in their boat to get out of there before they were tempted to agree with the crowd to make Jesus their king, walked out on the water during a violent storm, and suddenly they were all back on the shore at Capernaum. Let’s pick up the story in verse 22.
READ 22-25. The first answer to man’s great hunger is to recognize the hunger. The people had been miraculously fed. The common belief in that day was that the Messiah would give manna from heaven like Moses had done. In fact, the Messiah would give more than Moses had given. The people were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, so they wanted to make Jesus their king.
So right here the people acknowledged their need for the Messiah. Confessing their need was not a problem for them.
The people noted Jesus’ absence. There had been only one boat docked at shore, and the disciples had taken it to cross the lake. They knew that Jesus did not go with them. The people thought that He was over in another section of the crowd or else off somewhere by Himself.
The fact that Jesus wasn’t close didn’t dawn on them until the next day. (v. 22) So here we see some lessons. The people, knowing they had a need, wanted their need met. Jesus had said that He could meet their need, but He was gone. Their need was going to go unmet unless they could find Him.
So they looked for Jesus. Believing the Jesus could meet their need, they sought Him. Other boats had come to the shore during the night, probably seeking refuge from the storm. So the people go onto the boats to cross over to Capernaum, hoping to find Jesus.
The people questioned Jesus’ absence. If Jesus was going to provide for their needs, then where was He? They couldn’t understand why Jesus would leave them, especially if He was the true Messiah.
This passage shows some truisms of today if we compare it. We said in the beginning that man does have both physical and spiritual needs. Man has a need for the Messiah. So a person must first admit his need. Then he must see if Jesus is present in his life. If a person hasn’t personally asked Christ to be his own, then his need goes unmet.
So a person must do like these people in our story. They must search diligently for Jesus. They need to look and look until they find Him.
Then there are the questions that many people of today ask all the time.
(ASK ALL THESE QUESTIONS AT ONCE BEFORE LETTING THEM ANSWER)
• If Jesus really is the Messiah, why does He so often seem absent and far away, especially in times of trouble?
• If there is a God and if Christ really is the Son of God, why is the world in so much trouble and why are so many people suffering?
• Why would Christ not place Himself right in the midst of the world and its problems?
• Why would He not go ahead and solve the problems, meeting the needs immediately?
The answer is what this passage is all about.
Read 26-27. The next answer to man’s great hunger is acknowledging that man’s motives are corrupt. Look closely at vv. 26 & 27 and you can see it. Jesus stressed His answer with an attention getter. “I tell you the truth.” In other words, listen to what I am about to say. Then He tells them.
Man’s motive in seeking the Messiah—in seeking the answer to his problems—is often corrupt. What could I possibly mean by that? In the case of these people it was, and tragically, it IS with so many in every generation.
1. A person seeks the Messiah, but not to worship and serve Him. Am I right? They seek the Messiah for what they can get out of Him.
a. Man is interested in getting his needs met. Man is interested in himself, not in acknowledging and honoring Jesus to be Lord and not in serving Him and making Him known to a lost world.
The thoughts of the crowd were focused on how wonderful it was to be saved from hunger and to have their needs met. Here was Savior who could meet all their needs. He could provide all things for them. Notice that their thoughts were much like modern man. Their thoughts were focused on the earth, on material things and personal possessions, on the flesh, on the human.
b. Man should be interested in the Messiah for who He is and not for what he can get out of Him. The Lords wants to be sought and loved for who He is. He’s not a tool to be used. The crowd should have seen that such a miracle could only have been done by the Son of God. They should have fallen down before Him in all humility. They should have humbled themselves to see that He was not the One who should be giving to them, but they were the ones who should be giving to Him.
2. Jesus’ point in v. 27 was that man seeks food that spoils. Think about how man seeks to feed his soul—through feelings and comfort, and pleasure, on plenty, recognition, honor, position, power, fame, and self.
Of course we know that’s all foolish, for all these things will pass away, even man himself will pass away. A day is not guaranteed, much less a year. Even when we have years left to live, they pass so quickly. So we need to heed two eternal truths:
a. The things of the earth with all their pleasures and feelings do not satisfy. They still leave a person empty, incomplete, unfulfilled, hungry, dissatisfied, seeking more and more.
b. The earth and its things with all their pleasures and feelings pass away. They age, deteriorate, die, and decay.
READ v. 27 again. The third answer to man’s great hunger is to work for food that endures, that gives or lasts. The basic hunger within man is for an abundant life—a life that’s complete and fulfilled, full of love, joy, peace and all the good things of life. Man hungers for eternal life, a life that survives, that isn’t snatched away, but goes on forever and ever.
Jesus said that the Son of Man is the One who can give food that lasts forever, the One who can give life that is both abundant and eternal. Back in Jn. 3:33, Jesus said that the Son of Man is sealed, guaranteed by God. God guarantees that Christ is the Messiah, that Christ is the One who can give food that is abundant and lasts forever.
READ 28-29. We are going to stop after these verses tonight but not before we take a close look at the wording. These two verses have something in them that you have probably overlooked. But the fourth answer to man’s great hunger is to do THE WORK of God. And what is the work of God? To believe. Let’s note something:
The people in verse 28 thought in terms of works (plural). They thought that by doing good works they could win the approval and acceptance of God. See if you don’t see this same thought in people today. If they did enough good and lived a life that was moral and just, God would save them and give them the food that satisfied, the food and life that was both abundant and eternal.
There are people who place other people in three categories. Let’s see if you might be one of those that think that way. They think:
1. There are GOOD PEOPLE, people who do plenty of good works. They live good, moral, and just lives; so surely they must be acceptable to God.
2. Then there are the BAD PEOPLE, people who do mostly bad works. They live immoral and unjust lives; so they can’t be acceptable to God. They must not be saved.
3. And then there are the COMPROMISING PEOPLE, people who do both good and bad. They live both moral and immoral, just and unjust lives. They are close to getting God’s approval, not quite, but close. By doing just a few more GOOD WORKS and living just a little more morally, God will accept them.
Do you see things in the same way? If so, then you are thinking like the people in v. 28.
Jesus corrected the people’s thoughts in v. 29. He corrected their concept of salvation by works. And if you felt like I was just describing the way you think, then you are still thinking that you can earn salvation by your works, and I know you know better.
Note how Jesus put it. A person doesn’t secure the favor of God and is not acceptable to God because of works (plural). A person receives God’s favor and acceptance because of a work, (v.29), one work (singular). Did you catch it? And the work of God is only one: believe—“in the One he has sent.”
And that is all that Jesus asks of anyone today. The only work that God requires of us to gain His favor and acceptance is to BELIEVE.
