Introduction: The Morning After the Miracle
Good morning. Have you ever experienced the "fade"?
The "fade" is that feeling you get a few days, weeks, or months after you get the one thing you were sure would make you happy.
* It's the "new car smell" that disappears and gets replaced by the smell of old coffee and french fries.
* It's the thrill of the new job that fades into the reality of the daily commute and difficult coworkers.
* It's the excitement of a new relationship that settles into routine.
We live our lives chasing these things, don't we? We think, "If I could just get that, then I'd be satisfied." But the satisfaction is always temporary. The food perishes. The excitement fades.
This morning, we find ourselves in the middle of this exact human dilemma. We are in John chapter 6, on "the day following" the feeding of the five thousand. A massive crowd has just experienced the miracle of a lifetime. They saw Jesus take a boy's lunch—five small barley loaves and two small fish—and feed a multitude.
They didn't just see it; they ate it. Their stomachs were full. They were amazed. They were so impressed that they tried to take Jesus by force and make Him their king (v. 15). But Jesus slipped away.
I. The Eager Pursuit (vv. 22-25)
Our passage opens with a scene of confusion. The crowd wakes up, and Jesus is gone.
> (v. 24) "When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus."
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Now, let's give them some credit. This is effort. This isn't a casual, "I wonder where He went?" They got in boats. They crossed the Sea of Galilee. They were actively, energetically seeking for Jesus.
If this happened at our church—if people crossed a lake to find out where Jesus was—we would call it a revival! This looks like dedication. This looks like hunger.
They finally find Him. And look at their first question:
> (v. 25) "...Rabbi, when camest thou hither?"
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It's a logistical question. A question of "how" and "when." They're focused on the physical. "How'd you get here, Jesus? We saw the disciples leave, but you weren't with them." They are impressed by the logistics of the miracle, but they haven't yet grasped the meaning of the miracle.
And Jesus, in His typical fashion, doesn't even answer their question. He bypasses the surface-level curiosity and goes straight to the heart.
II. The Heart Exposed (v. 26)
This is one of the most penetrating verses in the Bible. Jesus holds up a mirror to the entire crowd—and to us.
> (v. 26) "Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled."
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"Verily, verily" means "Listen up, this is the unvarnished truth."
Jesus makes a critical distinction: they didn't seek Him because they saw the "miracles" (the semeion, the "signs"), but because they ate the "loaves."
* The Sign: The miracle was a signpost. It was pointing to a deeper reality. It was designed to make them ask, "Who is this man who can command creation? Who is this that can satisfy human need so completely? This must be the promised one of God!"
* The Snack: They missed the signpost. They were just happy about the snack. Their stomachs were full, and they thought, "This is a great deal! A king who provides free food? Sign me up!"
They were seeking Jesus not for who He was, but for what He could give. They saw a caterer, not the Christ. They saw a political provider, not the Son of God.
And before we judge them too harshly, we must ask the same question of ourselves. Why do we seek Jesus?
* Do we come to Him as a "divine vending machine"?
* "Jesus, I'm here because I need you to fix my marriage."
* "Jesus, I'm seeking you because I need a promotion at work."
* "Jesus, I'm praying because I need you to heal my body."
These are not bad things to ask for! But if they are the only reason we seek Him, we are no different from the crowd. We are "loaves and fishes" Christians. Our faith is built on a full stomach. And the test of that faith comes when the basket is empty.
III. The Great Command (v. 27)
After exposing their motive, Jesus gives them a command that changes everything. This is the central point of the sermon.
> (v. 27) "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed."
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Let's break this down.
First: "Labour not for the meat which perisheth..."
Jesus isn't promoting laziness. The Bible is clear: "if any would not work, neither should he eat" (2 Thess. 3:10). The word "labour" here means to work for, to pour your life into, to be consumed with.
Jesus is saying, "Stop pouring all your best energy, your life's work, into things that are going to rot."
* The paycheck is "perishable meat." It's spent before it even hits the bank.
* The promotion, the corner office... that's "perishable meat."
* The praise of men, the number of 'likes' and 'follows'... that's "perishable meat."
* Even the "loaves and fishes" of temporary blessings are perishable.
You are laboring for things that cannot and will not last. It's like building a beautiful sandcastle just before the tide comes in.
Second: "But... for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life..."
Here is the great alternative. Jesus offers a different kind of food.
* It doesn't perish. It doesn't spoil. It doesn't fade.
* It "endureth unto everlasting life." This isn't just about living forever "out there" someday. It's about a quality of life, God's own Zoe life, that begins right now.
* It is true satisfaction. True peace. True purpose. It is the food that actually fills the hunger in your soul.
Third: How do we get it? "...which the Son of man shall give unto you..."
This is the gospel.
You labor for the perishable meat. But the enduring meat is a gift.
The crowd was in a works-based mindset. They were thinking, "We worked to find you, now give us more bread." Jesus is about to shift their entire worldview. You don't work for this; you receive this. Eternal life is not a wage you earn; it is a gift you accept.
Finally: Why is He the only source? "...for him hath God the Father sealed."
In the ancient world, a seal on a document or a container was a mark of authenticity and authority. It showed who it came from and that it was legitimate.
Jesus is saying, "I am God's official, authorized, confirmed-and-sealed agent of eternal life. The Father Himself has put His stamp of approval on me." You can't get this "enduring meat" from anyone else.
Conclusion: What Are You Working For?
This crowd came to Jesus because they were "filled" by a temporary meal. Jesus confronts them and, by extension, He confronts us.
He asks us today: What are you laboring for?
* Take an honest look at your life. Your calendar. Your bank statement. Your secret ambitions.
* Are you pouring your one precious life into "the meat which perisheth"?
* Are you chasing the thrill, the snack, the temporary blessing?
If you are, you will always end up hungry again. You will always experience "the fade."
Jesus is offering a different way. He is offering to give you something that lasts. Something that endures. He's offering you Himself.
The series we are beginning is all about this choice. The crowd was seeking a satisfier for their bodies. Jesus presented Himself as the Savior for their souls.
The first step is to recognize what you're really hungry for. Stop laboring for the perishable. Stop chasing the snack. And come to the one who has the words—and the substance—of everlasting life.
