We are all tempted to ask God, "What must I do to earn your favor?" Jesus answers by shattering our religious checklists and reveals that the only "work" God requires is to stop "doing" and start believing in Him as the all-sufficient Bread of Life.
Introduction: The Obvious Next Question
Last week, we left the crowd with a powerful command from Jesus. He had just exposed their motives: "You seek me... because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." (v. 26). Then He gave them this challenge: "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life..." (v. 27).
Now, put yourself in their shoes. They just heard the word "Labour."
When you hear "labour" or "work," what comes to mind?
* A checklist.
* A set of instructions.
* A job description.
* Effort. Performance. Doing.
Their response, in verse 28, is the most natural human question in the world. It’s the question at the heart of every single religion man has ever invented.
I. Man's Question - "What Shall We Do?" (v. 28)
> (v. 28) "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"
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"Okay, Jesus, you have our attention. You told us what not to work for—perishable food. Now, give us the new list. What do we work for? What are the 'works of God'?
* "Do we need to pray more?"
* "Do we need to fast twice a week?"
* "Do we need to give more to the temple? Obey the Law more perfectly?"
This is the human condition. We are born doers. We are born to earn. We want to achieve. We believe that our standing with God is based on our performance. "If I do enough good things, I'll be accepted. If I follow the rules, God will bless me."
They are asking for a new religious ladder to climb. And Jesus is about to take a sledgehammer to the whole ladder.
II. God's Answer - "Believe." (v. 29)
Jesus's response is revolutionary. It’s one of the most profound verses in the New Testament.
> (v. 29) "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
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They asked for "works" (plural). Jesus gave them "work" (singular).
And what is that singular work? Believe.
This is a "work" that is not a work. It is the end of works. Jesus is saying, "God isn't looking for your list of religious accomplishments. He is looking for your single act of absolute trust in the One He sent."
* They wanted a new task. Jesus offered a new trust.
* They wanted to do something for God. Jesus wanted them to receive someone from God.
* They wanted to know how to earn eternal life. Jesus was telling them they had to believe for it.
Application: We are just like them. We come to church, and we think, "What do I have to do this week?" We try to earn God's favor by "doing":
* "I'll have my quiet time every day."
* "I'll be nicer to my family."
* "I'll volunteer. I'll tithe."
These are good things! But they are the result of salvation, not the requirement for it. God's one and only requirement for salvation is to stop doing and start believing. It is to completely trust your entire standing before God to the finished work of Jesus Christ.
III. Man's Unbelief - "Show Us a Sign" (v. 30-34)
How does the crowd respond to this incredible, grace-filled answer?
You would think they'd be relieved! "You mean all we have to do is trust you? That's it? Thank goodness!"
No. That's not what they say. Look at their reply in verse 30. It is absolutely staggering.
> (v. 30-31) "They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert..."
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Are you kidding me?
* They are standing there, less than 24 hours after He fed 5,000 men (plus women and children) from a handful of bread and fish.
* The "perishable meat" from the miracle is likely still in their system.
* And they have the audacity to say, "Show us a sign... that we may... believe thee"!
They didn't see the feeding of the 5,000 as a sign. They saw it as an appetizer.
They even bring up their own "evidence." They play the "Moses card."
"You know, Moses... he gave us manna. Bread from heaven. Every day. For 40 years. You gave us one meal. If you want us to believe in you as the one sent from God, you've got to at least match Moses. What work are you going to do?"
Jesus has to correct them on two fronts (v. 32-33):
* Wrong Giver: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread." (It was always God, not Moses).
* Wrong Bread: The manna wasn't the "true bread." It was a physical picture, a shadow. The "true bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world."
The true bread is not a thing; it's a Person.
But they still don't get it. Their minds are still on their stomachs. Look at verse 34: "Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread." They're thinking, "Great! A new, improved, permanent manna. No more work! Where do we sign up?"
IV. God's Revelation - "I AM the Bread" (v. 35-40)
The crowd has asked for "works." They've asked for a "sign." They've asked for "bread."
And now, Jesus gives them the final, ultimate answer. He answers all three requests with two words: "I AM."
> (v. 35) "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
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This is the climax of the conversation.
* You want "enduring meat"? I AM it.
* You want a "sign" from God? I AM it.
* You want the "true bread" from heaven? I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.
The "enduring meat" from last week's sermon is not a substance; it is the Savior. He is not a provider of life; He is life.
And look at the promise:
* "He that cometh to me shall never hunger..."
* "He that believeth on me shall never thirst..."
This isn't talking about your physical stomach. This is a promise for your soul. That deep, aching, restless hunger inside you? That thirst for purpose, for meaning, for peace, for acceptance? Jesus is the only one who can satisfy it. Completely. Permanently.
But then, Jesus looks at them with sadness: "But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not." (v. 36). They saw the sign and missed the Savior.
This leads Jesus to give one of the most powerful promises of security in the entire Bible (v. 37-40):
* God's Sovereignty: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me..."
* Christ's Assurance: "...and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
* God's Will: "...that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."
The will of God is not a complicated checklist. Verse 40 makes it plain: "...that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
Conclusion: Stop Doing, Start Believing
The crowd came to Jesus with a single question: "What must we do?"
Jesus answered with a single word: "Believe."
When they doubted, they asked for a sign. Jesus declared that He is the sign.
When they hungered, they asked for bread. Jesus declared, "I AM the Bread."
This morning, the same questions are on the table.
* You are here, and in your heart, you are asking, "God, what do I have to do to be right with you? What do I have to do to be worthy of your love?"
* And Jesus answers you today just as He answered them: "This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He hath sent."
Stop laboring for the bread that perishes. Stop trying to earn God's favor with your own "works." The only "work" God requires is that you stop working and fall in complete, trusting belief at the feet of the One He sent.
He is the Bread of Life. Come to Him, and you will never hunger again.
