The Work of God: Believe
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:26-29
The feeding of the five thousand was a miracle, so why did Jesus rebuke the people when they came to Him wanting more? Only the day before this same crowd had wanted to make Him king (6:15). But what kind of king did they want? They wanted a king like other kings, a strong “this world” king who would enforce their “this world” agendas. Jesus is a King but the manner and type of His Kingship would be very different from what the crowds expected or wanted.
Jesus’ charge against the crowd is that the ‘sign’ of the feeding of the five thousand was meant to lead to the true food, the food the Son of Man would give. This food is Jesus Himself (6:35). What matters is not just what Jesus can do for you. What matters is who Jesus is. It’s only by understanding and embracing who He is that we can understand what He can do for us. John’s gospel is built around seven great miracles in Jesus’ ministry before the cross and one after. The feeding of the five thousand was the fourth. Each of the miracles and the discourses around them are carefully crafted by John to reveal who Jesus really is and engender faith in Him (20:30,31).
The question of who Jesus really is now comes to the fore. First, He is the one on whom ‘the Father has placed his seal of approval.’ God, like a goldsmith with his hallmark, or like a king with his seal, has stamped Jesus with the mark that declares not only where He comes from but whose authority He carries. What Jesus is doing bears the mark of what the God of the Old Testament scriptures did. The wilderness feeding and walking on water speak of this in ways that, though different, relate directly to the Exodus story.
Second, God is making a demand on the people. The purpose of the feeding was more than just meeting their material needs. God wants the people to believe in Jesus, to believe that in Him and in everything He is doing, the same God is at work, who was at work in the Exodus.
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” The people want to know what ‘works’ (plural) they have to do to qualify for the food that lasts forever. ‘Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent”.’ The ‘work’ (singular) is to believe in Jesus, in the one God has sent.
Even seasoned Christians can fall prey to the thought they should be doing more things for God to feel better in themselves. We are called to believe in Jesus, to love Him, to follow Him and to obey Him. If faith and love lead the way, Holy Spirit-inspired works will soon follow.
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