Looking for (vv. 22–40)

[22] The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto His disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples were gone away alone;
[23] (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
[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.
[25] And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
[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.
[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.
[28] Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
[29] Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.
[30] They said therefore unto Him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
[31] Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
[32] Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
[33] For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
[34] Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
[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.
[36] But I said unto you, That ye also have seen Me, and believe not.
[37] All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.
[38] For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.
[39] And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
[40] And this is the will of Him that sent Me, 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.

Looking for (vv. 22–40)

​The disciples may have been impressed by the large number of people who braved a storm to see their Master, but Jesus was not. He understands the heart of man. He knew that the people had first followed Him because of His miracles (John 6:2), but now they were following Him to acquire food! There was still an opportunity they could be saved, even if they were only interested in the miracles. That is where Nicodemus started (John 3:1–2). But now they were only interested in food.

Jesus said there are two kinds of food: physical food, which is important but not the most important, and spiritual food, which is necessary. People didn't need food; they needed life, and life is a gift. Food keeps us alive, but Jesus provides us life forever. Isaiah said, " Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?" (Isa. 55:2).

People took the word "labor" and used it wrong to mean that they had to work for salvation. They totally missed the word "give" (v 27) They were very religious and thought they had to "do something" to earn eternal life. Jesus made it clear that there was only one thing that needed to be done: believe in the Savior. When someone believes in Christ, they are trusting Him to save them, not doing a good deed. Believing doesn't take you anywhere; what God does in response to our faith is what matters (see Eph. 2:8–10).

At first, the crowd was looking for Christ, but then they started looking for a sign from Him. "Because the Jews require a sign" (1 Cor. 1:22). The rabbis said that when the Messiah came, He would do the same miracle that happened with the manna (see Ex. 16). If God really sent Jesus (see John 6:29, 38, 57), then let Him show it by making manna fall from heaven. They wanted to "see and believe." But faith that is based only on signs and not on the truth of the Word can lead someone astray, because even Satan can do "lying wonders" (2 Thess. 2:8–10). Also, see John 2:18–25 and 4:48.

The quote in John 6:31 comes from Psalm 78:24, which talks about how the people of Israel didn't believe and rebelled.

Our Lord tried to help the people understand the truth better in His answer. They should stop looking at Moses and start looking at God, because it was God who gave them the manna. God used to give manna, but now the Father gives the real bread through Jesus Christ. The spiritual experience in the present goes on, even though the past event is over.

Then Jesus made it clear what the bread is: He is the Living Bread that came down from heaven. He came for the whole world, not just Israel. And He came not only to sustain life but also to give life. In this sermon, our Lord said seven times that He was "coming down from heaven" (John 6:33, 38, 41–42, 50–51, 58). This statement made it clear that He was God. The manna from the Old Testament was only a symbol of the "true bread," which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

This conversation was looking for Christ and then a sign, but soon they were looking for the "true bread" that Jesus talked about. But they weren't ready for salvation, just like the woman from Samaria (see John 4:15). She wanted the living water so she wouldn't have to go to the well all the time. The people in the crowd wanted the bread so they wouldn't have to work hard to stay alive. People still want Jesus Christ today just for the beneficial things He can do for them.

Jesus used the words "come" and "believe" in response to their rash request. These words are important in this sermon. Coming to Jesus means believing in Him, and believing in Him means coming to Him. Believing is not just an intellectual thing, like agreeing with a doctrine in your mind. It means to give yourself to Christ and come to Him. Jesus used eating and drinking to show what it means to come and believe at the end of His sermon. To come to Christ and believe in Him means to take Him in, just like you take in food and drink.

The first of seven great "I am" statements that John wrote down is in John 6:35. These statements are not found anywhere else in the Gospels. (For the other six, see John 8:12; 10:7–9, 11–14; 11:25–26; 14:6; 15:1, 5.) God showed Himself to Moses by the name I AM (Ex. 3:14). God is the one who exists on His own and "is, and ... was, and ... is to come" (Rev. 1:8). When Jesus said, "I am," He was definitely saying that He was God.

Jesus explains how to be saved in John 6:37–40. These are some of the most important truths. He has said this, and we cannot fully understand the depths of these statements. He said that salvation is based on both God's power and people's responsibility. The Father gives people to the Son (John 6:37, 39; 17:2, 6, 9, 11–12, 24), but these people must come to Him, which means they must believe in Him. He told them that no one who came to Him would ever be lost and that they would be raised on the last day. Salvation is something that even death can't take away! For more information about the "last day," see John 6:40, 44, and 54. Jesus was talking about His return and the last things that will happen to finish God's plan for people.

We can't see how divine sovereignty and human responsibility can work together because we are human and limited, but from God's perspective, there is no conflict. The Father wants sinners to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) and those who believe in Christ to be sure of their salvation. People who believe in Jesus get eternal life, and He can never lose them.