Burning Bush Blogs
Equipping Men with Biblical Knowledge and Leadership Skills
Category: Personal Study
Thread: Counter-Culture Quotes of Jesus
Post Topic: The Work of God is to Believe
Post in Thread: #6
Previous: The Greatest Love
Scripture: John 6:25-40
Key Verses:
John 6:28-29
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
Observations
Today’s culture says:
It doesn’t matter exactly who or what we believe in, as long as we are good enough people, doing good works. God is just and able to distinguish us good people from those who don’t deserve his love.
Jewish Culture said:
An intricate system of rituals and regulations had been constructed around the laws of Moses. Obedience to these laws and rituals were the utmost path to pleasing God.
Context
Jesus had just performed the incredible miracle of feeding 5,000 men, plus an unknown number of women and children, from a single basket of bread and fish. The excited Jews, hoping for a revolt against Rome, pushed to crown Jesus king. But he declined, and disappeared into the wilderness. Looking for him, they sailed to the other side of the lake and were surprised to find him in Capernaum.
Scripture says:
It’s not about what we do, it’s about who we believe in.
Jesus’s Conversation
It’s fascinating to follow the thread of Jesus’s conversation with these seekers who followed him across the lake. How quickly they turned on the man who just performed a massive miracle involving them.
- v26-27 – Jesus knows their intentions. They are more interested in the signs and wonders of the man who can feed an army out of thin air than his message. He tells them to seek eternal food that only God can provide.
- v28-29
- They ask – what are the works that God requires?
- Jesus responds – it’s not about works. It’s about belief in the Son of God.
- v30-31 – They point out that Moses also miraculously fed them bread, and it lasted for forty years, not a single feeding. What other signs can you provide, they ask.
- v32-33 – Jesus corrects them. It wasn’t Moses who created the miracle. It was God the Father. He states that the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
- v34-40 – They ask for this bread that gives life to the world.
- Jesus makes another famous declaration: “I am the bread of the world.”
- Jesus declares that whoever comes to him will not go hungry or thirsty.
- He takes it to another level, saying that the Father sent him, and that in the last day he will raise up everyone who believed in him.
- He finishes by saying that everyone who believes in him shall have eternal life.
Interpretation
Genre
Gospel (Good News of Jesus). This section of the gospel tells the story of a conversation between Jesus and Galileans.
Author
John, the apostle, who walked with Jesus as a first-hand witness to the events as a disciple. His motivation in recording the events is that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we might find life in his name.
Setting
Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum served as the home base for the early ministry and teachings of Jesus.
Takeaways
- The metaphor that Jesus uses (I am the bread of life) makes a lot more sense when taken in context of this entire conversation, and the context of how it happened after the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000.
- The people were so enthralled by the miracle that they couldn’t comprehend what was more important. The fact that the Son of God stood before them.
- The men just couldn’t get it. When they finally understand that Jesus is talking about spiritual food, they ask how they can get it – what works God requires of them.
- Jesus tells them that the work is simply to believe.
- They understand the concept, but have trouble with that simple act.
- Why is it so hard for some to just believe? Why do we want it to be based on something that we do?
Imagine
Judah’s father dragged him along by the hand. “Hurry! They’ve found him! In our town!”
Word had spread about the feeding on the other side of the lake. Abba and Judah had left early, realizing that they were about to go hungry. They both couldn’t believe they’d missed the event.
Jesus had healed a crippled man, right here in Capernaum. They’d missed that too. And old Zebedee’s boys were said to be following him! They’d seen Andrew helping with the crowds, along with some other fishermen Judah recognized. Didn’t seem like the types to be disciples of a Rabbi. It was all so strange. If only they’d stayed a little longer!
They found the crowds gathering in the synagogue. Judah’s stomach rumbled. He hadn’t eaten all morning. A strong breeze pushed across the lake, blowing dust into his face. Abba sliced through the crowds to get through the door. The Synagogue was packed. Abba lifted Judah onto his shoulder.
There! The man from Nazareth gave Judah a smile from his bench.
“Make way!” someone called. “Let Levi through!”
Capernaum’s top Pharisee placed a gentle hand on Judah’s elbow as he passed by. “Jesus,” he said. “When did you get here?”
Jesus stood slowly. “Truly, truly, I say – you aren’t looking for me because of the signs I performed, but because of the bread I provided. You ate and had your fill.”
I didn’t have my fill. Judah struggled to concentrate on the words, wishing he’d had his portion of that fish. Jesus said something about believing.
“That’s all we have to do?” Judah whispered in Abba’s ear. “Just believe in him?”
“Jesus,” Abba said. “You provided one day’s food. But our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness from Moses for years. As it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus said. “it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Abba held his palms out. “Sir, always give us this bread then.”
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry or thirsty. But I’ve told you, and you still don’t believe.”
Judah tried to concentrate. The Nazarene seemed genuine. Judah wanted to scream I believe! But Abba and Levi kept arguing. Men began filtering out of the synagogue.
“This is a hard teaching,” Abba said in response to something. “Who can accept it?”
Levi shook his head. Abba set Judah on the ground and followed Levi toward the exit. “Let’s go home.”
Judah lingered in the doorway, looking back at the Nazarene, who met his gaze with compassion. Only his closest followers remained in the room.
Jesus turned to them. “You don’t want to leave me too, do you?”
One of the local fishermen spoke up. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
The words of eternal life? The Holy One? What does it mean? Why doesn’t Abba want to believe?
Correlation
Ephesians 2:8-9 – If you are new to the Bible, this is a good passage to memorize. It is quoted often.
- We are saved by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus.
- Our salvation has nothing to do with our works (what we do or don’t do).
John 4:11-14 – While speaking to a Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus talks about the concept of living water – drink this water, and you will never thirst again. Sounds like the bread that God sends down from heaven in our passage. But in both cases, Jesus is talking in metaphors about eternal concepts. Unlike the men of Galilee, the woman understands and believes.
Application
Generic Applications
All we have to do to receive spiritual fulfillment is to put our trust and faith in Jesus. Unlike every other religion, there is nothing that we have to do to achieve salvation. Jesus is the bread of life. If we follow him, we will never face spiritual hunger or thirst again.
Personalize it
- Do I try to reach up to God? Or do I simply believe that he sent his Son to reach down to me?
- How can I teach others about this truth of the Gospel message? Can I use Jesus’s metaphor of the bread of life to express the difference between temporary fulfillment and eternal fulfillment?
Bible study methodology adapted from Searching the Scriptures with permission from Tyndale House:
Swindoll, Charles, Searching the Scriptures. Tyndale House Publishers, 2016.