Story recap time. Jesus fed 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish (oh you didn’t know about that, then read about it here), then the disciples left Him and travelled across the Sea of Galilee. Well, He caught up by walking on water. During a storm (I feel like I said that casually, but it definitely wasn’t).

The next day, the people who had just been fed saw that Jesus was gone, but His boat was still there… Seems conspicuous right? I mean, how could He have done this? But they came to a different conclusion here.

“Um, where’s that guy who fed us yesterday with the free food?” So instead of marveling at what happened (Jesus literally dominating mother nature), they chased after free food. The priorities of men were focused on temporary satisfaction, I think you can see where I’m going here…

Anyway, the people finally catch up to Jesus, after they have crossed an entire sea to get there, and what does Jesus say?

John 6:25-27 says, “When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.'”

Oh yes, you read that right. They were called out. Jesus immediately knew the true intentions of the crowd. I could keep going with how Jesus knows our true intentions always and that He loves us despite that, but I want to take this story a little bit further because the Bible is cool and I want to keep reading from it. 

So the crowd keeps asking for more food and they’re not really “getting the big picture” aka the Gospel. No worries, Jesus lays it out for them (in perfect love naturally).

He continues in verse 35, “ I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. ”

They doubt Him more so He says more, really hammering it in for them, “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

We’ve talked on this before, but it is okay to have doubts. People had doubts when Jesus was literally standing beside them, so now 2,000 years removed of course sometimes people might doubt Him.

But Jesus will never give up on us. In the face of persecution, in the face of doubt, He remains loving and just. Despite all of the things the world threw at Him, despite how messed up and utterly hopeless we are, despite an eternity in Hell every single one of us deserves, He died for us.

“For God so loved the world (you, me, your neighbor, those people in the story, every person alive, who has lived and ever will live) that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him, should have eternal life.” John 3:16

Yeah, bread tastes good. But Jesus offers us fulfillment for eternal life. All we must do is believe in Him.

So– are you hungry?

Dear Lord, thank You for this day.

Thank you for giving us the means to have sustenance and fulfillment in this temporary life we lead. We are so blessed in this tiny fact alone, we do not want for food. Help us to turn to You for our everlasting fulfillment and unconditional grace. Keep us with a spirit that yearns for You, a mindset that focuses our problems and concerns on knowing Your incredible truth. Thank You for the Gospel. Thank You for loving us more than we could ever deserve and more than we could ever fathom. I Love You Lord. Amen.

-TK