John 6:25-27 25When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate from the loaves and were satisfied. 27Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that remains for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
The crowd was persistent in finding Jesus. John gives no time indicators of how long the search took place, but eventually, the people caught up to Jesus on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Their address to Jesus as Rabbi shows respect but not commitment. They only saw him as a “teacher.” As the following story indicates, their understanding and belief in him were skewed because they would not even listen and obey his teaching. Their question highlights the miracle of Jesus’ crossing without the boat that apparently had been reserved for him. No one saw Jesus get into a boat and cross the lake.
Verse 26 indicates that Jesus saw right through their wrong motives. Whenever Jesus used the truly, truly formula, his declaration had power, authority, and truth. There is usually a timeless quality to his words. The first part of the saying speaks to the historical setting of the crowd’s search for him. Their motive is finding him was not to believe in him through the signs of miracles but to get more food. They were following for what they could get out of Jesus. They only wanted to satisfy their stomachs and not the deep need of their souls. Jesus only mentions in this verse the loaves and not the fish, possibly because he sets up the crowd for the next significant teaching. Mark 6:52 indicates that even the disciples had fallen into this trap of misunderstanding. A crisis decision was looming for both the crowd and the disciples.
The second part of the saying in verse 27 has the proverbial timeless truth. Jesus shifts focus from the materialistic thinking of the crowd about food for their stomach to spiritual food that leads to eternal life. The feeding miracle across the lake for intentional to teach the people a deeper truth about Jesus. If he could supply food for over five thousand people from basically a boy’s lunch, he could supply eternal food that meets a deeper and more serious need. The mention of eternal life recalls what Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well in 4:14. He used everyday experiences of water and bread to point to eternal life. Bread and water are basics that keep us alive physically, but Jesus provides what will keep us alive for eternity.
The balance of faith and obedience can be seen in verse 27. Jesus’ call for obedience is assumed in the words work (ergazesthe) and remains (menousan). Remaining in Jesus through obedience is a theme repeated throughout this Gospel. Eternal life is not a one-time gift that has no responsibility. Receiving eternal life is also a gift in response to faith and comes with the requirement of abiding and believing in Jesus everyday. Jesus again uses his self-designation of Son of Man, which gives the nuance of identification with humanity and exaltation as the Coming One. Because he knows the Father’s will, he is the only one worthy to be judge. He has received the Father’s seal of approval. He is the only way to the Father as the full representative of the Father. All of these attributes qualify him to grant eternal life to those who believe.
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