The life of faith that continually trusts in Jesus Christ, whom God has sent, entrusts one’s entire being to Him, and lives in personal union with Him is the work of God—the highest obedience and ministry that pleases God.

The life of faith that continually trusts in Jesus Christ, whom God has sent, entrusts one’s entire being to Him, and lives in personal union with Him is the work of God—the highest obedience and ministry that pleases God.

 

 

 

 

“The next day the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away alone.  However, other boats had come from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.  So, when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 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 you.  For on Him God the Father has set His seal.’  Then they said to Him, ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’  Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’  So, they said to Him, ‘Then what sign do You do, that we may see and believe You?  What work do You perform?  Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’  Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’  They said to Him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’  Jesus said to them, ‘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.  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day.  For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day’” (John 6:22–40).

 

 

(1)    I would like to meditate on John 6:22–59, which deals with the theme of “the Bread of Life,” in two parts.  Today, I would like to receive the lessons and grace that the Lord gives us as we meditate on the first part, verses 22–40.  Tomorrow, I plan to meditate on the second and final part, verses 41–59.  When I first read today’s passage, John 6:22–40, only in Korean, my attention was drawn to verses 38–39: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day.”  Perhaps this was because I remembered the sixth saying of Jesus from the cross, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30), which we heard yesterday during our Wednesday worship service through the message delivered by our church’s senior pastor emeritus.  In other words, what Jesus accomplished in full was the work of seeking and saving the lost: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Lk. 19:10).  Here, I became curious about the relationship between the statement that Jesus, the Son of Man, came to this earth “to seek and to save the lost” (Lk. 19:10), and the statement that Jesus “came down from heaven” to fulfill the will of God who sent Him: “that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day” (Jn. 6:39).

 

(a)    Luke 19:10 and John 6:39 both use the same Greek verb root, apollymi (ἀπόλλυμι), meaning “to lose” or “to perish.”  Together, they present one continuous work of salvation: its beginning, in seeking the lost, and its completion, in preserving them and raising them from the dead.  These two verses are deeply connected theologically and linguistically, revolving around the same word, “lost.”  The following are three key meanings and lessons summarized by artificial intelligence (Internet):

 

1.       The beginning and completion of salvation: From “the lost” [ἀπολωλός, apolōlos] to “losing none” [μὴ ἀπολέσω, mē apolesō]

 

The two passages employ the same Greek verb, apollymi (ἀπόλλυμι), in different voices—passive and active—and proclaim that God’s salvation never ends unfinished.

 

Luke 19:10—the beginning of salvation: Jesus came to this earth for the purpose of seeking and saving “the lost” (τὸ ἀπολωλός, to apolōlos—a perfect participle), those who had lost their way because of sin and were in a state of destruction.  In other words, the Lord came first to seek us, who were already lost and had fallen into a state of ruin.

 

John 6:39—the completion of salvation and preservation of the saints: Those whom the Father has given to the Son after they have been found are now kept by Jesus.  The Father’s will is that Jesus “should lose nothing” (μὴ ἀπολέσω, mē apolesō—“not cause to perish”), but preserve them to the end and “raise them up on the last day” (ἀναστήσω, anastēsō—resurrection).

 

The heart of the connection: If Luke’s Gospel describes the beginning of salvation—the seeking and rescuing of sinners—John’s Gospel describes its final completion: the Lord takes responsibility for those He has rescued, allowing not even one soul to slip away before the day of eternal resurrection.

 

2.       The actual meaning of “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30) on the cross

 

The sixth saying of Jesus from the cross, “It is finished” (Τετέλεσται, tetelestai), through which you received grace from our pastor emeritus, is a declaration of victory that the curse of “perishing” [ἀπόλλυμι, apollymi] has been completely brought to an end.

The purpose for which Jesus came down from heaven was not to do His own will, but to do “the will of Him who sent Me” (Jn. 6:38).

 

The Father’s will was singular: “to rescue from destruction [ἀπόλλυμι, apollymi] the souls entrusted to You, to lose not one of them, and to raise them from the dead.”

 

By shedding His blood and dying on the cross, Jesus fully paid the debt of sin and death that would have brought about our destruction.  Therefore, His declaration, “It is finished,” is the seal of completed salvation, declaring: “I have fully paid every legal and spiritual cost required to save and eternally preserve the souls entrusted to Me by the Father.”

 

3.       Deep comfort and lessons for our lives: “Absolute security in salvation”

 

The connection between these passages gives us, as we live today, unwavering spiritual courage and rest.

 

First, my weakness cannot cancel the Lord’s salvation.  As we live out our Christian faith, whenever our faith wavers or we stumble, we may become afraid and wonder, “What if I fall away from salvation and am cast out?”  However, this passage makes clear that the One who preserves our salvation is not the strength with which we hold on to Him, but the hand of Jesus that holds on to us.  The Lord has promised that He “will lose nothing” of those whom the Father has given Him.

 

Second, enjoy the peace of entrusting your life to the Lord’s generous will (Jn. 6:38).  Just as Jesus confessed, “not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me,” God’s most pleasing will is to preserve our souls most securely and raise us up again on the last day.  We were once spiritually dead and lost, but the Lord Himself came to seek us.  Through His declaration, “It is finished,” on the cross, He has made us secure people whose names are written in the Book of Life forever.

 

Conclusion: From being lost to eternal resurrection

 

The Lord who came to seek us when we were “the lost” (Lk. 19:10) paid the full price on the cross, crying out, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30).  He has now become our eternal guarantor, promising that He will “lose nothing” and “raise us up on the last day” (6:39).

 

I earnestly pray that the grace of the cross that you received during Wednesday worship and the passage about the Bread of Life that you meditated on today will come together as one, filling our hearts with a firm assurance of salvation and gratitude that no storm in this world and no accusation of Satan can shake (Internet).

 

(i)                 Here, just as Jesus came down from heaven to do the will of God the Father who sent Him, I receive this lesson: We, too, must follow Jesus’ example and humbly go down to do the will of the Lord who sent us into this world.  We must imitate Jesus’ incarnational ministry by humbling ourselves and going down to where people are.  The Lord is the Good Shepherd (Ps. 23; John 10).  He searches for a lost sheep until He finds it.  When He finds it, He joyfully lays it on His shoulders, returns home, calls together His friends and neighbors, and says, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost” (Lk. 15:4–6).  In the same way, we must keep seeking until we find “one sinner” (v. 7), and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ’s “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30).  I believe the promise in Philippians 1:6 is the word of assurance we must hold on to as we do this: “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”  I would like to know a practical guide that can help all of us apply this lesson and this promise.

 

·         The following meditation brings together three truths: Jesus’ incarnational humility in leaving the heavenly throne and coming down to this earth (Jn. 6:38); the heart of the Good Shepherd, who joyfully carries the one lost sheep on His shoulders (Lk. 15:4–6); and God’s faithfulness in bringing our salvation and ministry to completion (Phil. 1:6).  Together, these truths form a complete blueprint for gospel evangelism.  Artificial intelligence has organized these profound teachings into a four-step “Practical Guide to Incarnational Soul-Winning” that all of us can put into practice today in our homes, workplaces, and churches (Internet).

 

a.       [The Practice of Coming Down] Give up your spiritual privilege and come down to the other person’s level (Jn. 6:38).

Just as Jesus left His heavenly throne and came down, taking on a human body in the Incarnation, the first step in evangelism is for us to humble ourselves, stepping down from the positions of religious superiority and judgment that we have built up.

 

Lay down the measuring rod of condemnation: When you encounter an unbelieving soul or a fellow believer who is wandering, immediately lay aside the attitude that wants to lecture or judge, asking, “Why does that person live that way?” This is the perspective of the Jews.

 

Meet the person at their level: First practice humility by entering into the pain, loneliness, and difficult circumstances of the other person’s life. Listen and empathize in that person’s own language, walking alongside them in what they are experiencing.

 

b.       [The Practice of Seeking] Do not give up; keep seeking, calling one soul by name, until you find that person (Lk. 15:4).

 

The Good Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep in the open country and searches through the rugged wilderness for the one lost sheep until He finds it.

 

Keep a specific prayer list: Identify by name one “lost person” among those around you—family members, coworkers, or neighbors—who does not yet know the Lord or has wandered away from the faith. Seek that person through daily intercessory prayer.

 

Approach with persistent love: Do not give up easily just because you have been rejected once or twice or have received no response.  Ask how the person is doing, share small acts of kindness and meals, and patiently remain by that person’s side with the Lord’s longsuffering until the closed door of that soul’s heart opens.

 

c.       [The Practice of Proclaiming the Gospel] Boldly proclaim the good news: “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30).

Just as the shepherd joyfully carries the sheep on his shoulders, returns home, and celebrates (Lk. 15:5–6), the gospel we proclaim is not a burdensome legalistic obligation. It is the joyful news of liberation and freedom.

 

Proclaim the salvation that has been completed: Do not burden the other person by saying, “You must live a good life in order to be saved.”  Instead, boldly and joyfully share the gospel of grace: “Jesus has already paid for all your sins and all the heavy burdens of your life, declaring on the cross, ‘It is finished.’”

 

Let your life shine as a testimony: You must first become a witness—a lamp—who has been brought back to life by grace, like the man who had been ill for thirty-eight years.  Through your countenance and attitude, demonstrate the joy and peace of being satisfied with Jesus alone.

 

d.       [The Practice of Assurance] Entrust the outcome to the Lord and hold firmly to Philippians 1:6.

 

As we serve souls, we may become discouraged because change comes slowly and people respond coldly. At such times, the unshakable rock we must hold on to is Philippians 1:6.

 

Surrender the sovereignty: The work of causing a soul to be born again and bringing that soul to life belongs exclusively to the Holy Spirit; it does not depend on our powers of persuasion.  We need only fulfill our responsibility in the place of obedience by sowing the seed and watering it.

 

Trust the Lord to bring His work to completion: Proclaim the promise: “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).  The Lord is the One who began the good work in us, and He is also the One who began knocking on the soil of that soul’s heart.  Therefore, believe that the Lord will surely bring His work of salvation to completion by the day of Jesus Christ, and wait in peace.

 

Conclusion: Pilgrims Who Share in the Joy of the Good Shepherd

 

The heart of these four guidelines is to give up the impatience of trying to change souls by our own strength and instead place ourselves upon the Lord’s humility and faithfulness. 

 

When we go down to a humble place like the Lord and take loving steps toward one soul, a heavenly celebration is already prepared in heaven, rejoicing that one lost sheep has returned (Lk. 15:7).  I pray that today, too, you and I will trust one hundred percent in the Lord who began a good work in us and joyfully walk alongside the Good Shepherd as He goes out to seek one soul (Internet).

 

(2)    Second, I would like to meditate on Jesus’ words: “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day …” (Jn. 6:40).  What is interesting is that when Jesus spoke about the purpose for which He came down from heaven, He did not say “My will” [τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸ, to thelēma to emon], but rather “the will of Him who sent Me” [τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με, to thelēma tou pempsantos me] (vv. 38–39)—that is, “the will of My Father” [τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου, to thelēma tou patros mou] (v. 40).  Here, the apostle John records the expression “the will of My Father” twice in verses 38 and 39.  What is interesting is the way he records the words concerning the resurrection. In verse 39, he writes, “but raise it up on the last day” [ἀναστήσω αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, anastēsō auto en tē eschatē hēmera].  Then, in verse 40, he writes, “I will raise him up on the last day” [ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐγὼ τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, anastēsō auton egō tē eschatē hēmera].  The subtle difference is that both verses use the future active verb anastēsō (ἀναστήσω), meaning “I will raise up.”  However, in verse 40, an additional pronoun that emphasizes the subject is specifically included.  In other words, in verse 40, the apostle John adds egō (ἐγώ), meaning “I Myself,” immediately after the verb “I will raise up.”  The reason the apostle John does this in verse 40 is to firmly and emphatically proclaim that the authority to raise the dead on the last day belongs to Jesus Himself, and to no one else (Internet).  What lesson does this meditation teach us?

 

(a)    The subtle difference in Greek grammar between verses 39 and 40—the nominative pronoun egō (ἐγώ, “I Myself”), specifically added in verse 40—is a decisive expression that touches the heart of Johannine Christology.  Although the Greek verb anastēsō (ἀναστήσω) already contains the first-person singular subject, meaning “I will raise up,” the apostle John deliberately adds egō (ἐγώ), “I Myself,” in order to proclaim throughout the world, as though stamping it with a seal, the divine authority of Jesus Himself and the certainty of salvation.  Artificial intelligence has organized the three key spiritual lessons that this precise emphasis in the original language gives us today (Internet):

 

1.       The One who raises the dead is not an “angel” or an “impersonal principle,” but Jesus Himself—“I Myself” [ἐγώ, egō].

 

The Jews of that time had a general eschatological expectation that the resurrection would take place on the last day.  However, they did not understand that the One who would carry out that resurrection was Jesus Christ, who was standing right before their eyes.

 

Theological meaning: After explaining the Father’s will in verse 39, Jesus declares in verse 40, “Anastēsō auton egō” (ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐγώ)—“I Myself will raise him up.”  By doing so, He firmly establishes that the resurrection, which is the completion of salvation, does not depend on some abstract spiritual principle or on the hands of angels.  Rather, it rests directly in the hands of Jesus Christ, who bore the cross for us.

 

The lesson for us: The reason our salvation and resurrection cannot be shaken is that the One who will open the doors of our graves and call us by name on the last day is none other than Jesus Himself—“I Myself” [ἐγώ, egō]—the very One who loves us most deeply and shed His blood for us.

 

2.       The perfect assurance of salvation given to “everyone who looks on the Son and believes” [ὁ θεωρῶν καὶ πιστεύων, ho theōrōn kai pisteuōn]

 

In verse 40, the Father’s will is that “everyone who looks on the Son [θεωρῶν, theōrōn] and believes in Him” should receive eternal life.  The Greek verb theōreō (θεωρέω), translated “to look” or “to see,” does not mean merely glancing at something in passing.  It means to pay close attention and look with an understanding of its essential nature and significance.

 

The lesson for us: Although the crowd witnessed the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, they sought only the bread of this world.  They saw Jesus with their physical eyes, but they did not perceive Him with spiritual eyes.

When we meditate on the Word every day and look intently, with faith, upon the cross and grace of Jesus Christ, the Lord establishes upon that faith His holy assurance: “I Myself will surely raise you up on the last day.”

 

3.       Application to our lives: Entrust today’s worries to the Lord who has guaranteed our future resurrection.

 

If the Lord has promised, “I Myself will raise up” even our physical bodies, which will have returned to dust by the last day—the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23)—then how much more will He take responsibility for the everyday problems and weaknesses we experience today?

 

Overcoming fear: Do not be intimidated by realities that are beyond our control, such as illness, aging, the limitations of ministry, and the pain of relationships.  The Lord, who will decisively shatter even humanity’s greatest despair, death itself, is personally holding on to each step of our lives today.

 

A decision to obey: Just as Jesus became the Sovereign Lord of the resurrection by setting aside His own will and obeying the Father’s will, we, too, must lay aside our own thoughts and stubbornness today and take small steps of obedience to the Lord’s will.  Then the power of the Lord’s almighty “I Myself” [ἐγώ, egō] will be manifested in our lives as the fruit of life.

 

Conclusion: The Lord’s Promise, “I Myself Will Take Responsibility”

 

The egō (ἐγώ) in John 6:40 is the firmest shield of faith, one that no storm in this world and no power of death can penetrate.

 

Whenever you are shaken by people’s evaluations or by your own inadequacies, remember the voice of the Lord saying, “No one else but I Myself [ἐγώ, egō], who died and rose again for you, will surely raise you up on the last day.”  I pray that, standing upon this certain promise of resurrection, we may continue today to walk as blessed pilgrims, living with joy and boldness (Internet).

 

(i)                    Here, after meditating on verse 40—which contains the expression egō (ἐγώ, “I Myself”), by which Jesus firmly proclaims that the authority to raise the dead on the last day belongs to Him alone—in connection with verses 38–39, my attention was drawn to verse 37: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out.”  The Greek text of verse 37 reads: πᾶν ὃ δίδωσίν μοι ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς ἐμὲ ἥξει, καὶ τὸν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ ἐκβάλω ἔξω (pan ho didōsin moi ho patēr pros eme hēxei, kai ton erchomenon pros eme ou mē ekbalō exō).  When we look at this verse in Greek, it is interesting that the words referring to Jesus appear three times: “all that the Father gives to Me” [μοι, moi]; “will certainly come to Me” [ἐμὲ, eme]; and “whoever comes to Me” [ἐμὲ, eme]. Of course, there is also the expression “I will never cast out,” in which “I” is contained in the verb [ἐκβάλω, ekbalō]. What lesson does this verse 37 teach us?  In the original Greek of John 6:37, the first-person pronouns moi (μοι, “to Me”) and eme (ἐμὲ, “Me” or “to Me”) appear three times in succession.  The apostle John uses this repetition to proclaim powerfully, within this brief verse, that the entire focus of salvation—its beginning, its process, and its eternal security—is concentrated exclusively on one person: Jesus Christ Himself.  Artificial intelligence has organized the three key spiritual lessons this passage teaches us (Internet):

 

a.       The only center and destination of salvation: Jesus Christ alone [ἐμὲ, eme].

 

Verse 37 shows us clearly, like an arrow, where the saved believer comes from and where that believer is going.

 

The Father’s gift (δίδωσίν μοι, didōsin moi): God the Father gives to Jesus the souls whom He has determined to save, as a gift.  Our salvation is not the result of our finding God by ourselves. Rather, it is a holy gift entrusted to the Son by God the Father, who loves us.

 

The certain drawing (πρὸς ἐμὲ ἥξει, pros eme hēxei): Those whom the Father gives to the Son will, without exception, certainly come to Jesus (future indicative).  Here, the preposition pros (πρὸς) means more than simply approaching someone; it signifies an intimate personal encounter in which two people face one another.  The destination of true faith is not a doctrine or a religious institution, but the place where we personally encounter the living Jesus Himself.

 

b.       “I will never cast out” [οὐ μὴ ἐκβάλω ἔξω, ou mē ekbalō exō]: The unshakable security of salvation

 

In the second half of verse 37, the Greek construction uses the double negative ou mē (οὐ μὴ), which expresses one of the strongest forms of negation in Greek grammar.

 

A literal rendering of the original language: “I will never, under any circumstances, absolutely never throw him outside the door” [ἐκβάλω ἔξω, ekbalō exō].

 

Deep comfort and lesson: Whenever we face our own weaknesses, mistakes, or moments when our faith wavers, it is easy to become afraid and wonder, “What if the Lord becomes disappointed in me and casts me away?”  However, the Lord has promised that regardless of our condition, He will never cast outside the door anyone who comes to Him.  The Lord’s embrace is the most perfect and secure eternal refuge, one that cannot be overcome by the judgments of the world or even by our own inadequacy.

 

c.       Application to our lives: From “a faith that endures by my own strength” to “a faith that comes to the Lord”

 

The Lord’s words, “to Me” [μοι, ἐμὲ], repeated three times, fundamentally correct our attitude toward faith today.

 

First, come not merely for solutions to your problems, but to Jesus Himself.  The crowd that witnessed the miracle of the five loaves and two fish sought Jesus in order to obtain bread.  But those whom the Father has given to the Son come because they long for Jesus Himself, the Lord of eternal life.  Likewise, the purpose of our prayers and meditation today must go beyond finding solutions to life’s problems.  Our goal itself should be the joy of fellowship with the Lord, face to face.

Second, do not avoid the Lord because of your weaknesses.  When our shortcomings and guilt overwhelm us, Satan whispers to us, trying to draw us away from the Lord.  Whenever this happens, hold firmly to the promise in verse 37, “Whoever comes to Me I will never cast out,” and run into the Lord’s embrace just as you are.  The Lord did not come to condemn us. He is the One who waits to embrace us to the very end and raise us up again on the last day (vv.  39–40).

 

Conclusion: Eternal security—the Father gives, and the Son embraces

 

John 6:37 shows us the perfect love of the Trinity: salvation begins as the sovereign gift of God the Father, continues as an intimate encounter in which we come to God the Son, Jesus Christ, and leads to eternal protection in which we are never cast out.

 

Standing upon this unshakable promise, I pray that our blessed walk today will be one in which we are not intimidated by our own inadequacies, but boldly come into the embrace of Jesus Christ, who welcomes us (Internet).

 

(3)    Third, among the seven “I am” declarations of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of John [ἐγώ εἰμι, egō eimi], I would like to meditate more closely on the first one: “I am the bread of life” [Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς, Egō eimi ho artos tēs zōēs] (Jn. 6:35).  The reason is that I believe this statement of Jesus is deeply connected to the words of calling that the Lord gave me through the late Rev. Young-ike Kim at the college ministry retreat of Victory Presbyterian Church in May 1987.  Those words of calling were found in John 6:1–15, the account of Jesus’ sign of feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fish.  As I meditate on this passage, I would like to consider the following questions and receive the lessons the Lord gives us: Why did Jesus say, “I am the bread of life”? What was the background to this statement?  And what did Jesus mean when He told the crowd, “It was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (vv. 32–33)?  I want to meditate on all these questions in connection with Jesus’ declaration, “I am the bread of life” (v. 35).

 

(a)    The “calling of the five loaves and two fish,” which was placed into the Lord’s hands at the retreat in May 1987, reveals its deepest spiritual reality in Jesus’ declaration in verse 35: “I am the bread of life.”  After the crowd had experienced the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, they came seeking the Lord. In that setting, why did Jesus bring up the manna of the Exodus and proclaim Himself to be “the bread of life”?  Artificial intelligence has organized the background and central lessons from three perspectives (Internet):

 

1.       The background of Jesus’ words: The crowd came with the wrong expectations, seeking “food that perishes” and physical satisfaction.

 

The day after the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, the crowd crossed the sea by boat and came to Capernaum in search of Jesus (vv. 24–25).  However, the Lord saw through their hearts and rebuked them, saying, “You are seeking Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (v. 26).

 

The crowd’s misunderstanding: They expected Jesus to become a “second Moses”—a political and material savior who would liberate them from Roman oppression and provide them with economic prosperity and physical satisfaction.  That is why, in verses 30–31, they demanded, “Just as Moses gave our fathers bread from heaven—the manna—to eat in the wilderness, show us a sign like that.”

 

The Lord’s redirection: Jesus reminded them that bread which satisfies physical hunger will leave them hungry again after they eat it and will eventually perish.  It is “food that perishes” (v. 27).  He redirected their attention to the true bread from heaven that gives eternal life.

 

2.       The meaning of verses 32–33: “It was not Moses who gave it, but My Father gives the true bread.”

 

In order to correct the crowd’s mistaken understanding of their history, Jesus proclaimed three important truths.

 

Correcting the identity of the Giver: It was not Moses, a human being, who gave the manna in the wilderness. It was God the Father.

 

The change in tense (past tense → present tense): In the original Greek of verse 32, Jesus contrasts Moses, who “gave” the manna (ἔδωκεν, edōken—past tense), with His Father, who now “gives” the true bread to them (δίδωσιν, didōsin—present tense).  The work of salvation is not merely a memory of something that happened in the past.  It is grace given in the present through Jesus, who is standing before them at that very moment.

 

The difference between “manna” and “the true bread”: The manna in the wilderness merely sustained the physical lives of the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness.  In the end, they all died there (v. 49).  But the “true bread” sent by God is Jesus Christ Himself, the Savior who gives eternal life to the whole world, not merely to one nation.

 

3.       The declaration in John 6:35 and its lesson for our lives: “The lasting satisfaction of a person called to serve”

 

When the crowd asked in verses 33–34, “Sir, give us this bread always,” Jesus finally proclaimed the first “egō eimi” declaration in the Gospel of John: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst” (v. 35).

 

The lessons this statement gives to me, who has walked a life of the five loaves and two fish since 1987, and to all of us today, are as follows.

 

First, the essential thing a person called to serve must share is not “information or comfort,” but Jesus Himself.  Just as the disciples broke the bread and distributed it to the crowd in the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, the ultimate purpose of our ministry of meditating on and sharing the Word today is not simply to convey knowledge to people.  It is to feed hungry and thirsty souls with Jesus Christ Himself—the One who ensures that they will never hunger again—as the food of life.

 

Second, I must first be satisfied and filled by the “bread of life” myself. The praise of the world and the glory of people, the outward achievements of ministry, and material abundance are all like the “manna in the wilderness”: even after we consume them, we become hungry again.  Only when we meditate on the Lord’s Word day and night and find the fullness and satisfaction of our souls in Jesus alone can we stand as joyful servants who quietly break and share the bread, without being shaken by people’s evaluations or by the lack we experience in our circumstances.

 

Conclusion: The True Bread from Heaven That Comes Down Every Day

 

The central figure in the miracle of the five loaves and two fish is not the five barley loaves.  It is Jesus Christ, who blessed the bread and became the “bread of life” Himself.

 

Just as I confessed my first love for the Lord in 1987, when I surrendered my life to Him, I pray that today, too, we will lay aside the “food that perishes”—our own strength and wisdom—and deeply partake of Jesus Christ, the “true bread from heaven,” who alone keeps our souls from ever hungering again.  May we become blessed servants whose lives overflow with the bread of life to every soul we encounter (Internet).

 

(4)    Fourth and last, I would like to meditate on Jesus’ words to the crowd: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” [Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύητε εἰς ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος, Touto estin to ergon tou theou, hina pisteuēte eis hon apesteilen ekeinos] (Jn. 6:29).  I would like to consider the background of Jesus’ statement, what it means, and how we can apply these words of Jesus to our lives.

 

(a)    This statement in verse 29 is one of the most central declarations in the Gospels, decisively distinguishing between legalistic works and faith in the gospel.  Artificial intelligence has organized the background of Jesus’ declaration to the crowd—“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent”—its meaning in the original language, and the lessons we can apply to our daily lives from three perspectives (Internet):

 

1.       The background of Jesus’ words: The instinctive human question, “What must we do?” [τὰ ἔργα, ta erga (“works”)] (v. 28)

 

After Jesus said in verse 27, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life,” the Jewish crowd immediately asked Him in verse 28: “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” [τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ, ta erga tou theou].

 

The crowd’s legalistic way of thinking: The Jews believed that there was a long list of religious actions and obligations—“works,” in the plural—that human beings had to perform in order to obtain salvation and eternal life.  Much like the Sabbath regulations in John 5, which included thirty-nine prohibitions concerning work, they thought that God would give them bread—that is, salvation—only after they fulfilled certain requirements through their own sweat and effort.

 

The Lord’s correction of their perspective: They were trying to obtain the gift of eternal life as though it were wages earned through labor. Jesus wanted to overturn their exhausting, works-centered way of thinking from the very foundation.

 

2.       The meaning of Jesus’ words: A transition from “works” [τὰ ἔργα, ta erga (plural)] to the one and only “work” [τὸ ἔργον, to ergon (singular)]

 

Jesus decisively changed the plural expression “works” [τὰ ἔργα, ta erga] used in the crowd’s question into the singular expression “the work” [τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ, to ergon tou theou] in His answer.

 

he one and only work: The real work God requires of us is not dozens of religious rules or moral achievements. There is only one: “to believe in Him whom God has sent”—Jesus Christ [ἵνα πιστεύητε, hina pisteuēte].

 

The meaning of the present subjunctive pisteuēte (πιστεύητε, “to believe”): Here, “believing” does not mean a one-time intellectual agreement.  By using a present-tense verb, the statement points to a life characterized by continually trusting Jesus Christ, whom God has sent; entrusting one’s entire being to Him; and living in personal union with Him.  In other words, Jesus proclaimed that faith itself is the highest obedience and ministry that pleases God.

 

3.       Application to our lives: Lay aside “the weariness of relying on my own efforts” and enter into “the rest of trusting the Lord.”

 

This statement gives a profound sense of liberation to those of us today who live while carrying out the responsibilities of meditation, ministry, and everyday life.

First, lay aside the performance-driven mindset in ministry and godliness.  We often try to measure the value of our faith by outward “works” in the plural, asking ourselves questions such as, “How deeply did I meditate on the Word today?” or “How much did I devote myself to serving souls?”  However, more precious to the Lord than our busy religious efforts is our sincere faith: acknowledging all our inadequacies and inability, and relying completely on Jesus alone. The Lord receives this faith as the most precious work.

 

Second, trusting the Lord is the very driving force of the ministry of the five loaves and two fish.  As you have experienced while walking the life of the five loaves and two fish since 1987, feeding five thousand people with five barley loaves and two fish is impossible through our own calculations or labor.  The only thing we can do is believe that Jesus Christ, whom God has sent, is the bread of life, and joyfully place the small “five loaves and two fish” of our own lives into His hands—that is, surrender them to Him.  When we entrust ourselves to the Lord in faith, the Lord Himself accomplishes all the remaining miraculous work (Internet).