John 6:22-29

THE MISTAKEN SEARCH

Text 6:22-29

22

On the morrow the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, save one, and that Jesus entered not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples went away alone

23

(howbeit there came boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks):

24

when the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

25

And when they 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 signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled.

27

Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed.

28

They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may 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.

Queries

a.

What is the significance of the parenthetical statement of John 6:23?

b.

How has God sealed the Son of man?

c.

How can belief be a work?

Paraphrase

The next day the multitude that remained on the other side of the sea realized that there was only one boat there, and that Jesus had not embarked in it with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away by themselves (howbeit there were some boats, driven from Tiberias by the storm near to the place where they ate the bread and fish after the Lord had given thanks); and when the multitude saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats from Tiberias and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. When they found Jesus on the western side of the sea, they said to Him, Teacher, when did You come here? Jesus answered them, saying, I tell you most truly, you have been searching for Me not because you saw signs of deity in My miracles, but because you ate of the loaves and were satiated like cattle. Stop working for the temporal food, but work for the food which endures continually unto eternal life. The Son of man will give you this food, for God the Father has confirmed His deity and has put His seal of endorsement upon Him by the signs and miracles which He does. They said therefore to Him. What are we to do that we may be working the ordinances and laws of God? Jesus answered them, This is the work which God requires of you, that you trust and obey Him Whom God has sent.-'

Summary

The crowd, in their search the day following the miracle of the feeding, found Jesus and the disciples both gone. They crossed the sea in search of the miraculous meal-providing Prophet. The multitudes found Jesus only to hear Him accuse them of carnal motives in their search.

Comment

Where such a multitude found lodging during the stormy night we do not know. Perhaps the storm was localized upon the sea only and the great crowds slept under the stars. The next morning the people noticed three things:

a.

Only one boat remained (however, boats from Tiberias appeared later).

b.

Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples the night before, yet Jesus was nowhere to be found.

c.

The disciples had gone away alone and had not returned.

Evidently, some of the people did not go away when Jesus dismissed them. Perhaps the storm caused many to remain until it should pass.

Mention of the boats (John 6:23) from Tiberias is interesting. Tiberias, of course, was a city on the western shore of the sea. The boats were probably blown across the sea during the storm since the wind was blowing from west to east, or, contrary to the direction the disciples were rowing. The multitude presumed Jesus to have gone away in the night in one of these boats.

When they realized that Jesus was not there, and that the disciples had not returned for Him, they got into the boats from Tiberias and began to search for Jesus. This multitude was determined to find Him and carry out their original plan to make Him king. Further, they did not wish to lose a meal-ticket. The Jews, except for the rich, spent every waking moment toiling for the barest necessities many were starving.
Finding Jesus on the western side of the sea, they began to question Him, Teacher, when did You come over here? We were looking for You on the other side; how did You get over here?

The Lord, with His omniscient and infinite discernment, reveals (John 6:26) the carnal motivation behind their searching. They saw the miracles, but they did not see them as signs of His deity and the spiritual nature of His kingdom. They saw in the miracles, rather, an era of sensory prosperity easy street for Israel.

The multitudes sought Jesus because they had had their hunger satisfied. Like beasts of the field, they sought only to satisfy their physical desires they walked by taste and sight, not by faith! In fact, the Greek word echortasthete here translated were filled means, literally, to give fodder to animals. They could not think of their souls for thinking of their stomachs. Some think it strange that these people, having heard Jesus speak of the kingdom of God and seen Him work the miracles of the previous day, should still have a materialistic attitude. It is even more strange that millions of men and women of the twentieth century in America should be obsessed with gaining only material values because:

a.

We have in the completed New Testament a better testimony to the deity of Jesus and the spiritual nature of His kingdom better even than the knowledge of the eyewitnesses.

b.

We enjoy more freedom to search out and adhere to what is truth than the people of that day, for they were beset by religious intolerance and persecution.

c.

We are not sorely pressed with the burden of providing just the basic necessities as were most of the Jewish people.

Millions surely need the admonition of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-34 especially, But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).

Jesus tells the people (John 6:27) they are spending their best energies on that which is temporal (cf. Isaiah 55:1 ff). Physical food satisfies only physical hunger. But man is also created with a hunger for spiritual satisfaction (cf. Matthew 5:6) which only spiritual food can satisfy. There are at least four things for which men hunger in the realm of the spiritual:

a.

Righteousness and justification before God

b.

The ultimate truth

c.

Life beyond the grave

d.

True unselfish love

Christ alone can supply satisfaction to the hungry spirits of men, He will show (John 6:30-65) what the true spiritual food is. For the present, He makes it plain that God has sealed Him to be the source of spiritual life. The word sealed means that God sent Him, and confirmed His commission through signs and miracles. In Bible times the seal on a document was the sign of authority. If a document was impressed with King's seal, it was to be obeyed just as explicitly as any verbal order of the King. These Jews should have recognized the impressed seal of Jehovah-God in the miracles of Jesus and should have sought the spiritual kingdom which Jesus taught.

The people of Palestine, so long accustomed to the Pharisaic system of meritorious works, immediately seized upon Jesus-' words and eagerly desired to know what works they might do to enjoy their illusioned era of material plenty. They expected Jesus to begin laying down rules and regulations by which they might earn prosperity.

In John 6:29 Jesus reconciles all the teachings of the New Testament on faith and works. Westcott says, This simple formula contains the complete solution of the relation of faith and works. But how is faith a work? Here are the answers of some highly respected and conservative scholars:

a.

... the work of faith is the work of receiving the gift of God. (Hendriksen)

b.

It is a true work as answering to man's will, but it issues in that which is not work. (Westcott)

c.

Faith means a certain relationship with God. a relationship in which we give God the trust and the obedience and the submission which naturally arise from this new relationship. (Barclay)

Faith, then, becomes a work when man submits his will to the revealed will of God and acts in accord with the commandments of the will of God. What better explanation can we find of the relationship between faith and works than that of James 2:20-26: Saving faith must be manifested by obedience to the commands of God through His Son, even Jesus Christ!

Quiz

1.

How would boats get from Tiberias to the eastern side of the sea?

2.

What did the multitudes see in the miracle of the loaves?

3.

In what manner did Jesus describe their desire to be fed?

4.

Why is it strange that 20th century people should be obsessed with material ideals? Give three answers.

5.

Name four things men hunger for in the spiritual realm.

6.

How has God sealed Jesus?

7.

How is believing in Christ a work? Cite Scriptures to prove your answer.