One Required Deed
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 6:35 NLT
Satisfaction
Through Jesus we are made right with God. You see, God is satisfied with Christ’ death on the cross for through His one act on the cross our sins are atoned for and our debt is paid in full. Through Jesus, all who come to Him and believe in Him are also satisfied – for by the giving of His flesh and the shedding of His blood He completely satisfies the hunger and thirst of our souls, unlike the bread and fish he had given the 5000 for their physical need.
God’s One Requirement
God sending manna from Heaven day after day in the wilderness was amazing but God sending “the true bread from heaven is miraculous. The miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fish was amazing but the laying down of one’s life for undeserving sinners is life altering. Which is why Jesus declares to the crowd that they are working for food that disappears when what they really need is the food that remains to eternal life, food that He Himself will provide.
Still thinking that they needed to work for or earn “the food” the crowd wants to know what is required of them. Jesus doesn’t answer with a list of requirements but simply one – “believe in the one whom God sent”.
John 6:26-27
Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.’
Eternal Security
Note the repetitious message of Jesus in these 33 verses. He makes it abundantly clear that He was the Way to Eternal Life. He wanted the people, especially the Jews who had become hostile toward Him to understand that eternal life was available to all who believe – it was so important to Him that in this one passage He uses the phrase bread of life, or a reference of it, at least 14 times … and He equates partaking of or believing in this “bread” with eternal life at least 11 times. He made it very clear that while He had satisfied their physical needs the more important truth was that He could forever satisfy their spiritual hunger and thirst.
So, what does this one requirement mean for us today? Simply, yet profoundly, It means that God has offered us (everyone who believes) security for eternity if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ – the whole Gospel package:
- that He was with God in the beginning
- that He is God the Son
- that He is the bread of God sent from heaven
- that He was sent by God the Father to give life to the world
- specifically, that He came to bring eternal life to all who believe in Him
Prayer
Father, thank you for sending us the Bread of Life – flesh and blood – that we might have eternal life. Thank you that through Him we can know contentment knowing that our eternity is secure in Him and that we will be raised up on the last day. How great is Your love!