Digging Deeper: What Must We Do?
28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 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.
John 6:28-32 (ESV)
WHAT MUST WE DO?
Oftentimes in scripture you will find Jesus answering what could be a complicated or misleading question with a simple, direct answer. When his audience asks him “what must they do” (v. 28), Jesus simply replies, “believe” (v. 29). Sounds fairly easy, does it not? The crowd however wants more. They ask for more proof. They want a sign, so that they may believe (v. 30). Remember, this is the same crowd who just the day prior witnessed a miracle of epic proportions (feeding of the five thousand). They are equating the manna from the days of Moses to the “heavenly” bread Jesus is offering (v. 31). Jesus corrects them in verse 32, and Barclay comments, “he told them that the manna was not really the bread of God; it was only the symbol of the bread of God. The bread of God was he who came down from heaven and gave men not simply satisfaction from physical hunger, but life. Jesus was claiming that the only real satisfaction was in him.”
How does one do the “work of God?” — Believe. What does believing look like? Barclay notes, “The essence of the Christian life is a new relationship to God, a relationship offered by him and made possible by the revelation which Jesus gave us of him, a relationship which issues in that service, purity and trust which are the reflection of God. This is the work which God wishes us and enables us to perform.”
Barclay first notes that we must establish a relationship with God. For most of you reading this DD, that is most likely the case. For those reading this message who have not yet trusted Jesus with their heart, and soul, and mind, and life, I urge you to simply ask Jesus into your life. He has been patiently waiting for you to come home. Secondly, this relationship with Jesus should result in a transformation of your being (through the work of the Holy Spirit). Barclay mentions service, purity, and trust – being the true reflection of God. This results in work that pleases God, as we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to spread the Good News! Just like the manna from heaven was only enough for the people’s daily needs, so must our “bread” from heaven be eaten daily – each day renewing our faith in the one who provides.
Diggin Deeper (er):
1 Cor 15:58; 1 John 3:23
Phil Meade is a father of three, and grandfather of five. He has a Masters in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NorthStar Church. He recently retired after 33 years as a pilot for Delta Airlines.