The Bread from Above
John 6:22-29
The crowd was searching for Jesus, but not because they wanted to truly know Him. They had eaten the bread, tasted the miracle, and now they were hungry again. They followed Jesus across the sea, not out of faith, but out of a desire for another meal.
And Jesus saw right through 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.” (John 6:26)
They had missed the point. The bread was never about the bread. It was a sign meant to lead them to Jesus Himself. But their vision was still fixed on their temporary needs.
And if we’re honest, we often do the same.
A Consumer Faith
The people in the crowd weren’t much different from us today. They worked hard to survive, just as we do. They spent their days laboring for food, shelter, and security. And when they saw Jesus provide bread so freely, so miraculously, their minds were locked on one thing: He can make our lives easier.
How often do we approach Jesus like this?
• We seek Him for blessings, but not for relationship.
• We pray for His provision, but rarely seek His presence.
• We long for Him to make our lives better, but we don’t always desire to be made new.
This is what Jesus exposed in the crowd. They were consumed with what they could get from Him, but they weren’t interested in knowing Him.
And so He challenges them:
“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” (John 6:27)
A Hunger That Never Ends
The problem with physical hunger is that it always comes back. No matter how much bread they ate that day on the hillside, they would wake up the next morning needing more. Their stomachs would never be fully satisfied.
And Jesus was telling them that the same is true for everything else they were chasing in life.
• The security we work so hard to build will never be enough.
• The approval of others will always leave us craving more.
• The comforts of this world will eventually fade.
But there is a kind of food that doesn’t perish. A kind of satisfaction that doesn’t fade. A kind of life that doesn’t end.
And Jesus offers it as a gift.
“For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:27)
Everything Jesus does carries the authority and power of the Father. He wasn’t just another prophet or teacher. He wasn’t sent to simply provide for the temporary needs of people. He came to give life—eternal, abundant, soul-satisfying life.
What Must We Do?
The crowd was still thinking in earthly terms. They heard Jesus talk about food that lasts forever, and they immediately asked, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (John 6:28)
They wanted a task. A formula. A religious duty that would ensure they could earn this eternal bread.
But Jesus’ answer was simple:
“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29)
Not effort. Not religious achievement. Not a checklist of spiritual duties.
Just faith.
Jesus Is Our Bread
The people in the crowd had been looking backward to the days of Moses, remembering how God had given manna from heaven to sustain their ancestors. But Jesus redirects their thinking.
“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.” (John 6:32-33)
The manna in the wilderness was only a shadow. A temporary provision.
Jesus is the real bread. The true nourishment. The only One who can truly satisfy.
A Life That Pursues Him
If Jesus is the Bread of Life, then everything in our lives—our purpose, our values, our motivations—should be centered on Him.
We weren’t made to simply consume the blessings of Jesus. We were made to know Him, to trust Him, to be transformed by Him.
So let’s not settle for a consumer faith—one that only seeks Jesus when we need something. Instead, let’s pursue the life He offers. A life where we are truly satisfied. A life that is not about what we can get from Jesus, but about knowing and loving Him as our greatest treasure.
He is the Bread from Above. And only in Him will we never hunger again.
