Whenever Jesus taught, crowds gathered, but not everyone in the crowd was there for the right reasons.
Some sought the promised Messiah, others were looking for a political king, some just wanted to witness a miracle or get a free meal. Today on Truth for Life, Alice Terbeg looks at how our questions often reveal our hearts. and whether or not we really understand who Jesus is. While we turn to the Gospel of John to chapter six for our reading. beginning at the twenty second verse, And here in the scriptures we are able to see Jesus as he has been Revealed to us.
And having fed the five thousand and walked out to his disciples on the water. John tells us about what was happening. on the following day. On the next day, the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea. saw that there had been only one boat there.
and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread. after the Lord had given thanks, So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, They themselves 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, 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 to 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 spread 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. Amen. Almighty God.
to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit. that we may perfectly love you. and worthily Magnify your holy name. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen. Well, verse 22 is our starting point on the next day. Uh that had on the previous day seen in Jesus possibilities for more food and for perhaps a kingly ruler that would liberate them. had entirely missed Their own personal need of salvation. They had seen the sign, but they had not understood its significance.
And at the end of verse fifteen, we learned that Jesus, seeing that they had an agenda which was not his agenda, decided to withdraw from them and go to the mountain by himself.
Now we then, the readers, know about what happened that evening. The crowd themselves are are not of are not aware of it. And that is why, as we come to verse 22, All of these individuals are left trying to figure out exactly what has happened and what is going on. Who is here, who is where, and how did they ever get there? And you see that in that little section, it's actually a fairly complicated structure of language.
And it's translated in various ways, but the gist of it is straightforward. There had only been one boat, they knew that. That was the boat that the disciples took, and they knew that Jesus did not go with the disciples when they left.
Now there are more boats, there are smaller boats. here on the lakeside, on the Sea of Tiberias. Either they've been blown in, perhaps, by the storm that had taken place the previous evening, or perhaps individuals have found shelter from the storm, but nevertheless, these boats are there. And interestingly, what we're told is that the location of these boats. Is identified as being near the place where they had eaten the bread, after the Lord Had given thanks.
I wonder if you were reading it this week, if you said to yourself, isn't that interesting? Little Sentence and a half, isn't it? The boats were near the place where they had eaten the bread. They knew they'd eaten the bread. And John says, and that was the place where the Lord had given thanks.
There's no rehearsing of the drama that had taken place. But John actually wants to recall the fact that it was there that Jesus had given thanks. I wonder And this is just conjecture. I wonder if John was not actually more struck by the communion of Jesus with his Father. Then The multiplication of the loaves That had been performed as a miracle at the hands of Jesus.
Because what you have there in that little sentence is God the Son. Thanking God the Father. You remember, we've already seen that Jesus has really encountered the antagonism of the Jews. By showing himself to be equal with the Father. God, the Father is always working, he says, My Father is always working, and I too am working.
Perhaps as he prayed, He said, Father, You are always working. And I am working now. Help me. in this moment. We won't delay on it.
But it is God the invisible. being addressed by God the incarnate, And I think John Is struck by it, I'm assure. We'll check when we see him. But I think that must be why he identifies that again. It would be one thing to say, and uh the boats were just off to the side where that big miracle had taken place, no, where they had eaten the bread.
After The Lord had given thanks. And so we're told that they decided that since everyone was gone and that they had gone in the direction of Capernaum, that is they had gone back to the other side of the lake, they would go themselves and they would seek Jesus. And in verse 25, when they find him on the other side of the sea, they then address. A question to him. What I'd like to do is just to note the three questions that they ask and the requests that they make.
That's the way that I tried to navigate through this particular section. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, Rabbi, When did you come here? It doesn't seem like much of a question, does it? At least it didn't to me. They're certainly not picking up from where they left off in verse 15.
In verse 15, they were all stirred up and they thought it would be a terrific idea to take this man and make him a king by force. The irony, of course, is this. that Jesus is the king. That Jesus has already said to Nicodemus, unless you're born again, you cannot see, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. And the one who says that is actually the king.
These people completely missed that in their blindness. and they want to make him a king. The kind of king they want while rejecting the very king they need. It's ironic, isn't it? They wanted to make him a king.
You can't make him a king, he is the king. No, but we want to make a certain kind of king. Do you ever come across that when you talk with people?
Well, I like the idea of Jesus, but I would like a Jesus like my Jesus. I'd like to be able to fashion him myself, someone who fits in with my expectations.
Well, of course you can't do that. But I still think it isn't much of a question, Rabbi, when did you come here? I think how did you come here might have been better, but maybe that's part of it as well. But after all, what do you say to somebody who has just done such an amazing thing as transformed five loaves and two fish into sufficient for as many as fifteen to twenty thousand people? I mean, quite honestly, if you met him in the street, what would you say?
You would be so flabbergasted by it, you might just say something like. S So have you been here for very long? You know? What? I'm not trying to be unkind to these people.
Don't forget that at the beginning of the gospel, when the disciples meet Jesus, that's the best they can come up with as well. And they said to him, So where do you stay? That's what they said. Where do you stay? Ha ha.
It's kind of a A nothing question. Jesus in response to that Says, well, if you come, I'll show you. But notice in this instance He completely ignores the question. It's not the first time he's ignored the question. He did it with Nicodemus as well.
Remember, Nicodemus comes and he has a nice little opening gambit. We can see that you're a teacher sent from God because no one could do the miracles that you do if God were not with him. And Jesus just completely ignores that and moves on and says, Let me tell you something. Unless you're born again. And so the same thing happens here.
Rabbi, when did you come here? Jesus answered them, Truly, truly. I say to you, And he says to them, I know why you're here. You're here because of your physical need. You're here because you got your tummies filled yesterday.
You are here not because you're aware of the spiritual provision to which that miracle pointed. But simply because yesterday and if your Bible is open as mine is, you can look at this. In verse 11, he distributed them to the people. And at the end of verse 11, you're here because yesterday you ate as much fish as you wanted. You had as much fish as you wanted.
And you're here because in verse 12 you had eaten your full. Your fill.
Now, this is hard to grasp, isn't it? Because we're affluent. I mean, when you read this, you say, No, that can't be r that's that's not right. Why would Jesus say that?
Well, just think of some of the pictures that every so often come across our screens. Crowds of people moving in abject poverty. Waiting and hoping for a truck from some foreign government to pull up. and offload grain. Watch them as they scrabble for containers to try and fill themselves up with that which might sustain them for another day, that might provide their family for another week.
That's the kind of picture that we need to have. Most of us who've never really seen real poverty. Don't get this. That Jesus would say, oh, the only reason you came was the stuff. It was the food.
Bishop Ryle says along the same lines, perhaps these only can thoroughly understand it who have seen much of the poor. in pauperized areas. And so, as a result of that, Jesus then goes on to warn them. He directs them, if you like, he forbids them. Verse 27, do not work for the food that perishes.
Now, Jesus is not saying do not, he's not introducing the idea of being lazy. This is not work from home. This is not whatever it is. This is not just an introduction to idleness. Do not work for the food that perishes.
In other words, don't put your eggs in the basket of that which is merely physical and temporal. Don't focus on that food. Focus on the food that endures to eternal life. Don't work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.
Now, this is a principle that runs all the way through the Bible, doesn't it? You remember Paul, he at the end of 2 Corinthians 4. He says, This is how you need to focus in your life, looking not to the things that are seen. but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, But the things that are unseen are eternal.
Now that's why we sang that little chorus. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. look full in his wonderful face. And what happens? The things that are seen grow strangely dim.
In the light of His glory. Grace. Reverse it. When we do not live in the light of His glory and His grace. When our focus is not on the eternal but on the temporal, when it's not on the spiritual but on the physical.
then almost inevitably We've lost sight. of that which is most important. He tells them, verse 27, I don't want you to work for the food that perishes. There is food that endures to eternal life. That was the whole point of yesterday, he might have said, but he didn't say that.
Notice which the Son of Man the Son of Man will give to you.
Now for those of you who are Um No takers when you come to the Son of Man. You'll say to yourself, well, we We had the Son of Man, didn't we, before? And you'll have to go back and you'll say, When was the last time uh we focused on the Son of Man? And you'll say to yourself, Well, it was on the first truly, truly that truly, truly was in the fifty-first verse of The first chapter, Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. And you remember, as we finally got to that dreadfully long introduction, we said that the people would understand that in relationship to the story, in relationship to the angels and ascending and descending.
And we tried to make the point, and the point I think is fairly straightforward, that Jesus is the link between heaven and earth. The Son of Man is Jesus' favorite self-designation. Over eighty times Jesus uses the Son of Man of Himself. As a picture, as a reminder of that great anticipation in the book of Daniel that there would be one like unto the Son of Man. And he does it.
in order that he might make clear That in him The realities of heaven can be found On earth. In him The realities of heaven Descend to the earth. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. Everything was made by him, and nothing that was made was made by anybody else except him. In him was life, and that life was the light of man, and so on.
And then he steps down into our neighborhood. He is the only one who came from heaven, who can speak to people about heaven. And here these poor souls He has to tell them I wish you were here for a different reason, but the fact is you're only here.
Well, that gives rise to the second question in verse 28.
Well, then they said to him, What must we do? to be doing the works of God. And this question, of course, shows once again that they have missed what he has just said. What has he said in verse 27? He said, Well, the fact of the matter is that you should be looking for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.
We'll give to you. You won't earn it. He'll give it to you. It's a gift. They don't get it again.
Many people don't get it.
Some of you don't get it. You hear the gospel preached to you Sunday after Sunday, and you're still trying to work it for yourself. You're still trying to earn enough points. You may even regard your attendance right now as a five-point attendance, for all I know. But I don't know how many you need to get in order to qualify for entry.
Do you understand, he says, there is food that leads to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you? Response What do we have to do? What do we have to do to do the works of God? It's the routine question. of religious people.
It's the routine question. of people when you talk to them in the street. The baseline is this. Salvation from this perspective is viewed has been as a result of human effort. There must be something I can do.
To make sure Off entry into heaven. You have it in the rich young ruler, in the the story that Jesus told. That the man came to him in his opening gambit was the same master. What good thing must I do to inherit if Eternal life.
Now, this is Reformation Sunday. I'm not sure all of us are alert to that. But it's a good Sunday to remind ourselves That salvation is a gift to be received. Not a reward. to be achieved.
Not something to be sought after and provided by our own agency. And it was this, of course, which sparked the revolution. In the heart of a Roman Catholic monk called Martin Luther, and across into Switzerland and France and into Scotland and England and so on, as suddenly people began to read their Bibles. Martin Luther was consumed with the thought that he could possibly become righteous enough for acceptance with God. That was his great design in going to Rome, in the hope that there in the center of it all, as he understood it, he may be able to finally click open that door that would provide entry to him.
And he came back disillusioned. More disillusioned than when he'd gone. And then suddenly God opened his eyes.
Well, many of my friends are sincere in these things. They are making their journey through life, I know, because I spend time with them. They make fun of what they think is our Gospel story. Oldis say, Oh, I wish I could believe what you believe, and then you can just do whatever you like. All you do is you do one thing and then you're good to go.
Well, of course, they don't understand, and no matter how hard I try and tell them. But mainly, they are making their journey through life. Feeding on a diet of good works or human merit, Believing in the intercession of the saints. Facing Purgatory. or praying for their families somehow.
to be removed from purgatory. and completely blind. to the answer that Jesus gives. completely blind. You see, religion will inoculate you.
against the gospel. It'll be like you had a thing here, and it's made you now oblivious to stuff. No, that can't be. That possibly couldn't be. After all, think about all the people all over the world who believe this and so on.
Well Do you want to believe the Son of God? The work of God For you is to believe in the one. whom he has sent. to you as verse twenty nine Jesus answered them, This is the work of God. that you believe in him whom he has sent.
Yeah. You're listening to Alastair Begg on Truth for Life. We'll hear more about the bread of life next week.
Now, as you may know, our mission at Truth for Life is to bring the gospel to as many people as possible. and to day, on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, I want to encourage you to do the same. you can buy gospel sharing gifts for everyone on your list at exceptionally low prices. Visit our website truthforlife. org slash gifts.
For example, there is a colorfully illustrated bundle of three hardcover story books for young children. Where you can find two high-quality study Bibles, one for men, one for women. There's also a bundle of three books written by Puritan authors and a whole lot more. All of our gift books and book bundles are priced at fifteen dollars or less. Shipping in the US is free.
These books are available in limited quantities, though, so be sure to place your order without delay. And the prices we charge for these books are at our cost. We add nothing. We're able to do this because of the generous donations we've received from your fellow listeners, people just like you who want others to have access to quality Bible teaching materials without price being a barrier.
So if you're able, when you shop, would you bless others by adding a donation at checkout? Your giving helps support this listener-funded ministry and brings the gospel to people who rely on Alistair's clear, trustworthy teaching to learn more about the Bible. and to grow in their relationship with Jesus.
Now our offices are closed today, so our team can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. We'll be back in the office Monday, december first. In the meantime, you can find these books and more, while supplies last, at truthforlife. org slash gifts. And when you add a donation to your purchase, you can request the book Christmas Thoughts by JC Ryle.
It comes to you as our way of saying thanks for your support. This is a thoughtful book that will encourage you to make the Christmas season a time of Christ centered focus and worship. I'm Bob Lepine. Thanks for studying the Bible with us this week. On Monday, we'll learn why true faith involves more than simply admiring Jesus and wanting blessings.
The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Yeah. Where the Learning is for Living.
