Proverbs 13-15
2 Corinthians 5
“So [the crowd] asked [Jesus], ‘What sign then will You give that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” John 6:30-31
In the Gospel of John, John used the word “sign” about 17 times to reference the signs that Jesus performed. Signs, however, are not the destination, and we do not stop at a sign; instead, we are to follow the sign to its source. In John 6, after the crowd saw the sign of Jesus’s miraculous feeding, instead of looking for the source, they looked for more signs.
Jesus confronted them, “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....” The crowd then asked, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent” (John 6:26-29). The work of God is simply this: to believe in the work of God, to believe in the One He has sent—Jesus—to do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves.
But they continued to demand, “What sign then will You give that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (John 6:30-31). Only a day ago, the crowd witnessed Jesus multiplying five loaves and two fish to feed the multitude, but now, they were asking for another sign? They were trying to get Jesus to conform to their desires: “Give us a good show. Give us another sign. I’ll believe in You if You can prove it to me.” The crowd then compared the validity of Jesus to an Old Testament sign, to the time of Moses when manna rained down from heaven. Jesus leaned into their statement and explained to them what manna was all about in the first place: “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32-33).
Jesus was saying to this crowd that manna was a temporary measure; it was never meant to last. We know because some of the Israelites tried to keep the manna for more than a day, when they were not supposed to, and it turned into maggots. Instead, the manna was a sign meant to point us to Christ, the true bread from heaven that could give life to the world.
Lord Jesus, I believe You are the true bread from heaven that gives life to the world. In You, I have the assurance of eternal life. Thank You, Lord.
2 Corinthians 5
“So [the crowd] asked [Jesus], ‘What sign then will You give that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” John 6:30-31
In the Gospel of John, John used the word “sign” about 17 times to reference the signs that Jesus performed. Signs, however, are not the destination, and we do not stop at a sign; instead, we are to follow the sign to its source. In John 6, after the crowd saw the sign of Jesus’s miraculous feeding, instead of looking for the source, they looked for more signs.
Jesus confronted them, “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....” The crowd then asked, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent” (John 6:26-29). The work of God is simply this: to believe in the work of God, to believe in the One He has sent—Jesus—to do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves.
But they continued to demand, “What sign then will You give that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (John 6:30-31). Only a day ago, the crowd witnessed Jesus multiplying five loaves and two fish to feed the multitude, but now, they were asking for another sign? They were trying to get Jesus to conform to their desires: “Give us a good show. Give us another sign. I’ll believe in You if You can prove it to me.” The crowd then compared the validity of Jesus to an Old Testament sign, to the time of Moses when manna rained down from heaven. Jesus leaned into their statement and explained to them what manna was all about in the first place: “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32-33).
Jesus was saying to this crowd that manna was a temporary measure; it was never meant to last. We know because some of the Israelites tried to keep the manna for more than a day, when they were not supposed to, and it turned into maggots. Instead, the manna was a sign meant to point us to Christ, the true bread from heaven that could give life to the world.
Lord Jesus, I believe You are the true bread from heaven that gives life to the world. In You, I have the assurance of eternal life. Thank You, Lord.
← Older Post Newer Post →