The Food That Perishes

John 6:16-29

INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. We said at the beginning of this series that John’s focus was writing so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in His name. We want to put effort in learning from John, for within this gospel is much information we can use when we teach others about the Lord.

Today we will continue our study with the second part of John’s lesson in chapter 6. Please keep in mind that this is one story John is recording for us. In the first 15 verses, we saw the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, with five loaves and two fish. These thousands now have been fed. 5,000 men, and who knows how many women and children are there.

This amazing miracle has taken place. Now let’s read John 6:16-21 – “16. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17. got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21. Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”

I wondered why this story is in this location, it seems out of place. This chapter is about the bread of life. Yet, right in the middle, we have this story about Jesus’ walking on the water. Why is this here? Why did John record it? On the surface it seems out of place other than depicting it as what happened next.

We will note John’s account of this is extremely brief and leaves out key parts like Peter walking on the water and sinking. There is nothing about Jesus stilling the storm. But somehow this story of Jesus on the water is useful and part of the story about Jesus as the bread of life. We need to be wise students, understanding that God did not give just one narrative and John writes with purpose. Too many commentators say this is just kind of stuck in here and it is out of place. We know better than that. Far greater things are being developed.

Thinking back on what we have learned so far, remember that our story is colored by the Passover - exodus sequence. We noted the parallels to the Passover and exodus in the first three verses of this chapter. We noticed how the exodus scene is very much imaged, with Jesus crossing the sea, going to the other side, going up on the mountain, and then feeding the people in the wilderness—just like the exodus.

We've said before as we study John's Gospel that John is showing us that Jesus is the Son of God, so that all may believe, because Jesus does what God has already accomplished before. He's mirroring God.

The sea does play a major role in the exodus account. God rescues Israel at the Red Sea and shows His power and deliverance in that miracle. The psalmist, in recording the exodus scene at the Red Sea in Psalm 77:19, writes these words of God’s deliverance: “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.” The deliverance from Egypt and parting of the Red Sea is pictured as God walking through the sea and the great waters. This is how the Jewish people, the Israelites, understood the exodus scene. Jesus walking on the water would have brought that to mind.

It was a concept of God leading the people, and the idea that He passed through the waters. God walked through the sea as He led them into the promised land. Feel the connection to what's happening here. It is again looking to the exodus, a connection to show that it is the time of deliverance. Jesus has come, and He has come to save. He is going to deliver His people. As we look at the story now, we can see how that is played out.

I. Jesus Has Come To Save – We start with verses 16-17, “When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.” You will remember the crowds intended to make Him king. Jesus withdraws and goes up on the mountain. He has not returned and the disciples leave in a boat. They are going back across the sea to Capernaum.

A. Verses 18-19, “The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.” Here is the picture. It is late, and it says they've rowed three or four miles. They're about halfway across to Capernaum. The idea is that they are in the middle of the sea and now the wind comes up, and the sea becomes rough. Then they see Jesus’ walking on this turbulent sea, and they are afraid.

B. Verses 20-21, “But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” The story here focuses on the disciples. It doesn't focus on Peter walking on the water or Jesus stilling the winds and the sea. Not the point of the story. The point of the story is in verse 21. When they knew who Jesus was, they received him into the boat.

C. That's the whole story. Once they knew who this person was who was walking on the sea, their response was, they gladly received Him into the boat. That's what John wants us to focus on. Then notice in verse 21 something that none of the other gospel accounts tell us. Immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

D. John says in these verses, they're dead in the middle of the lake, and now suddenly they've come to their destination. I believe this connects with what Jesus is trying to teach. In verse 12 after the 5,000 are fed, Jesus gave this command only recorded in John's gospel. “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” This is the thread being carried here in this chapter. Jesus has come to save so that none may be lost, and He may bring them to their final destination.

1. He has come to save, He has come to deliver. John leaves out the walking on water by Peter because he's not concerned about how Jesus stills the sea and quiets the wind. He just wants you to focus on two things. When the disciples knew it was Jesus, they said, get in the boat with us, and as soon as He did, they got to port.

2. I find this a fascinating sequence in the way John records it. He presents this to us so we can contrast what's about to happen in the rest of the story. Those who are true followers of Jesus, those who have true faith, when they see Jesus, they welcomed Him into the boat. By doing so, they are delivered and brought to their final destination.

3. The rest of the story is going to show how most people don't do that. It's a contrast between those who are truly disciples and those who seem to be disciples. They claim they are followers, but they're not really followers. Watch what happens now at verse 22, and you'll see why John has shown this and how it connects together.

II. Love The Savior – The crowd is still on the East side of the sea where Jesus fed the 5000. John 6:22-25 - “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, “Rabbi, when did you come here?””

A. When they found Him, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

1. Think about this scene. No doubt they know Jesus did not get in the boat and go with the disciples. The disciples have left on their own. They probably saw Jesus go up on the mountain and they watched the disciples leave.

2. They get in boats and go to Capernaum and somehow Jesus is there, and they are certain He didn't take a boat! They also know He couldn't have walked all the way around the sea. So, they asked that question, when did you get here?

B. Listen to how Jesus responds to this mass of people following Him in verse 26. “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.” He clearly identifies a problem, and it is a problem that John has observed for us many times in this gospel. Jesus knows the hearts of the people, and there are those not following Him for the right reason. Those people did not see Jesus as God-with-us. They did not see Jesus as the light coming into the darkness. Rather, they are following Him because they want to be fed.

1. Here is the sign, but you don't understand it. Instead, you saw the sign, and you said, Wow, that was great, we got a free lunch. We know they saw the sign of feeding of the 5,000. But He's saying, you don't really see the sign. Yeah, you see the outcome, but you aren't getting the connection.

2. You don't grasp what this means. You don't understand who I am. You're into it simply because you can get something out of it.

3. They say we're going to follow you. Jesus is saying, truly, you aren't following Me. You are not true disciples. Their enthusiasm is not for who Jesus is. Their enthusiasm is for what He gives. Jesus is identifying them by saying, you're not coming to Me because you understand who I am. They do not understand Him to be the Messiah, the Christ, the Lord, the Savior, the Deliverer, the one prophesied was going to save the people from their sins.

C. Jesus does not accept that. Jesus does not accept people coming to Him for what they are going to receive. We need to consider that there is a great difference. A great difference between wanting Jesus and wanting what materialistic things Jesus gives.

1. Let me illustrate. Do you want your spouse to love you because of who you are, the person that you are, or because of all the things that you do for them? There is a big difference.

2. How about your children. Do you want your children to love you for who you are, or do you want your children to love you because of all the things you do for them? There is a big difference isn’t there? This is what Jesus is pointing out to this crowd. You're coming to me for what I can give you.

3. If we are in a relationship with God, with our spouse, for what we receive… that is, by definition, selfishness. If I am married for the only reason of what I get out of it, then it is selfishness. If I am obedient to my parents only for what they will do for me, then it is selfishness. If I only serve God because of the perceived physical benefits, then I serve out of selfishness. What someone gives—cannot be the object of our affection.

4. I submit to you this is an enormous truth, and it explains massive failures in marriage. So many marriages fall apart because the commitment is not to the person. The commitment is to what they will receive from the person. When they stop receiving from that person what they expect, they give up. True love is in the person, not in what that person does for you.

D. Jesus identifies this problem to them to get them to understand. Will you love me for Me or will you love Me only for the gifts that I give? Is that the only reason you are going to follow me? Is that the only reason you are going to seek after Me? This is, I think, such an important truth today because so much so-called Christianity has been built on the idea that Jesus is here for all your whims. He is here to fulfill all your needs.

1. Jesus came to change your focus from physical desires to spiritual desires so you would seek after Him properly. Changing the selfish seeking of physical comfort and desires to godly desires. We cannot turn God into “what will He do for me?” Yet, we know that's the primary motive of many who claim to be “followers of God” these days.

2. What is God going to do for me? What is my benefit? What is God going to accomplish for me? What program is there for me? What am I going to get out of it? That's selfishness. That's not what God seeks. I submit to you that Jesus will give you nothing if that's the only reason you seek him.

3. Look at what happens here. Does Jesus perform another miracle and give them the bread that they are looking for? No. You're not coming to Him for the right reason... If you're coming to him for the selfish purpose of fulfilling your physical desires, Jesus does not respond to that. We need to love Him for who He is.

E. This chapter is all about the concept of seeing who Jesus is and loving Him for who He is. Not just what He will give us. I wish people would hear this truth! It seems so often it is all about our selfishness. What will Jesus do for me, what will Jesus give to me? He will give you nothing if you are seeking Him for what He gives. Do not love Him for His material gifts. Love Him for He is our loving Savior and Lord.

1. If this truth were to sink into people’s hearts, then it would end any notion of asking; if we have to assemble at all services: if we have to worship: if we have to serve: if we have to give, and so forth. Those questions represent a heart that is not in love with who Jesus is but merely in love with what Jesus gives.

2. You all have heard these things. -- Why should I have to do anything? Why do I have to get baptized? Do I really have to do good to my neighbor? Do I really have to serve somebody? Do I have to attend worship services instead of just praying at home? What do those questions suggest about a person’s personal relationship with God?

3. We are not the focal point, He is the focal point, and that's what leads into what Jesus says in verse 27.

III. Labor For Lasting Food – “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.” Do not work for the food that perishes. That makes me stop and ask an obvious question.

A. What are we working for? What is our purpose? Why are we here? What is our quest? What are we doing? What are you laboring for? What is all your effort geared after? What are you doing here on this earth? That's a very important question and it is very important to answer this honestly. What are we doing here?

1. Jesus is calling for us to stop focusing on the physical. Stop focusing on the material. That is, stop focusing on the things of this world. To truly receive Jesus, to truly be a follower of Him we need to move away from trying to fulfill physical and material wants. Don't labor for the food that perishes He says. That labor is not going to give you the joy that God is looking to give you.

2. Isaiah prophesied of that in Isaiah 55:2 when he asked the question, “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.”[NASB] When we see who Jesus is and we understand why we are following Him, and we don't follow out of selfishness, then that is going to change everything about how we live our lives.

3. We are no longer going to be occupation driven, wealth driven, or comfort driven, or lust driven, or health driven, or position driven, or power driven, or success driven. We're not going to be driven by any of those things because we'll recognize that that is food that perishes. Why would we labor for those things? Why would we put so much effort into getting those things when they do not give us the joy that we think they're going to give us? Do not labor for the food that perishes. Why put effort into these things that are not of value to your soul?

B. Verse 27 continues; but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. There's only one food, only one thing that will satisfy eternally and that is Jesus. Jesus is the only one that satisfies. Jesus is the only one who gives true bread. It cannot be found anywhere else.

C. For on him God the Father has set his seal. The Father has authenticated and declared this is where true life is. John 5:26, “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” [ESV] He has given authority to the Son to give life to whomever He wills. True life, true joy, true satisfaction is only found in Christ.

D. This causes those people to ask the really important question in verse 28. “Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?””

1. All right. Don't labor for the food that perishes, labor for the eternal food, so what work must we do to be able to do that? What work must I do to have this eternal life? I think the NIV words this very well, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

2. Important question. Since we're not supposed to labor for the food that perishes, the physical things, the material things, what must we do?

E. Notice the answer that He gives here in verse 29. “Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”” That's quite an answer. You will note that He doesn't give them a long list. I want you to notice how He words that.

1. They said, what's the work that we need to do to do the works of God? Jesus replies, “This is the work of God…” God's already accomplished this. God has already done the work. There's no amount of work that you're going to accomplish to be able to say… now I have eternal life because I've done A, B, C, D, X, Y, and Z. See, He's working with this Jewish mind set of, what must we do?

2. No, you don't understand. You don't understand that God has already accomplished a mighty work through His Son. He has accomplished the work. I love how the Apostle Paul words that over in Colossians chapter 2 when he speaks of the circumcision not made with hands and how you're buried with baptism through faith in the powerful working of God. It's God's work. God's done the work. We haven't done the work. God has accomplished the work.

F. What then is expected of His people? What is He looking for in these people? The rest of verse 29. “… that you believe in him whom he has sent.” What have we learned about believing? We might put it this way; “This is the work of God: that you believe [i.e. adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent.””

1. He's getting at seeing Jesus for who He is. To recognize that this is the Savior, and let that change who you are. All that I do is for nothing if it doesn't come from the knowledge, and love, that Jesus is precious and that He is all I need. That must be the basis.

2. He is the Savior, He is the treasure, and now I labor for Him and not for the food that perishes. I do so because God has accomplished an amazing act of mercy and grace through the sacrifice of His Son. Therefore, I will labor for Him, I will give my life to Him, and I will not work for the things of this world. I will work for that which truly satisfies.

CONCLUSION:

We see how this thread all came together and why the walking on the water scene was important to John defining the need to receive Jesus. The disciples on the Sea of Galilee saw Jesus as the Savior and received Him into their boat and they arrived at their destination. The crowds saw Jesus as a means to fulfill their physical desires and therefore did not have true saving faith in Him.

There's a distinction being made between His disciples and the crowd that seems to be following but they're not really disciples. Think about how that relates throughout the book. In John 1:12 we learned that believing in Jesus is to receive Him into your life. We learned that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). In the context of chapter 3 Jesus is describing being born again. We learned we must have a spiritual birth, being born from above, to have eternal life. Only when we see Jesus for who He is will we truly receive Him into our lives. By receiving Him into our lives we experience the new birth that leads to eternal life from the Son.

A very important concept that John has been driving at. It is not just simply, I believe. He becomes everything to your life. You follow Him and nothing else. He is the treasure and nothing else. Go back to chapter 1 and read these sorrowful lines and see how John has been working with this.

John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” Some say comprehended it. Notice it again a few verses later.

John 1:10. “He was in the world and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own and His own did not receive Him.”

This has been the theme of this Gospel. Will you see that He is the light and will you receive Him for who He is? Or will you just simply look at Him as somebody who does some neat things, who satisfies my desires, who makes my life a little better, and so therefore I use Him that way. Jesus wants people who will follow Him for who He is.

The object of our affection is not the gifts. It is the giver of the gifts. We love Him and serve Him for Him. May we develop that strong faith, and may we work to have that kind of love to see Him as He truly is and love Him for who He really is.

The message is yours. If you are in need of baptism or prayers we invite you to come while we stand and sing the invitation song.

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Reference: Brent Kercheville