(Jhn) 6:26-29 CJB “Yeshua answered, “Yes, indeed! I tell you, you’re not looking for me because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate the bread and had all you wanted! Don’t work for the food which passes away but for the food that stays on into eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For this is the one on whom God the Father has put his seal.” So they said to him, “What should we do in order to perform the works of God?” Yeshua answered, “Here’s what the work of God is: to trust in the one he sent!”
What do we really, really want?
The answer to that question is revealed not in what we say but in what we pursue and what we pray for.
Many people want Jesus for the same reason the crowd followed Him in John 6. They had eaten the bread He miraculously multiplied, and now they wanted more. They were not seeking Jesus because they understood who He was. They were seeking Him because He made their lives easier.
Jesus exposed their motivation immediately.
“You are looking for me because you ate the bread and had all you wanted.”
In other words, they wanted the benefits of God, not God Himself.
And if we are honest, the same temptation exists today. Much of what people seek from God revolves around comfort, prosperity, and a smoother life. Our prayers often reveal that we want God to bless our plans rather than transform our hearts.
But Jesus redirects the conversation.
“Don’t work for the food that passes away, but for the food that remains for eternal life.”
Everything this world offers—success, comfort, pleasure, wealth, recognition—is perishable bread. It may satisfy for a moment, but it cannot satisfy forever.
God created us for something far greater.
We were created intentionally and purposefully to know God—to live in relationship with Him now and forever as His sons and daughters. Eternal life is not merely living forever; it is knowing God through Jesus Christ (John 17:3).
So the crowd asks the obvious question:
“What should we do to perform the works of God?”
Jesus’ answer is striking.
“The work of God is this: to trust in the one He sent.”
At the foundation of everything is faith in Jesus—trusting Him as the one sent by the Father, the Son of Man who gives the food that leads to eternal life.
But true trust does not remain passive. Real faith produces a life oriented around knowing God and helping others know Him as well.
Yet this pursuit is not easy.
Within us is a rebellious nature that resists God. Around us is a culture that celebrates everything contrary to His will. And behind it all stands the enemy who works to keep people from obeying Jesus.
This is why the pursuit of God requires effort, discipline, and perseverance.
But we are not alone in the fight.
God has given us three powerful allies: our willing obedience, the community of His church, and the power of His Holy Spirit. Together these overcome the enemies of our soul—the flesh, the world, and the devil.
Practically, this means cultivating daily habits that keep us pursuing what lasts forever.
We open God’s Word and allow it to shape our thinking.
We pray according to His will so that His purposes are accomplished on earth.
We gather with other believers who encourage and strengthen us.
And we share the truth about Jesus with those who do not yet know Him.
When we live this way, we stop chasing food that perishes and start investing in what lasts forever.
Those who persevere in this pursuit will one day hear the words every disciple longs to hear:
“Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Master.”
Run Today’s Play:
First, examine your pursuit. Are you chasing comfort and success, or are you striving to know God more deeply?
Second, believe and build your life on Jesus. The work God requires begins with trusting His Son.
Third, commit to eternal disciplines. Spend time in Scripture and prayer today. Encourage another believer. Share Christ with someone who does not yet know Him.
The world spends its energy chasing food that perishes.
But disciples of Jesus work for the food that endures to eternal life.
