Believe in Him whom He has sent
Believe in Him whom He has sent
John 6:28-29 It seems to be so hard for us to understand that belief is the key to the Christian faith!
“Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.””
John 6:28-29 NASB1995
God seems to be pointing me at John a lot these days. Last Thursday I studied John 17:3, and on Saturday I looked at Revelation 21:3-4. Now we’re back to the Gospel of John again, this time with two short verses that take place after the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on the water.
He has returned to Capernaum, and the crowds that had listened to His preaching and eaten their fill of fish and bread have now found Jesus again. They question Him about when (and how) He arrived in Capernaum, and Jesus responds that they’re not seeking Him because of the miracles they witnessed, but because they were filled with the food He miraculously provided. Jesus tells them “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”” (John 6:27).
With this, those in the crowd ask Jesus the question seen in the first verse for today — how they can work for the “food that endures”. As Enduring Word points out:
i. The sense behind their question seemed to be, “Just tell us what to do so we can get what we want from You. We want Your miracle bread and for You to be our Miracle King; tell us what to do to get it.”
ii. Those who questioned Jesus seemed sure that if only Jesus told them what to do, they could please God by their works of God. For these people, as with many people today, pleasing God is found in the right formula for performing works that will please God.
Most likely, those questioning Jesus were hoping that He would provide a specific process like “pay your synagogue tax, stay away from lepers, and follow the dietary rules!” Well, His answer is that doing these things isn’t what will let them do the work of God. Instead, they need to start by trusting in the Son of Man — Jesus.
Enduring Word expands on this:
i. A parent does not only want obedience from their child; a relationship of trust and love is even more important to the parent. The hope is that obedience grows out of that relationship of trust and love. God wants the same pattern in our relationship with Him.
ii. The first work is to believe in Him whom He sent, yet God is also concerned about our obedience. In this sense our faith in Him is not a substitute for works; our faith is the foundation for works that truly please God.
iii. Maclaren on the contrast between works and work: “They thought of a great variety of observances and deeds. He gathers them all up into one.”
iv. “The priest says, ‘Rites and ceremonies.’ The thinker says, ‘Culture, education.’ The moralist says, ‘Do this, that, and the other thing,’ and enumerates a whole series of separate acts. Jesus Christ says, ‘One thing is needful…This is the work of God.’” (Maclaren)
v. “This is a most important saying of our Lord, as containing the germ of that teaching afterwards so fully expanded in the writings of St. Paul.” (Alford)
It seems to be so hard for us to understand that belief is the key to the Christian faith! Even today we see those who think that doing the “right things” — getting baptized, attending church on occasion, giving a few bucks in the offering plate — will get them into heaven. It takes more than that — a deep rooted belief in the saving work of Jesus, studying the Word of God, praying, and loving both God and your fellow inhabitants of Earth is a good start.
God wants you to believe in His Son, not just saying “Yep, I believe”, but actually changing your life to build the relationship of trust and love referred to in the Enduring Word commentary.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer is from Knowing Jesus:
Lord, I have trusted You as my Saviour. Help me to continue trusting You for every step that I take in my life. Help me to believe in, "Him Who the Father sent," for it is only through the power of Your Spirit that I can do the works that God has prepared for me to do. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.