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the bread which endureth unto eternal life. This one work (which leads to and is the source of all other works which please God) is “believing on Him whom He hath sent” (cf. John 3:16-18, 36; 16:31; Eph. 2:8). “This is the work of God:” all other things count for nothing if this is lacking. If this is present all other things that are worth while will come. This “work,” the work of believing on Him whom He hath sent,' does not make us merit the true bread, it simply accepts the true bread, it is the hand which is put out to take it. Let us never forget that there is just one work that God demands of men, viz., that men “believe on Him whom He hath sent” If this is lacking, whatever else may be present it counts for nothing. v. 30. “They said therefore unto Him What sign showest Thou (What then doest Thou fo r a sign), that we may see, and believe Thee? What (what) dost Thou work" (workest Thou)?” This multitude demanded a sign as a condition of believing on Jesus. The utter unreasonableness of this demand, under the circumstances, is apparent when one remembers that only the day before they had seen the wonderful and perfectly sufficient sign of the loaves and fishes (vs. 10-14) ; what blind folly to ask a sign on top of that. But the demands of modern skeptics are just as unreasonable. With all the conclusive proofs that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God, they demand some additional proof of their own dictation. Jesus Himself was the greatest qf all signs (v. 36). vs. 31-33. " Our fathers did eat manna (ate the manna) in the desert, (wilderness;) as it is written, he gave them bread from (out of) heaven to eat. Then Jesus (Jesus therefore) said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not (it was not Moses that gave you) that (the) bread from (out of) heaven, (;) but my Father giveth you the . true bread from (out of) heaven. For the bread o f God is He that ( that which) cometh down from
the deepest spiritual truths that their spirits need for the sake of the healing of tlujse bodies which do not exist, or at least which they say they do not. v. 27. "Labor' (Work) not fo r the meat (food) which perisheth, but fo r that meat (the food) which endureth (abideth). untq everlasting (eternal) life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: fo r H im hath God the Father (the Father, even God, hath)' sealed.” There is “food which abideth unto eternal life,” and the man who seeks only “the food which ¡perisheth,” when he can have “food .which abideth unto eternal life” is a fool. But it was for this food which perisheth that that great crowd was working, and it is for the food which perisheth that the great crowd is working today. This food “which abideth unto eternal life” is a gift, it cannot be purchased or earned (cf. Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8), it is the Son of man, and He alone who gives this most precious food. But though it is a gift, stilb we are to “work” for it. How to work for it verse 29 will tell. The loaves miraculously multi plied were "a sign” of the true bread. The result of eating the food which abideth unto eternal life is that one lives forever (vs. 51, 58). The proof that ,it is “the Son of man” who gives the food which abideth unto eternal life, is that the Father, even God had sealed Him. As to how the Father sealed Him read Acts 2:22; John 1:33, 34; 5:36, 37; 10:37, 38; Matt. 3:17. The miracles He performed and the voice that spake to Him from heaven were the stamp of God’s endorsement, the seal that the Father put upon Him that He was what He claimed to be. , vs. 28, 29. "Then said they (They said therefore) unto Him, What must we do, that we might (may) work thè works of God? Jesus answered, (omit ,) and said unto them, This is the work o f God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” The multitude desired to know the works of God, and our Lord replied that there was just one work of God, one work that God requires as the condition of receiving
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