John 6:22-27 (ESV)

²² 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. ²³ Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴ 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. ²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 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. ²⁷ 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.”

The thousands of men, women, and children whom Jesus fed wanted to make him king. This was the kind of leader they were looking for, one who would produce bread and fish as needed. After the miraculous feeding of the massive crowd, darkness fell, and the disciples left to cross the Sea of Galilee. But Jesus wasn’t with them. He had gone off by himself. The next day, the people thought, “Hmm. There was one boat. The disciples are gone. So where is Jesus? Is he still in the area?” They looked, but he was nowhere to be found. Other boats then pulled up to the crowd’s location, and the people decided to travel back with them across the lake. When they finally found Jesus, they asked him, “When did you come here?” But Jesus didn’t respond to their question. Jesus knew that the crowd had missed the significance of his miracles. Jesus’ supernatural provision for their physical hunger should have caused them to see that he was able to provide for their spiritual hunger. They saw the signs, but they were really only interested in another meal. They lacked much more than they realized, and Jesus was right there to fill them, but they failed to recognize their true need. It’s easy to think that if you were a participant in something as spectacular as Jesus’ multiplication of bread and fish that you would “get it” and be “good to go.” Clearly, witnessing miracles doesn’t always lead to conversion.

Verse 27 records that Jesus said, “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.” There’s nothing wrong with working at our jobs, and we need to do what God has called us to with excellence. But life is not about simply working to exist. Jesus warned the crowd not to spend their lives pursuing only things that have no eternal value. Let’s stop and refocus today. Ask God to help you follow the advice of Jesus and work for things of eternal value. God set his seal on Jesus. The Father authenticated the Son as legitimate. If you want to know what God wants you to do today, listen to his Son and invest in the life to come.