Three Questions
Jesus, God in the Flesh | A Study through the Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsThree questions of the people dealing with priorities, salvation, and proof, all of which are answered in one name, Jesus.
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25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” 26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” 28 Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” 30 So they said to Him, “What then are You doing as a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.”
Three Questions Posed to Jesus by the People
The question of Priority (v. 25-27)
25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” 26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”
As we look at our text, we find ourselves the day following the sign of the feeding of the five thousand. Some of the crowds, we can surmise, stayed over night on the hill side while others went on across. Those that stayed, knew Jesus had went up to the mountain and His disciples had went on without Him. As they woke up and looked for Jesus, they could not find Him. So, they decided to follow to the other side hoping to see Him there again, when they found Him on the other side of the sea. A little changing has taken place over night, now that they had time to sleep a little. Whereas the day before they wanted Jesus to be king, now it is Rabbi, as we read, they said to Him, Rabbi. There’s a great truth in waiting twenty-four hours before you respond to anything. Gives you time to relax, get the emotions out of it. Allows you to think clearly. The people understood Jesus to be a great teacher and scholar, maybe they were a bit presumptuous to try to make Him king. However, as they arrive on the other side, search and find Jesus, they began to ask Him a question under false pretense and motive. We find recorded before us, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” Truly, they were just skimming the service and really didn’t know what to ask, but asked a question anyway.
How many of us have been that way? We looked for someone and found them, and then did not even know what to say or ask?
How many of us have asked a question of someone and then we get a response that had nothing to do with the question, but it was the TRUE answer that we needed hear?
This is exactly what happens between the crowds and Jesus. They ask a question, that is completely avoided by Jesus, but He does as He did with Nicodemus and gets right to to the point and true question. Jesus knew why the people followed Him, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. The crowds had truly missed the point of the sign, for them to know and understand who Jesus is. To expand on this truth, Jesus addressed the priority of the crowds. In that He continues to address the priorities of people still today.
Where are your priorities? Are they spiritual priorities or physical priorities?
If you ever have a question about where your priorities are, just look at your heart and your investments (financial and time).
34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
As Jesus addresses the heart of the crowds, He addresses a question of priority within this first of three questions asked. The first question is the question of priority. At first, Jesus addressed...
The prohibited priority (physical) - ‘...Do not work for the food that perishes...’
The proper priority (spiritual) - ‘...but for the the food that lasts for eternal life...’
The source in Christ - ‘...which the Son of Man will give you...’
The sealing of Christ - ‘...for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal...’
16 After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, 17 and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The Father sealed Jesus with the same seal that our salvation is sealed with, the seal of the Holy Spirit.
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Which leads us into the second question.
The question of Salvation (v. 28-29)
28 Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”
We all look for assurance. We look for assurance in love. We look for assurances in work and income. We look for assurances in agreements that we make with others. The area that most struggle with, is the assurance that matters the most, the assurance of salvation and acceptance of God. As we read within our text, Therefore they said to Him, What are we do so, that we may accomplish the works of God (v. 28a). They wanted to be accepted by God. They wanted to hear what we all should want to hear, His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master (Mt. 25:21 NASB).
Many, even within the Christian faith, have no assurance of salvation. Yet the Bible is clear, we have a “Know So” salvation.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
This assurance that evades many today, also evaded the Israelites, the Jewish people. This is why they asked, What are we to do.
Many want to earn their salvation through works - ‘...What are we to do, so that we may accomplish...’ (cf. Mt 7:21-23)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Salvation is only available through the work of Christ - ‘...This is the work of God, that you believer in Him whom He has sent...’ (cf. Eph 2:8-9; Ti 3:5)
The Word of God reminds us that we cannot earn our salvation and that we are not saved by our works, but the working of the Holy Spirit, the working of Jesus Christ on the cross.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
In Christ, we find assurance of a secure and assured salvation...
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
27 My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
The question of Faith (v. 30-33)
30 So they said to Him, “What then are You doing as a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.”
Many believe in the adage, “Seeing is believing” - ‘...What then are You doing as a sign...’ (cf. Jn 20:30-31, 21:25; 1 Co 1:22)
Remember, the whole purpose of the signs within the gospel of John are to point toward the deity of Christ.
30 So then, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written 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.
25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.
Why? Because the Jews sought a sign for everything.
22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;
Jesus teaches, especially in John, “Believing is seeing” (Heb 11:1)
1 Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.
The Israelites wanted proof like many today. What was Jesus’ response?
Moses did not give you manna, the Father did
The physical bread was not the issue, the spiritual bread was/is the issue
In closing, where are your priorities? Are you priorities prohibitive priorities or proper priorities? What are you trusting in for your salvation: works or the blood of Christ? Do you truly have faith or just religion?
