What does it mean to follow Jesus? Countless multitudes from all over the world profess to be named among Christ’s followers. Yet, the rationale for why they follow and the nature of what it means to follow, often differs greatly. The gospel of John was written for the purpose of clarifying these realities (John 20:31). By helping his readers to see who Jesus truly is, the apostle desires for us to turn from the pathetic morsels of fleshly gratification offered by the world, and to joyfully respond to the invitation of the gospel; to pull up a chair at the Lord’s table and be truly satisfied in and through the person and work of Christ.

The twentieth-century pastor, A.W. Tozer once said:

The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God; that they may enter into Him; that they might delight in His presence; may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts. (A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God [United States: Baker Publishing Group, 2013] 8.)

We see a profound example of this in the 6th chapter of John’s gospel. During the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, there were two major groups present (John 6:1–15). We’ll call the first group Jesus’ devoted disciples, and we’ll call the second group false followers. Both groups saw the bread and fish multiplied. Both groups enjoyed the supernatural supper Jesus provided. And, both groups were physically filled. Yet, the two groups came to drastically different conclusions about the miracle-working Messiah.

On the one hand, we have the devoted disciples. Just after the miracle, Jesus walked upon the stormy Sea of Galilee, coming to them in a special and spectacular way, in order to more explicitly declare His identity as the self-existent God of all creation. In that moment, their previously hardened hearts began to change, and they responded to Jesus’ divine declaration with joy, worship, and the affirmation that He is indeed the Son of God (Matt. 14:22–32, John 6:16–21).

On the other hand, we find the remaining members of the multitude, the false followers. This is the portion of the group that defiantly remained even after Jesus dismissed them (Mark 6:45). Once they eventually found Jesus in Capernaum, our Lord began to rebuke their motives and expose their false belief (John 6:22–29). Jesus admonished the crowd for seeking Him as the rescuer from Rome, rather than the Savior of their sins (John 6:15, 26–27).

A Shocking Challenge to the Claims of Christ

Now, the only right and rational response to a rebuke from the Lord Jesus Christ is humility and repentance. However, as we continue in chapter 6 of John’s gospel, we realize that these false followers don’t respond that way at all. It says there:

So they said to Him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? (v. 30)

The irony here is thick, as well as shocking. What sign will He do? These are the very people who just, hours before, witnessed the miraculous multiplication of bread and fish. In fact, they may still have the taste of it in their mouths from the evening before. These people aren’t looking for just any sign. No, in pride, rather than submitting their lives to Christ’s lordship, they are asking Jesus to acquiesce to their expectations, which is spelled out in verse 31, saying:

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’

So, the audacious irony continues. These false followers are quoting from Psalm 78:24, which says:

and He rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven.

But they’re also doing something else. Instead of basing their expectation of Jesus as the Messiah from the Old Testament prophecies of Scripture, they’re actually appealing to non-biblical, Jewish writings. For example, in one apocryphal text, 2 Baruch 29, it refers to the expectations of the Messiah’s reign, saying:

It shall come to pass…that the treasury of manna shall again descend on high, and they will eat of it in those years…And it shall come to pass after these things, when the time of the advent of the Messiah is fulfilled, that He shall return in glory. (R.H. Charles, The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English: Volume Two [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004] 498.)

Therefore, this unbelieving crowd is essentially saying, “Jesus, if you’ve been sent from God, and we’re supposed to believe upon you as the Messiah, then do a sign like Moses did. You took earthly bread and multiplied it into more earthly bread, but Moses gave us bread from heaven. And, you gave us bread for one meal. Moses fed our ancestors for forty years! You may have fed thousands, but Moses fed the entire nation.”

Once again, what sad irony is found in this response! This unbelieving crowd is challenging Christ, by quoting from Psalm 78, and yet they fail to see the implications of their own claims. Psalm 78 was written in the context of all the amazing miracles that God had performed for Israel, as well as Israel’s subsequent lack of faith. The Psalmist there writes:

Yet they sinned still more against Him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness? He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can He also give bread or provide meat for His people?” Therefore, when the Lord heard, He was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; His anger rose against Israel, because they did not believe in God and did not trust His saving power (Ps. 78:17–22).

The unbelievably sad irony about their reference is found in the reality that these false followers are literally doing the exact same thing as their ancestors. They have witnessed the God-man, Jesus, perform a miracle. Yet, in spite of the miraculous sign Jesus performed in their midst, they still refuse to believe.

A Gracious Correction Provided by Christ

Here, we see the balance of truth and love put on display. Jesus doesn’t allow these false followers to continue in the audacity of their error. Rather, He responds to their unbelief and corrects their misconceptions by highlighting five major truths:

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (v. 32–33).

1. God is the Gift Giver

As seen from the passage above, the first point of correction Jesus graciously provides is that Moses was not the provider of the bread from heaven. As Exodus 16:4 says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you.’” Therefore, although Moses was the representative of God’s people, he was not the one who provided them with the gift of manna. The Giver of that heavenly gift was God.

2. The Gift of God is Available Today

Jesus also points these false followers to the reality that the manna was not the ultimate gift. Rather, while the manna in the wilderness was a physical type of bread sent down from the heavens, its ultimate purpose was to foreshadow the eternal bread from heaven that God is giving now.

3. The Gift of God is a Person

In addition, Jesus declares to this multitude that the Bread of God is not a thing, but a person. It is, “He who comes down from heaven…” (v. 33). Thus, this heavenly Bread to which Jesus now refers is like the manna in the way in which it was provided, but unlike the manna in its very nature.

4. The Gift of God Gives Spiritual Life

Fourthly, Jesus reveals to this crowd that the Gift God now gives is infinitely better than the manna eaten by their ancestors. For, while the manna in the wilderness provided physical nourishment, the true Bread from heaven gives spiritual life.

In other words, God did not send this Bread to satisfy their materialistic or political expectations. He was not sent to merely fill their bellies or to grant for them the sinful and self-gratifying desires of their hearts. Instead, He came to rescue His people from the catacombs of spiritual death and darkness and to bring them the spiritual blessing of eternal life.

5. The Gift of God Gives Life to the World

Finally, Jesus wants these false followers to understand that, unlike the manna, the Gift of God is not just for the Jews. It’s not just for the physical descendants of those who wandered in the desert. But instead, this Bread gives life to the world; to a people from every nation, people group, and language of the whole earth.

A Compassionate Call to Believe in Christ

So, how does this unbelieving crowd respond to Jesus’ gracious correction? Well, initially, it seems promising. “They said to Him, ‘Sir give us this bread always” (v. 34). However, upon further examination, we realize that this crowd has failed to understand the true meaning of Jesus’ words. So, in response to their hard-hearted, shallow request for a lifetime supply of physical bread, Jesus makes a profound announcement and plainly reveals to them the reality of what He’s been saying:

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst (v. 35).

In a monumental moment of self-identifying revelation, Jesus declares that He is the identity of the very Bread He’s been describing. Like the manna from heaven, He is the Bread that’s been sent down from heaven. Where the manna was the type, ultimately pointing to something greater, Jesus is the fulfillment. He is the Bread of Life given by the Father to satisfy a people from the entire world. And, the satisfaction He has come to provide is not physical or temporary; it’s spiritual and eternal.

Why are You Following Jesus?

It's with that in mind that we want to consider how Jesus defines spiritual satisfaction. As we reflect upon the actions of these false followers, they have appeared to be coming to Jesus. It seems like they’re following Him. They’ve come across the Sea looking for Him. They’ve sought Him out in Capernaum and have come to the synagogue to find Him. Yet, the question becomes why did they seek Him. Why are they following Him?

Jesus makes it abundantly clear that those who truly come to Him are those who believe in Him with saving faith. It’s a God-given trust and confidence in the person and work of Jesus; a belief that Jesus is who He says He is and that He’s been sent by God to accomplish what He says He has and will do. People can come to Jesus for all sorts of reasons. They can profess to follow Him in hopes of finding an assortment of things. But, unless you’re coming to Christ for the purpose of believing upon Him for salvation, for the forgiveness of your sins, and the submitting of your life to Him as Lord, then you’re missing the point, and you’ve never truly come to Him at all.

Take of the Bread and Eat

Let us conclude, then, with the divine invitation. Because of who Jesus is and what He has done, anyone in the entire world can take of the Bread of Life and eat freely. They can take a seat at the table and be satisfied for eternity. From the human perspective, there is no shortage of chairs. Like the bread that Jesus multiplied, everyone can have as much as they desire, for there is an unlimited supply. And, if we come, we can rest confidently in the words of Christ:

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (v. 37–40).

Take, and eat.