Hunger and Thirst No More

Hunger and Thirst No More (Part 1)

C. Craig Wells

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. John 6:35 (ESV)

John chapter six has much to say and is worth the time invested in mining its treasures. Jesus performs two signs in verse 1 through 21, which demonstrated Jesus’ deity. Jesus fed five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. Afterwards, he walks on water. These were signs that left the Jews wondering who Jesus was.

Verses 22 through 71 convey deep things of God. These verses can describe total depravity and some will contend that it describes irresistible grace. I contend that it is not either or, but both. I will focus on these verses in my discussion, however, we must consider the context that involves the first twenty-one verses to be able to comprehend God’s message. I hope to demonstrate that these verses focus on who Jesus said he was and the unbelief of the Jews along with the reason for their unbelief. If we fail to see the context of these first twenty-one verses, we will most likely misinterpret the scriptures and completely take them out of context, therefore, hiding the truths revealed in them.

Before I dig into the scriptures, I want to explain the reason for this article. John 6 is crucial in explaining total depravity and irresistible grace. I will confess that I had difficulty trying to convince a skeptic towards the doctrines of grace when using John 6. I understand that it is not up to me to convince anyone of the truths in the bible, for it is the work of the Spirit of God. However, we must be knowledgeable and have understanding of the scripture to be able to accurately present the truth so that there will be no other reason for unbelieving other than hardness of heart. If we cannot understand these passages, explain them, or defend them, then we will not be able to do so anywhere else in the bible. I am not saying there are no other passages describing total depravity; I am only saying that John 6 should be definitive. John 6 should put to rest any questions concerning total depravity or irresistible grace. This is not so we can win a debate, but only to increase our faith and knowledge in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We know all too well the signs Jesus performed in the first twenty-one verses in the feeding of the five thousand and him walking on water. We seem to forget the connection between these signs and the rest of the chapter. The interpretation of this chapter depends on the connection of the signs and the discourse that follow. These verses are in the same chapter for a reason.

In fact, chapter 5 can be included as context as well. In chapter 5, Jesus explained who he was and by whose authority he was performing the works he was doing. He clearly was stating that he and the Father were one. (John 5:19-29) Even John 5:39-40 has Jesus telling spiritual truths in which they did not believe. This entire thought continued over into chapter 6. There were multitudes of people who were seeing the miraculous signs and heard the word of eternal life, but were not getting it. They remained in their unbelief. Some of the Jews understood very well what the implications of what Jesus said to them. (John 5:18) However, they refused to accept or receive the truth. They did not believe.

The Jews knew very well who they thought he was and to some degree, were accurate. (John 6:14-15) He is much more than a prophet. In addition, they wanted to make him king, however, the devil had already tempted Jesus with lordship of this world while Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days. In addition, Jesus was to give them much more than national pride and a ruler who would deliver them from Roman suppression. He was offering them eternal life!

How do we know this? If we used just the first five chapters of The Gospel of John, it would be enough to testify that Jesus was the Savior of the world. It should not have been any doubt. Jesus was clear in stating who he was and for what purpose he had come. (John 1:29, John 1:34, John 3:14, John 4:14, John 4:26) In fact, many did believe and received Christ. (John 1:41, John 1:49, John 2:11, John 2:23, John 3:36, John 4:42, John 4:53) However, many did not receive the truth. In fact, the Pharisees wanted to kill him due to his claims and teachings. The question is why did so many not believe? You would think the evidence would be so compelling that everybody should not have had any doubt. Why did some believe and others not?

Jesus told them in John 5:39-40 and John 5:45-47 that they trusted the scriptures and Moses, but they did not believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of the scriptures, the one that gives eternal life. This is the crux of the two chapters, Jesus explaining to the Jews who he was and the purpose of his coming up against their unbelief. The entire second half of John 6 deals with Jesus explaining the reason for their unbelief.

Many people say that people do not believe only due to purely their decision not accept the truth. They say that their decision is without any external influences. They say it is purely like a choice of accepting or rejecting any type of gift. It is even said to be as easy as choosing a direction to take in a fork in the road. I contend that our own affections or what seems to be for our best good is the basis for all our decisions. I believe that Jesus explains that we cannot choose rightly unto salvation due to our corrupt nature, which encompasses our entire being, including our will. I hope to show that in the following text.

Verses 22-26 says, “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. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 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.” This is the next day after Jesus fed the five thousand and on top of that, they had no idea where Jesus had gone. They knew the disciples had left on a boat without Jesus the evening before. So, what did these people do? They went across the sea to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. For what were they seeking him? What did they want from him? The whole chapter stands on this question. What they were wanting and what Jesus was offering are entirely two different things.

Verse 25 explains the confusion of the people. Jesus was on the other side of the sea without a good explanation of how. Thus the question, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” He has already fed five thousand and they are confused concerning when and how he arrived on the other side of the sea. They called him rabbi, which means teacher. They did not know who he was; they considered him only as a teacher. He had already demonstrated in chapter five that he was much more than a teacher! They should not have been confused if they had believed him when he told them that he and God were equal. They should have none that nothing is impossible with God.

How did Jesus answer their question in verse 26? A direct answer they did not get. They were asking for a reason from a physical position and Jesus was about to embark on a discourse from a spiritual position. The first thing he did was address the real reason they were seeking him. He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” They were seeking him for the wrong reason. They just wanted their bellies filled again. The signs were enough to testify he was the Messiah; however, they were not there to bow to him, but only asking for food to nourish their physical bodies. (John 10:37-38) They were concerned for their physical needs and not their spiritual needs; and it gets worse.

Jesus lays everything out before them in verse 27 when he says, “Do not labor 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.” Jesus told them not to strive for physical food that perishes. He told them to strive for the food that endures to eternal life. We are talking about eternal life here! He was not here to set up an earthly kingdom. He was explaining that they would perish just as physical food will perish unless they receive the food that endures to eternal life. They really do not have to labor at all, for he told them that he would give it to them. Eternal life is of grace and not by works.

What is the food that endures to eternal life? God’s creatures while in the physical realm require nourishment (bread and water) to stay alive. We depend on bread and water for us to live physically. Therefore, we must depend and trust in the bread from heaven for us to live spiritually. It is Jesus in the gospel that keeps us alive spiritually unto eternal life. We must feed on him. The gospel testifies that God is the Creator of all and is sovereign over all. The gospel testifies that man is dead in sin and in need of a savior.

That savior is Jesus Christ. We can do nothing to be made right with God. Our sin condemns us before a righteous and holy judge. The only way to be justified and entrance allowed into the eternal kingdom of God is to trust in Christ and his righteousness. We must divorce ourselves from seeking satisfaction from anything in this world, whether external to us or internal. We are not to trust our religion or our works for justification. The world should not be what satisfies; we need redemption and atonement for our sins if we are to enter the kingdom of God and have eternal life. Like eating bread for life sustaining nourishment in the physical realm, we need the bread of life to give us spiritual life in the spiritual realm so that we may have eternal life. Do not trust in bread that perishes, but trust only in Christ for eternal life. (Luke 22:19-20) Are we more concerned with our wants here in the physical world, which are only temporary, when we should be more concerned about what we need spiritually for eternal life?

Jesus even told them that he was the anointed one, which the prophets had prophesied. Jesus told them that the one to whom will give the food to eternal life was the one and same to whom God the Father had set his seal. Jesus had already told them in chapter 5 that God and he were equal. (John 5:18)

Do you think they were getting it? That would be a negative. They were still seeking physical comforts. They wanted the same power or works of God to be able to feed five thousand, or at least to be able to provide for themselves without laboring for it. Imagine what your life would be like if you did not have to labor for your food. However, that is contrary to the curse God placed on Adam and to his descendents due to the fall. (Genesis 3:19)

Jesus responded by telling them that the work of God was for them to believe in whom he has sent. As you can see, the entire context surrounds the idea of believing. Do you think they got it this time? No, they are seeking food again. They said that their fathers ate manna in the wilderness and they were expecting to see Jesus do something similar. They were still seeking to have their bellies filled. Jesus explained to them that it was not Moses who gave them bread from heaven, but the Father. The Father gives the true bread from heaven. Jesus then narrows down the discourse even more. He says that the bread of life is he who comes down from heaven and gives life unto the world. He was telling them that the bread of life was a person. This person was Jesus! He was telling them that he was God incarnate. He had come down from heaven in which he was to offer himself as bread of life, coming from the very hand of God.

Do you think they finally got it this time? Of course, they do not! They are still thinking about their bellies! They ask Jesus to give them this bread always, like manna from heaven when their fathers were in the wilderness. Jesus started out in a broad manner in his discourse, but now he is narrowing it down so as giving them a direct explanation. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” You cannot get any more direct than that. He was laying out spiritual truths and they were not receiving it. He is the one prophesied to whom would take away sin. (Psalm 103:10, Psalm 107:17, Psalm 130:8, Isaiah 53:5) Why did they not understand or receive the spiritual truths presented to them by Jesus? They simply did not believe. However, why did they not believe?

We must understand what lay behind or underneath the dialogue between Jesus and these people in chapters 5 and 6. These people we seeking rest from their labors. They wanted food provided for them without labor so that they can rest and enjoy life on this earth. They wanted freedom from Rome. These people trusted in their heritage as Jews and their religion for their righteousness. They trusted in the things of this world for their joy, love, and peace. Jesus was telling them that rest eternal was through him. They were seeking the things from this world and not seeking the things of heaven. (Luke 12:30-31)

Chapters 5 and 6 in entirety, deal with unbelief. Jesus was giving them truth and they did not receive it. The question one has to ask is why did they not believe? Is this question important? Yes, I believe it does. I believe it determines how much we give God the glory for our salvation. It also determines how we evangelize. It is totally a work of God or we have to help God by the way we present the message. The many gimmicks used to present the gospel demonstrate the latter, even preaching a false gospel. The former demonstrates how grace is really grace and God deserves all the praise and honor. The message in chapter 6 seems very clear, especially from our perspective when looking in a rearview mirror. So far, we can see how Jesus brought up front the Jew’s unbelief and I hope to explain how Jesus focuses on that unbelief and how he describes the reason for their unbelief in the next part of this article.