The day before Jesus said this, he had fed a massive crowd of people in a miraculous way, after which he sent his disciples across the Sea of Galilee to a city named Capernaum. As they were making their away across the sea by night, the winds picked up, the sea became very rough, and they were making little progress despite their constant and exhausting efforts. Suddenly, though, Jesus appeared before them walking on the water and saying, “It is I; do not be afraid” (6:20). With that, he got into the boat, and what do you know, “immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going” (6:21).
The next day the crowd sought Jesus out, and having found him in Capernaum they asked how he made his way there. Rather than answering their question, Jesus spoke to the condition of their hearts. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 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” (6:26-27).
The crowd was either confused or awakened by Jesus’ words, so they asked, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (6:28) Good question. Jesus responded with some of the most significant words in the Bible: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (6:29, emphasis mine).
Friends, Jesus himself is the food that endures to eternal life, and the way we eat that food is by believing in him, not just in one moment of time but in every moment across time. This is the singular work to which God has called every human being, namely, to believe and believe and believe in Jesus whom he has sent for his glory and our salvation.
Indeed, the fundamental labor of life is living by faith in Jesus Christ, and this labor deserves all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We should fight for faith more fiercely than those disciples fought to cross the Sea of Galilee, and let’s be honest, living by faith is a fight.
It’s a fight to give our attention to Jesus. It’s a fight to listen to his words and take them seriously each day. It’s a fight to learn what it means to pray without ceasing, to talk to our Savior at all times and about all things. It’s a fight to draw upon his power so that our obedience is possible, willing, and joyful. It’s a fight to die to our fleshly desires and distractions. It’s a fight to forsake the world and its ways. It’s a fight to resist Satan and his wicked designs. It’s a fight to be formed into the image of Christ.
Living by faith is a fight, but here’s the thing: as we look to Jesus, he will fight this fight in us, through us, and for us. He will feed us from his eternal supply and give us all we need, up to and including eternal life! He will cause our boats to cross the sea and he will bring us to the shore where he has sent us.
The fundamental labor of life is living by faith in Jesus Christ, and the primary way we do that is by intensely looking to him. Truth be told, we don’t have to do anything but look to him, and then he will work his power in us. We don’t have to do anything but trust in him, and then he will teach us his ways. We don’t have to do anything but depend on him, and then he will give us all we need to do his will. We don’t have to do anything but rest in him, and then he will bear his fruit in us.
Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (6:29, emphasis mine). Therefore, One Work exists to glorify him by helping his people learn what this means and how they can apply it to every aspect of their lives. To this end, I’ve created a YouTube channel, a blog, a Facebook account, and a Twitter account, and I'm working by faith each day to populate these platforms and develop other written materials.
If you’d like to get behind this ministry by praying, by helping with administration, by contributing written material or videos, or by offering financial support, please reach out to me and I’ll follow up with you as soon as I can. In the meantime, please pray for Kim and me, and know that we’ll be praying for you.
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