Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted.
John 6:26 NET
Jesus had fed a crowd of 5,000 men and then crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. When the crowd realized he was gone, they went searching for him. When they finally found him on the other side, they asked how he had gotten there.
Jesus did not answer their question. Instead, he challenged them concerning their motivation for following after him. He accused them of looking for him because he had fed them all they could eat, and they wanted more.
But Jesus wanted them to follow because they had seen the miraculous signs he had done. Seeing his signs is more than just observation of them. They had witnessed and participated in the banquet he had provided them. Real seeing is looking beneath the surface and understanding the event’s significance.
Many Reasons
John later pointed out that the signs Jesus did were to lead people to believe in him and to have eternal life (John 20:30-31). And that is what the crowd following Jesus had largely failed to do. Their reasons for following were selfish. They wanted more food and to be healed of their ailments. Jesus wanted them to follow because they believed in him. A belief that would transform their lives and result in eternal life.
People today claim the title of Christian for a variety of reasons. For some, it is cultural–what they grew up with. For others, it is what they hope to get out of it–a good life now and heaven to come. And for others, it is because they recognize Jesus as Lord and have given themselves to him.
The Best Reason
I grew up in a largely Christian culture and a home where Christ was honored. And I do look forward to the life that awaits me after my death here. But I have come to have eternal life, not by those things, but by looking to the miraculous signs that Jesus did and surrendering to him as Lord.
