Jesus feeds five thousand; John 6 - Copy

Fourth sign: Don’t Chase the Bread, Following Jesus for the Right Reasons John 6

Imagine being very hungry after a long day without food. Your stomach is empty, your body weak, and the only thing you can think of is bread. The moment you get a piece of bread, you feel life coming back into you. Bread is simple, but it is powerful because it sustains life. In the same way, our soul's hunger for something deeper than food — we long for meaning, peace, and life itself. 

Just as our bodies cannot survive without food, our souls cannot survive without Jesus. Many people try to fill their hunger with money, success, pleasure, or even religion, but they remain empty inside. In John 6, Jesus declares that He is the Bread of Life — the only One who can truly satisfy the hunger of our souls and give us eternal life. If we miss this truth, we will keep chasing things that never satisfy.

The Signs and the Motives

Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 men (plus women and children) with five loaves and two fish. Everyone ate, and leftovers filled twelve baskets. The crowd wanted to make Him king, but Jesus withdrew. Later, the disciples struggled on the lake, and Jesus walked on water to meet them, calming their fear and bringing them safely to shore. In John 6:2, the author states that the crowd followed Jesus because of the signs He performed by healing the sick. Their reason for following was the signs. After Jesus fed them with bread and fish, their intention was to make Him king by force, believing He was the one promised by God through Moses — the Messiah.

 In summary, John 6 portrays the Jewish expectation of the Messiah as a powerful, Moses-like figure who would provide material blessings, defeat Israel’s enemies, and restore the nation. However, Jesus redefined these expectations, presenting Himself as the spiritual Bread of Life who offers eternal life through faith, not political liberation or endless physical provision. This mismatch between expectation and reality caused confusion and division among the crowd.

The Wrong Motives Exposed

Their first attempt to crown Him failed, and Jesus withdrew. Still with wrong motives, they followed Him to the other side. Jesus told them plainly that He knew their reason for following Him — it was not because they saw the sign, but because they had eaten physical bread and were filled. We clearly see their motive: physical food. They wanted a Messiah who would fill their stomachs, a king who would provide so they would never have to work again. But Jesus wanted to change their mindset from physical needs, self-gratification, and prosperity to spiritual food that could satisfy their souls (v. 27). He revealed to them that He is the Messiah whom God has chosen, and His mission was to save their soul and give the eternal food that last forever.

Faith, Not Works

The Jews believed they could earn eternal life by being biological children of Abraham, observing the law, and doing good works. They thought religion could earn them salvation. In verse 28 they asked Jesus, “What works can we do to get God’s approval?” Their mindset was that salvation is earned by doing good works, through legalism. But in verse 29, Jesus told them, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.”  Which means Salvation is by grace, through faith in Him alone, and it is given by grace. We cannot earn it by good works. If they wanted eternal life, they had to believe in Him as the Bread of Life who alone could satisfy their souls.

Greater Than Moses

Still, they demanded a sign greater than Moses’ provision of manna. They said Moses gave their ancestors manna for forty years, and if Jesus was truly the Messiah, He should give them more than Moses did. Their minds were still fixed on physical needs. They wanted a good life and a Messiah who would meet their material needs. But Jesus told them He did not come to give prosperity. He came from heaven as their Savior, the one who could satisfy their spiritual hunger for eternal life. In verse 35, He declared, “I AM the bread of life.” By saying “I AM,” He reminded the Jews of Exodus 3:14 — that He is Yahweh, their God. The same God who gave their ancestors manna now stood before them, offering eternal life that endures forever.

The Rejection

The Jews understood what Jesus was claiming, but they chose not to believe. They dismissed Him as a mere man, the son of Joseph, and rejected Him as the Messiah (v. 41).Jesus told them clearly: religion cannot bring you closer to God. Salvation is the work of God through His Son. Only God enables a person to come to Him. He repeated this truth five times — no one comes to God through religion or heritage, but only through God’s will and grace. The people left Him not because they misunderstood, but because their expectations were not met. Jesus was not going to be the Messiah who brought prosperity or endless physical provision. At the end of the chapter, many of his disciples walked away, and only the Twelve remained — just like the twelve baskets of bread that were left over. The Twelve stayed because they believed He was truly the Messiah, God in the flesh.

The Lesson for Us Today

This miracle was not only about feeding the hungry. It was a sign revealing that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. Yet the people were spiritually blind. They wanted a Messiah who would satisfy their physical needs, give prosperity and conquer the Romans, not a Savior who would transform their hearts. Today, ask yourself: Who is Jesus to you? Why do you believe in Jesus.

• Is He your King and Lord because He provides for you?
• Are you following Him for blessings, prosperity, personal gratification, and physical needs?

Sadly, many Christians today follow Jesus for what He can give rather than who He truly is. They want blessings without surrender, prosperity without repentance, and comfort without transformation. But when our hearts are in the wrong place, verse 15 reminds us — Jesus withdraws. If you come to Christ only expecting wealth or material success, He will withdraw himself from you. You will soon be disappointed and walk away. that's why so many has left the church because God didn't give them what they needed. they blame the church for not helping them. The problem is that they came with expectations and with wrong motives. But if you come to Him as Lord and Savior, believing in Him as the only one who saves from sin, He will never leave you and he will satisfy your soul with his living word which will last forever in you.

Only Jesus Satisfies

Let us follow Jesus not for what He gives, but for who He is — our Savior, Redeemer, and Lord, the one who satisfies our souls with His living Word. Nothing in this world can satisfy your soul. Many are seeking satisfaction in money, spouses, sex, and drugs. But these things can never truly satisfy. They draw us away from God and enslave us.

• That’s why some men cheat on their wives — thinking they will find satisfaction in someone else, but they don’t.
• That’s why the unmarried chase sex, thinking it will fulfill their desires, but it only makes them slaves, moving from one partner to another.
• That’s why people think money will satisfy, but the more they get, the more they want — falling into many temptations.

John 6 teaches us that only Jesus can satisfy our souls. When we place our faith in Him, when He lives in us and we live in Him, we find the true bread that endures forever. Whatever you are searching for today, know this: it cannot satisfy. True satisfaction comes only by believing in Jesus Christ, the one who can save your soul and give you the spiritual bread of eternal life.