All that the Father gives Me will come to Me

"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will you do? Our Fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Then Jesus said, Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give 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." Then they said to Him, "Lord give us this bread always."

And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

- John 6:27-40

In yesterday's reading (The food which endures to everlasting life), Jesus walked on the water as His disciples rowed against the wind in the darkness. When those who had sought Him (and who wished to make Him king) caught up to Him, Jesus preached to them about seeking the food that leads to everlasting life, rather than seeking to make Him king because he fed them with loaves of bread on the mountain. Today, Jesus continues this teaching to the crowds.

"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." I'll repeat the note from my study bible included in yesterday's reading on this verse: "The multitude had continued to pursue Jesus in the hope that He might miraculously solve all of their earthly problems as He had miraculously provided them with food. He tries to turn their minds to spiritual concerns, telling them not to labor for perishable food but for the food of eternal life, which is available in the Son of Man. He does not chide them for seeking and working, but for pursuing temporary satisfaction rather than eternal fulfillment." We understand the term "Son of Man" to be one which these people would understand from Scripture; it is the title of an apocalyptic messianic figure from the Book of Daniel.

Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." My study bible notes here, "The most fundamental work of God is true faith in Christ!" It's interesting that Jesus is talking about "labor" and "work." This crowd is thrilled with the man who has fed them on the mountain. Jesus teaches them about "working" for a food that will give them not temporary nourishment, but rather "everlasting life." It all starts with this basic core of faith; this is the work we should not neglect in life. It is the "one thing necessary."

Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will you do? Our Fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Then Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give 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." Then they said to Him, "Lord give us this bread always." Jesus has just fed the multitude bread on the mountaintop, and for this reason they sought to make him king. But, as He said in yesterday's reading, they fail to see the signs. That is, they fail to understand the heavenly spiritual reality behind the sign or miracle of the feeding. Now they are asking for "bread from heaven." Jesus teaches them that the true bread is not that manna, but that which comes from the Father. That bread is Christ Himself who has been sent to the world.

And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." The "I am" here is the same I AM as the title told to Moses in the Book of Exodus. In these statements, Jesus reveals Himself linked with the Father. The life this bread offers is everlasting; it is life itself.

"But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." He disparages them for their lack of faith. However, again linking Himself with the Father, Jesus claims that all those who do see Him and believe are sent to Him - given to Him - by the Father. And those are precious to Him; they are His flock which He loves dearly and wishes to keep with Him always.

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." My study bible notes: "Since the Son is of one essence with the Father, He shares the one will of God the Father. In His Incarnation, of course, the Son of God gains a human nature and a human will as well. Thus, the Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451) teaches that, in the Person of Christ, there are united a complete divine nature and a complete human nature. Similarly, the Third Council of Constantinople (A.D. 680-681) proclaims there are two natural wills in Christ, not contrary to one another, although 'His human will follows, not as resisting or reluctant but rather as subject to His Divinity and omnipotent will.'"

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." My study bible notes on these verses, that, "Since the Son and the Father are united in essence and will, those who are chosen by the Father will also believe in Jesus and receive eternal life." I think it's important to understand that Christ points powerfully to His own reality: that He has been sent to do the will of the One who sent Him. Those with faith are those whom the Father has sent to Christ, and Jesus' own imperative is that He should lose nothing of what the Father has given to Him. The Gospels are highly consistent on this point. We read in Matthew's Gospel of Peter's confession of faith (see Who do you say that I am?). Jesus replied to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." Therefore the Father is also at work in us, prompting the faith Jesus declares here that will lead to everlasting life, because He does not wish to lose even one of us. The faith that links us is that which leads to eternal life, because it is the link of love between us. It is the bond of love that is the "key to the kingdom" - and hence, the key is in Peter's confession. Because this bond means He wishes to keep us with Him, this is an eternal promise.

John's Gospel repeatedly teaches us about love, about a bond that is unbreakable. In the reading in Matthew of Peter's confession, Jesus calls this bond of faith the rock against which even the gates of Hades will not prevail. It is a bond in which Jesus seeks to keep us with Him forever, to eternal life. So, our faith is the key, and it links us not only to Christ but to the Father Himself. Jesus says, and the Gospels teach us, that this faith in Christ's identity is of the Father, a revelation of the Father. To ponder this Mystery is far beyond me to fully understand. But I see it as a hand that gathers us like chicks into the flock that is Christ's. It is something too far and deep into Mystery for me to comprehend; it is awesome to consider. And it sparks many, many questions too vast for me to try to answer.