Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
John 6:29
Context is important for this verse; it is an answer to a question. The crowd, who had rushed around the lake to find Jesus, asks, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus tells them to believe in the one sent by God. The Greek word translated believe also means entrust and have confidence in him. This is also John’s way of saying that Jesus is the real deal.
Jesus then goes on to say one of those awkward statements that causes a dilemma for people…I am manna from heaven. He is equating himself to the life sustaining provision given by God to the Hebrews in the desert some 1300 years before. In other words, Jesus is telling them, and us, that he is the provision from Heaven to sustain.
Because Jesus is the real deal, we must believe, trust, and have confidence in his actions, statements, and miracles, and therefore we are called to live a life that reflects his actions, teachings, and miraculous love.
Follow Christ, if you dare!
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