August 17, 2020 -- John 6:28-29 -- The Only Work Jesus Gives Us

Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

John 6:28-29 English Standard Version

Who is Jesus? Depending on who you ask, you’ll receive a lot of different answers. A follower of Mohammed will say Jesus is a lesser prophet than Mohammed. A Jehovah’s Witness will say Jesus is a created being and he is actually the Archangel Michael. A Hindu would say Jesus is worthy, along with the millions of other gods in their pantheon, of respect perhaps even worship. Some use Jesus’s Name as a swear word. There are people today who think of Jesus as a good teacher, but he was helpless in His challenge to the political system that ultimately put Him to death.

Who did Jesus claim to be? Jesus identified Himself as the One sent by God. Jesus is the One Who perfectly reveals God the Father. The crowd assembled there in front of Jesus had been fed by Him. They knew He was some sort of prophet. They were looking for the prophet to tell them how to serve God. The implication, in the context, is how to serve God so that they can get what they want. What Jesus tells them is to deny themselves.

Jesus’s answer is surprising then, and now. The one who desires to obey God has this one task which is to believe in Jesus, Whom the Father sent. This is huge. Understand that what a person believes impacts how he behaves. What one believes in the depths of his being will be translated into words and actions.

It is work to believe in Jesus. It is work to read the Bible and understand what it says of Jesus in contrast to all the clamoring voices and clashing opinions out in our world today. It is work to go to church and hear the word preached and explained. It is work to constantly pray to Jesus asking Him for His Spirit to open the heart and mind so that it is prepared to learn more about Jesus. It is work to gain a real understanding of Jesus, one which is radically at odds with what the world believes of Him.

The point is the work of believing in Jesus is the work of faith. It is the purpose for our existence. Believing in Jesus is the only way sin is de-fanged and removed from us. Believing in Jesus the way in which we start to truly know the Father and the Son and the Spirit as One God forever blessed and glorious.

Jesus, I believe. Give me all the help I need to believe. Jesus, send Your Spirit into every part of my life so that I will understand more fully Who You are and more truly believe You have been sent by the Father. Spirit of God, make the Bible rich and alive for me so that as I read it, I will desire to read more and more of it in my quest to know and more fully believe in Jesus. Amen.