Hungry for More – The True Work of God
Scripture Focus:
“Then they asked Him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.’”
— John 6:28–29 (NIV)
John 6 is a chapter of testing—of the crowds, of the disciples, and of our own hunger. Jesus performs two astounding miracles: feeding the 5,000 and walking on water. The crowd is amazed, but what they really want is not the Bread of Life—they just want bread.
They want miracles, but not the Man.
They want provision, but not the Person.
They want fullness, but not faith.
And so, when Jesus reveals the deeper truth—that He is the Bread of Life and that to have eternal life, they must eat His flesh and drink His blood—many are offended. “This is a hard saying. Who can accept it?” (John 6:60). They turn back. They walk away. The majority prove to be like Esau, who despised his birthright for a bowl of stew. Their god was their stomach.
But then Jesus turns to the Twelve and asks, “Do you want to leave too?” Peter replies with those unforgettable words:
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)
This is where true discipleship begins—with hunger. Not a hunger for temporary satisfaction, but a hunger for Jesus Himself.
A Hard Thing, Like Elisha
When Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, Elijah responded, “You have asked a hard thing.” (2 Kings 2:10). It’s the same in John 6. Following Jesus isn’t easy. Believing in Him when His words cut deep, when they don’t make logical sense, when they demand surrender—that’s the “hard thing.” But those who stay, who wrestle, like Jacob did at Peniel, are the ones who are transformed. They’re the ones who receive the blessing.
Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat His message. He says it plainly because He is not looking for fans. He’s calling followers—those who will trust Him even when the teaching is tough and the crowd thins out.
The Encounter that Changed Everything
In 2016, I fell in love with Jesus—not just the idea of Him, but Him. That year, I had a revelation that wrecked me: every human being was created to draw their content, their identity, their meaning, from one Man—Jesus Christ.
And yet, in so much of the Church, He remains the greatest hidden secret. We preach about Him, sing about Him, and study His Word. But like the crowd in John 6, we can miss Him in the middle of the miracles.
I realized we could spend years studying the Scriptures and still never encounter the Living Word. But in 2016, I encountered Him. I saw that the “work of God” isn’t first to achieve or perform, but to believe—to cling to Him, trust in Him, and follow Him even when His words challenge everything.
I learned that to walk in the miraculous—as Jesus did—we must live in surrender to the Father’s will. It’s only when we believe and obey, even the hard sayings, that we taste the life we were created for.
Reflection Questions:
Are you hungry for the Bread of Life, or just for blessings?
Are there any hard sayings of Jesus that you’ve avoided?
Have you encountered Jesus personally, or just known about Him?
What would it look like to believe again—fully, wholly—in the One whom God has sent?
Prayer:
Jesus, I don’t want to just follow You for what You can give me—I want You. Help me to believe, even when Your words are hard to understand. I want to hunger for the Bread that comes down from Heaven. I want to live like You lived—fully surrendered to the will of the Father. May my life become a sign, a miracle, a testimony to the world, because I believe in You. Amen.