DAILY TEXT, Friday, June 12, 2026. This is the work of God: that they demonstrate faith in the one he sent (John 6:29).

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Friday, June 12, 2026

This is the work of God: that they demonstrate faith in the one he sent (John 6:29).

To have “eternal life,” it is necessary to demonstrate faith in Jesus (John 3:16-18, 36; 17:3). Many Jews did not accept what Jesus taught them about this new “work of God.” So they asked him: “What miracle are you going to perform so that we may see it and believe you?” (John 6:30). Then they mentioned that their forefathers in the days of Moses had received manna, which could be likened to bread (Neh. 9:15; Ps. 78:24, 25). Clearly, they were still focused on being satisfied with literal bread. Hence, they did not ask Jesus for an explanation when he immediately afterwards spoke to them about “the true bread from heaven,” which was like life-giving manna from heaven (John 6:32). They were so focused on their physical needs that they overlooked the spiritual truths Jesus was trying to teach them. w24.12 5 pars. 10, 11

What “work of God” did people have to perform to gain eternal life?

It appears that those Jews believed they had to perform some kind of work to receive that food. They may have been thinking of the “works” of the Mosaic Law. However, Jesus told them: “This is the work of God: that you demonstrate faith in the one he sent” (John 6:28, 29). To have “eternal life,” it is necessary to demonstrate faith in God’s representative. In fact, Jesus had already spoken about this earlier (John 3:16-18, 36). And later he would speak again about what we must do to have eternal life (John 17:3).

How did Jesus make it clear what is most important?

An important lesson we find in John chapter 6 is this: our primary focus should be on spiritual needs. Jesus had already emphasized this point when he rejected one of Satan’s temptations (Matt. 4:3, 4). And in the Sermon on the Mount, he also stressed that we must recognize our spiritual needs (Matt. 5:3). Therefore, let us ask ourselves: “Does my way of life show that I am more concerned with my spiritual needs than with my physical desires?”

Why is it okay for us to enjoy food?

Of course, it is not wrong to ask God for the things we need and then enjoy them (Luke 11:3). The Bible says that hard work that allows us to eat and drink brings us joy and “comes from the hand of the true God” (Eccl. 2:24; 8:15; Jas. 1:17). Even so, we must keep material needs in their proper place.

Which warning should we take very seriously? (1 Corinthians 10:6, 7, 11).

That is what the apostle Paul reminded the Christians living near the end of the Jewish systems of life. He wrote to them about events in Israel’s history, such as those that took place near Mount Sinai. He warned them not to crave “harmful things,” as the Israelites had done (read 1 Corinthians 10:6, 7, 11). They allowed their cravings to turn Jehovah’s miraculous provisions into “harmful things” (Numbers 11:4-6, 31-34). They did the same when they indulged in eating, drinking, and revelry while worshiping the golden calf (Exodus 32:4-6). Paul cited this case as a warning to the Christians living before the end of the Jewish systems of life, which was to take place in 70 CE. Today, we too live very near the end of a system of life, and so we do well to take Paul’s counsel to heart.

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