Crowds followed Jesus for food that perishes. Jesus wanted to give them food that does not perish.

1. ETERNAL FOOD

2. GRACIOUS JESUS
(MATTHEW’S PERSPECTIVE WITH GOSPEL PARALLELS)
1. Presenting the King (Matt 1-4)
2. True Blessedness (Matt 5:1-12)
3. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 1 (Matt 5:13-
48)
4. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 2 (Matt 6)
5. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 3 (Matt 7)
6. Master Strokes (Matt 8)
7. The King Calls (Matt 9)
8. The King Commissions (Matt 10)
9. Signs, Sinners and the Saviour (Matt
11)
10. Power Games and Names (Matt 12)
11. Hidden Wisdom (Matt 13:1-43)
12. Hidden Treasures (Matt 13:44-
14)
13. The Gall and the Glory (Matt 15-17:9)
14. Winning Others Over (Matt 17:10-
18:35)
15. Kingdom Values, Kingdom Wealth
(Matt 20)
16. The King Enters Jerusalem (Matt 21)
17. The Chosen Few (Matt 22)
18. The King’s Glorious Coming (Matt
24:1-44)
19. The Final Countdown (Matt 24:45 –
25:46)
20. The King’s last days (Matt 26)
21. Desertion (Matt 26:36-75)
22. God’s Lamb Sacrificed (Matt 27: 1-50)
23. The King Conquers (Matt 27:51-28)

3. HIDDEN TREASURES
(MATT 13:44-14:36)
61. Unmatched value
62. Good fish, bad fish
63. The Treasure House
64. Facing the Messiah
65. Unlimited Provision
66. Walking on water
67. Eternal Food

4. Matthew 14:34 When they had crossed over,
they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the
men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent
word to all the surrounding country. People
brought all their sick to him 36 and begged
him to let the sick just touch the edge of his
cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
ETERNAL FOOD

5. ETERNAL FOOD
John 6:22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the
opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had
been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his
disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some
boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people
had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once
the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were
there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in
search of Jesus.
Jesus the Bread of Life
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they
asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

6. ETERNAL FOOD
John 6:26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are
looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed
but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not
work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal
life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the
Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works
God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in
the one he has sent.”

7. OVERVIEW
Bible passages: Matt 14.34-36; Mark 6.53-56; John 6.22-29
Background
Do we try to shape God?
Physical food vs. spiritual food
Physical healing vs spiritual healing
Physical freedom vs spiritual freedom
Labouring for food that does not perish
Response of faith

8. LOCATION
Matthew and Mark mentions
that Jesus and his disciples
reach Gennesaret (Mark 6:53).
John’s account mentions that
they were being searched for
in Capernaum. John mentions
that some boats from Tiberius
also go to the place of the
feeding.
So we see people groups
criss-crossing the sea of
Galilee searching for Jesus.

9. BACKGROUND
Why were they following Jesus?
John 6:14, 15
…14When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say,
“Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the
world.” 15Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by
force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.
They say He is the Messiah.
They expect the Messiah to rule and provide for them as Jesus provided bread.
Probably unhappy with their ruler.
They are after short term benefits.
When Jesus offers eternal bread, most lose interest!! (John 6:66,67)

10. BACKGROUND
In hot pursuit..
The crowds realized that only one boat had left the shores
which had been taken by the disciples.
People from Tiberious and other regions crossed the lake,
searched Bethsaida, Capernaum, etc and found Jesus in
Gennaseret.
They were ready to make Him King on their terms.
They wanted Jesus to fulfil their desire – with physical food
Jesus would become King on His terms
And fulfil our needs – with spiritual food.

11. MASLOW’S HIERARCHY
OF NEEDS

12. BIBLICAL SELF
ACTUALIZATION
Spiritual
Maturity
Spiritual Growth
Faith in Christ, and Obedience
Purpose
Meaning
Fulfilment
Motivation –
eternal
“food”

13. DO WE TRY TO SHAPE
GOD?
They were trying to shape their Messiah to their mould:
Physical:
Food
Healing
Freedom
Jesus wants to shape us into His mould:
Spiritual:
Food
Healing
Freedom

14. PHYSICAL FOOD VS.
SPIRITUAL FOOD
Physical food refers to (roti,
kapada makkan) – food, clothing
shelter and the various comforts
of life.
We are often obsessed with “food
which perishes”.
Spiritual food is understanding
and obeying God’s will for us.
Jesus says “my food is to do the
will of the Lord who sent me”.
Jesus is also our “bread of life”.
He says “trust me”. He feeds life
into us as we trust and obey Him.

15. PHYSICAL HEALING VS
SPIRITUAL HEALING
In Jesus’ time as now there were
sicknesses – people were blind, dumb,
deaf, paralyzed, dying young, etc.
Physical sickness is a top prayer agenda
in the church.
Spiritual sickness is far worse. Sickness
of soul. Unlike physical sickness it is
often barely perceived.
Jesus’ number 1 agenda was to heal the
soul. He demonstrated physical healing
so that we can trust Him to heal our
souls.

16. PHYSICAL FREEDOM VS.
SPIRITUAL FREEDOM
The Jews were harassed under their
religious leadership, political leadership of
Jews and Romans.
They needed a new leader. The Messiah
was to set them free.
Jesus brings wholistic freedom.
We are harassed under Satan’s dominion of
the world. Sin cultivates sickness, sorrow
and death. While people may feel wealthy
and without lack, we are all slaves to sin till
Christ sets us free.
“If the Son of God should set you
free you shall be free indeed”
John 8:36

17. LABOURING FOR FOOD
THAT DOES NOT PERISH
1 Corinthians 7:30 those
who mourn, as if they did
not; those who are happy,
as if they were not; those
who buy something, as if it
were not theirs to keep; 31
those who use the things
of the world, as if not
engrossed in them. For this
world in its present form is
passing away.

18. WHERE IS OUR LABOUR?
érgon ("work") is a deed
(action) that carries out
(completes) an inner
desire (intension,
purpose).
What motivates us?
What drives us?

19. THEY WALK AWAY
John 6:66 From this
time many of his
disciples turned back
and no longer followed
him.
67 “You do not want to
leave too, do you?”
Jesus asked the
Twelve.

20. WHAT DO WE SEEK?
When God gave them a
Heavenly King
They wanted an earthly
King
When Jesus offers
Heavenly Food that lasts
forever
They wanted earthly food
that perishes.

21. RESPONSE OF FAITH
John 4:10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God
and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked
him and he would have given you living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and
the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are
you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and
drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his
livestock?”
John 4:39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in
him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me
everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to
him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two
days.

22. DISCUSSION
1. How can we balance our work in
this world with the labour for food
that does not perish?
2. After pursuing Jesus so hard, why
do many walk away?
3. In what ways do we try to shape
God to be the God what we want
Him to be? What needs to change?