27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” 28 Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

John 6:27-29 (NASB)

More on verse 27

We’ve already talked about the food in verse 27 – that is eternal. What we didn’t cover is 1) that Jesus gives it 2) the Father has set his seal on Jesus. Jesus is the one who gives the spiritual food that lasts for / to eternal life. He is the bread of life (John 6:35) and He gives eternal life. He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). 

Sealed by the Father

God the Father sets His seal on Jesus. This happened at his baptism when the Spirit appeared as a dove and descended on Jesus and a voice from Heaven declared,“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 ESV) 

Clarke’s commentary has a wonderful explanation of this sealing. “As a person who wishes to communicate his mind to another who is at a distance writes a letter, seals it with his own seal, and sends it directed to the person for whom it was written, so Christ, who lay in the bosom of the Father, came to interpret the Divine will to man, bearing the image, superscription, and seal of God, in the immaculate holiness of his nature, [the] unsullied truth of his doctrine, and in the astonishing evidence of his miracles.” 

Clarke then proceeds to point out that Jesus was also sealed for death. He describes an ancient Egyptian ritual of sealing a bull for sacrifice to assure that it was pure in every respect, and acceptable for sacrifice – related to passages like Hebrews 7:26-28.

What works?

Then they ask what work they need to do. Though this is possibly the common folk wondering what they can do to get this eternal food (like the woman at the well asked how to get eternal water), I suspect it’s Jewish leaders challenging Jesus.

Jesus’ reply is quite simple but profound. The work God requires for eternal life is to believe. Believe in Jesus, that He is the Messiah, the Savior. Actually, we know that the real work is done by Jesus. We already read in John 3:17 that God sent Jesus to save the world.

<- Reflection ->

• Good works. This issue often trips people up. Many think good works will earn salvation. But if we know our sin and God’s righteous standard, that idea is ludicrous.