The Work Of God

Then they said to Him, what shall we do, that we may work the work of God? Jesus answered and said to them, this is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.

John 6:28-29

What is the work of God and how may we do it? Our text comes after John’s narration of the feeding of the 5,000. This had galvanized the people to the extent that they were ready to make Him a king. He was not about to allow them to do that and departed into a mountain by Himself. He sent the disciples across to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. It was on that night, while they were enduring a storm, He came to them walking on the water. The next day the people sought Him out on the other side of the Sea. Christ challenges them by saying, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.’ Our text follows that challenge. They ask Him what to do to work the works of God. Christ answers them directly by saying, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’ Christ turns them to Himself. Far from giving them a series of tasks to complete, He prescribes faith in Himself, declaring that to be the work of God. This is critically important for us as well. Do we want to work the works of God? If we do it begins and ends with faith in Him and all that entails. True spirituality begins, continues, and ends with Christ. Nothing else replaces or supersedes that. All we say or do beyond that flows from it as the foundation. Thus, Christ is the chief cornerstone of all we do.

Our Gracious Master and our God,
we rejoice that You are our sure foundation.
We praise You that You have brought us to faith
and to our following of You.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning