26  Jesus answered, “You’ve come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs—and for free.

The Bread of Life

27  “Don’t waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last.”

28  To that they said, “Well, what do we do then to get in on God’s works?”

29  Jesus said, “Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works.”

30–31  They waffled: “Why don’t you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what’s going on? When we see what’s up, we’ll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

32–33  Jesus responded, “The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world.”

34  They jumped at that: “Master, give us this bread, now and forever!”

35–38  Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever.