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.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

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. 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.”

John 6:24-27

Jesus final statement in the passage above should pique our curiosity. What does a seal have to do with food? Here’s some context. In the ancient world, it was common to stamp bread dough with a seal before baking to prevent forgery. Yes, forgery! After all, if someone made bread adulterated with something like chalk or sawdust but pretended it was from a famous bakery, they could ruin that business’ reputation.

So Jesus is the genuine article, the bread that is stamped with God’s own sign. He is the food that we receive joyfully, knowing that he was prepared for the purpose of our eternal satisfaction.

Ethan Kirl