[Jesus said] Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.

Devotion based on John 6:27

Food spoilage is not a pleasant subject. As we push our carts through the grocery aisles or sit in the booth of our favorite diner, the reality of food spoilage is not something we like to think about. Nevertheless, experts remind us that the moment food is harvested, that food begins to decompose. True, we can slow the process through chemicals, drying, refrigeration, and freezing, but the process continues. In the United States alone, people throw out about 150 tons of food per day. And very likely, each of us has experienced—or knows someone who has experienced—food poisoning from eating food that has broken down too much.

It’s a sobering thing when you think about it. The very substance we need to sustain our bodies is, as we eat it, in the process of spoiling, decomposing, and breaking down. It’s a vivid reminder of the broken world in which we live; a world broken by sin—your sin and mine.

Jesus knows all about this too. That’s why he tells us, “Do not work for food that spoils.” The answer to life is not consuming something that will break down and spoil. Rather, the answer must come from outside, beyond this dying world.

Jesus says, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” The food that endures to eternal life is Jesus himself. The food that endures to eternal life is the one who has lived a sinless life on our behalf, died on the cross for our every sin, risen from death, and now reigns in the glories of heaven.

In Jesus alone, we find what lasts, and there is life eternal. In Jesus alone, we possess an inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade.

Prayer: