Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 6:26

"Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled." — John 6:26 (ASV)

Jesus was not flattered by the attention of the crowds, but immediately he began his instruction. The several answers he gave to their questions are mostly corrections of their opinions. The first was a reply to materialism, similar to the reply given to the woman at the well . Jesus knew they were looking for him only because they ate; his reply was for them to search for “food that endures to eternal life,” which he would give. That food is himself, as the later mystical utterance in v.54 states.