Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 6:27

"Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed." — John 6:27 (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.