But, as in the case of Nicodemus, the Holy One was not pleased to vouchsafe a direct answer to their question. He knew the superficial character of their enthusiasm, and the merely temporal objects that had brought them to Him; _Verily, verily, I say unto you_, He replied, _ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you, for Him hath God the Father sealed._ Apparently understanding the Bread He spoke of in a literal sense, they replied by asking _how they might work the works of God_, whereupon the Holy One declared that the work acceptable to God was _to believe on Him whom He had sent_ (Jn. vi. 29). To this they rejoined, with their usual craving for miracle after miracle, by asking for some sign to confirm their belief in Him, and then proceeded to suggest “a sign from heaven” such as they desired. The miracle of the preceding evening had convinced many of them that the Speaker was indeed the Prophet _that should come into the world_, and whose Advent had been predicted by Moses. That Lawgiver had given them bread from heaven not once only, but during a space of forty years; could He give them such a sign from heaven? In condescension to the associations they had themselves recalled, the Saviour replied that Moses had not given them the bread from heaven, but His Father was giving them the true Bread, even HIM _who cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world_ (Jn. vi. 33). Still understanding Him to speak of some miraculous life-sustaining food, the Jews begged that He would _evermore give them that Bread_, whereupon, passing from indirect to direct assertions, He replied in the ever-memorable words, _I am the Bread of Life_; and in language majestic in its very simplicity proceeded to vindicate His Divine nature and His descent from heaven. This last assertion gave great offence to His hearers; they called to mind the earthly parentage of the Speaker (Jn. vi. 42), and marvelled how He could claim a Divine origin. But, unmoved, unruffled by their increasing discontent, whether “they would hear or whether they would forbear,” He went on to repeat that He was the Bread from heaven, that the Bread He would give was _His flesh_, which He was about _to give for the life of the world_ (Jn. vi. 47–51).