Jesus had fed 5,000. That was a miracle. People saw that happen. People saw that it was Jesus. Jesus walked on water. That too was a miracle and an example of how when we keep our eyes on Jesus, amazing things can happen. But, even after Jesus provided miracles and examples of great faith, people wanted more. They desired more. They desired more of what they wanted than what they needed. They had their fill (verse 12) but still sought Jesus for more of their wants and not their needs.
Jesus traveled from the Sea of Galilee to Capernum by walking on water for a bit and then riding in a boat with the disciples the rest of the way. The crowd that had been on the other side of the sea saw Jesus the next day and wondered how he got from one side to another when they never saw him get on a boat. This is when Jesus calls out their infatuation with his travels. In John 6:26 he says to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves." He knows that they aren't concerned with Jesus in this moment outside of what they want, not anything else.
In verse 27, Jesus really straightens their focus on what is the most important. He tells them to focus on the food that brings eternal life, not the food that perishes. Didn't he say something like that to the Samaritan woman at the well?
In verse 35 Jesus refers to himself as the bread of life. He says that whoever comes to him will not hunger and will not thirst (this unifies what he said to the Samaritan woman and in this chapter). He does not mean physically hunger and thirst, but spiritual hunger and thirst. Jesus wants us to come to him. Not just when we need something. Not just in an emergency, but before that. Jesus is not a genie. To follow him takes effort and a humble spirit (James 4:6) that is ready to leave the old life and begin anew in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
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