John 6:29,30 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

This is the work of God,— The Jews having their minds filled with the notion of the great empire which the Messiah was to erect, expected, no doubt, that Jesus would have bidden them first rise against the Romans, and vindicate their liberties, and then, by the terror of fire and sword, establish the Messiah's authority in every country. Wherefore, when he told them that the whole work which God required of them towards erecting the Messiah's kingdom, was, that they should believe on the Messiah, whom he had now sent unto them, they were exceedingly offended, thinking that he could not be the Messiah promised in the law and the prophets: and some, more audacious than the rest, had the confidence to tell him, that since he pretended to be the Messiah, and required them to believe in him as such, (notwithstanding his character appeared to them entirely different from that of the great deliverer whom they expected, being so humble and peaceable as to refuse the crown, which of right pertained to the Messiah, and which they had offered him,) it would be proper that he should shew greater miracles than their law-giver had performed; otherwise they could not be to blame, if, believing Moses and the prophets, they persisted in their ancient faith concerning the Messiah, and concerning the duty which they owed him. The sentiments of those who speak to Christ in this discourse, are so various, (comp. John 6:34; John 6:41-42.) and the evangelist so expressly declares that there was a debate between them, John 6:52 that it would be wrong to imagine the sentiments in the 30th verse to have been those of the whole multitude, who had followed Christ with so much eagerness from place to place for several days. See the following note, and particularly the notes on John 6:63 and on Matthew 12:38-39.