Jesus is the true Passover

John 6:1–15

Our Hunger Today

We live in a world full of distractions, all designed to feed something inside us. We scroll, binge, click, and play, hoping for satisfaction. And for a moment, it might feel like it fills us… but just like a bag of chips or a sugary snack, it leaves us hungry again almost immediately. Our hearts are craving something real, something that lasts.

The average person spends four hours a day scrolling on their phone—that’s 60 days a year lost to feeds, videos, and endless updates. We’re feeding our minds on a constant stream of distraction—fast food for the soul—never giving ourselves time to truly sit down and feast on what satisfies.

Just when things get quiet and we might be alone with out thoughts, maybe even hear the still small voice of God - we drown it out with the chaos of the world

John 6 presents us with a people who are hungry, they are following after Jesus when they saw how he worked miracles on the sick - they wanted more. And Jesus shows Himself to be the only one who can truly satisfy.

Two guiding questions today:

What does this miracle tell us about Jesus?

How does that truth shape our faith?

What does this miracle tell us about Jesus (exposition of the text)?

Jesus is the fulfillment of Passover (vv. 1–4, 14–15)

John locates this event “near the Passover.” This is not accidental: Passover was the feast of God’s great rescue.

What is the passover? It was meal remembering God’s work in delivering the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt that they might go to the mountain to worship God - all through the death of the first born. The people of God were to sacrifice a lamb, put it’s blood on the lintel of the door, and have a hasty meal with bread and meat - and the angel of death would pass over the houses marked with blood.

John is putting Jesus’ ministry up next to Moses’. Here Jesus is leading the people into the wilderness, coming to the mountain, and the Son who would give his life for their redemption is leading them.

The Scriptures show Christ as the true Passover Lamb, sacrificed once for all (Heb 9:12; 1 Cor 5:7).

The people make the connection in v. 14: “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world.” But note: they want to make Him king on their terms — a bread-king, a new Moses for their political hopes.

John shows us throughout chapters 6 and 7 that Jesus is indeed the greater Prophet, but He brings a greater salvation than Moses ever could — not salvation from Egypt but salvation from sin death and wrath; not temporary provision but eternal life.

Jesus tests his disciples (vv. 5-9)

Jesus asks Philip: “Where are we to buy bread?” John explains: “He said this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.”

Seeing the crowd, and knowing what he would do, Jesus puts his disciples to the test - how will we give them something to eat?

Philip looks at the scarcity of money — “200 denarii is not enough.” A denarii was a days’ wages - 200 denarii would be over half a year’s wages, and still that wouldn’t be enough bread to feed everyone there.

The head count - 5000 men. They didn’t include the women and children that would have been there - conservatively we could estimate 15000.

Andrew looks at the smallness of resources — “A boy here has five loaves and two fish — but what are they among so many?”

Barley loaves - small fish - like Ritz Crackers and Anchovies - it was a small lunch for the boy, nothing to the large crowd. It would actually be foolish to even suggest that we use the boys lunch.

Philip saw the scarcity, Andrew saw smallness - Jesus wanted them to see his sufficiency - but they had to see their emptiness first. Until they saw how desperate they were, they would never look to Jesus.

Their resources would never be enough

While we call this the miracle of feeding the 5000, this story is not about food. This is not a story about sharing what we have - though that is a good lesson

This is meant to point us to Jesus, to see Him as the only one who can satisfy the hunger inside

Jesus provides in abundance (vv. 10–13)

The people are seated on green grass

Psalm 23 echoes: He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, and distributes

Like the Lord’s Supper - simple fare, but deep gratitude, and then giving the food among the people

They ate as much as they wanted. When they were full, there were twelve baskets overflowing

The message: Jesus doesn’t just barely meet the need — He gives abundantly, overflowing, nothing lost.

This Passover sign points forward to the greater feast: His own body broken, His blood poured out. Through His death and resurrection, He gives life that never ends. We may fear our lack, but in Christ there is always enough — grace upon grace (John 1:16).

How does that truth shape our faith (applying the text today)?

Salvation in Christ Alone

Those who are bound in sin, hungry for meaning, and searching for life — turn to no one else but Christ. Only He satisfies.

This is the gospel in its fullness: Christ is the true Passover Lamb, sacrificed once for all to take away the sins of the world. He is the firstborn over all creation who died to bring us life and reconcile us to God. He leads His people out of the wilderness of sin and death into the promised rest of God’s presence. If your soul hungers for meaning, for hope, for life, turn to Him—trust Him, receive Him, and be satisfied, for in Christ alone is fullness of life.

Jesus tests His Disciples’ Faith

When Christ calls us to faith, he puts us in places where we must live by faith. Faith would not be necessary if everything came easy. When following looks impossible, He is teaching us to trust His sufficiency.

But testing reveals our underlying fear: Maybe Jesus isn’t enough.

We fear testing our faith because deep down we fear God might fail.

True testing is entrusting ourselves to Him when the way is unclear.

Testing is not rejection, it’s His invitation to know Him more deeply.

Brothers and sisters, don’t we often stand right beside Philip and Andrew? We see our small church, our limited resources, our own weakness, and our hearts whisper, ‘Maybe Jesus isn’t enough.’

But notice: Jesus wasn’t wringing His hands. He already knew what He was about to do. Jesus does not test us to shame us, but to teach us to look away from ourselves and to trust in him. He stretches our faith, so that in the end, we rest not in what we can see, but in Him who always provides.

So when ministry is hard, when life feels overwhelming, remember: He is teaching you to trust Him, not punishing you.

Jesus involves His disciples in the work: organizing, serving, gathering.

He is the head of the body, we are the hands and feet - God could speak His new creation into existence, but he chooses to work through his people, to let his glory show in jars of clay, to allow the redeemed to be his heralds.

God invites us to serve, to be His hands and feet—not because our efforts make Him succeed, but because He delights in using us.

Conclusion: Look to Christ’s Sufficiency

We hunger for many things. We fear we don’t have enough. But this passage answers both: Jesus is the true passover, the greater Prophet, the true Bread-Giver, the one who satisfies fully and forever. “When they had eaten their fill…” (v. 12). That’s the gospel picture: in Christ, you will never be left empty.

Come to Him. Trust Him. He is sufficient for your need, your family, your church, your life. Whatever you hunger for today—meaning, hope, peace—look to Jesus. He alone satisfies.