Where True Satisfaction Comes From (John 6:35)
- Greg Palys
- Jun 15
- 2 min read
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” —John 6:35
When was the last time you felt satisfied? Perhaps in the moment after:
Eating a nice meal.
Drinking your morning cup of coffee.
Completing a project.
Finally getting to the beach on day one of vacation.
These moments are gifts from God. But do they actually satisfy? How long do they last?
Only until:
Eating too much gives you a poor night’s sleep and you’re hungry again the next day.
The coffee wears off by mid-morning and you’re starting to feel cranky.
You start to flounder with nothing else to work toward so you turn your attention to the next project.
On day five of vacation you get sunburned. But the first day you’re back at the office, you’re planning your next vacation.
In John 6:35, Jesus highlights this tension and provides the solution. Bread and drink satisfy for a moment. But Jesus satisfies completely.
God knows we want to be satisfied. He built this into us. But we were never meant to be truly satisfied by earthly things. Each hint of satisfaction we get here is meant to point us to a satisfaction that will never end. This is why Jesus fed the five thousand. It was not simply to show that He can feed our bellies. Instead, He wanted to show that He alone can fill the hunger we have for meaning, the thirst for justice, the ache for wholeness. He alone brings abundant life (John 10:10).
So, we have two choices. We may act like the crowds in John 6, focusing on what Jesus gives us materially and living our lives for the next meal, the next treat, and the next change in circumstances.
Or we may come to the one who always satisfies. In Jesus, we find joy that endures regardless of whether we have plenty or lack everything, are abundantly supplied or in need (Philippians 4:12). We have this joy because we know that, in Him, we have everything we’re actually seeking in our temporary satisfactions: true comfort, true security, true pleasure, true purpose.
In Jesus, our bellies may be empty but our hearts are full. And sometimes, God graciously fills our bellies with a nice meal too!
For Reflection
When was the last time you felt satisfied? How long did that last?
What are you most tempted to turn to when you are sad, angry, celebrating?
In what ways is Jesus more satisfying than anything?
Greg Palys is a pastor at College Park Church in Indianapolis, IN, primarily overseeing ministry to children and their families. He and Sarah have five children: Ruth, Ezekiel, James, Eden, and Luke.
