CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH - ANDERSON, INDIANA - APRIL 5, 2026 - EASTER SUNDAY

The service frames Lent with tangible practices—dropping a stone to release a burden, lighting a candle for another’s need, and inviting participation in communion—then moves into a close reading of Jesus’ exchange with the crowd after the feeding of the 5,000. The crowd wants proof and a list of works to perform, but the text reframes “proof” with a baker’s image: proofing dough shows what yeast will do over time. That image exposes a deeper rhythm in the gospel: transformation often shows itself slowly and from within rather than as instant spectacle.

The Gospel of John presses the question of identity: who is Jesus? The crowd assumes Messiahhood must look like manna repeated—an obvious, heavenly provision—and they ask for a sign to prove it. The narrative corrects expectations by pointing out that true provision comes from the Father and that the bread now offered exceeds mere physical satisfaction. Jesus compresses the requirements of covenant life into one demanding act: belief in the one God has sent. Faith here functions not as intellectual assent or a checklist of mitzvot but as an ongoing friendship and trust that changes how a person lives.

That trust calls for incorporation rather than compliance. Jesus describes himself as the bread that must be consumed; the life offered becomes part of the believer so that spiritual fruits—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control—emerge naturally. Communion reenacts this mystery: bread and cup testify to a body and life given so that human hunger meets divine life. The upper room scene emphasizes steadfast love even amid betrayal and fear, and issues an open invitation: anyone who hungers or thirsts should come.

Finally, the kingdom appears as a countercultural, world-renewing reality that begins small but cannot be contained. Scripture and prayer guide participation in that kingdom, and communal practices—remembrance at the table, mutual care, and daily dependence on God—train Christians to live into a new social order that, once planted, grows toward fruition.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Faith is the one required work Faith functions as a living relationship with the one sent by the Father, not a checklist of deeds. Genuine faith reorients fear, obedience, and desire so that following becomes natural rather than performative. This faith produces habitual fruit that testifies to God’s presence more convincingly than any legal observance. [17:54]
• 2. Jesus as the bread of life The bread Jesus offers satisfies more than physical hunger; it integrates divine life into the human person. Consuming Jesus means allowing his life to animate choices, affections, and resilience. Communion trains the body to remember and receive that ongoing nourishment. [23:52]
• 3. Proof like yeast and bread The baker’s proof illustrates that divine transformation often appears gradually as interior change, not immediate spectacle. Expect growth that shows up in patient evidence—character, communal fruit, and persistent hope—rather than in theatrical signs. Learning to wait faithfully reframes demands for instant validation. [10:25]
• 4. Kingdom starts small, grows unstoppable The kingdom represents a disruptive social order that begins in small, faithful acts and expands beyond human control. Participating requires prayer, scriptural formation, and consistent love that resists worldly metrics of success. Over time this seed produces a new communal reality that redefines blessing and power. [36:39]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [04:36] - Lenten Practices and Communion Invitation
• [09:49] - Crowd Seeks Proof After Feeding
• [10:25] - Proof as Bread-Making Metaphor
• [17:54] - The One Required Work: Faith
• [23:52] - Bread from Heaven: True Satisfaction
• [34:17] - Upper Room: Body, Blood, and Invitation
• [36:39] - The Kingdom: Small Beginnings, Great Growth

Bible reading
John 6:25-35 (ESV)
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered 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. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Observation questions

1. After being fed, what was the crowd's primary question for Jesus and what did they want from him? [17:17]
2. How did Jesus describe the difference between the "food that perishes" and the "food that endures to eternal life"?
3. What was the crowd's specific reference when they asked for a sign, and how did Jesus correct their understanding of it? [22:28]
4. According to Jesus, what is the one "work" that God requires?

Interpretation questions

1. The crowd asked for a list of works to perform, but Jesus gave them a single requirement: belief. Why is a relationship of trust so fundamentally different from a checklist of duties? [19:18]
2. Jesus uses the metaphor of bread. In what ways does physical bread sustain a person, and how does that help us understand what it means for Jesus to be the "bread of life" that satisfies a deeper hunger? [23:52]
3. The people wanted a spectacular, immediate sign like the manna from heaven. How does the metaphor of proofing dough, which shows change slowly from within, challenge our modern desire for instant and obvious results? [10:25]
4. Jesus says that those who come to him will never hunger or thirst. Since believers still experience spiritual longing, what do you think he meant by this promise?

Application questions

1. In what area of your life are you most tempted to approach God with a checklist mentality, seeking to earn favor through performance rather than resting in a relationship of trust?
2. The transformation God brings is often slow and internal, like yeast working in dough. What is one area of your character (e.g., patience, kindness, self-control) where you are learning to trust God's slow, proofing work rather than demanding a quick fix? [26:37]
3. Partaking in communion is a tangible way to "consume" and remember Christ. How can this practice move beyond a routine ritual to become a moment of receiving his life and nourishment for your daily needs? [34:40]
4. The kingdom of God starts small but grows unstoppably. What is one "small" act of love, prayer, or service you can participate in this week that aligns with this countercultural kingdom reality, even if its impact isn't immediately visible? [36:39]
5. Jesus extends an open invitation: "if you are hungry, come." What does spiritual hunger or thirst feel like for you right now, and what would it look like to simply bring that to him without trying to solve it yourself first? [34:17]