John 6:3-4. 2nd Passover

Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

Some have identified the 'mountainside' with the modern Golan Heights. Jesus' motive was a time alone with his disciples for teaching.

This was presumably the second passover of Jesus' ministry. It is difficult for us to appreciate the significance of the Passover to the 1st century Jew. It was both a time of liberation like the Fourth of July in the USA or the Battle of the Boyne in Northern Ireland and a time of great Spiritual significance. The paschal lamb was slain and eaten to unite the Israelites with their Savior. Following the Exodus, manna in the desert became the bread that suststained them and later in this chapter Jesus will identify himself as the true bread of life. Interestingly the Christian Church did not keep up the Passover after it was established, but continued the symbolism of eating bread to remember the sacrifice of Jesus.