Meeting People’s Needs
Mark 2026 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
Introduction
Introduction
In our passage this morning, we come again to a familiar passage. There is a need that only Jesus can fill. Once more, Jesus shows His compassion and acts out His love through providing for those people who are seeking Him.
Mark was likely the first Gospel written. Under the inspiration of God, he writes with an intent to point his readers toward the Cross and the Empty Tomb. Those who read are faced with a question: who is this Jesus?
As we grow in our walk with God this year, we want to be Following in the Life of Faith. That means that we must begin with the correct Person to put our faith in. Mark gives us the message of Jesus to all people.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Will you commit each day to believe God and His promises? Will you confess your sins and choose to grow in relationship to Him? If you have not yet, will you believe in Him for salvation? Let’s Follow in the Life of Faith this year and see God do!
This passage in Mark is commonly called “The Feeding of the Five Thousand.” We likely have all read or heard about this passage before. Amazingly, this is the only miracle that is mentioned in each of the Gospels. There is in many peoples minds a picture of the flannel graph that they saw of this story in Sunday School as a child. I can see the curved flannels of the multitudes on either hill even now. Jesus stands teaching in the midst and then He divides them up to give them the bread and fish.
But today, we don’t need a story that will remind us of the past. We live in a world of uncertainty. The prices of many things are going up. People need jobs and vehicles. Problems face us on every side as we go through life. This is where the story of the “Feeding of the Five Thousand” becomes a passage that can help us see the care of a loving God for even you today.
During His Temptation with satan, Jesus quoted a verse from Deuteronomy that brings out our theme this morning. Moses reminds the people about the lessons of the wilderness for the coming conquest. God is a loving and caring God.
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
The ministry of Jesus is not just to meet a medical need or a moral need. Jesus came to provide for the ultimate spiritual need of mankind. That provision is made clear in the Word of God, the truth that God has spoken that is relevant even today. Let’s see how Jesus does this in our passage this morning.
Declaration
Declaration
Jesus saw the people without proper leadership, especially spiritual. He had compassion and taught them. Today, we have the same need that these people did and we must seek the truth of God's Word. The Word of God, Himself, meets two different needs here.
1. The Spiritual Need
1. The Spiritual Need
And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
The first need that Jesus takes care of in our passage is the Spiritual Need. Jesus came to take care of a spiritual need that all people have. Here, we see that Mark is going to begin with this common need.
In verse 30, the disciples return to Jesus. They had been sent out in verses 12-13 and had seen God do many things through their ministry. The preaching of repentance and the use of oil had brought spiritual and physical healing. Now, after the story of Herod and John, they have come back to Jesus.
The preaching of the Gospel is the most important action that can be taken. Jesus is about His Father’s business and so should we be. The Spiritual Need of the world is the preaching of the Word of God.
The preaching of the Word of God is pointing to the remedy of the Spiritual Need of man met in Jesus. Our spiritual need is payment for our sin. We are condemned because of what we have done against the Word of God. We have lied, stolen, and chosen anger against others. We are like sheep having gone astray.
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
In verse 31, Jesus commands His disciples to come to another place in order to get some needed rest. The constant ministry is draining. We all must find our rest in Him. There is a definite message here of ministry and rest. Jesus commands them to come “and rest a while.” He knows what is about to happen in the place they are going but the invitation remains because all care is to be left in the power of the Providing God. The people have been coming and going. Now Jesus and the disciples are going apart. They go to a place where few if any people were, a “desert” place as in verse 31.
But when they arrive, the people have already gotten there first. The rest that they expected seemed to have been taken from them. In the midst of rest, they are still willing to help but imagine how they must have felt about their expectations of being alone with Jesus and resting from other people.
The disciples might have seen the people as a nuisance. Jesus saw them as sheep who were in need of a leader or shepherd. The eyes of Jesus were looking at the people around Him and seeing their Spiritual Need. They had come to receive what only He could give. The Spiritual Need of mankind either leads him to a reliance on his own way or to a choice to come to the One who can provide the great remedy. There are only two choices for filling the Spiritual Need: self or Saviour.
If we try to meet the obligations that our sin places upon us, we will fail. If we try to do good deeds to outweigh our sins, we will spend our whole lives in a vain pursuit that ends in eternal condemnation. Only Jesus can pay our debt.
Jesus sees the need and Jesus feels compassion on the people. The reason for the compassion of Jesus is the lack of direction that He sees in the people who have traveled so far to come to Him. In Matthew, Mark and John, only Jesus has compassion on those around Him in need. The disciples struggle, as we do, to catch the heart of Jesus in the presence of needy, sinful people.
The significance of "not having a shepherd" points to the prophetic need of Jesus in verse 34. The leaders of the Old Testament were often connected to the idea of a shepherd leading the sheep. Above and beyond them, God was the Great Shepherd who had led His chosen people out of the land of Egypt to the promised pastures of Canaan. David tells us,
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.
In an uninhabited place, these people have come. We know from what Jesus says elsewhere, they came for the miracles. But what they find is the Person who the miracles pointed to. Isaiah, often seen in the Gospel of Mark, helps us see what Jesus is saying. God, he says,
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with his arm, And carry them in his bosom, And shall gently lead those that are with young.
The Shepherd sees the sheep. He feels with them and for them. And, the Shepherd provides the remedy: “and he began to teach them many things.” The teaching of Jesus is that the kingdom is here, the time has come, and the right response is to repent and believe the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus has come and died for mankind’s sin. He was buried and rose again to give new life. Every person can have eternal life through the sacrifice of Jesus.
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Verse 34 is the central remedy of Jesus toward those in need of food and leadership. The need met in the “Feeding of the Five Thousand” is not for physical food but for spiritual food that could only be supplied by a leader with correct "leaven". Moses knew the need of a Shepherd to come in the future. Joshua was the immediate fulfillment but only Jesus could supply the Spiritual Need of man.
Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
The Spiritual Need of man is met in the work of Jesus for us. Preaching is the chosen method by God to communicate this good news. When we see people around us, do we have this sight and compassion? A Christian leader is focused on meeting the spiritual needs of others. Jesus set about teaching the people because what they need is the Word of God.
2. The Physical Need
2. The Physical Need
And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
The second need that Jesus meets here is the Physical Need. Jesus cares about our cares and concerns. He told those listening in the Sermon on the Mount,
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
No matter how mankind may act, only God can give bread and only God can bless a harvest.
Recently, I have read several articles on the current issues facing farmers in the United States. Prices of fuel have gone up substantially in the past several months. The prices of equipment are high as well. But beyond those needs, there is a shortage of fertilizer on the market. It seems that Russia is one of the global suppliers of fertilizer and they are currently limiting supply. Together these are challenges facing each person who works as a farmer.
If those were all, that would be challenges enough. Yet, today we are in a drought in North America. People are in need of rain. We can irrigate to some extent but only God can bring rain. Only God can supply physical needs because all things are His. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, Call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts: And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, And the snow from heaven, And returneth not thither, But watereth the earth, And maketh it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, But it shall accomplish that which I please, And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God is the supplier of His Word for the Spiritual Need of man. God is the supplier of the Physical Need of man for all that allows him to live. Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy here in Mark.
After teaching the people, the sun is going down and the people are hungry. The disciples encourage Jesus to send the people elsewhere for their food. Verses 35-38 are the back and forth by Jesus and the disciples on provision for the people. Instead of sending them away, Jesus commands the disciples to give to the people food. They cannot see how such a thing would be affordable. How could it be possible?
Jesus commands His disciples to “go and see” what there is that God has provided for their need. They find five loaves and two fishes. The smallness of the food is nothing in the hands of Jesus. As John records, the doubts of the disciples are about to be met with the power of Jesus.
There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
Verses 39-44 are the miracle of the multiplied bread and fish. Jesus has the people sit down in groups organized by size. The word “ranks” here gives the idea of a garden with purposeful planting by the gardener. Jesus organizes the people as God had done in the Exodus. Then, Jesus takes the bread and fish and gives thanks to God. He looks up and acknowledges the supply of God to meet this Physical Need. And Jesus gives the food to the disciples to spread to the people.
Beyond the need of food for survival, the satisfaction of a Thanksgiving meal is seen in the statement “and were filled.” Every person is able to eat to their maximum comfort. God provides our needs even to the point of contentment if we will allow His Spirit to work out the commands of Scripture in us. Paul tells us about the physical provision of Jesus for every need,
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Only God could provide food for the people. Only God takes care of us. The disciples could rely on God’s provision in their mission but they could not see it in the presence of Jesus. Brother, Jesus supplies your need as well. He has given you the strength to work. He has given you the job to work at. He has given you the place where you live and the car you drive. He has given you the breath, life and ability to be all that you are today! Do you believe when He tells you that He will take care of that need you have? Do you carry out the love of Jesus in caring for others? The compassion of the Shepherd ought to shine through the life of the sheep! People have physical needs. How can we help them?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus saw the people without proper leadership, especially spiritual. He had compassion and taught them. Today, we have the same need that these people did and we must seek the truth of God's Word.
The truth of the Word of God is that Jesus is the only remedy for our sin. He is the Only way of salvation out of our hopeless condition. He is the supplier of our Spiritual Need and our Physical Need.
Jesus taught in the Gospel of John,
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Where are you looking today for your need? Do you think you can meet it? Do you think your friend or family can meet it? Do you think that you can find a better Shepherd than Him? Many have tried and all have failed. Only Jesus is the Great Shepherd. Only He is the Bread of Life. Only He can meet that longing that you have in your heart for peace and satisfaction. He fills up and He supplies.
We have needs, both spiritual and physical. Jesus supplies both. But, the greater is spiritual. Has your spiritual need been supplied today? Accept the free gift of Jesus for salvation. Reach out in repentance and faith and believe that He has taken away your sin and He will give you eternal life. Jesus is the Remedy. Will you accept His supply today?
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
