Bread From Heaven

Of the thousands of miracles done by the Lord Jesus during His time here on Earth only two are recorded in all four gospels. The first miracle recorded in all four of the gospels is Christs resurrection the other is this event called the feeding of the 5,000. We have all heard the story, it is probably the most told story by Sunday School teachers to little children because it involves a little boy, and we learn the lesson that little becomes much when God is in it. Which is a beautiful lesson to teach, it is easy to understand. But as you begin to look just beneath the surface you find that there are other things that are taking place while this miracle is occuring the God reveals to us as we study His word.

This familiar miracle occured near the end of the Lord’s ministry in Galilee and is the climax of His time there. Let’s remember some of the things we have seen Jesus do in the gospel of Mark.

We have learned that Mark’s gospel has one focus to show that Jesus is Lord, Jesus attempts to show nonbelievers this truth through using situations and miracles, to show that He had authority over all creation.

Jesus had a Forerunner (JTB)

Jesus overcame Satan

Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God was “at hand”

Jesus was Lord over His disciples

Jesus showed power over a demon possesed man in church

Jesus stayed up all night healing the sick and casting out demons

Jesus preaches the Word of God

Jesus cleansed a leper

He healed the paralyzed

Jesus claimed to be Lord over the Sabbath

Healed a man with a withered hand

Jesus is more powerful than the storm

Jesus was rejected by His own people

All these events were there to show the people and to show us that this was no ordinary man. This was to show everyone that Jesus is Lord over all things. Now we come to the clmax of all the miracles perhaps this one event is more important to us than all the other parables combined.

Here Jesus shows us that He and He alone is the only one who can satisfy our hunger.

(all of us have longings) *** ILLUSTRATION***?

The feeding of the 5,000 was Jesus’ most extensive miracle. However the name is somewhat misleading because not just 5,000 were fed. As Matthew explains

Matthew 14:21 ESV

And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Assuming the number of women was equal to the number of men and that the number of children was at least the same as the number of adults, this would have been a crowd of nearly 20,000 or more.

Now it is one thing to instantly create a meal for 15 folks, but to instantly create a meal for 20-25,000 people was something only the Maker of the universe could do. But even more amazing that we learn here the heart of God. God’s Son not only had the power to meet a vast number of human needs, He also had the sincere desire to do so.

He fed this crowd even though He knew that most of the people in the crowd that day would reject him right after the miracle.

John 6:66 NKJV

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

Yet He generously fed them anyway, because Jesus loves people. Jesus is teaching us in this passage that He is Jehovah Jireh the Lord our provider! But what does He provide in this passage? It is more than just a meal. Let’s take a look together.

Jesus provided

Rest For The Weary

Mark 6:30–32 ESV

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

Mark 6:

Have you ever been serving Jesus and become weary? Have you ever done everything in your power to serve Christ all day long and as a result become tired from the extra effort it took? This is how the disciples felt, earlier in the day Jesus had sent the 12 disciples out to do his work.

He told them to go preach a message of repentance throughout the cities of Galilee.

Matthew 10:6–15 ESV

but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Matthew 10:

This mission trip would have lasted for weeks maybe even months, but they were to travel to all the cities of Galilee and preach this message. Now they have returned as they return the gather together with Jesus, and reported to Him all the things which they had done and taught.

Think about it, these men were on foot traveling the country side sharing a message that would have made everyone they knew angry. Each one of the disciples except for Judas was from Galilee and they were faced with persecution and rejection. They would have been stressed out, and exhausted this was the first time they had ever done anything like this. It would have made them even more nervous when they heard that JTB who taught the same message they were teaching had just been beheaded.

But when Jesus asks you to do something extraordinary He doesn’t just leave you out there never intending on giving you a time of rest. Notice it was Jesus who commanded them to go away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for awhile, because there were many people coming and going and they didn’t even have time to eat.

The Lord saw them in their weariness and responded with tenderness. So the disciples got into a boat and went away to a secluded place by themselves. It was probably easy to find a boat since they were from the area and most of them were former fisherman. Jesus does not call us into solitude but as the pressures of life and serving the Lord mount up Jesus is most definitely a proponent of quiet time.

It is essential that if you are going to abide with Christ that you learnt he art of quiet time alone with Jesus and His word. No one can face the stress and pressures that come with life and ministry unless they learn that it is imperative to be alone with the master.

Jesus provided rest for the weary but He also provided

Truth For The Wandering

Mark 6:33-3

Mark 6:33–34 ESV

Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

So Jesus being compassionate towards His disciples begin to push out into the lake and get a much needed break from their long time of ministering. But as they begin to push out a crowd looks and sees them and many recognized them. They watched Jesus and His disciples leave in the boat and began running down the bank after them.

They saw the signs he was performing on others and they thought hey we want in on some of these miracles. We will see later on that most of these people were thrill seekers they wanted to see the miracles for the experience of just saying they saw one. They werent really interested in what Jesus had to say they wanted to know what Jesus could do for them!

Those who were sick wanted to be healed, and those who were well wanted to be entertained. So these people watch the direction of the boat and they must have been some sort of excited because the boat is sailing straight across to the destination but they run so fast they beat the boat to the other side.

“They ran there together on foot from all the cities and got there ahead of them.”

They are pulling up at their location and the crowd is waiting for them. Some break that was lol

“when Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd that had already gathered.” I mean what were these people thinking couldnt they give the guy a break even for a few hours? I mean they violated His privacy, He was trying to spend some one on one time with his disciples and rest. But this shows us that Jesus is interrupt able.

You know when I was a kid I had a bad habit of cutting people off and interrupting adults right in the middle of a conversation. a couple conversations from my dad and his belt stopped that real quick. I remember him being annoyed and saying Kyle we do not interrupt people, son if you interrupt one more time your going to be in trouble. Dad was trying to teach me manners. I’m glad he did, now I have three little boys and one little girl and they are always interrupting me. PAYBACK

It is just impolite to interrupt someone, isn’t it? I mean couldn’t they tell Jesus was needing some time to rest with His disciples?

You know they knew He had been traveling and teaching… I mean come on who do they think they are! But in Luke’s account of this same story he adds a very important detail, he tells us that Jesus responded by “welcoming them” The Lord could have ignored them or sent them away; He could have even got back into the boat and headed to a different location.

Instead, He welcomed them....

Do you want to know something amazing? The creator of the entire universe is willing to welcome you even when you think your issue isn’t as big as someone elses even when you think god has more important things to do than worry about the stuff your going through. Jesus will stop and meet your need. Someone needed to hear that this morning, for some of you, you have real issues and real needs and you think that the Lord has bigger fish to fry but can I show you the most beautiful thing in this passage?

Jesus welcomes you, even though He has people who are suicidal, or battling cancer, or homeless, He will stop and welcome you to come to Him with your inner worry, the smallest details of your life. Isn’t that good to know about your savior?

Look again at verse 34 “He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shephered;and He began to teach them many things”

The verb “felt compassion” comes from the Greek word “splanchnizomai” it literally means “to be moved in ones bowels” where the feelings of pain are felt. Jesus was deeply in pain moved by the genuine concern for these people, because spiritually speaking they were like sheep without a shephered for thier souls.

It’s important to understand this, sheep without a shephered in the ancient world were in a host of dangers. Without help and guidance, sheep are defenseless, unable to clean themselves, and prone to getting lost.

If you are in this room this morning without Jesus Christ within you, you are wandering like a lost sheep without a shephered, thats why your life feels so chaotic, thats why you feel like you don’t know which direction to go! BUT I HAVE GOOD NEWS THIS MORNING, ITS THE EST NEWS YOU COULD EVER HEAR, JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD He is willing to clean you, He is willing to feed you, He is willing to protect you if you will just cry out to Him!

He will lead you to eternal safety inside the fold of salvation! teaches us that He was teaching them about the kingdom of God. But he not only taught people He also healed them In it says when He went ashore He saw the crowd had compassion on them and healed thier sick.

the Lords compassion extended beyond the spiritual needs of people and included their physical stuff. If you are in this place and think that God simply wants you to hear what He says and never experience Him meeting your needs then you came in here with the wrong heart!

God doesn’t want some intellectual exchange where you learn something and get wowed by His word He genuinely wants to reach down and touch you right where you are and change your life! Now there are tow ways God heals the first way is a temporary or Earthly healing which may lead to someones life being prolonged.

the second way God heals is eternally, The Bible teaches us that by His stripes we ARE HEALED that is a present reality for the child of God. I am telling you that once you come to faith in Jesus Christ your eternity is more secure that the air you are breathing, you cant lose it, you cant give it away, and you cant walk away from it!

Jesus gives rest for the weary, He gives truth for those who are wandering, but He also gives

Food For The Hungry

Mark 6:35–44 ESV

And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Mark 6:35-

“When it was already quite late”- refers to a late afternoon and early evening (sometime between 3-6 oclock just before sunset. Since it had become so late the disciples came to Him and said Lord, this is a desolate place and its already late; theres nothing here for these people to eat and the market closes at a certain time, let’s let these people go get some dinner.

and all the baptist said amen

The disciples were concerned from a human perspective and their concerns were reasonable. They were noticing that the people were hungry, and they encouraged Jesus to dismiss the multitude.

Now this place being desolate didn’t mean it was a desert, the grass was green, and the Galilean countryside is beautiful, this just means that it was an unpopulated area. then Jesus shocked His disciples....

“YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT”

Jesus is testing their faith, how many times have you been in a conversation trying to tell someone about the Lord but every time you got close to sharing you thought man, what if I say the wrong thing, what if they aska hard question and I dont know how to answer them?

JESUS SAYS YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT!!!

These disciples had no human solution to the problem at hand they didn’t know how to feed these people. So these disciples find themselves in a position most if us have found ourselves in when the Lord asks us to do something but He doesnt give us the specifics of how to get it done.

Have you ever been there?

You come into a church service or you sit in your living room with your bible or your in your car and you just feel overwhelmingly that you are supposed to do something for the Lord, and maybe there is a need you know of but you really don’t know how to get it done, and so you feel stuck like yeah I know I am supposed to do that thing but Lord I dont see how it is even possible.

When I was called into the ministry I had never preached before ever. I had only seen someone preach as a Christian for 1 year. But God said preach the word, so I said yes sir. But then the realization hit me, I have no clue how to go about doing that… i remember having all of the questions swirlinf through my mind.

How would I pay for Bible school, I’m terrified talking in front of people, how do I even go about starting to preach? Literally had no idea what to do.

Then I heard a quote by Arthur Asche which said this: Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.

It was at that moment when I realized I didnt have to have a position in church to preach the gospel. I was overwhelmed with love for Jesus and I just committed myself that day, Lord I will start right here, at TCC unemployed,living in the ghetto, I will use what I have (what you have done for my soul, how you have rescued me from myself), and I will do whatever I can to make Jesus known in my life.

(went out into the neighborhood, study groups, called friends on the phone, in the classroom)

That’s all I knew, if you’ll notice that’s the same lesson Jesus taught the disciples the same lesson.

Jesus doesn’t tell you to send the lost people without a shepherd in your world to church where they can be fed He tells YOU TO FEED THEM!

Because the disciples didn’t have a Earthly soloution to the problem that lay before them notice what they said....

“SHALL WE GO AND SPEND TWO HUNDRED DENARII ON BREAD AND GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT?”

They were skeptical, This problem seemed to be much too big for them to handle, and it was without Jesus. But with Jesus with themthis was on impossible task.

Jesus responds:

“HOW MANY LOAVES DO YOU HAVE? GO LOOK!, AND WHEN THEY FOUND OUT, THEY SAID, FIVE, AND TWO FISH”

5 loaves of bread and 2 fish this was laughable that wouldn’t feed 25 people let alone 20,000

This is the response most of us have, CAN I REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? I DONT HAVE MUCH INFLUENCE, WHATEVER I CAN DO WOULD NOT POSSIBLY EVEN MAKE A DENT IN THE WORLD AROUND ME.

Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can for Jesus.

Notice Jesus said what DO you have?

This is good, JESUS NEVER ASKS YOU WHAT YOU DONT HAVE, HE ASKS YOU WHAT YOU DO HAVE?

Stop making logical excuses and step out into the world of illogical faith.

Now let’s look for a moment at the people in need, this crowd was desperate having ran on foot and beat Jesus and the disciples to the other side. But notice something with me if you desire to receive anything from the Lord you must recieve it on His terms.

ADDRESSING THE CROWD, JESUS COMMANDED THEM ALL TO SIT DOWN BY GROUPS ON THE GREEN GRASS,

If you are in here this morning in desperate need from the Lord you must get in the position He requires. Can you imagine what these people overhearing the conversation must have thought when Jesus commanded them to sit down and prepare for a meal?

It took faith on their part to even sit down in obedience.... the posture to recieve from the Lord is a posture of faith.

AFTER they sat down JESUS TOOK THE 5 LOAVES AND 2 FISH AND LOOKING UPWARD TO HEAVEN, HE BLESSED THE FOOD”

THEN HE BROKE THE LOAVES AND HE KEPT GIVING THEM TO THE DISCIPLES TO SET BEFORE THEM AND HE DIVIDED UP THE 2 FISH AMONG THEM ALL.