“Bread of Life”

Series: “The Gospel Truth”

Text: Mark 8:1-21; John 6:35,48,51

Introduction: (What?)

When I was a Youth Pastor I learned quickly that “if you feed them they will come.” However, my reason for providing food was to get them there so that we could present the gospel to them. We never fed them just to be feeding them. If you only consider the miracles of feeding the 5k men (plus women & children), and the feeding of the 4k (plus women & children) to be JUST to satisfy physical hunger, you miss the point. Don’t be too upset about that because evidently the disciples had no clue either.

Explanation: (Why?)

1. Déjà vu (vv 1-5)

Did you ever experience something that seemed oddly familiar? That is what the French call Deja vu (almost seen) It is the sense that you’ve been there/done that before. That was probably the feeling of the disciples at the feeding of the 4,000. All four gospels recording the feeding of the the 5k, but only Matthew and Mark recorded the feeding of the 4k. The passage in Mark begins, “In those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat.” One commentator suggests that the crowd was drawn by the healing of the deaf and mute man. The fact that they had no food probably indicated that this was a spontaneous gathering, not one that had been planned. They came without thinking that they might be there several days experiencing the healing and teaching ministry of Jesus. Also, this incident took place in the “region of the Decapolis” where the deaf and mute man had been healed. This was Gentile territory whereas the feeding of the 5k was near Capernaum, Jewish territory. The message here was that Jesus cared and provided for both the Jews and the Gentiles. The greater message is that the gospel is for everyone, everywhere.

In Mark 6 where the report of the feeding of the 5k is recorded, it was the disciples that initiated the miraculous feeding, although that was not their intent. They were still recovering from the stress and excitement of their first mission trip, and had their R & R retreat interrupted by the crowd. They approached Jesus and suggested that He “send them away” so that they could get food, never thinking that HE would give them the assignment. In this incident in Mark 8, it is Jesus that brings up the fact that “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with Me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a long distance.” The fact that they had stuck around for three days shows the spiritual hunger of the Gentiles. When Jesus fed the 5k everything happened in one day…the crowd gathered, Jesus taught, Jesus fed them and then He dismissed them…all in one day.

The disciples reacted to Jesus’s compassion in a manner similar to how they had reacted in the Jewish territory. “His disciples answered Him, ‘Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to feed these people?’” For some reason they seemed to have forgotten what had transpired just days ago near Capernaum. One commentator suggests it is because of their “spiritual dullness and lack of understanding”, an example of which we will see later in chapter 8. Jesus once again puts the onus on the disciples when He responds, “How many loaves do you have? ‘Seven’ they said”. Does this sound familiar?

2. First 12 and then 7 (vv 6-10)

In vv 6-10 we find the account of the feeding. “He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. (no green grass here) Taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks, (perhaps the traditional Jewish blessing. “Praise be to You, O LORD our God, King of the world, who makes bread to come forth from the earth and who provides for all that You have created.”) broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. So they served the crowd. There were also a few small fish, and after He had blessed them, He said these were to be served as well. They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces. About four thousand were there. He dismissed them. And immediately got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.”

There are both similarities and differences in this feed of a crowd. The similarities were; everyone sat down on the ground. Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks and then began to break them and hand pieces to the disciples for distribution to the crowd. He did the same with the fish. The main difference was the collection of leftovers. At the feeding of the 5k, there were 12 small (lunch box sized) baskets left over. Apparently this was one for each disciple and represented the 12 tribes of Israel. Also there are 12 loaves on the table of show bread in the Temple as a reminder that God meets the needs of the 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus, at one fell swoop perfectly met the needs of the crowd and of the disciples. Perhaps Paul had this in mind when he wrote to the church in Corinth and told them “Now the one who provides seed for the sower and bead for food will also provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.” (2 Cor. 9:10-11)

After the feeding of the the 4k, there were 7 LARGE baskets (big enough for a person to get in them) possibly indicating that the 7 loaves had been abundantly multiplied. Also, 7 is the number for divine completion. There is no mention of what was done with the surplus although some commentators think that it was redistributed among the crowd, especially to those who had come long distances, to meet their needs on the way home. We know that the disciples didn’t have any of the leftovers this time as we will see in the verses ahead.

3. There is bread and there is BREAD (vv 11-21; John 6: 35, 48, 51) The word “bread” can have several meanings. In scripture it is used both for physical & spiritual food. In our time sometimes the word bread is used to refer to money. In the next few verses we will find Jesus referring to spiritual food.

“The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, demanding of Him a sign from heaven to test Him. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, ‘Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation. Then He left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.”

They had just arrived in Dalmanutha (which may refer to Magdala) and Jesus was accosted once again by the Pharisees. His reaction seems to indicate that He is fed up with their constant badgering. In Matthew’s account of this encounter In ch. 16, we find more details of His response. (read Matt. 16:1-4)

No sooner had they gotten back in the boat than Jesus overheard the disciples talking about bread. “The disciples had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then He gave them strict orders: ‘Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees (false teaching and hypocritical behavior) and the leaven of Herod (immoral, corrupt conduct).’ They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread. Aware of this Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Do you have hardened hearts? Do you have eyes and not see; do your have ears and not hear? (from Isaiah) And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?’ ‘Twelve,’ they told Him. ‘When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you collect?’ ‘Seven,’ they said. And He said to them, ‘Don’t you understand yet?’”

The hardened hearts of the Pharisees never got enough “signs” to convince them that Jesus was indeed, Messiah. Like a three year old, they just kept asking. Jesus’s response was a deep sigh of frustration, and a harsh reminder that they had gotten all the signs they were going to get. And if that were not enough, His own hand-picked guys were still being thick headed. It seems that between the two feedings they forgot what Jesus did. Now, since they only had one loaf (dinner roll) between them, they worried about having enough food. Jesus appears exasperated. He gave them a pop quiz. Even though they got the answers right, they didn’t grasp the significance. Jesus is enough. When He is there your needs will be met. When Jesus is in the boat, you won’t perish in a storm. When you have forgotten bread, Jesus will see that you have enough to eat. He will take what is available and multiply it.

In John’s gospel, after Jesus had fed the five thousand and then had walked on water to the disciples in the middle of the lake, the crowd showed up on the other side. Jesus scolded them. He said, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for Me not because you saw the sign but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal of approval on Him.” (John 6:26-27) Just as Jesus told the woman at the well that they water He gave would slake her thirst forever, here He told the crowd that they should seek the bread (food) that He gives that will last for eternity. While they were thinking bread, with a little “b” He was speaking of Bread with a capital “B”, as in the Bread of Life.

Application: (How should I respond to this message?)

Have you partaken of the Bread of Life? That is, have you surrendered your life to Christ?

Are you feeding daily on the Bread of Life through reading and meditating on His Word?

Today is a perfect time to either surrender to Christ or to renew your fellowship with Him through confessing and repenting of your sins. Have you surrendered to Christ, but never been baptized? Today would be a good day to come and say, “I need to be baptized”.