Good morning class. I hope you have all had a good week. This week we start chapter 8 which means we are half way through the book of Mark.
Question of the day: What is a high point of your week and what is a low point of your week?
READ: Mark 8:1-13
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
8 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied.
6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
This story is very similar to the story starting in Mark 6:30, the feeding of the five thousand. The miracle is similar but there are some differences. What are some of the differences?
Verse 1- Here instead of the disciples coming to Jesus and telling him that the people were hungry so He needed to send them away, Jesus is the one with the concern for the people.
Notice it doesn't say the people were complaining. The disciples didn't seem concerned. Jesus is the one who saw the need.
From day to day, as we lift up our praises and requests to God in prayer, have you ever stopped to ask Him what your needs are?
Do we believe and know that Jesus KNOWS our needs and desires. He not only knows them, but before you start asking, He is at work and caring for your needs.
If we really believe this, how would, or how could it change our prayer life?
How might it change or impact how we live, day to day?
Verse 4 - Here we see that the disciples have another reason for why they can't do anything about the problem. This time it isn't money, it is availability.
Do you not wonder why, their first thought wasn't, "Sure Jesus, we will bring you what food we can find, and you can multiply it the way you did the last time."
Why was availability the excuse for inaction, instead of money?
The miracles are for the most part the same. Bread + Fish + Jesus = A lot of people fed and plenty of left overs.
I know we have said this before, but I think it bears repeating. Jesus provides more than we need! He is extravagant in everyway!
Can you trust Him to KNOW your needs and to provide for them, and to MORE than provide? Do you believe that is who He is?
Now on to the second part of this lesson, starting in verse 11.
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied.
20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
They answered, “Seven.”
21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
I am going to do something different here. I heard a sermon on these two stories that just absolutely blew my mind. It was powerful, and I was planning to just teach you what I had learned, but... I would really rather you just listen to it. So here is the link. Please go and listen. If we have time in class I will share my screen and we can watch together. Please trust me! It will be so worth it.
You can start around minute 26 or so.
Happy Sabbath.
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