Bible Study - Everything (6) - JESUS Provides - Mark 6:34-44 - January 7, 2018

Bible Study – Everything (6) – JESUS Provides – January 7, 2018

This is lesson six (1) in our series entitled “JESUS Changes Everything.”

Our focus scripture is Mark 6:34-44.

JESUS cares and meets the needs in our lives.

We continue our study of JESUS in the Book of Mark. As you recall, in last week’s study, JESUS healed Jairus’ 12-year old daughter and raised her from the dead. In our lesson today, JESUS returns to HIS hometown. One would think that HIS hometown people would welcome HIM and try to understand HIM. They recognized and acknowledged that JESUS had special insight and power. But what happened? Let’s read Mark 6:1-5:

A Prophet Without Honor

1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples.

JESUS returned to Nazareth, HIS hometown. Most hometown folks love having a very popular person either living there or from there.

2 When the Sabbath came, he (JESUS) began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?

3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

The popularity and fame of JESUS grew but not among HIS hometown people.

JESUS’ hometown people failed to look at the miracles HE performed and saw HIM as another human, who somehow had strange powers.

Various religions do the same thing. Many acknowledge JESUS as a person and a prophet but deny HIM to be the One True Son of GOD Who came to earth as 100% human. If JESUS was a mere human, how do they explain the resurrection of JESUS? All of the leaders of other religions died and are still dead and in their graves.

JESUS is the only One Who GOD raised from the physically dead and gave HIM HIS Glorified body. Christians serve a risen Savior. GOD raised JESUS from the physically dead as proof to all humans that JESUS paid, in full, the price for the sin of all who will place their faith in HIM.

How does a person obtain eternal life? It is by a person believing and accepting JESUS as his or her Savior by faith. JESUS willingly gave HIS life to pay, in full, for sin and its consequence, eternal death. When a person asks JESUS to forgive him or her for his or her sins and asks JESUS to come into his or her heart, HE does and that is the miracle of rebirth. In that instant, that person is reborn in his or her spirit and becomes a child of GOD. When a person is reborn, GOD gives him or her The Holy Spirit Who confirms and guarantees that he or she has been born into GOD’S family and has eternal life. Is this too simple and easy?  It is not complicated, even children understand and accept JESUS as their Savior. Salvation is just the beginning of a life long journey of building the right relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS as your Savior.

How do you see JESUS? Is HE The ONE and Only SON of GOD or a son of god? There is a vast difference

4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 

Familiarity often breeds contempt. The town’s people said this JESUS is the carpenter’s son and HE had brothers and sisters. How can HE have this special insight and abilities! 

Did you know that JESUS’ brothers had a problem believing JESUS was the Son of GOD? Consider John 7:5:

5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

This is before JESUS’ crucifixion but after HIS crucifixion and resurrection -----

Did the resurrection of JESUS change the opinion of HIS brothers after HIS resurrection as recorded in Acts 1:12-14: (This was after JESUS’ ascension into Heaven. Consider who was present in the upper room waiting on the arrival of the Holy Spirit in verse14.)

12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city.

13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. 

Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, 

Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

JESUS brothers were in the upper room waiting on the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The resurrection of JESUS made the difference.

Back to our focus scripture regarding JESUS in HIS hometown.

5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

We see that their unbelief was a barrier to GOD working through JESUS. Unbelief is still a barrier to GOD working in and through the lives of Christians.

The writer of the Book of Mark continued to record events following this episode in the life of JESUS, such as:

The unbelief of JESUS’ hometown folks did not stop HIM from teaching, preaching, training HIS disciples and remaining on mission. JESUS’ hometown people were the ones that missed the blessings.

JESUS gave HIS disciples authority over impure spirits, to heal the sick and to preach. This was to train HIS disciples and for them to witness the power of GOD in their lives.

Then, John the Baptist was arrested and was in prison. King Herod’s wife asked for the head of John the Baptist after her daughter danced for the king and his guests. King Herod reluctantly complied with Herodias’ daughter’s request of beheading John the Baptist. (Mark 6:14-29)

The disciples ministering in that area resulted in more people seeking JESUS as we read in Mark 6:30-33:

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he (JESUS) said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Those in ministry need a break. JESUS recognized this need and instructed HIS disciples to go with HIM to a quite place and rest.

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

The paparazzi of that day, quickly figured out where JESUS and HIS disciples were headed and they took off on foot.

We find in our focus scripture that who was waiting on shore when JESUS and HIS disciples arrived to find peace and quiet. A large crowd as we read on ---

Let’s read Mark 6:34-37:

34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

JESUS and HIS disciples needed rest and relaxation but their followers wanted to be fed Spiritual food.

JESUS fed them Spiritually. JESUS is the Spiritual Shepherd of all Christians or those who are to become Christians. Sheep need a shepherd to survive. Sheep need to be led to food, water, shelter, protected from animals that see them as food, rescued from the perils of their environment, led to safe and secure shelter as the day comes to a close and for the shepherd to tend to their wounds as a result of their daily activity. The shepherd is responsible for his sheep and JESUS saw the crowd of people eager to listen to HIM teach and preach. This was HIS flock and they needed HIS attention and what HE had to tell them and show them.

JESUS not only saw this situation as a need of the crowd but as a teachable moment for HIS disciples.

35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late.

Here was the situation. They were in a remote area and JESUS had been teaching them. It was very late in the day. As a good shepherd, JESUS had to tend to HIS sheep. HE had fed them Spiritually but now they needed to be fed physically.

How would you or I respond to such a situation?

36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

Our first thought might be to “send the people away” because we were going on a retreat because of our physical need to rest. Instead, this crowd found where we were headed and chose to get there ahead of JESUS and HIS disciples, therefore, HIS disciple may have thought, “we are not responsible for their care.”

37 But he (JESUS) answered, “You give them something to eat.”They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

We know that a half a year’s wages at that time was “two hundred denarii.” 

This gives us perspective on the enormity of the situation. We must keep in mind this was a teachable moment for JESUS’ disciples, the crowd, others when this event was retold even up to today and time yet-to-be.

So often, we look at our ability to meet the needs of a situation and fail to trust GOD to meet the need. Here, we have to be careful not to test GOD but to trust GOD as HE leads us, even if it seems impossible to us.

Let’s read John 6:1-15: (This gives us another perspective on this same event through the written word of John.)

1 Sometime after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias),

2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.

3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.

4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he (JESUS) said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”

6 He (JESUS) asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him (JESUS), “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,

9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

Good point! JESUS wanted to reveal to HIS disciples and to all Christians what seems inadequate to us meets the needs when we place what we have in GOD’S hands.

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).

GOD is organized and so was JESUS. Efficient distribution of the food was important.

11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

What we have, that we place in GOD’S hands, is sufficient to meet the needs of others.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”

GOD is efficient and sets the example of not wasting. But HE had a training purpose. The disciples thought it would take a mountain of food to feed this crowd but they were all satisfied and there were leftovers.

13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

This miracle of JESUS led the people to look upon JESUS as providing the nourishment to sustain physical life. Our physical life will one day be over and what is critical and lasting is our Spiritual life. Faith in JESUS is vital to be born into GOD’S family and receiving eternal life. Physical food is temporary but Spiritual conversion is eternal.

Let’s read Mark 6:38-44: (Now back to our focus scripture.)

38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.

41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

42 They all ate and were satisfied,

43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.

GOD is more than sufficient. There were twelve basketfuls of broken pieces bread and fish, one basket for each disciple. It was a message to each of them. “You thought this would not be sufficient but what do you think now?”

44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

In GOD’S hands the impossible becomes possible. Five thousand men! How many women and children? JESUS was teaching that GOD is fully capable of meeting both our physical and Spiritual needs. JESUS taught them Spiritually and then fed them physically. Our JESUS is awesome! JESUS backed up HIS message to them with action.

Christians must keep in mind that we are not to test GOD but to trust GOD as HE leads us. Blessings!!!