Mark 6:30-44
Introduction
Good morning! Today, in our journey through the book The Gospel According to Mark, we come to a massive miracle. It’s a biggie! In fact, it is the only miracle noted by all four Gospel writers (Carson, 1990). What is the miracle? Jesus will take five loaves of bread and two fish, and with that, he will multiply them so as to feed over 5000 people. So, let’s take a look. Please turn with me to Mark 6:30-44.
While you’re turning there, let me tell you the plan for today. I would first like us to read Mark 6 and consider the miracle itself. But then I would like to consider the meaning of the miracle through the lens of John 6. John 6 records this miracle as well, but John provides some additional commentary on the meaning of the miracle. The Gospel of John is written later than the other three Gospels, and coming later as it does, John tends to fill in details and offer elements left out by the three synoptic Gospels. In this case, with the feeding of the five thousand, John provides some very helpful, additional insights on the meaning of the miracle. So, let’s consider the miracle as presented in Mark 6, and then we’ll consider its meaning as presented in John 6…
Mark 6:30-44
[30] The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. [31] 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. [32] And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. [33] Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. [34] 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. [35] And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. [36] Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” [37] 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?” [38] 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.” [39] Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. [40] So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. [41] 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. [42] And they all ate and were satisfied. [43] And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. [44] And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. (ESV)
Okay, let’s really take this in for a minute…
Miracle Recap
Context. This miracle comes on the heels of a strenuous season. (1) The disciples are just getting back from their mission trip (v. 30), which seems to have gone well, but they’ve been so busy they’ve hardly had time to eat (v. 31). They’re probably exhausted. (2) And Jesus has just learned about the death of his cousin and friend, John the Baptist. No doubt, Jesus is grieving (cf. Matthew 14:13). So they sail off to a remote location to rest (v 31).
Crowds. But the crowds find them! They’re somehow tracking his location, anticipating his moves. They hightail it around the coast to meet him. When Jesus arrives on shore, thousands of people are clamoring for his attention. How would you respond? You’re sad. You’re tired. You’ve booked a cabin in the woods to get away. But when you arrive, you’re surrounded by work associates and camera crews, all wanting your attention. I know how I would respond: not well! But how does Jesus respond?
Compassion. Jesus sees the crowds and feels compassion. They look to him like sheep without a shepherd. So he begins to care for their needs. Teaching. It is striking Mark underscores teaching is the shape his compassion takes (v. 34). We know from the other Gospels he also heals people, but I think it is important to note his compassion includes teaching. We don’t just need physical health; we need enlightenment! We need to know the way of salvation. So, for example, we should remember the scriptures are a form of compassion from God. Anyway…
Problem. A problem arises. The hour is late, and they’re far from anywhere to eat. The disciples urge Jesus to dismiss the crowds so they can go find food. Instead, Jesus says something audacious: “You give them something to eat” (v. 37). The disciples are flabbergasted. They reply with a rhetorical question with a clearly implied “No”: “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread…” (v. 37)? A denarius was a day’s wages, so 200 hundred denarii would be like 10 months of wages. To feed this crowd would take thousands and thousands of dollars.
Miracle. But Jesus has something in mind. He asks the disciples to scrounge up whatever food they can find. They come back with five loaves of bread and two fish. Note these are personal sized (Carson, 1990). Think “lunchable.” It would take a miracle to feed a crowd like this with supplies like that. Well, a miracle is what they get. Jesus has them seat the people. He blesses the food, and he begins to distribute it. It’s crazy to imagine. He keeps dividing the food and handing out more pieces. He breaks off a piece of fish and gives it to someone, but somehow there’s still more fish. He breaks off another piece, but again, somehow there’s still more fish. He does this over and over for thousands and thousands of people. The gospel of Matthew adds there’s 5000 men “besides women and children” (Matthew 14:21)! There could easily be 20,000 people! Jesus feeds them all. There is so much food everyone is satisfied. Satisfied! When Jesus feeds someone, he doesn’t just tide them over. He fills them. And he fills them to overflowing. Indeed, there are 12 baskets full of leftovers. That’s how abundant his provision is!
So, an amazing miracle! A massive miracle! A miracle en masse! But what does it mean? That’s where John 6 can help us. John offers three clarifications. And these clarifications each turn into invitations for us today. So, let’s consider John’s three clarifications and how each is also an invitation for us today. Turn to John 6…
Clarification: This miracle is a test for the disciples.
John 6 tells us this miracle was a test for the disciples. In John 6:5-6, we read, “[5] Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” [6] He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do” (ESV). This is a test. The disciples have just gotten back from a mission trip where Jesus told them to take few provisions and let God provide for their needs. They’re learning to trust God’s provision. Now, Jesus gives them a pop quiz to see if they’re getting it. Whether they passed the test, I don’t know because they seem unsure at first, but there is no doubt they learned from this miracle to trust Jesus’s provision even more.
The disciples see incredible provision. As we just noted, with five loaves and two fish, Jesus feeds perhaps 20,000 people, satisfies them, and sends them home with leftovers. The disciples collect 12 baskets full of leftovers. Why 12? There are 12 apostles, so 12 baskets. But we can’t help but also see the connection with the number of tribes in Israel: 12. Twelve seems to symbolize complete provision. There is enough for everyone. Christ’s provision is 100%! And in this provision, we see an invitation for us. Jesus wants us to…
Invitation: Trust Jesus in the face of the impossible.
In this story, we learn something of how Jesus operates. Like the disciples here, Jesus may put us in a situation that tests us. The situation, to us, may feel completely impossible. How can we feed thousands with nothing? But Jesus knows what he wants to do in your life. Recently, I saw a situation resolve, whose resolution was years in the making. It brought me to tears to think of God’s faithfulness. Early on there were so many unknowns and questions marks. It felt like “how are we going to feed all these people?” But in hindsight, I could see Jesus knew what he was going to do all along, and he was inviting me to trust him. Reflecting on it all, the strange thing is I realized I don’t think now that I would trade the journey because Jesus had simultaneously answered prayer, shown me more of himself, and given me the desire of my heart and all in such a way that I grew and appreciated it to a degree I never would have apart from the trial. He had confronted me with 5000 that I might see his glory. The confrontation was a gift. It was an invitation to trust him more and to know more of how trustworthy he is and to change me.
So maybe you are on the frontside of college or a career or a relationship, and there are so many unknowns. It feels impossible. You feel like the disciples looking at the crowd and thinking, “How are we going to feed them? It’s impossible!” But Jesus looks at you with a twinkle in his eye and says, “What do you think? You think we can find a way?” In this trial or fear or question you’re facing, Jesus is inviting you to trust him. He already knows what he’s going to do, but he wants to see if you’ll lean in and trust him. Will you trust Him with that decision, that path, that relationship? Maybe you’re a parent or grandparent, worrying over kids, young and old. It all feels so overwhelming. It feels like you’ve got 5000 problems to solve, like you’ll never get through. But Jesus looks at you with a twinkle in his eye and asks, “What do you think? You think I can handle all 5000 questions?” He already knows what he’s going to do, but he’s putting you through a trial to invite you to trust him, that you might grow and know him more. And as we see in this story, the answer to the test question is yes, he can do it, exceedingly, abundantly. Yes! So trust him.
So we see in John 6 the miracle is a test, and in its answer, we too are invited to trust Jesus.
Clarification: This miracle has political overtones.
John 6 says the crowds move from bread to wanting to make Jesus King. We read, “[14] When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” [15] Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself” (John 6:14-15, ESV). They go from bread to “let’s make this guy king.” What just happened? We might miss this as modern readers, but…
All kinds of kingly overtones are present. (1) The comment about “sheep without a shepherd” (v. 34) is a comment about them being King-less, not a church without a pastor (Carson, 1990. Cf. Numbers 27:15-18). (2) The environment – a prophet in the wilderness feeding thousands – is of Mosaic proportions and significance (Lane, 1974). Jesus is looking more like Moses: someone who could lead the nation. (3) People have commented that even the grouping (Keener, 1993) and the location (Galilee, a zealous area, Edwards, 2002) all could suggest military vibe for those looking for it. (4) And then, just the scale of it says something. This is maybe 20,000 people at a time when Jerusalem had about 55,00 people on an average day (Olson, 1998). So, you’ve got a coup on your hands if you want it. Jesus could march into Jerusalem right then and claim the throne if he wants. So, there are all kinds of things happening here indicating Jesus is king material. Yet, Jesus departs.
Invitation: See Christ’s Kingship but see it correctly.
John tells us when Jesus saw what was happening, he “withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” His reaction to the potential coronation should clarify our understanding of his plan. Now, don’t misunderstand: the people are correct. Jesus is the king! This miracle absolutely suggests his kingly qualities. He just acted like the new Moses by feeding a multitude in the wilderness, and in Luke, Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, which means the King, immediately follows this miracle. So, the crowds are right to see in this miracle that Jesus is more than some local miracle worker. He is functioning at a national level. He is kingly. And Jesus is the rightful heir to the throne. Jesus is the prophet Moses predicted. But, his coronation would not come through a political revolution, driving chariots down the streets of Jerusalem.
Jesus’s coronation would come through the cross and resurrection. In fact, it is shortly after this miracle that Jesus begins to explain he must suffer and die and be raised. His ministry is growing exponentially, but the disciples need to understand his kingdom won’t be coming by military force. Yes, when he fed the 5000, he had the following to change the world by force. But that was not the way.
Jesus would continue to repeat this lesson. On the night he was betrayed, soldiers come to get him, and Peter draws a sword and strikes a servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Jesus responds, “No more of this!” (Luke 22:51, ESV); “[S]hall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:11, ESV). And he heals the servant. In other words, this is not the way. Later that same night, Pilate questions Jesus about his kingship, and Jesus clarifies, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36, ESV). So it’s not just that he, personally, has this spiritual path. His whole kingdom, generally, is not a military force.
So, when Jesus rejects the coronation coup, when Jesus dismisses swords, when he says my servants don’t fight wars, we ought to adjust our thinking and learn to see his kingship and kingdom rightly. He is the king! Make no mistake. But his kingship has bigger fish to fry than earthly political battles; he has come to save the world from sin. He has come to bring a spiritual and eternal kingdom that will grow to fill the whole world. But it won’t come by military force or state coercion. It will come by redeeming one person at a time. It will come through changed lives. It will come through the gospel message. It will come through love. The church for centuries forgot this, conflating the church and state. But the church is not the state. His kingdom is not a national state. Don’t get me wrong; His kingdom will infiltrate the state and change it, but it will do so through individuals transformed into the likeness of Christ. Christ’s kingdom will change the world but from the inside out. Executive force, national force, military force can do some good, but it cannot change a human heart or forgive sin; only Jesus can. And so his kingdom must and will advance by his Spirit, changing people from the inside out, writing his law on their hearts. And everytime Jesus has a chance to bring change by political force, he walks away. He forsakes political power. So, when we understand the meaning of this miracle, we are invited to see Christ’s Kingship but to see it correctly.
So, a test, a political statement, but John has one more clarification for us…
Clarification: This miracle is not all about literal bread.
Reading about this miracle, we can and should wonder at Christ’s physical provision for people. He has the power to miraculously feed 5000 people, and that means he has the power to take care of your daily bread. It is also encouraging to know that Jesus has the heart to provide for people’s physical needs. He cares about your job and how you’re going to provide. He cares about your aching stomach. He knows your needs, and he cares. So, we can and should be greatly encouraged by this miracle as it addresses our own physical needs. But, and this is a big “but,” this miracle is not just about literal bread, and we should be cautioned to not focus solely on the literal bread. Why? Because Jesus himself offers this caution.
In John 6, we see the crowds have found him again on the next day, and here’s what Jesus says, “[26] Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. [27] Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:26–27, ESV). A little later, in the same conversation, he explains what the imperishable bread is. He says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (v. 35). And he says, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40, ESV).
Invitation: Prioritize the true Bread.
So, yes, yes, yes… Jesus cares about your physical needs, and he can provide, but don’t get so focused on those gifts that you miss the ultimate gift, which is the giver himself! Jesus himself is the true bread in the sense that he can give you everlasting sustenance, everlasting life. Earthly bread can give you a day’s worth of life, but you will be hungry again. Earthly bread can keep you alive for a while but not forever. So, don’t just think in terms of the earthly bread.
Prioritize the true bread. So, bring your career to Jesus; ask for his help and provision, but recognize your hope is not in how he answers that particular prayer. Rather, your hope in him, that he can save you and give you eternal life. If the Lord does answer your prayers in a miraculous way, and you find yourself wealthy and satisfied, do not shift your hope to that earthly bread. Remember that your hope is only in Jesus. The Lord’s physical provisions for you are temporary, and indeed, he may take you through hardships. So always prioritize the true bread: Jesus himself. Rather than focus on what you’re getting in this life, focus on who you’re becoming. Are you leaning more into Jesus? Are you living more and more out of that belief? Are you looking more like him? There will be seasons of plenty and seasons of want in your life, but through Christ, through the true bread, you can do all things! Because he can give you strength. So prioritize the true bread. Prioritize your relationship with Christ. Yes, bring to him your every need and thank him as he provides. But prioritize him and who you’re becoming in him. That alone is eternal. Today’s food will leave you hungry tomorrow. Today’s job will forget you tomorrow. Today’s trophy will be dusty tomorrow. Only Jesus is eternal and can give you eternal life. The literal bread is just a foretaste, an appetizer, of all he wants to provide in himself, the true bread. Prize him first.
Conclusion
So, the miracle itself is massive. It is amazing. But don’t miss its meaning this morning. This miracle is an invitation to trust Jesus. Will you trust that he cares for you and that he will provide for you? This miracle is an invitation to see better what his rule and reign look like. Though he could lead an army and take the capital, he won’t. His way was through suffering, the cross, and the grave. Victory lies that way. And this miracle is an invitation to treasure the true bread, the bread of eternal life, Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior of the world. Will you look to him first? Will you treasure him first? Will you prioritize him and your relationship to him first? I hope you will. I urge you to do just that today.
Bibliography
Carson, D. A. (1990). The Gospel according to John. Eerdmans.
Edwards, J. R. (2001). The Gospel according to Mark. Eerdmans.
Keener, C. S. (1994). The IVP Bible background commentary: New testament. IVP Academic.
Lane, W. L. (1974). The Gospel according to Mark. Eerdmans.
Olson, T. (1998, July). The Life & Times of Jesus of Nazareth: Did You Know? Christian History. (Link)
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