Mark 6:30-56

Bringing the sermon home:

With “the feeding of the 5,000,” we see that Christ is the good shepherd of God’s people who was promised to come (e.g., Num 27:15-18; Ezek 34:23-24). Before feeding them physical bread, He spends the day “teaching them many things,” showing us the primary way that He feeds His sheep: through His Word. After commanding His disciples to give the hungry people something to eat, though the disciples have nothing in their hands to give, He then fills their hands with exactly what those around them need. It’s a physical picture of a spiritual reality: all we have to offer the spiritually needy around us is the bread that Jesus provides us: His Word.

After Jesus literally walks on water to reach His disciples as they are fighting against a storm at sea, Mark records that “they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves.” Clearly, these miracles were designed to teach them (and us) who Jesus is. Not only is He the good shepherd who leads, feeds, and protects His sheep, He is God the Son in human flesh. Understand this rightly, and we will not panic in the fury of the storms into which He leads us.

The passage concludes by highlighting the crowds of people who do recognize Jesus (rather than confusing Him for a ghost) and who run to Jesus to “be made well” (i.e., “saved”). May we likewise reach out to touch Jesus in faith that we may be saved and equipped to serve.