Snapshot15 Mark 6:30-56 “Provision of Jesus”
Community Group Questions
1. Have you ever felt that you were so busy that there was not enough time to rest? Explain.
2. Do you find it hard to rest when you know you have a lot of things to do? Why?
3. Have you ever had a situation in which you tried hardest but nothing seemed to work? Explain
4. Did you eventually realize that you had to bring that situation to Jesus? How did it work out?
5. Do you ever feel like what you accomplish depends only on you? Why?
6. When you look at your life what do you fear the most? Do you have any control over that fear happening or not happening?
Tonight I want to look at the narrative and not really investigate the details of the accounts as much as look at the few specific directives that Jesus gives.
Big idea: We should not live in fear because Jesus can provide.
At this point in Mark’s gospel we can see the disciples answered the call of Jesus to go out and do ministry and Jesus knew that they were realizing that this was demanding work.
Vrs 30-32 “come away and rest”
• Jesus provides rest
He calls them only to rest awhile; they must not expect to rest long, only to get breath, and then to go to work again. There is no remaining rest for the people of God till they come to heaven.
Matthew Henry
“Rest: the sweet sauce of labor” The sleep of the labouring man is sweet. Eccl 5:12
Jesus directed them to come with Him for a brief, well-earned rest. This was necessary because so many people were coming and going that they had no time to eat BKC
“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest”
As a parent I remember pretty much with all our children when they dropped the nap, we would put them in their crib and all of sudden they were not interested anymore. Of course it was frustrating as a parent because your day is planned around the nap. But I always said to myself “ why would you drop the nap, I wish someone would enforce a nap time on me”
“Sometimes the most urgent thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest” Ashleigh Brilliant
Jesus does want you to take a rest (the Christian worker) This is a concept that God the Father modeled from creation. 6 labor and 7th rest.
Why we don’t rest…
-We worry and obsess
-Others will not let us Vrs 32 & 33
Vrs 33 interestingly enough the people got there ahead of them. Isn’t that just typical of our lives. There is always someone waiting to take my rest away.
-We depend on our own performance (pride)
Transition: We need not depend only on ourselves to meet the needs that we have. We need to realize that Jesus is willing to provide for us.
• Jesus provides for daily needs
Vrs 34 Jesus has compassion on those who are in need. “sheep without a shepherd” no guidance and no one to meet there needs
Some people don’t believe that God cares or is there. (Atheist Joke)
An atheist was upset and tired of his Christian neighbor praying next door. One day the lady did not have money for groceries and was praying loud for God’s provision. The atheist got so tired of listening to her that went to the supermarket to buy her some groceries. He then left the bags on the steps in front of her house, rang the bell and hide in the bushes. When the lady opened the door and saw the bags, she thanked God for the groceries and the atheist came out and said: I got you!! The lady asked him why he got her and he responded: "God does not exist, he did not buy you anything, I heard you and went and bought you the groceries and left them here".
The lady looked at him and then looked up and said: Thank you God for your provision and for making my enemy pay for it!
Notice the need He met first was to “teach them”
Jesus knew that their spiritual need was their greatest need GOSPEL
Vrs 35-38 The disciples are worried about what everyone will eat.
Jesus answered “give them something to eat”
The disciples ask if they should go out and buy food. They were probably not serious in their offer because it would have been 8 months salary to feed this crowd.
Feeding could be a foretaste of the wedding supper where the Lord continually provides for His people. Did you know that in Heaven it is not an issue of where our food will come from?
Vrs 38 “how many loaves do you have? Go and see” I think that Jesus may have been comparing what they had with what He could provide.
What can you provide? What can Jesus provide?
What may Jesus be asking you to do to help others? When we use what we have to help others it does two things.
1. It helps others.
2. It displays that we trust Jesus that when we use something we have to bless others He will take care of us.
Vrs 39-44 the miracle
Why we don’t trust Jesus’ provision…
-We worry and obsess
-We won’t let others help us. (pride)
-We depend on our own performance (pride)
Transition: So many times we don’t rest and we trust that Jesus provides for our daily needs because we live in fear.
Fear can be very powerful.
Helminthophobia- Fear of being infested with worms.
Lachanophobia- Fear of vegetables.
Bibliophobia- Fear of books.
Pediophobia- Fear of dolls.
Pedophobia- Fear of children.
Dutchphobia- Fear of the Dutch.
Ideophobia- Fear of ideas.
Ecclesiophobia- Fear of church.
Euphobia- Fear of hearing good news.
Homilophobia- Fear of sermons.
Geliophobia- Fear of laughter.
Vrs 45-52 A. T. Robertson says “Perhaps Peter was not fond of telling that story.”
Vrs 50 “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid”
• Jesus says “do not be afraid”.
When Jesus is saying “take heart it is I do not be afraid” He saying I got your back.
Question: What are you not letting Jesus take hold of because you are acting in fear? I can’t take a rest from this, I have to do more Jesus will not take care of me.
Vrs 51-52 The disciples were trying to make sense of all this and because they could not and Jesus did not fit their idea of what the Messiah may look like “their hearts were hardened”
When we act in fear we have hard hearts.
Vrs 53-56 And Jesus continues to provide for the people.
• Jesus is willing and able:
If you think He does not care, you are wrong. If you think He can’t handle whatever issue or situation comes into your life, you are wrong. If you continue to act in fear and not trust Him, you are wrong and He will continue to teach you that He is right.
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