Year 2 Day 291

Year 2 Day 291


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 6


Message - Alan Burke 


Today we look at one of the best known miracles, the feeding of the ‘Five Thousand’. Remember our context, the people had been pursuing Jesus, yet he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd and taught them many things (34). The disciples still hadn’t had a chance to rest and it was now late in the day, now with a hungry multitude before them as it’s late in the day they tell Jesus to send them away so they can get food for themselves. They see the issue, they know the solution, send them away before there was a hungry mob. To that Jesus responds and you gotta love the answer of Jesus, “you give them something to eat”. 


The practicalities of getting this much food and the cost are just too much for the disciples to take in (38). Jesus though, sends them to find out, fives loaves two fish, that’s all there is. What we see here is that even though the apostles had already seen the miracles of Jesus, his power over nature, his power over sickness, demons, death, they had seen that power in how they had been sent out by himself to do the same, but they still hadn’t quite understood the fulness of who he was. 


After this Jesus gets the apostles to tell the people to sit down on the green grass, this is like a patchwork of people in groups, if fifties and a hundreds (39). Then Jesus gives thanks for it and broke the loves, and divided the fish among them (41). Five loaves and two fish, fed all that were there, what we have here is a supper abundant provision so much so that twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish were left over. We could try to explain this miracle away, many have tried to do that, they try to rationalise it, because from a human perspective this is just not possible. Notice though that there is nothing said of the reaction of the crowd to all of this, they didn’t see and understand the miraculous provision. But then that’s the same for all who have not understood who he was and is, for Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour, through whom all things were made (Jn 1:3). 


Delve into what takes place here and I hope the wonder of this miracle isn’t lost on you. It’s like lorry loads of food arrive to feed a full stadium of Northern Ireland fans at Windsor Park. We have a God who for him nothing is impossible, he can do anything, Jesus fed all those before him, for it is creation power in multiplying this food, but his creative power in us as he brings us from death to life, enabling us to be born again by the Spirit. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). That is the creative work of God in us through Christ Jesus.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q52 What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’ s sovereignty over us, (Ps. 95:2–3) his propriety in us, (Ps. 45:11) and the zeal he hath to his own worship. (Exod. 34:13–14)
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