Today’s Sermon: Mark 8:1-21, “Jesus Miraculously Feeds The 4,000” by Pastor Jim Bomkamp

CONTRASTS OF THE TWO MIRACULOUS FEEDINGS (Bible Exposition Commentary) Primarily Jews Primarily Gentiles Galilee, neer Bethsaida The Decapolis 5 loaves, 2 fish 7 loaves, “a few fish” 12 baskets over 7 baskets over Crowd with Him 1 day Crowd with Him 3 days Spring of year (green grass) Summer season Tried to make Him King No popular response

This miracle came about because of Jesus’ ‘compassion’ This miracle came about because of Jesus’ ‘compassion’. It was He who sensed the people’s need and the fact that since they had been with Him for three days that if they went home without eating first they would faint.

Jesus prodded the disciples to respond to the needs of the people when He says, “How many loaves do you have?”

The Bible Exposition Commentary: “The sufficiency of the miracle is seen in the statements that they were filled and that there was an abundance (Gr.) that was left.”

The Bible Exposition Commentary: “Here, as in the feeding of the five thousand, the words took, gave thanks, and brake are all in the aorist tense in Greek, but the word gave is in the imperfect tense, showing that Christ kept giving the bread to the disciples for distribution (cf. 6:41).”

Bible Knowledge Commentary: This city of ‘Dalmanutha’ was located: “a town (also called Magadan; cf. Matt. 15:39) near Tiberias on the lake’s western side (cf. Mark 8:13, 22).”

The Wycliff Bible Commentary says the following about Jesus’ language here about grieving: “Such persistent refusal to believe caused Christ to sigh deeply in his spirit. The word, appearing here in its intensified form, probably means that he actually groaned as the sense of weariness and grief penetrated to the depths of his heart”.

Bible Knowledge Commentary: “The words this generation denoted the nation of Israel represented by those religious leaders”

Note the five penetrating and haunting questions Jesus asks His disciples: 1.“Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? 2. Do you not yet see or understand? 3. Do you have a hardened heart? 4. “Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? 5. And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?”

Jesus says that ‘no sign will be given them’ (except the sign of Jonah-Matthew)

The Bible Exposition Commentary: “The disciples learned some valuable lessons on this trip, lessons that they would need to remember and apply in later years of ministry. We today need to learn these same lessons: (1) don’t seek after signs, but live by faith in His Word; (2) trust Jesus to meet needs; (3) avoid the leaven of false doctrine; (4) let Jesus work as He wills, and expect variety in His working.”