Mark 6:35-52

Mark was an eyewitness of Jesus’ life and ministry.

The book is clear: It is all about Jesus. Mark makes no references to himself.

Up to this point, Mark has told us about: John the Baptist; The calling of the first disciples; Jesus’ power over evil spirits; His healing ministry; His prayer life; and many other events in the life and ministry of Jesus.

Some highlights include: the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; the parables of the sower, the growing seed, the mustard seed, calming a storm, and healing a demon possessed man, a sick woman and a dead girl.

Jesus and the disciples had taken a boat across the lake to get away from the crowds (v-32). But the people saw where he was going and got there ahead of them (v-33). Jesus had compassion on the “sheep-like” crowd and began teaching them (v-34)

Questions to consider about today’s verses:

35. What were the disciples’ concerns about where they were?

36. What did the disciples want to do? What do we want to do?

37. Which of the people’s needs did Jesus want to meet? What was the disciples’ response? Do we sometimes just want to throw money at a problem (in the church, not in politics. We already know that’s a politician’s answer to everything.

38. Why do you suppose Jesus asked the disciples to report on what provisions the people had? Remember, they had rushed to follow Him across the lake without thinking that they might be there quite a while.

39. Jesus directed the people to sit down.

40. What do you notice about how the people were instructed to sit? Why do you suppose he grouped them like that? We need to learn the lesson of grouping people in our churches in order to facilitate being fed the Good News.

41. What was the significance of breaking the loaves? (Mark 14: 22; Matthew 26: 26;Luke 22: 19) In your mind’s eye, how did Jesus divide the two fish into enough parts to serve twelve to fifteen thousand people?

42. What did it take to satisfy the people?

43. How great is God’s provision when we do things His way? How great is God’s provision when we “lean to our own understanding?” (Proverbs 3:5)