Jesus Understood

We have Mark's Gospel. It's an eyewitness account of Peter and Mark is recorded as what Peter has told him.

And we're going to be following in on some great stories.

It's Mark chapter 6 starting at verse 30. It's on page 1009.

Mark 6 · chapter mention

Page 1009 Mark 6 verse 30 to 56.

Mark 6:30–56

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and thought.

Then, because so many people were coming and going, that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them,

Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.

So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

So he began teaching them many things.

By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him.

This is a remote place, they said, and it's already very late.

Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.

But he answered, You give them something to eat.

They said to him, That would take eight months of a man's wages.

Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?

How many loaves do you have? he asked.

Go and see.

When they found out, they said, Five and two fish.

Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.

Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people.

He also divided the two fish among them all.

They all ate and were satisfied.

And the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.

The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, where he dismissed the crowd.

After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake and he was alone on land.

He saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them.

About the fourth watch of the night, he went out to them, walking on the lake.

He was about to pass by, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost.

They cried out because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said,

Take courage, it is I. Don't be afraid.

Then he climbed into the boat with them and the wind died down.

They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves.

Their hearts were hardened.

When they crossed over, they landed at Jenner-sur-at and anchored there.

As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.

They ran throughout the whole region and carried the sick en masse to wherever they heard he was.

And wherever he went, into villages, towns or countryside, they placed the sick in the marketplaces.

They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

Well, last summer, Stephen Frayne, better known as Dynamo, don't know if you've ever heard of him,

well, he performed an amazing feat watched by hundreds of people.

Do you know what he did?

He walked on water.

To launch his new TV show, he walked on top of the River Thames in London,

watched by thousands as they gathered along London Bridge.

Of course, it was just an elaborate stunt, a simple illusion.

A hidden platform lay beneath the surface,

which gave the appearance that he was actually walking on water.

Mark also records for us that Jesus walked on water.

But the problem for us and for our modern minds is,

we say it just couldn't happen.

At best, it's an illusion.

Some scholars even say that Jesus must have been walking along the shore,

or he was walking on a sandbank or a mudflat.

He possibly couldn't be walking on water.

After all, science has proven that there is no such thing as a miracle.

The laws of nature, density and gravity,

all prove that this event recorded here could not have happened.

But there's a problem with that, isn't there?

Because science can only prove natural causes.

It's a science of nature.

It has no way of dealing with supernatural events.

It has no category,

no way of testing something that is supernatural.

So for somebody to come out and say that miracles can't happen,

is to make this huge assumption that God can't exist.

In fact, if you are to be sure that miracles cannot happen,

you would have to be sure beyond a doubt that God doesn't exist.

And that in itself is a huge step of faith.

And that's really where Mark is going with this story.

That's why it's been recorded.

This is an eyewitness account of the disciples in the boat

seeing Jesus walking on water

and it's written down for us to show us

the true identity of who Jesus is.

That Jesus is God

who has come into this world

to renew this disordered world

and to renew broken lives.

So the invitation for us

is to come and read this

and to watch this supernatural event

so that we are people who will trust Jesus

in every circumstance of our life.

Now the context of this whole story

has to be put side by side

with the feeding of the 5,000.

The problem is

as Jesus is going about his ministry

people are gaining a false understanding

of who Jesus is.

Look at verse 45.

Immediately Jesus made his disciples

get into the boat

and go ahead of him to Bethsaida

while he dismissed the crowd.

It seems Jesus is deliberately

getting rid of his disciples.

He doesn't want them hanging around anymore.

Come on, quick, get in the boat

off you go.

I'm going to meet you later

but get out of here.

And so we're asking the question

why the hurry?

What's the issue?

Why doesn't he want his disciples

hanging around this crowd?

Well the answer comes for us

in verse 52.

It tells us there

looking back to the feeding

of the 5,000

that they had not understood

about the loaves.

Their hearts

were hardened.

Now hard hearts

isn't a dietary problem

it wasn't that they were all

feeding on McDonald's

and Kentucky chicken.

it was an identity problem.

It was a failure

to act upon the truth

of who Jesus really is.

You see verse 52 says

they had not understood

about the loaves.

Like the rest of the crowd

the disciples have misunderstood

what the feeding of the 5,000

was all about.

So here they were

in the middle of the country.

What's happened

with the disciples?

They've been out on mission

that's what we looked at

last week.

They've come back to Jesus

and reported everything

that's happened.

They've gone away

to try and get some peace

and quiet

but wherever they go

because of all the miracles

that Jesus was doing

and everything that the disciples

were doing

it's gathered attention

and crowds of people

have followed them.

And Jesus has been teaching them

and now it's gotten

to late in the evening

they've got no food

and they haven't got

enough money

to buy food

for all of these people.

Eventually

they find a bit of food

and they come back

to Jesus.

Verse 41

Taking the five loaves

and the two fish

and looking up to heaven

he gave thanks

and he broke the loaves

and he gave them

to his disciples

to set before the people

and he also divided

the two fish

among them all.

They all ate

and they were satisfied.

There was more than enough.

There was even stuff

left over

amply supplied.

Now this is really significant

because the last time

that something like this

happened

in the history

of the people of Israel

was

way back with Moses.

Moses had rescued

the people

from slavery

in Egypt.

He had brought them

out from Pharaoh

and he had brought them

into the wilderness

and when they were

in the wilderness

when they had no food

Moses prayed to God

and God sent food

by way of manna

like bread.

Every morning

and every evening

without fail

bread from heaven

would fall

and the people

had enough

to eat

amply supplied.

Now you can imagine

what's going on

in the minds

of these crowds

of people.

Here they are again

not under the might

of Pharaoh

but under the political

might

of the Roman

authority.

And this man

Jesus

comes along

and he starts

giving them

free food

bread.

He's prayed to God

in heaven

and he's giving them

bread to eat.

And the crowd

and the disciples

are getting very excited

with what's going on

because in their minds

they're thinking

at last

this new Moses

this king

that God

has promised

has come

who's going

to overthrow

the Romans

and we're going

to kick them out

and we're going

to get our own land

and we're going

to go places.

And you can imagine

them all wondering

is Jesus going

to lead the revolution?

When's it going

to start?

When are we going

to get our arms

together so we can

go out and fight?

In fact

when John records

the same story

in John's gospel

it says they tried

to take Jesus

as king

by force

because that's

what they were

about.

Revolution

was on their minds.

You see

they were all

getting his

identity wrong.

They've all

got hard

hearts

and that's

why Jesus

wants to remove

his disciples

away from

the influence

of the crowd

to take them

away from it

because Jesus

didn't come

to start a revolution

by taking

people's lives

he came

into the world

to rescue

people by

giving of

his life

and the

disciples weren't

getting it.

So they had

a false

identity

a false

understanding

so Jesus

is concerned

that we have

a true

understanding

about who

he really is

and what

he's all

about.

Look at

verse 46

so having

dismissed

the crowd

and told

them listen

guys it's

not about

revolution

it's about

something else

completely

after leaving

them Jesus

goes up onto

a mountainside

alone to

pray.

Now again

that's significant

because Mark

mentions Jesus

praying only

three times

in Mark's

gospel

and each

time Jesus

prays in

chapter 1

and the

next the last

time is in

the garden of

Gethsemane

it's at

night and

he's always

alone and

each time

that Jesus

is praying

the disciples

have left

Jesus failing

to understand

who he is

and what he

has come to

do.

So there's a

sense of

agony and

frustration in

Jesus as he

goes to his

father to

pray because

Jesus'

mission is

primarily one

of going to

the cross

where he's

going to

die.

And they're

always

misunderstanding

what his

mission is.

And on

this occasion

his disciples

want him to

be a

revolutionary

a kind

of freedom

fighter.

So when

the people

aren't

understanding

he goes

away alone

to talk to

his father

in heaven

who does

understand

the people

who understands

what's going

on in his

own life.

and he

goes and

prays for

them

that they

would

understand

and he

goes and

prays and

as he

prays he

will go to

meet his

disciples out

on the

lake to

teach them

privately

because this

only happens

in front of

the disciples

to teach

them who

he is

and what

he has

come to

do.

Now before

we join

the disciples

on the

lake

look at

verse 45

again

read it

carefully

immediately

Jesus

made

his

disciples

get into

the boat

and go on

ahead of

them.

Jesus is

aware of

their hearts

he knows

they're not

understanding

he knows

they've

misunderstood

and he

also knows

what awaits

them out

on the

lake

but he's

still sending

them out

into the

storm.

Now we

might think

that's harsh

why would

Jesus send

his disciples

out into

the storm?

Well I

think it's

his gentle

patience

and loving

perseverance

with his

people.

Jesus is

always longing

and grasping

that we

understand

who he

is.

His desire

is that we

would know

him deeper

that we

would trust

him with

all of

our lives

whatever

circumstance

we are

in.

So rather

than see

it as a

form of

punishment

because they

haven't

understood

and now

he's going

to punish

them by

putting

them into

a storm

we look

upon it

rather as

God's

loving

intervening

grace

upon their

lives.

Drawing

them closer

to himself

showing them

more of

who he is

so that

they will

love him

more

that they

would appreciate

more what

he's about

to do.

And I

think there's

a big

application

for each

one of

us in

that.

That as

we look

at every

circumstance

that comes

into our

life

often the

hard ones

and the

difficult

ones

we often

think

what have

I done

wrong?

Why is

God

punishing

me?

Rather we

should look

at it as

God's

gracious

intervention

using

everything

that comes

into our

life.

whatever

the storms

that come

against us

the struggles

the suffering

the heart

apes

everything

that he

brings us

into

so that

we could

see a

bigger and

greater and

more marvellous

picture

of who

Jesus is

and what

he is to

us

in our

lives.

So what

does Jesus

want us

to understand

about him

in our

circumstances

of life?

Well there's

two big

things that I

think that he

wants to

tell us.

First is

that Jesus

is our

powerful

God.

Look at

verse 47

When

evening

came

the boat

was in the

middle of

the lake

and Jesus

was alone

on land.

picture the

disciples

at this

stage

their backs

are aching

their legs

are beginning

to cramp

up

every muscle

and sinew

strained

as they're

pulling the

oars with

all their

might.

They've

been rowing

all night

long

taking it

in turns

as they

fight against

the howling

wind

their tiny

little wooden

boats

just about

holding

strong

in the

storm

and there

they are

stranded

in the

middle

of this

lake

at the

mercy

of the

elements

and they

row on

desperate

trying to

reach land

and then

we look

over

to the

side

and watching

it all

unfold

was Jesus

there's

perhaps a

little

humour in

that

isn't there

there

they are

pulling

away

straining

away

and there's

Jesus

watching

it all

verse 48

he saw

the

disciples

straining

at the

oars

because

the wind

was against

them

about the

fourth

watch of

the night

that's about

three in

the morning

so they've

been rowing

a hard

old long

time

he went

out to

them

walking

on the

lake

you see

he knew

their hearts

he longs

that they

understand

and so

Jesus

walks

out to

these

helpless

tired

weak

and

frightened

disciples

the rest

of verse

48

he was

about to

pass by

them

when they

saw him

walking on

the lake

and they

thought he

was a

ghost

and they

cried out

they shrieked

with terror

you could imagine

them falling

off their

seats

and the

oars

going into

the water

like a

ghost

because they

all saw him

and were

terrified

terrified

because the

Jesus

that they

had come

to know

well he

made sick

people well

and he

gave out

food

but a

Jesus

that

walked

on

water

well that

could never

happen

it wasn't

within their

mindset

they didn't

have any

categories to

understand

Jesus walking

on water

the Jesus

they knew

would do

things that

people wanted

like a

great healer

or a

revolutionary

they had

somehow

got Jesus

carefully packaged

into a neat

little box

that they could

contain

and understand

but now

this Jesus

has kind of

burst out

of their

box

look back

to Job

Job 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9

keep your

finger in

Mark

and go

back to

Job

Job 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9

kind of

near them

well it's

not

a little

left of

the middle

Job

Job 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9

and here

we're reading

about a

man who

is going

through if you

like his own

storm in

life a

different kind

of storm

and he

reflects on

the greatness

and the

power of

God

Job

Job 9:4

chapter 9

verse 4

this is what

he says

about God

his wisdom

is profound

his power

is vast

who has

resisted him

and come out

unscathed

he moves

mountains

without their

knowing it

and overturns

them in his

anger

he shakes

the earth

from its

place

and makes

its pillars

tremble

he can

speak to

the sun

and it

doesn't

shine

he seals

off the

light of

the stars

he alone

stretches

out the

heavens

and treads

on the

waves

of the

sea

Jesus

can't be

contained

to our

understanding

we can't

reduce

him down

into

a manageable

size

that we

can somehow

control

him

Jesus

won't

allow us

to constrain

him

his wisdom

is profound

his power

is vast

and he

treads

on the

waves

of the

sea

read on

verse 9

of Job

Job 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9

he is the

maker of

the bear

and the

orion

the

constellations

of the

south

he performs

wonders

that cannot

be fathomed

miracles

that cannot

be counted

when he

passes me

I cannot

see him

where he

goes by

I cannot

perceive him

and that's

the struggle

of Job

in his

storm

God was

great

he was

powerful

he was

but he

was

mysterious

and he

was also

invisible

look what

it says

in verse

11

when he

passes

me

I

cannot

see him

when he

goes by

I

cannot

perceive

him

but now

we're with

the disciples

back in

the boat

in the

middle of

this storm

with the

spray

splashing

on their

faces

the howling

wind

around their

heads

the waves

crashing

against the

boat

and God

passes by

and they

can see

him

God in

human form

before their

very eyes

treading on

the waves

of the sea

science

can't

explain him

natural

laws

can't

contain

him

our

minds

can't

fathom

him

he's the

creator of

the universe

who spoke

the seas

into the

existence

and told

us

told where

the river

should go

and now

he's walking

on the

water

revealing

his awesome

power

his glory

his authority

and his

majesty

in his

gentle

patience

and his

loving

persistence

he pursues

his disciples

and he

pursues

us

so that we

would submit

to him

that we

would worship

him

that we

would be

able to

enjoy him

and know

him

as our

powerful

God

who

has made

God

known

to us

in

Jesus

but he's

not just

our

powerful

God

over

all

creation

that Jesus

is also

our

rescuing

God

again

try and

sit in

the boat

with the

disciples

out

in the

storm

paralyzed

by fear

at this

stage

having

seen

this

figure

walking

across

the

water

there

they

are

sitting

bobbing

up and

down

in the

waves

the wind

howling

the waves

smashing

and their

eyes

transfixed

on this

moving

figure

which is

getting

closer and

closer to

them

and in

their panic

they try to

get back

into their

seats again

and fix

the oars

back into

the stock

and somehow

try and

row away

in vain

to try and

get away

from this

thing

whatever it

is

and then

Jesus

speaks

in the

middle of

verse 50

immediately

he spoke

to them

and said

take courage

it is

I

don't

be

afraid

his voice

thundering

over the

storm

and over

the wind

literally

he is

saying to

them

take

courage

I

am

take

courage

I

am

and again

that comes

to us

with an

enormous

amount

of

significance

go back

in your

Bibles

to

Exodus

Exodus 3 · chapter mention

chapter

3

I know

we are

jumping

back a

little

bit

but we

we make

these

connections

from the

old

to the

new

and we

see how

it all

ties

together

Exodus

Exodus 3 · chapter mention

chapter

3

and this

is just

before

the

Israelites

are

released

from

slavery

and God

comes

to speak

to Moses

and he

speaks to him

through a

burning bush

Exodus

Exodus 3:7

chapter 3

verse 7

and the

Lord said

to Moses

I have

indeed

seen the

misery

of my

people

in Egypt

I have

heard them

crying out

because of

their slave

drivers

and I am

concerned about

their suffering

so I have

come down

to rescue

them from

the hands

of the

Egyptians

and to

bring them

up out of

that land

into a

good and

spacious

land

a land

flowing

with milk

and honey

verse 10

so now

go

I am

sending you

Moses

to Pharaoh

to bring

my people

the Israelites

out of

Egypt

but Moses

said to

God

who am

I

that I

should go

to Pharaoh

and bring

the Israelites

out of

Egypt

and God

said

I will

be with

you

verse

13

and Moses

said to

God

suppose

I go

to the

Israelites

and I

say to

them

the God

of your

fathers

has sent

me to

you

and then

they ask

me

well what's

his name

then what

am I going

to tell

them

and God

said to

Moses

I am

who I

am

this is

what you

are to

say to

the

Israelites

I

am

has sent

me

to you

this is

how God

made

himself

known

that was

his name

I

am

I have

no

beginning

I have

no

end

I

exist

I

am

I

am

the

all

powerful

God

and now

this God

as we

as we're

there with

the disciples

in the boat

this God

in human

form

who

walks

upon the

water

calls out

to his

terrified

disciples

I

am

the God

who sent

Moses

to rescue

and save

the Israelites

climbs into

the boat

verse 51

I mean

imagine

what's it

saying here

God

climbed

into the

boat

with them

and the

wind

died

down

and they

were

completely

amazed

God

who sent

Moses

to rescue

and save

the Israelites

is now

climbing and

sitting into

the boat

with his

disciples

and his

very presence

with them

just his

presence

stills the

wind

and he

rescues

them

from the

raging

storm

we can

imagine

the disciples

as they

fall across

the deck

of the

boat

a gibbering

wreck

too frightened

to talk

they probably

even wet

themselves

Jesus is

revealing to

them that

he is

God's

ultimate

mighty

rescuer

just as

Moses

come

so Jesus

has come

to rescue

the world

he has

heard the

cry of

the world

and its

people

he has

seen the

suffering

that there's

been in

the world

he's seen

the disorder

and the

chaos

and he has

responded to

what has

gone on

he's seen

what sin

has done

he's seen

how it's

destroyed

things

and broken

its people

and so

God in

his power

has come

the great

I am

to release

us

from the

slavery

of Satan

to free

us from

the consequences

of our

sin

to break

the chains

of death

that strangle

us and hold

us

he's broken

into our

world

this God

man

to renew

this physical

world

what he did

to the storm

he's going to

do with the

whole universe

and restore it

and make it

new and make it

right

with no more

suffering

and no more

pain

and no more

death

you see what

he's teaching

his disciples

what he's

telling us

in his

gentle

patience

and his

loving

persistence

he pursues

us

to reveal

what he has

come to do

so that we

would reach

out to him

so that we

would accept

him with our

lives

that we

would trust

him

Jesus

is our

all

powerful

God

but he's

our

all

rescuing

God

you see

we don't

have to

try and

figure it

all out

for ourselves

we don't

have to

wait for

some kind

of

mysterious

revelation

or expect

some kind

of special

voices

from God

personally

to us

as if we

have to

understand

something

he's

told us

who he

is

he's

shown us

what he

has come

to do

through his

words

and through

his

actions

as he

walks on

water

and as he

speaks to

them and

tells them

who he

is

and it's

all recorded

for us

so that we

can know

him

so that we

can experience

this great

awesome

personal

God

in our

own

lives

the

conclusion

of this

story

is really

asking us

all if we

have really

truly come

to understand

who this

Jesus is

look at

verse 53

when they

had crossed

over

they landed

at

Gernetha

and anchored

there

and as

soon as

they got

out of

the boat

people

recognised

Jesus

and news

spread about

him quickly

they saw

him

that Jesus

is over

there

come on

quick

quick

everybody

quick

come on

verse 55

and they

ran throughout

the whole

region

and carried

the sick

on mats

to wherever

they heard

he was

and wherever

he went

into villages

towns or

countryside

they placed

the sick

in the

marketplaces

they begged

him to let

them even

touch the

edge of

his clothes

like the

woman had

done

previously

and all

who touched

him

were healed

the compassion

and the care

of Jesus

is immense

his loving

pursuit

his generous

patience

he turns

nobody away

he reaches

out to the

broken

to the

marginalized

and to the

sick

in compassion

but the

big question

is this

they

recognize

him

they can

identify

him

who this

person

is

but do

they

understand

him

do they

really

understand

him

you see

in these

few verses

the absence

of any

preaching

or any

teaching

is significant

he's

we've seen

over the

weeks

how central

the gospel

word is

to Jesus

mission

wherever he

goes

he's always

teaching

he's always

speaking

because it

is through

the word

that we

enter the

kingdom

and it's

through the

word that

the kingdom

is going

to grow

but here

nothing is

being said

there's no

teaching

there's no

speaking

all the

people are

doing is

coming

running to

Jesus

asking for

healing

and it's

all so

physical

and all

so temporal

when Jesus

has come to

offer something

much bigger

and much

greater

something

spiritual

something

eternal

to one

crowd

the feeding

of the

five thousand

he was a

freedom

fighter

and to

the other

crowd

he was

just a

healer

and in

the middle

of it

all he

speaks to

his

disciples

showing

them

who he

is

that he

is

God

come in

human

form

to

rescue

us

there's

a

sadness

and a

tragedy

to the

end

of this

miracle

they may

be able

to walk

again

people

might be

able

to see

again

they might

be able

to hear

but they're

missing

the ultimate

offer

of being

forgiven

of being

welcomed

into his

kingdom