Dwell in the Word Mark 6:45-52
Consider these questions as we dwell in Mark 6:45-52:
1. In this passage, what significance do we find in the fact that Jesus intended to pass by the disciples who were struggling in the boat on the stormy sea? How does this action highlight Jesus' divine nature and power?
2. The disciples' misunderstanding of the miracle of the loaves and fish is pointed out in this passage. What key message was Mark trying to convey through the feeding of the 5,000, and why did the disciples fail to grasp it initially?
3. How does this passage emphasize that Jesus is not merely a great teacher or prophet, but rather, God in human flesh? What role does Jesus' divinity play in His ultimate mission of suffering and dying for the forgiveness of sins? How does this impact our faith and trust in Him today?
Transcript:
As I said, this is a very well-known story, is it not? The story of Jesus walking on water is very well-known. And it's set up very interestingly here in the Gospel of Mark because he has just fed the 5000. There's a crowd all around him and Jesus sends the disciples out. You guys get away, but what does Jesus do? He does what he often does. He goes off by himself to pray. Well, the disciples can't get across the sea. Jesus sees them having a little bit of trouble. And then the interesting part of the story happens. Jesus walks on the water, and I get the biggest kick out of what it says here in verse 48 at the end. He meant to pass them by. What was going on here? What was the thought process? We don't know. You'd like to think that He saw them struggling. Maybe he was going to go out and help things move along. But Jesus is fully willing to pass them by, it says here. But just as if you and I saw someone walking on water, the disciples were pretty terrified. They thought they saw a ghost. Who knows what we would credit it to in our day, but we would be very concerned about what was going on.
How was this being accomplished? But Jesus wants his disciples to know that it's Him. So immediately, there's that word again, He spoke to them and said, 'Take hard as I do not be afraid. ' He wants his disciples to know that it's Him. He wants his disciples to understand what he is able to do. And so, what does Jesus do? He got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. Here it is again, Jesus is able to cause the wind to stop. And what an amazing thing. And what we saw when we saw Jesus do this earlier was that Jesus was showing his divine power that he is more than just a man. And so what happens? Well, the disciples are utterly astounded. And what does it say here? For they did not understand about the loaves but their hearts were hardened. What did the loaves have to do with any of this? Why does any of this matter? Well, what Mark is trying to help us understand is that they saw the miracle that happened with the loaves and the fish. They ate the food. They're the ones who said it would take several months worth of wages to feed all those people, but Jesus did it miraculously.
They saw it all and they didn't understand. Well, what didn't they understand? Well, what was Mark trying to show us in the story of the loaves and the fish? Well, that Jesus is the bringer of a New Covenant. Just as Moses prayed and there was a manna and the quail, so Jesus prays and He provides the bread and the fish. Notice, Jesus is greater than Moses. He isn't just a messenger. He is the one who touches these things and they multiply. He is the one. He is more than Moses. He is not only the one who's bringing a new covenant, but he is God himself in human flesh. That is what we're meant to see here in this entire story. Not only is he walking on water, not only does the sea calm, basically at his command, when he gets in the boat, it just stops. But also we're calling back to what happened with the loaves. Jesus is God in human flesh. He is the one who brings the New Covenant. And the disciples don't understand this yet. Their hearts were hardened. So what do we take away from this story? One thing I think that's important for us to understand is what I have just been talking about, the divinity of Jesus that we see here.
An ordinary man, even a strong prophet, doesn't do the things that Jesus does. But what do we hear from some people who have some criticisms of the New Testament and specifically the Gospels? Oh, Jesus never claims to be God. Well, yes, he does because he calls himself the son of man, and that's a Messianic term. Well, do the Gospels claim that Jesus is God? Well, what yes, they do as clearly as they can here. What are they saying in this passage that Mark is letting us see here is that Jesus has power that can't be explained by magic, by anything else. Only God can do what Jesus does here. And so, as we look at these passages, as we think about what they mean for us, we have to remember who Jesus is. He is not just a good teacher who had a few miracles here and there. Jesus is God in human flesh who not only came to show us how to live, that was so important, but he also came to suffer and die as God in human flesh for our sins. And so when he speaks, it is truth. When he does something, it is finished.
And so, we trust that this God man who came and suffered and died for us is the one who saves us from our sin. And so, may we find peace in this passage that Jesus is more than just a man who was cut down in his prime. We see here that even though we know the story later on, we know what's coming at the end of Mark, he is going to the cross. This isn't just an ordinary man who's going to the cross. It's God going to suffer and die for your sins. So may we rest in that peace and trust in that truth today.
