Mark

By Joyce Webb 2022

Chapter 6 Vs. 35-56

Verse 35-36 Jesus had been teaching the crowd of people. Now it was late afternoon.
The disciples came to Jesus telling him that they should send the people away. It was almost time for a supper meal and the people had no food with them.

The disciples thought the people should go and try to find some villages along the way and buy some food.

Verse 37 Jesus surprised the disciples by saying, “Give them something to eat.”
The disciples said. “Should we go and spent 200 penny-worth of money to feed them?” (That’s about $32.00 of our money.)

(The disciples depended on offerings from people for their money. There was 12 of them, plus Jesus. Some of the men had families to take care of.)

Verse 38 Jesus asked the disciples ” How many loaves of bread do you have?” “Go and see how much bread people have.”

When the disciples came back to Jesus—they said they had 5 loaves (probably like a bun or roll) and 2 fishes.

(We know from reading in the other gospel books —that is was one boy’s lunch.)
The boy gave his lunch to one of the disciples. Many boys would not have given his lunch away.

Verses 39-43 Jesus told the people to sit down in groups —50 in a group.

Jesus took the 5 loaves and 2 fishes and looked up into heaven and blessed the food. Then he began to break it. The loaves just kept on going and breaking and breaking and the fish, too. They had many baskets of food to pass out.

Everyone ate all they wanted. Then the disciples gathered up what was left over. There were 12 baskets full of food that was left over.

Verse 44 There were about 5000 men. (Bible teachers think that the number did not include women and children—so there were many more than 5000 that were fed.)

Verse 45 Jesus told the disciples to get into the ship and go back across the water. They were to go to Bethsaida. Then Jesus told the people to go home.

Verse 46 (Jesus is still on land. The disciples are in the ship crossing the water.) Jesus went by himself to pray.

Verse 47 It was now night—dark—the ship was half way across the water.

Verse 48 Jesus saw the disciples were working hard to row the big boat. The boat/ship was large enough that it needed several men to row.

The wind had become strong—like before a storm comes. The men were having a hard time pulling the oars and getting the boat to go forward.

Some of these men were experienced fishermen. They were strong and had been in bad weather many times.

It was about the fourth watch of the night. (About 3:00 am until sunrise)

Jesus stepped off the land and onto the water. He walked on the water toward the boat/ship.
He kept walking like he was going to pass them by.

(He must have walked really fast—-and in the waves—because of the wind blowing the water.)

Verse 49 The disciples saw him walking on the water. At first, they were afraid. They thought he was a ghost or spirit.

Verse 50 They cried out. Then Jesus began to talk to them. He said, “Be of good cheer (happy). It is I. Do not be afraid.”

Verse 51 (In Matthew chp. 14, it tells how Peter asked to walk on the water and come to Jesus.)

Mark does not tell about Peter. Mark just says that Jesus came into the boat. As soon as Jesus was in the boat, the wind stopped blowing.

The disciples were amazed at all of it. Jesus on the water, Peter, the wind stopping. They saw Jesus’ power—and were amazed.

Verse 52 The disciples had just seen the miracle of the bread.

An ordinary man could not have done that. Yet somehow they still did not see Jesus as God.
Yet, when they saw Jesus on the water and the wind stopping—they began to see that he had power that a man does not have.

It is beginning to come into their thinking that this “man” is very special ! He is not an ordinary man.

Verse 53, 54 When they crossed the water —they came to a town called Gennesaret. When they all got out of the boat, the people saw that it was Jesus.

Verse 55 The people began to run around the town—-getting people who were sick—even carrying them on their beds (like a mat you would put on the floor) —-they brought them to Jesus for him to heal them.

Verse 56 Wherever Jesus went—to any town–people brought the sick and laid them by the road—for Jesus to touch them as he went by—-even if they only touched the bottom edge of his robe.—they were healed.