First Baptist Church of Adrian, MO

Jesus asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they found out they said, “Five and two fish.” Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. Everyone ate and was satisfied. They picked up twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men. – Mark 6:38-44 (CSB)

Faced with hungry crowds and a late hour, and tired from the days of ministry, Jesus’ apostles urged Jesus to send away the people to find something to eat. Instead Jesus told them to feed the crowd of thousands using what they had: Five loaves of bread and two fish.

When Jesus divided the food, this provided enough that not only were all present satisfied with the meal (these weren’t scrawny rations), there were enough left overs that each of the apostles came back to Jesus holding a basket.

Yes, Jesus worked a miracle. The God who created all things with his words can multiply a meal only good for a family or two into one that feeds thousands. But here we see more than Jesus’ sovereign power over nature, we also see Jesus as the great provider, the great satisfier.

This same account in John 6 is followed by Jesus’ discourse on being the “bread of life.” There, he calls people to focus their attention beyond the bread that merely satisfies the stomach and instead look to him who satisfies the soul. There, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again” (John 6:35).

Like the crowd, we all know the pangs of physical hunger. But we also know those of spiritual hunger. In life we try to dull the pain or ignore it through different religious rituals, good works, or the fleeting pleasures of sin. Yet, each ultimately leaves us craving more. Each does not finally satisfy. With Jesus, we are freed from dead ritual and brought into living relationship. We are free from the need to earn God’s favor because God freely gives us his favor. We are free from sin’s passing pleasures and the disasters that ultimately follow because Jesus provides greater pleasures and eternal life.

So, let us partake of Jesus by trusting in him for rescue from sin and the hope of true life. Let us rest, satisfied, in what he has provided through himself. Let us live daily with the joy and hope that magnifies his greatness.

For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed and yet he like to listen to him. – Mark 6:17-20

As the fame of Jesus increased, there continued to be questions about his identity. Some even thought he was a resurrected John the Baptist (6:14). It is at this point that Mark explained to his readers what had happened to John. The popular prophet spoke against the sins of the civic leaders, an act that landed him in prison.

Herod, though, didn’t want to execute John due to fear but also amazement. Though John’s message offended him it also drew him in. So, Herod would listen to John until Herodias, the wife whom he had taken unlawfully, devised a plan to force John’s execution.

The prophetic voice of those faithful to God often rub the wrong way those in power. The claims of the Kingdom of God and Jesus as Savior-King are claims of authority. The Bible tells us that a day is coming where every knee, include those of kings, presidents, governors, and dictators, will bow before Jesus as Lord. He is the Sovereign One and our lives belong to him, either to our eternal joy and pleasure or to our eternal dismay—depending on if we willfully place our lives under his authority now.

Power possessed by human beings corrupted with sin often breeds an attitude that one can get away with whatever one pleases. Hence why Herod acted the way he did, and why many in power today act in similar ways. Yet, in the end, Jesus will stand as the righteous Judge. None will be beyond his authority.

When we faithfully proclaim the sovereignty of God over all earthly powers, and we call people to repent and trust in Jesus, it will sometimes upset the powers that be. In the face of such situations, we are to be like John and continue to faithfully speak the truth, even if it should cost us our freedom or even our head (6:24-29).