Who Do You Say I Am? Part 6 The God who Provides and Protects…Here and Now Mark 6:30-56 January 29, 2017
I. Mark stays FOCUSED on the QUESTION. (4:35-6:29)
A. WHO is THIS? (4:41)
B. The DEMONS KNOW. (5:7)
C. Isn’t HE the CARPENTER? (6:3)
D. Has JOHN been RESURRECTED? (6:14-29)
Remember that Mark is writing to Gentile followers of Jesus, most suffering persecution
in Rome under the heavy hand of Nero. He wants to help them understand exactly who
Jesus is, and the radical claim that His identity makes upon all of us. That’s why
everywhere you look, especially in the first half of the book, Mark stays focused on
answering that question.
1. What would most of your friends or co-workers say if asked the question, “Who is
Jesus?”
2. What does that question mean to you? What are the implications of your answer?
II. A STORY of PROVISION. (6:30-44)
A. REST for the missionaries…NOT. (6:7-13, 30-34)
B. HELPING Jesus OUT. (6:35-36)
C. Jesus’ COMMAND and QUESTION. (6:37-38)
D. All they NEEDED and MORE. (6:38-44)
And even when it looks like Mark isn’t answering the question…He still is. He tells two
stories that we are very familiar with, the feeding of the 5000+ and walking on the water
to help people begin to see that Jesus is answering the question with everything that He
does.
3. Have you ever been called to serve when you were tired of serving? How did you
react? What motivated Jesus?
4. In what ways do we try to “help Jesus out” like the disciples did in v.35-36?
5. Read 6:37-39. What do you think was going through the disciple’s minds during this
conversation? What would you have been thinking if you had been in their place?
III. A STORY of PROTECTION. (6:45-56)
A. SENT into DIFFICULTY. (6:45-48)
B. AFRAID of the One they don’t RECOGNIZE. (6:49-50)
C. This is not the FIRST TIME. (6:48-52; 4:35-41)
This is the unique story…it’s unusual to say the least. Jesus immediately sends the
disciples away on the boat. It’s been a long day, and now a storm blows up that makes
for a long night. They are still rowing during the 4th watch, which would have been
between 3:00 and 6:00 am. Finally Jesus goes out to them…and they are terrified.
Why are they afraid, Mark says because they “had not understood about the
loaves” (6:52). What does that mean?
6. When do you feel Jesus has sent you into a difficult situation without feeling aware
of His presence with you? What was that like?
7. Is there anything about God that makes you afraid? Unsettled? Unsure?
IV. Jesus is GOD with US. (Mt. 1:23)
A. RENEWING their HISTORY. (6:52; Dt. 8:3; Ex. 14; Josh. 3)
B. Working FOR God or WITH God? (6:35-44; Is. 29:13)
C. No REASON to FEAR. (6:50; Mt. 28:18-20)
Mark is organizing these stories with intent. The disciples (12, by the way) were sent on
journey to “the other side”, over the water, just after Jesus had fed them bread that
came from nowhere. It sounds a lot like an earlier Israel who were twice carried across
difficult water and fed bread from heaven.. Mark is saying that Jesus is the God of the
Old Testament come in the flesh. He calls us to work with Him in the renewal of all
things.
8. How does Jesus challenge us to live our faith in the present moment instead of just
trusting in what has happened in the past? What role does the past play in our
present walk with Him?
9. How can you tell in your own life if you are working for God or with God? When
have you experienced either in your past?
10.What is the fear you are wrestling with now. How can Jesus help you put that to
rest? How can your group around you pray in regards to that issue?