Can't You Read The Sign? Series

Introduction:

A. Have you ever noticed how we sometimes experience involuntary blindness?

1. Something might be sitting right in front of us, and yet we don’t see it; like, “where are my keys?” or “I can’t find my cell phone” or “where’s the pepper?” They are right in front of us!

B. Sometimes our blindness is a lack of paying attention, whereas other times it is an on-purpose ignorance or ignoring.

1. For instance, let’s consider some of the signs some people are prone to ignore.

a. How about this sign: Keep off the grass.

b. How about: No swimming.

c. How about: Speed limits.

d. How about our favorite low bridge – the Onondaga Parkway railroad bridge. Did you know that there are a total of 46 signs and signals ahead of the bridge from both sides that warn drivers about the low bridge and that no commercial trucks are allowed on the road?

C. In the section from the Gospel of Mark that we are going to explore today, Mark directs our attention to the people around Jesus who were struggling with spiritual blindness.

1. Sadly, those who were experiencing the blindness toward Jesus weren’t just the crowds or the Pharisees, but also included the apostles as well.

2. As we work through today’s passage, let’s look at the four signs that should help everyone understand who Jesus really is.

3. I hope that as we look at these signs, we will see Jesus more clearly and that any spiritual blindness that we might have can be corrected.

I. The Sign of Bread (Mark 8:1-10)

A. Mark wrote: 1 In those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He called the disciples and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a long distance.”

4 His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to feed these people?” 5 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked them.

“Seven,” they said. 6 He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. So they served them to the crowd. 7 They also had a few small fish, and after he had blessed them, he said these were to be served as well. 8 They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces. 9 About four thousand were there. He dismissed them. (Mk. 8:1-9)

B. There are some similarities between this account of the miraculous feeding of the 4000 and the feeding of the 5000 in Mark 6, but it is also important to notice the differences.

1. On the first occasion, Jesus fed 5000, but on this occasion, He fed 4000.

2. The feeding of the 5000 took place in Jewish territory, but this feeding was in Gentile territory.

3. The 5000 were fed with 5 loaves and 2 fish, but the 4000 were fed with 7 loaves and a few fish.

4. In the feeding of the 5000, 12 baskets full of leftovers were collected, but in the feeding of the 4000 there was 7 baskets full of leftovers.

5. There’s also a difference in the word that was used for baskets in the two accounts.

a. In the first account, the word used is for the size basket a person would use to carry food for a day, like a day pack.

b. In the second account, the word used was for a large basket used in gathering grain in harvest time or a big hamper, it is also the word used for the basket Paul was lowered in over the wall when escaping from Damascus (Acts 9; 2 Cor. 11:33).

6. Why do I point out these differences? Because some skeptics deny that there were two separate feedings of thousands of people.

a. But there can be no real doubt that there were two separate feedings, in two different locations, and for two completely different audiences.

b. Also, Jesus Himself pointed out that there were two different feedings as we will see later in today’s sermon (Mark 8:18-21).

C. We might wonder: why did Jesus repeat this same kind of miracle?

1. But we might ask the same question of all the miracles of Jesus.

2. How many demon-possessed people did Jesus exorcize? How many blind people or sick people did Jesus heal? How many dead people did Jesus bring back to life?

3. We might think: If Jesus did one kind of miracle, then He certainly didn’t need to do it again, right? Wrong.