Moments With Jesus

Scripture: Mark 6:45 - 52; John 6:14-15

Theme: Jesus Walking on Water

Title: Moments with Jesus

Looking at four moments that Mark shares with us in this story 1. Jesus goes to the Mountain to pray 2. Jesus sees the Disciples in Trouble 3. Jesus intends to by pass them 4. Jesus gets into the Boat

INTRO:

Grace and peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ - Our Messiah, King and LORD!

Sometimes old TV shows are still the best shows you and your family can watch together. They not only were more pure and innocent than the current ones on TV today but they also had the ability to share some great stories and moral truths. Shows like "The Nelsons", the "Andy Griffin's Show" and the "Dick Van Dyke Show" are some great examples. Each one would take the time to tell a story that would help the audience understand the value of telling the truth, of being a person of integrity and of learning how to live in peace and harmony.

Saint Mark does the same thing when he tells us a story in his Gospel. There are little things that Mark adds to his story that helps us understand some deeper truths. There are some little insights that he gives us that enable us to understand better who Jesus is and how we can follow Jesus better.

Now, we know that right before this passage Jesus had feed the 5,000. Over the last couple of weeks we have been focusing on some of the things that happened with that event. Our passage takes place directly after the feeding of the 5,000.

I think originally it was Jesus and his disciple's intention for the crowd to eat, rest and then in the morning return to their homes. After all, it was getting late and they were full and so it was just the perfect time to rest, to share and to go to sleep.

But in his Gospel, St. John tells us that something happened that changed everything. During the miracle meal the crowd started talking about how great it would be for Jesus to replace either King Herod Antipas or King Phillip. I am sure those that came from Capernaum wanted Jesus to go back and replace King Herod Antipas while those living around Bethsaida of Julius wanted Jesus to replace King Philip.

Both Herod and Philip had been major disappointments. Most scholars tell us that both men's Jewish heritage was suspect. If ancestry.com had been in existence back then it would have shown that both men were more likely from the lineage of Esau (Edomite) than from the lineage of the Tribe of Judah.

They also mere toyed with loyalty to the Torah (the Jewish Law) and to serving the Good God of Creation. Both men loved the lifestyle and customs that went along with Roman and Greek culture. They were both known for their lavish lifestyles and their attempts to curry favor with the Romans at the expense of their Jewish subjects. Philip was known to be more peace loving than Herod Antipas but neither man enjoyed a great measure of success, fame or popularity.

We get the idea from John's Gospel that all around the crowd the idea started popping up that this would be an excellent time to announce Jesus as the New King of the Jews. The 5,000 men gathered there would spread word that rather than Herod Antipas and Philip being their rulers Jesus would be the next King of Israel. After all, if Jesus could heal, cast out demons, raise the dead, calm the seas and feed the 5,000 what else could he do?

They believed that it wouldn't take long for them to muster up an army and with God's help they could reunite all the Promise Land under King Jesus. Perhaps then they would be able to throw Rome and its despicable army once and for all out of the Middle East.

It is right here that you can almost hear the Devil whispering in the people's ear the same temptation that he presented to Jesus back in the Wilderness -

"Again, the devil took him (Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, 'All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.'" (Matthew 3:8-9 NRSV)

St. John tells us that Jesus would have nothing to do with this kind of talk. He had not come to create political or military confusion and chaos. He had not come to earth to start a Holy War, at least not the kind that would cause the needless death of innocent children, women and men. Jesus had come to share the Good News of Redemption. Jesus had come to rescue and redeem mankind. Jesus had come to die for mankind not for mankind to die so that he might have some earthly throne. Jesus was already King - He was already King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He already had an eternal throne in heaven.