WILL IT TAKE A MIRACLE?
Mark 8:1-21
INTRO: Last October, the miraculous occurred. The Anaheim Angels beat the San Francisco Giants 4 games to 3 to win the World Series. It was miraculous because the Angels have been playing major league baseball for 42 years, and had never even been to the World Series. They had never even won a playoff series before. They had suffered through 42 seasons of mediocrity and heartbreak. I know, because growing up just a few miles from their stadium, I had suffered along with them for more than 30 of those season. Not only that, they started the season 6-14, the worst start in their history (which is saying something). Of course, miracles are all a matter of perspective. The Giants had a 3 games to 2 lead, and were ahead 6-0 in game six – just a few outs from victory. They weren’t nearly as excited as the Angels. A few of the Angel’s other competitors were not that impressed either. Listen to these quotes:
Oakland’s Scott Hatteberg said he thought the A’s were the better team last year. The Cubs’ Lenny Harris called the 2002 Angels "a mediocre team" that got the big hits at the right times. Texas’ Alex Rodriguez suggested the Angels might have been "the third-best team in the division."
Your response to the miraculous depends on your perspective. The miracles of Jesus Christ recorded in the Bible are no different.
PREV: Today we are going to see Jesus Christ do something miraculous, and we will see how our perspective determines our response, or how our response gives away our perspective, which ever you prefer. Today you will be asked to consider what your resonse reveals about your perspective. It all takes place in Mark, chapter 8. Turn there with me, please. As I read Mk. 8:1-3, notice the compassion Jesus shows.
A. Jesus shows his compassion for people (1-3)
In a remote place, listening to Jesus for 3 days.
Their supplies and resources are exhausted.
You know how you feel after being at church all morning, without any food?
Maybe friends came and helped you all day, putting in a yard, moving, went without lunch. Now you want to feed them.
He wants to feed them because he cares about them.
They had sacrificed in order to hear the Word of God.
As I read vv. 4-7, we will see Jesus’ compassion lead to a showing of his power.
B. Jesus has a plan… (4-7)
Disciples concerned with practicality : How could anyone have enough bread for this crowd?
They essentially ask, “What can you do about it?”
Jesus said, “How much bread do you have on hand?”
Like trying to feed our crowd with 1 slice of bread and a handful of goldfish crackers.
That was their situation.
Let’s read vv. 8-10 to see how it turned out…
C. Jesus shows his power (8-10)
Jesus blesses the bread, typical Jewish blessing.
He has the disciples start passing them out.
They had a few small fish, too. He blesses them – unusual.
He tells the disciples to pass them out as well.
What happened? They ate and were satisfied – ate until they were completely full.
4,000 men were satisfied. Imagining feeding that many men!
They collect more leftovers than they started with!
It’s a miracle!!
Baskets - large rope or mat hampers, a man could fit inside
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? This is the 2nd feeding miracle.
Its is similar, but it is also quite different.
At what point did it dawn on them?
He can do anything!
I. JESUS’ MIRACLES SHOW US HIS COMPASSION AND POWER
The feeding of the 4,000 shows us Jesus’ compassion, and power.
His miracles allow us to grasp his character and identity
When we look at the miracles of Christ we see the identity of Jesus!
He has the desire and the power to feed you.
This combination of compassion and power led him to the cross.
Illus.: Last November, returning from Colorado with a December 1 start date; wanting to sell the house before I came out so we wouldn’t be separated, and Anne wouldn’t have to sell it with me gone. The weekend before, it sold in an unusual way. The Lord didn’t have to do this for us, but he did…
Transition: Now, his miracles require a response. In fact, indifference is impossible! How do we respond to these miracles? Let’s look at how some who were there responded, and compare that to our own response. We will see the first type of response as we read vv. 11-13.
A. An Unbelieving Response (11-13)
The Pharisees are out to test him. A continuation of their encounter in 3:22-30.
They ask for “a sign from heaven.”
Sign: evidence of trustworthiness, not of power.
A token which guarantees truthfulness or legitimacy.
Miracles not regarded as signs in Mark or by Pharisees.
They demand "proof", "evidence" that God is with him.
The original "Show Me" guys.
Illus: Pick up B Ball with odd # of guys; Kobe Bryant drops by, offers to play, you ask him to shoot a few first...
Playing golf, needing a 4th. Tiger Woods stops by, offers to play, you ask him to hit a few balls first.
Jesus rejects their request for a sign as unbelief..
"If a sign be given...May God punish me, or may I die.
They already thought his source was demonic.
They asked from unbelief - had no intention of belief.
“You don’t get a sign - you wouldn’t believe anyway.”
Depending on a “sign” (beyond resonable proof) is a denial of the call to radical faith.
It precludes personal decision in response to the word of revelation. This is how it works!
If you have a sign, where’s your faith?
Cf. Heb. 11:6 - without faith...
He’s not saying blind faith, just believe what you’ve been told even if if makes no sense or is historically unreliable.
Not just believe because “I told you so,”
But believe in the historical revelation of God, pointing to and culminating in Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we respond to the miracles of Christ with unbelief
They believed he did them, just didn’t believe it was of God.
We tend to not believe that he did them at all.
Many believe they are all myths, invented by zealous believers.
Illus.: This time of year tv shows and magazine articles on Jesus, all with this unbelieving slant.
But God’s Word presents them as undeniable facts, forming an important part of the life and ministry of Jesus.
Sometimes we demand a sign: even more.
“If God will do XYZ, then I’ll believe.”
“If God exists, he would reveal himself to me.”
We want more than the reasonable evidence that exists.
If you’re waiting for a “sign” to convince you, you’re wasting your time. You have lots of "proof"!
Illus: a kid who wants more proof that his parents love him.
Jesus doesn’t want you to believe in a sign, he wants you to believe in Him!
There is another response to Jesus’ miracles, though. Having left the Pharisees behind on shore. In their hurry to leave, notice what the disciples forgot as I read vv. 14-15.
B. An Unaffected Response (14-21)
In a hurry, they forgot to take bread with them.
Jesus uses this to warn them about the yeast (leaven) of the Pharisees.
Yeast (leaven) – a symbol of evil, a small amounts permeates a large batch. Here it describes the Pharisees disposition to beieve only if signs are produced. Don’t be this way!
Cf. Mark 3:6
Let’s see how they responded to this as I read v. 16
All they heard was a reference to bread!
They begin quarreling about whose fault it was!
They were completely absorbed by their lives!
Look how Jesus responds as I read vv. 17-21
These guys didn’t get the whole picture...
They were concentrating on the material (their stomachs).
Their spiritual maladies:
• Spiritual blindness
• Spiritual heart disease
• Spiritual deafness
• Spiritual amnesia
A pop quiz about feeding miracles follows.
It is the presence of Jesus that has meaning for them!
They didn’t understand who he really was!
They encountered the miraculous but hadn’t let it change them
They were unaffected by it.
Its tempting to get down on them, but...
How often do we profit from God’s miracles without reflection? How often do we seek his teaching without applying it to ourselves?
These men were close to Jesus, with his followers, heard lots of his teaching, but didn’t respond with faith!
We are the same way. Sitting here for years, but:
• Not willing to tell others about Jesus
• Trusting him with your marriage
• Following his guidance about money
The points is, you don’t need a sign, you have me!
We don’t need a sign, we need Jesus!
Let’s not face the miraculous and remain unaffected!
II. OUR RESPONSE TO JESUS’ MIRACLES REVEALS OUR PERSPECTIVE
This is prep for Easter
Will you invite someone?
Will you participate in the 40 Days campaign?
How does God want you to respond?
III. LET’S RESPOND TO JESUS’ MIRACLES WITH RADICAL, PERSONAL FAITH
