Mark 6:31-56 - Miracles of Bread and Water

 31 And He said to them: “Come with me privately to a solitary place and rest a little”—for so many people had been imposing on them, so that there was no opportunity even to eat. 32 And they went alone into the boat to a solitary place. 33 When many people saw them departing and recognized them, many together ran on foot there from all the towns and went ahead of Jesus and the disciples in the boat. 34 As Jesus came to the land, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were “like sheep without a shepherd” (1Kgs. 22:17; Ez. 34:5); and He began shepherding them in many things. 35 And when it was late in the afternoon His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a place with no provisions and it is already late in the day, 36 so send the crowds away so that they may go into the homesteads and villages around here and buy themselves something to eat. 37 But He answered them, “You feed them.” And they said to Him, “Should we go and spend two hundred days’ wages on bread and just to give them something to eat?” 38 So He said to them, “How much bread do you presently have? Go and see.” When they saw their food supply, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 39 Then He commanded them all to rest like flocks on the spring green grass. 40 So they reclined in commands of hundreds and fifties. 41 Then He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish, and looking up into heaven, He blessed and broke the bread and He kept giving them to the disciples to serve the people; He also distributed the two fish to everyone. 42 They all ate and were full, 43 and after the meal, the disciples took up twelve fully baskets of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 Now there were five thousand adult men who ate the meal! 45 And then Jesus insisted His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to cross the sea to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself released the people from His care. 46 After departing from them, He went away to the mountain to pray. 47 Then when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and Jesus was alone on the land. 48 He saw the disciples tortured on the oars because the wind was against them. At about the fourth watch of the night (about three or four in the morning), He came to them, walking on the sea! He was walking desiring to pass before them (Ex. 33:22, 34:6; 1Kgs. 19:11), 49 but when they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a sea demon (a phantasm), and screamed in fear, 50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke to them: “Take courage! I Am. Fear not!” 51 And He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astonished, 52 for they did not understand about the bread, rather their heart was unbelieving. 53 And they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Jesus 55 and ran around the whole area and began to bring the sick people on their gurneys to wherever He was rumored to be. 56 And wherever He entered villages, or towns, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and pleading with Him that they might just grasp the tassel of His robe; and as many as touched it were being cured. (G. Strawbridge trans.)

Outline
A. Private Rest for the Disciples (31-33)
    a. Ministry to the Sheep: Feeding the 5000 (34-44)
B. Private Rest for Jesus (45-47)
    b. Ministry to the Disciples: Rescue on the Water (48-53)
A’ Public Ministry for the People (54-56)