Bible Book Club: Mark 6 - Sending Out to Regions Beyond

LINK: Mark 6

BACKGROUND

91. The people of Nazareth refuse to believe: Matthew 13:53-58, Mark 6:1-6

Here marks a transition from Jesus' ministry in the region of Galilee to the regions outside. His opposition and rejection (even by His hometown!) increased during this time, and He revealed more and more to His disciples who He really was.

93. Jesus sends out the twelve disciples: Matthew 10:1-15, Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6

During this time, His ministry focus shifted more toward the disciples as He sent them out (the Greek word apostellō means "sent away") two by two as His authorized representatives to preach repentance, drive out demons, and heal the sick. This was their "practical training" time! They were to go to "worthy" houses, and we will talk more about that when we get to Luke 10 when Jesus sends out the 72 messengers. Stay tuned!

95. Herod kills John the Baptist: Matthew 14:1-12, Mark 6:14-29, Luke 9:7-9

Sometimes the way I do inductive study is by asking who, what, when, where, why, and how questions of the passage. So, I will write some of my questions from this chapter:

Who was Herod?

This is not the Herod who caused Joseph to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus to avoid the slaying of the baby boys around Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-18). That was Herod the Great who ruled from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. and was an Edomite (descendant of Esau) and hostile toward the Jews (Genesis 25:19ff). He had nine wives and would slay any one of them or one of his sons if they got in his way.

The Herod in this event was Herod the Great's son. He was a "tetrarch" meaning that he ruled over a fourth of Palestine, including Galilee and Perea. He ruled from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39.

There are two more Herods: Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, who imprisoned Peter and killed James (Acts 12), and Herod Agrippa who tried Paul (Acts 25:13ff).

Why did this Herod not like John the Baptist?

Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21 say that it is abhorrent to take your brother's wife. John knew Herod was wrong in taking Herodias from his half-brother, Philip I. Herod was also wrong for divorcing his wife and sending her back to her father, the king of Petra. First, John was imprisoned in the fortress of Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea. Herod was too afraid to put him to death, but Mark 6:19 tells us that Herodias held a grudge against John. So, he was doomed.

What was Herod's attitude toward Jesus?

He thought that Jesus was John the Baptist coming back to haunt him. So, he wanted to kill Him (Luke 13:31-32).

What was Jesus' response to John the Baptist's death?

He withdrew to a remote place. From this time on, the focus of His ministry is His disciples (See John 6:3) because He would be leaving them soon. The crowds did follow, and He still felt compassion for them. He met their needs by feeding the 5000 and healing the sick, but the focus of His teaching would be on His disciples.

96. Jesus feeds 5,000: Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-13

This is the only miracle recorded in all four accounts of the gospel. The book of John records this event as the fourth sign (sēmeion, attesting miracle) that points to Jesus as the Messiah. It was more than 5,000 people. It was really closer to 15,000-20,000 people when the women and children are counted. The amount that would have been needed to feed all those people would have been eight months of wages! How exciting for that little boy to see Jesus multiply his food!

After this sign, the people recognized Jesus as the Prophet promised by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15. Moses had led them out of Egyptian bondage and fed them manna from heaven. Jesus had fed them bread and would lead them out of Roman bondage. Consequently, the people wanted to seize Jesus and make Him King. Jesus has reached the pinnacle of His popularity with the multitudes. Jesus was the rightful King (Psalm 2:7-12; Daniel 7:13-14), but He could not become the Lion (Revelation 5:5) without first becoming the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). That is why He needed to explain the deeper meaning behind meeting their physical hunger by explaining that He was the Bread of Life in John 6:22-40. Mark's gospel does not provide an explanation. That is why it is good to cross-reference with other gospel accounts.

97. Jesus walks on water: Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52, John 6:14-21

Try this recorded Imaginative Contemplation of this scene.

To avoid the people seizing Him (John 6:14-15), He sent the disciples on a boat to Bethsaida (Mark 6:45-46) and sent the multitudes away (Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:45) before He withdrew by Himself to the mountain. I do love to see Jesus taking time to be alone in the busy and hectic pace of His life. That is a model for us to follow!

After spending some time alone, Jesus performed the fifth sign (attesting miracle) in the book of John that points to Jesus as the Messiah: He walked on the water (between 3 and 6 am), and the disciples were afraid, but we hear "do not be afraid" (which is echoed throughout the Bible) from Jesus. The Matthew account of this event records Peter coming out and walking on the water before he was frightened by the wind. This was followed by a rebuke of Peter's "little faith" (Matthew 14:28-31). Contrast this with the "great faith" of the Gentile Roman centurion (Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10). Since Matthew is writing to the Jews, I believe he put this section in there to point out that faith was more important than their Jewish heritage.

98. Jesus heals all who touch him: Matthew 14:34-36, Mark 6:53-56

They arrived in Gennesaret. A large harbor from this town has recently been found under the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus further proved His deity by people healing just by touching His cloak.

REFLECTION/APPLICATION

Jesus was a busy man, but He often departed to places like mountaintops to pray (Mark 6:46)! That is a model we can all follow in our lives. I realized today that while I am spending much time in the Scriptures lately (I am writing for the Bible Book Club - Year Two Old Testament, Bible Book Club - Year Three, Gospel Harmony Book Club, leading a Romans study, and going through all the gospel accounts with a group that meets in our home every Wednesday), and I often talk to God as I go throughout the day, I have not been getting away time with God to talk to Him as much as I would like. So, today is the day for that because my Romans study was canceled! I do not want to be part of the statistics of average believers in Jesus who only play a few minutes a day!

What about you? Take some time to withdraw from all your demands today and pray!

2023 Update: One thing I do now: stop what I am doing to have a Centering Prayer time in the middle of the day. It has been so great for me to refocus in the middle of my day. I co-lead a group two times a week. Contact me at Body and Soul Companion if you are interested in joining us.

Here is a YouTube of me leading a 10-minute Centering Prayer time: