Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

1. Jesus feeds four thousand
Mat. 15:32-39, Mark 8:1-10
Matt 15
32 Then Jesus calledhis disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on
the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have
nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the
way.
Mark 8:1-3 1 In those days the multitude being very great, and
havingnothing to eat, Jesus calledhis disciples unto him, and saith
unto them,
2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been
with me three days, and have nothingto eat:
3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint
by the way: for divers of them came from far.
“I have compassion on the multitude” This is never said of the scribes,
Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, Essenes, or anyone like them.
Mark 1:41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand,
and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. KJV
Luke 7:13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her,
and said unto her, Weep not. KJV
Isa 49:15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not
have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet
will I not forget thee. KJV
Mic 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will
subdue our iniquities;and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths
of the sea. KJV
“They continuewith me now three days.” The first-century, Jewish
population is travelingwithoutmoney or food, and when the loaf of bread

2. they left home with is eaten, that is all there is. They are in danger of
“fainting by the way.”
33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence shouldwe have so much bread
in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
Mark 8:4 And his disciples answeredhim, From whence can a man
satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? KJV
34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said,
Seven, and a few little fishes.
Mark 8:5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they
said, Seven. KJV
“Seven, and a few little fishes.” Notice that they do not ask again: “What
are they among so many?” (John 6:9). They have learnedone lesson.
John 6:9 There is a lad here, which hath five barleyloaves, and two
small fishes:but what are they among so many? KJV
Matt 16:9-10 9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the
five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many
baskets ye took up? KJV
35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and
brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Mark 8:6-7 6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the
ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake,
and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them
before the people. 7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed,
and commanded to set them also before them. KJV

3. 37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken
meat that was left seven baskets full.
Mark 8:8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the
broken meat that was left seven baskets. KJV
“And they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.”
This is not as remarkable as the last time, but still to get seven baskets full
of bread out of seven loaves;this was the residue after feeding over 6,000
people. (The men alone totaled 4,000.) One basket could easilyhold thirty
loaves of bread!
38 And they that did eat were four thousandmen, beside women and
children.
Mark 8:9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he
sent them away. KJV
39 And he sent awaythe multitude, and took ship, and came into the
coasts of Magdala.
Mark 8:10 And straightwayhe entered into a ship with his disciples,
and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. KJV
“Magdala.”The village is located on the west shore of Galilee, ten miles
south of Capernaumand five miles north of Tiberias. It was a part of
Zebulun’s original inheritance.
Religious leaders ask for a sign in the sky
Mat. 16:1-4, Mark 8:11-13
Matt 16

4. 1 The Pharisees alsowith the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him
that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answeredand said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be
fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and
lowring. O ye hypocrites,ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not
discern the signs of the times?
Mark 8:11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with
him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. KJV
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall
no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left
them, and departed.
Mark 8:12-13 12 And he sigheddeeply in his spirit, and saith, Why
doth this generation seek after a sign? verilyI say unto you, There
shall no sign be given unto this generation.
13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the
other side. KJV
Here the Pharisees “gangup,” on the Lord Jesus and ask him to show them
“a sign” for which Israel is told to look. (Exod. 4:8, 30 and 1 Cor. 1:22.)
Exod 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee,
neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the
voice of the latter sign. KJV
Exod 4:30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had
spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. KJV
1Cor 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after
wisdom: KJV

5. “A sign from heaven” indicates a supernatural wonder connectedwith the
upper atmosphere. This is proper for an Israelite to expect, in view of the
plagues which Moses brought on Egypt (Exod. 4–12) and the “fire from
Heaven” which Elijah produced (1 Kings 18:38), and the initial kindlingfor
the altar of burnt offerings (Lev. 9:24).
1Kgs 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt
sacrifice, andthe wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up
the water that was in the trench. KJV
Lev 9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and
consumed upon the altar the burnt offeringand the fat: which when
all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. KJV
Unfortunately, for any “sign seeker,” both signs and miracles can be
counterfeited(Rev. 13:13), and the way in which the Man of Sin will
convince Science and Religion that he is the “Messiah”by using the “forces”
(Dan. 11:38, Rev. 13:12–13).
Dan 11:38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a
god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver,
and with precious stones, and pleasantthings. KJV
Rev 13:12-13 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast
before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to
worshipthe first beast, whose deadlywound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down
from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, KJV
“He answered and said unto them” What follows is a rebuke.
You are all interested in prophecy (as in the weather) and everybody talks
about the weather.

6. How is it that none of you talk about the Second Coming?
If a man can hazarda guess on tomorrow’s weather by present
appearances,he can certainlyhazarda guess on worldevents tomorrow on
the basis of present appearances.
“But can ye not discern the signs of the times?” If the Lord’s coming is
“from heaven” and comes down out of the sky (Hab. 3; Joel 2), then how is
it that a man who can predictweather cannotpredict the coming of Christ?
Isa 64:1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest
come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
Hab 3:3-6 3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount
Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of
his praise.
4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his
hand: and there was the hidingof his power.
5 Before him went the pestilence, and burningcoals went forth at his
feet.
6 He stood, and measuredthe earth: he beheld, and drove asunder
the nations; and the everlastingmountains were scattered, the
perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. KJV
Joel 2:10-11 10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens
shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall
withdraw their shining:
11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is
very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the
LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? KJV
The coming of Christ is characterizedby “the sign of the Son of man in
heaven”(Matt. 24:30).

7. Matt 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in
heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they
shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power
and great glory. KJV
Although the signs are for Israel, anyone who can read (who wants to read!)
can read them
“Red and lowring.” Rabbinical schools in Christ’s day made a point of
teachingweather-lore, andeven foretold the time of the rains for the
coming year.
Deut 11:14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due
season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in
thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. KJV
Jer 3:2-3 2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where
thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as
the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with
thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, andthere hath been
no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to
be ashamed. KJV
Hos 6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his
going forth is preparedas the morning; and he shall come unto us as
the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. KJV
Zech 10:1 Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so
the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to
every one grass in the field. KJV
Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruitof the earth,

8. and hath long patience for it, until he receive the earlyand latter rain.
KJV
Isa 5:18-19 18 Woe unto them that draw iniquitywith cords of
vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may
see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and
come, that we may know it! KJV
“O ye hypocrites.” That is, those who put on a show or pretence. They
were pretendingin the first place (vs. 1), which is perfectly obvious by the
fact that they had refused to accept the signs that had alreadybeen given.
Matt 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil,
blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blindand
dumb both spake and saw. KJV
Matt 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against
him, how they might destroy him. KJV
Matt 12:35-36 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart
bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure
bringeth forth evil things.
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they
shall give accountthereof in the day of judgment. KJV
Matt 12:30-31 30 He that is not with me is againstme; and he that
gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall
be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemyagainst the Holy Ghost
shall not be forgiven unto men. KJV
Matt 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy
words thou shalt be condemned. KJV

9. Their motive in asking was to tempt Him, exactly like the temptation
offered to Jesus by Satan in Matthew 4.
Matt 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted of the devil. KJV
Matt 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the
Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. KJV
Matt 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God. KJV
Matt 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,and him only shalt
thou serve. KJV
“Tempting him” (vs. 1) is the thought behind the inquiry, as it is also in Mat
22:15.
Matt 22:15 Then went the Pharisees, andtook counsel how they
might entangle him in his talk. KJV
There is a difference between a sinner coming to the word for help and
crying, “God, what is the answer?”anda self-righteous skeptic goingto a
Greek lexicon and saying: “All right, God, let’s see you show me something.