Bread & Circus Kings
This sermon by Pastor Mark explores John 6:1-21, where Jesus feeds the 5,000+ and walks on water. Pastor Mark draws parallels to the Old Testament, specifically the Exodus narrative, showcasing Jesus as greater than Moses. Key themes include Jesus' miraculous provision, His divine identity, and the crowd's misinterpretation of His kingship. The sermon emphasizes faith, daily dependence on God, and the personal relationship with Jesus over simply seeking His miracles.
00:00 Scripture Reading
03:27 Welcome and Introduction
05:00 Pastor Appreciation
06:28 The Challenge of Following Jesus
08:14 Understanding the Deeper Meaning of Miracles
09:49 Connecting the Miracles to Old Testament Events
17:05 Jesus' Compassion and the Impossible Task
22:04 The Realist vs. Faith Debate
25:25 The Miracle of Multiplication
27:12 The Abundance of Jesus' Provision
28:38 Connecting the Bread to Manna from Heaven
29:59 Daily Dependence on God's Provision
32:40 The Misunderstanding of Jesus' Identity
34:27 Jesus Withdraws from the Crowd's Agenda
43:14 The Disciples' Stormy Encounter
50:46 Jesus' Presence in Our Storms
52:08 Concluding Prayer
Slides:
John 6:1-12
Jesus feeds the 5000+
-
Exodus 19:3
While Moses went up to God, the Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel.”
-
Exodus 34:4–5
So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.
-
John 6:1-12
Jesus feeds the 5000+
-
Exodus 16:4
“Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.”
-
Quote: “He kept on dividing, and yet His hands were full still. The fragments grew under His fingers.”
— C. H. Spurgeon
-
What’s the point of feeding the 5000+
John 6:14 - This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!
Exodus 16:4 “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.”
-
They were supposed to see Christ, who would lead them.
The people saw Moses, who Could Feed Them (vv. 1–14)
-
Moses went up to meet with God.
God came down and sat on the mountain top.
Jesus, who is the glory of God, went up and sat down.
Moses heard the cries for food and prayed for bread.
Jesus gave thanks and created bread and fish.
-
They Saw a King Who Could Free Them (v. 15)
-
John 6:15
Making Jesus King
They were meant to see the King who frees the soul — instead, they saw a king who could free the nation.
-
Exodus 16–17, Israel complaining, “It was better in Egypt.”
-
Jesus refuses to be crowned by force…
instead, he will be crowned by thorns.
-
John 6:16-21
Jesus walks on the water.
-
Exodus 34:6–7
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
-
John 16:20 ---It is I!
Exodus 3:14
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
-
They saw the chaos of the sea.
They were meant to see the calm of His presence.
-
Quote “If Christ be in the vessel, though the vessel be tossed by the tempest, it can never sink. Better Christ on the stormy sea than a calm without Him.”
— C. H. Spurgeon
-
They saw Moses, who could feed them, but bread fades.
They saw a king who could free them — but kingdoms fall.
Jesus shows a God who is with them — and that presence never ends.