MPC, 3rd December 2000.Mark 6:30-44 - Who do you say I am?
Phil Campbell MPC, 3rd December 2000.
I saw in the paper last week that just before he went into hospital for his kidney replacement operation, Kerry Packer decided to do some Christmas shopping. Not something, if you're Kerry Packer, that I'd imagine you'd usually do in person.
And so Kerry Packer walks into the dinnerware department of David Jones in Sydney; with no credit card. And no ID. And orders their WHOLE STOCK of Limoge Dinnerware. Fine china; two or three thousand dollars a set. One set each for his secretaries and personal nurses and cooks and cleaners. He says, I'll take everything you've got in the warehouse.
Which made the shop assistant a little bit nervous. I mean, he looks a bit like Kerry Packer. He sounds a bit like Kerry Packer. But he's got no ID. What do you do.
Well, what you do is you say EXCUSE ME FOR A MOMENT SIR, and you walk as calmly as you can into the floor managers office; and you get your floor manager to phone Kerry Packer's Head Office. Which they did. And you say, there's a guy here who says he's Kerry Packer and he wants to buy half the stock in our department. And he's got NO CREDIT CARD, and NO PERSONAL ID. To which his personal assistant on the phone says, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT HE'S WEARING. You peek round the door of the office to take another look; grey suit, blue shirt, red tie. And the voice on the phone says, YEP, THAT'S HIM. Give him whatever he's asking for.
It pays to ask the question, doesn't it. WHO IS THIS GUY. Before you hand over the goods. He looks like Kerry Packer. He sounds like Kerry Packer. And he's DRESSED LIKE KERRY PACKER WAS before he left the office. Chances are it really IS Kerry Packer. And it was.
There's a guessing game a bit like that going on here in Mark 6. An IDENTITY CHECK. And it's all about Jesus. People noticing the sort of things he's doing. Asking the question - WHO IS HE. A question that's echoing all the way to the top, all the way to the corridors of power. Herod, Tetrarch. Calls himself KING... ruler of a quarter of the province of Israel. Galilee and Perea. Herod has noticed. There's someone around who's healing the sick; cleaning the lepers. They say he's even RAISING THE DEAD. And worse than that, he's sending out messengers; preaching around the provinces, that things have got to change. That Israel has to REPENT and TURN BACK TO GOD. Herod's taking notice. And he's asking the question that's on everyone's lips... WHO IS HE?
It's a question that makes up one of the key themes in Mark's gospel. And especially the section we're looking at over these next two weeks. You can see it in verse 14 to 16. There's confusion. The disciples have been out healing the sick and driving out demons. And Herod's heard about it. Pick up verse 14. "King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying, "John Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him." 15 Others said, "He is Elijah." And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago." But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!"
Plenty of theories. Who exactly IS this Jesus? Has JOHN THE BAPTIST come back to haunt us? Or maybe a new ELIJAH. Just a prophet maybe, like the prophets in the old days? Herod's guilty conscience goes for option 1. He's had John the Baptist BEHEADED at a dinner party. Jesus is out there saying the same sort of stuff. And so Herod's thinking, JOHN'S COME BACK FROM THE DEAD.
WHO IS HE? Will you notice, like I said, the question is like a theme - it runs right through the next two chapters; WHO IS HE? Who can work it out. And it comes to a sort of a climax in chapter 8, where we're heading next week. But turn over and have a look. Verse 27 to 30 in chapter 8; over a page or two.
Jesus and his disciples are walking the roads of Caesarea Philippi. And as they're walking, he asks a question. He says, "Who do people say I am?" What are they saying about me?
And the disciples tell him. Verse 28 They say "Some say you're John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." Which are exactly the options Herod's been chewing on already.
"So what about you guys?" says Jesus. "Who do YOU say I am?" You disciples, you've been watching me, you've been listening to me, you've been walking with me; who do YOU SAY that I am. And Peter answers for them; and here's where it's heading; here's what they've been grappling with and trying to put a finger on all the way through. Peter says, "You are the Christ." The LONG PROMISED KING. The REAL RULER of the people of God. We're going to get to that point NEXT WEEK. But for now, we're back a bit in chapter 6. WHO IS HE. Is he JOHN THE BAPTIST back from the dead? A new Elijah? Is he just another PROPHET? Or something more? WHO IS HE?
Which is a question more or less still being asked today.
Two weeks ago Lou and I were talking to someone who said this. She's from a church background; but she said this. She said, wasn't Jesus JUST AN ORDINARY HUMAN BEING LIKE THE REST OF US. Except he was more committed to DOING RIGHT. And so because he lived such a GOOD LIFE, God answered his prayers.
His miracles weren't miracles HE WAS DOING. They were just God doing what he prayed for. As he would for you and me. If we were RIGHTEOUS ENOUGH.
Folks I wonder if that's right. We can try it this morning. Because I've had a pretty righteous week this week. Trying as hard as I could. Think I've done a pretty good job of it. So morning tea this morning I've just brought ONE BANANA and a BISCUIT. We can see how far it goes round.
See, I want to suggest to you this morning there's something VERY DIFFERENT about the things Jesus is doing. In fact, that when we look closely at a passage like this one in Mark 6 that I read earlier, where we see him doing this strange thing of serving TUNA SANDWICHES to thousands of people that he's somehow put together out of ONE GUY'S PACKED LUNCH, there's more to it than just a good bloke praying a good prayer. That there's actually A MEANING BEHIND THE MIRACLE. There's a SIGNIFICANCE behind the SIGN. And so when you put your mind to it, it actually says something to ANSWER THE QUESTION... WHO IS HE.
But let's take it one step at a time. And take a look at the BREATH-TAKING DEMONSTRATION of power... that happens quietly on a green grassy hill. There's no fanfare about it. Just the opposite. You've got crowds of people, following Jesus, hanging off his every word. You've got NO SHOPPING CENTRE for miles. And everyone's getting hungry. You've got the disciples saying to Jesus, SEND THEM HOME before they starve. You've got Jesus saying, No... YOU GUYS FEED THEM. And they say, feeding a crowd like this is going to cost us say, $4 a head for a big mac and a coke, 5000 people, it's going to cost us $20,000 dollars. Eight months wages. And Jesus says, just find someone who's got some food. And they find a guy - five loaves, two dried fish. And Jesus says, sit them down in groups of fifty and a hundred. And you remember, Jesus says grace, and starts breaking up the bread and handing it round, and handing it round, and handing it round...and they hand round some more, and they hand round some more; pass the fish please; and they pass the fish and they pass the fish. And before you know it everyone's fed. And they're picking up the scraps. 12 small baskets full for the doggy bag to take home for tomorrow's lunch.
Now can I say before we ever dig any further, even though there's no fanfare or thunderclap - not even any abracadabra - this is pretty weird stuff isn't it. I mean, I know people who can always stretch a meal if visitors turn up at the door, and THAT'S IMPRESSIVE. What about THIS. What's it SAYING about the one who's organising the catering? Even IN ITSELF it's a miracle that says something about the power of Jesus to CREATE SOMETHING from NOTHING.
But dig deeper and it's saying something MORE. That I think is worth noticing. And Mark gives us all the clues that you've just got to string together til you see it. They're clues with an OLD TESTAMENT sort of link up. Which you won't have to be much of an expert to understand.
They clues are all listed on the outline; and maybe you can figure out where they're pointing already.
Let's take a look.
Here's Jesus, verse 34. And he sets the scene for us as he looks around these crowds of hungry Israelites. Not just hungry for a fish sandwich. But leaderless. Helpless. And as Jesus looks at them all he can see is LOST SHEEP. Sheep without a shepherd. "When Jesus landed - verse 34 - and saw a large crowd, he had COMPASSION on them, because they were like SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD. So he began teaching them many things. Step 1. Think SHEEP WITHOUT SHEPHERDS. And then watch what's happening.
Step back a verse or two. To the TIRED DISCIPLES. Here's a shepherd who's going to TAKE THEM TO A QUIET PLACE and FEED THEM. Come with my by yourselves to a quiet place, verse 31, and get some rest.
And what's he going to do? What any shepherd does for hungry sheep; feeds them. Prepares a TABLE FOR THEM. That's what he's doing, isn't it. Verse 37; GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT.
We're moving through the list pretty quickly; but keep building up the picture.
Verse 39, he says, make them sit down in groups. And it's interesting, if you were reading the original greek, it says, make them RECLINE in GROUPS. Because that's the way they ate; even at dinner parties. Reclining on the floor, leaning on an elbow. Make them LIE DOWN ON THE GREEN GRASS.
Now I wonder if you get an echo there. And it's funny, see, you wonder why Mark bothers putting in the detail; the GREEN GRASS. Remind you of anything? It reminds MARK of something. That's why he says it.
And final point; Jesus has fed them so much that it's way more than they need. Filled to OVERFLOWING.
There's the picture; painted very carefully by Mark in the way he tells the story. Here are these Sheep without a shepherd; and Jesus says to them, I'LL BE YOUR SHEPHERD. Come with me and I'll LEAD YOU SOMEWHERE QUIET. Come with me and I'll make you LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES. Come with me and I'll prepare a TABLE BEFORE YOU; and your cup will overflow.
If you learnt the 23rd Psalm as a kid, there's no way you can miss it, is there. But CAN I REMIND YOU that the 23rd Psalm is a Psalm all about GOD HIMSELF. The God of Israel. The one who made the stars and the day and the night and the earth and the sky and the sea. A Psalm, a song that said, THAT ONE, the one who did that, is the SHEPHERD OF US.
And Jesus says, put MY NAME IN THERE. Where you read THE LORD. You're asking WHO I AM. Well look what I'm doing, and figure it out for yourself. He says, think about what the prophet EZEKIEL said... that one day God's going to COME IN PERSON... to SHEPHERD HIS PEOPLE. God's going to come IN PERSON... to rule as King.
Imagine you'd been that shop assistant the day Kerry Packer came in; and you'd said, SORRY, NO ID, NO SALE. And he turns around and walks out and goes to Myer across the road. And you've just blown the best day's sales figures in the history of your store.
How much MORE of a tragedy not to recognise Jesus when he comes. To say, WHO IS THIS? And figure out in the end he's just some prophet. Even just some GOOD MAN we're meant to try to imitate. When the reality is, you're meant to recognise him as GOD HIMSELF stepping into history to RULE. As your SHEPHERD KING.
And so these people on the green hill that day, they're meant to be saying, The Lord JESUS is my shepherd, so I WILL LACK NOTHING; he makes me lie down in GREEN PASTURES; he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. The Lord JESUS guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake; and even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for the Lord Jesus is with me, his shepherds rod and staff there to comfort me. And the Lord Jesus prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies; anoints my head with oil; and my cup overflows. Surely GOODNESS and LOVE will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Jesus FOREVER.