After being away on a long trip, we all enjoy getting back again. In this chapter, the Lord Jesus came back to His own country. It was His custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. They should have received what He taught and did, for they knew Him and His brothers and sisters. Their unbelief caused the Lord to marvel, and because of it, He could not do a mighty work there and went elsewhere.
There was much territory to cover, so the 12 apostles were sent out two by two to preach and to work miracles in other cities. When Herod heard what was being done in the name of the Lord, his conscience bothered him. He had slain John the Baptist and now he thought that John had risen again. What an awful thing it is to have a bad conscience for all eternity! If we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, He can give us a good conscience.
Multitudes were always following Jesus, but we don’t read that He became impatient with them. Instead, He was moved with compassion toward them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. The hungry crowd would have been sent away by the disciples with nothing to eat, but the Lord gave thanks for a few loaves and fishes and fed them all. Not only were they filled, but there were taken up 12 baskets full of fragments.
Finally, He sent the people away and the disciples got into a boat to cross the sea. A contrary wind blew, making it very hard to row. The Lord saw the entire situation. If you are passing through a difficult situation, be sure that the Lord knows about it! There is not a contrary wind that enters our lives, except allowed by the Lord for our good.
1. The Lord Jesus came from a large family with brothers and sisters. What is the name of one of His brothers? __________ Mark 6:___
2. A centurion, who was a Gentile, had such great faith that Jesus marveled (Matthew 8:10). Why did the Lord marvel at the Jews? __________ Mark 6:___
3. When the fame of the Lord Jesus was spread abroad, Herod thought that John the Baptist had __________. Mark 6:___
4. After the Lord Jesus fed about 5000 men with five loaves and two fishes, how many baskets of fragments (leftovers) did they collect? __________ Mark 6:___
5. There are many strong winds that blow into our lives. For the disciples, the wind ceased when Jesus __________. Mark 6:___