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When's the last time you took a 
test for those of you who are in

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school or college? 
Might have been 2 days ago. 

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One of our kids had something 
like 4 tests in this last school

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week and I was just talking to a
college student who's got like 4

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coming up next week. 
You know, midterms before spring

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break. 
That last time you took a test, 

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how'd you feel preparing for it 
and then during it? 

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And then what about when you're 
reflecting on your performance 

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afterward? 
Or maybe the last Test you took 

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was not any kind of school exam,
but a medical test. 

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You don't prepare for those in 
exactly the same way, but 

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they're still revealing. 
They bring something hidden to 

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light. 
They disclose something about 

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you that your doctor at least 
wants to know and wants you to 

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know about. 
And sometimes the results of the

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test could be encouraging, 
reassuring. 

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Sometimes they could be 
unsettling or disturbing. 

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Sometimes they can feel like 
your whole life is a test. 

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Maybe it's the daily grind just 
wearing you down and making it a

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little bit harder every single 
morning to show up for work or 

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to get up and take care of your 
family. 

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Sometimes the tests of life can 
be much more acute and extreme. 

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Suffering and hardship can come 
at you out of nowhere. 

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Something life altering and 
heartbreaking can just take you 

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by surprise. 
That's also a kind of test. 

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How do you respond? 
What do you do? 

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What do you rely on and what 
does that show you about 

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yourself? 
This morning we continue our 

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series in Mark's Gospel with 
chapter 8, verses 1 to 26. 

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If you don't have a Bible, you 
can raise your hand and someone 

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will bring you one. 
If you don't have a Bible, like 

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you just forgot it, that's OK. 
If you don't have a Bible, like 

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you don't have a Bible you 
regularly read at home, we'll 

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just keep it, take it home with 
you, and read the scriptures for

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yourself. 
We'd be delighted for you to do 

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that. 
I'm going to read the whole 

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passage at the beginning, and as
I read, consider what tests does

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Jesus set for us and what does 
it take to pass them? 

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Mark 8-1 to 26. 
In those days when again a great

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crowd had gathered and they had 
nothing to eat, he called his 

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disciples to him and said to 
them, I have compassion on the 

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crowd, because they have been 
with me now three days and have 

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nothing to eat. 
And if I send them away hungry 

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to their homes, they will faint 
on the way. 

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And some of them have come from 
far away. 

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And his disciples answered him, 
How can one feed these people 

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with bread here in this desolate
place? 

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And he asked them, How many 
loves do you have? 

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They said seven. 
And He directed the crowd to sit

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down on the ground. 
And he took the seven loaves, 

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and having given thanks, he 
broke them and gave them to his 

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disciples to set before the 
people. 

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And they set them before the 
crowd. 

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And they had a few small fish. 
And having blessed them, He said

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that these also should be set 
before them. 

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And they ate, and we're 
satisfied. 

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And they took up the broken 
pieces, leftover 7 baskets full,

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and there were about 4000 
people. 

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And he sent them away, and 
immediately he got into the boat

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with his disciples and went to 
the district of Dalmanutha. 

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The Pharisees came and began to 
argue with him, seeking from him

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a sign from heaven to test him. 
And he sighed deeply in his 

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spirit and said, Why does this 
generation seek a sign? 

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Truly I say to you, no sign will
be given to this generation. 

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And he left them, got into the 
boat again, and went to the 

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other side. 
Now they had forgotten to bring 

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bread, and they had only one 
loaf with him in the boat. 

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And he cautioned them, saying, 
Watch out, beware of the leaven 

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of the Pharisees and the leaven 
of Herod. 

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And they began discussing with 
one another the fact that they 

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had no bread. 
And Jesus, aware of this, said 

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to them, Why are you discussing 
the fact that you have no bread?

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Do you not yet perceive or 
understand? 

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Are your hearts hardened? 
Having eyes do you not see? 

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And having ears do you not hear?
And do you not remember when I 

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broke the five loaves for the 
5000, how many baskets full of 

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broken pieces did you take up? 
They said to him, 12 And the 

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seven for the 4000, How many 
baskets full of broken pieces 

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did you take up? 
And they said to him, 7 And he 

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said to them, Do you not yet 
understand? 

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And they came to Beseda, and 
some people brought to him a 

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blind man and begged him to 
touch him. 

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And he took the blind man by the
hand and let him out of the 

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village. 
And when he had spit on his eyes

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and laid his hands on him, he 
asked him, Do you see anything? 

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And he looked up and said, I see
people, but they look like trees

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walking. 
Then Jesus laid his hands on his

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eyes again, and he opened his 
eyes. 

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His sight was restored and he 
saw everything clearly. 

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And he sent him to his home, 
saying, do not even enter the 

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village. 
In this passage, we see Jesus 

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continue his saving mission, and
that saving mission has a 

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particular shape and pattern. 
It's a fulfillment of the 

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Exodus, when God rescued his 
people from bondage in Egypt and

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delivered them to the Promised 
land. 

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Jesus, too, is rescuing his 
people from bondage and leading 

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us into a land he's promised. 
And just like in the original 

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Exodus, the way in which God 
delivers us involves testing us 

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in the space between being 
rescued from Egypt and delivered

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into the Promised Land. 
Our whole life is a series of 

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tests. 
So here's the point of the 

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sermon in a sentence. 
As Jesus leads us out of bondage

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into his promised land, the key 
to every test is faith that only

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he can give. 
As Jesus leads us out of bondage

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into his promised land, the key 
to every test is faith that only

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He can give. 
As we walk through the passage, 

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we'll consider 4 tests in the 
new Exodus that Jesus is leading

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us through. 4 Tests in the New 
Exodus .1 Bread from Heaven We 

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see this test of the disciples 
faith in the 1st 9 verses Bread 

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from Heaven Look again with me 
at verses 1:00 to 3:00. 

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In those days when again a great
crowd had gathered and they had 

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nothing to eat, he called his 
disciples to him and said to 

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them, I have compassion on the 
crowd because they have been 

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with me now three days and have 
nothing to eat. 

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And if I send them away hungry 
to their homes, they will faint 

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on the way. 
And some of them have come from 

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far away. 
If you have a remarkable sense 

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of Deja vu, you're not alone. 
We've seen this before. 

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This setup is remarkably like 
Jesus feeding of the 5000 back 

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in chapter 6. 
The need is the same. 

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Huge crowd, desolate place, 
nothing to feed them with, 

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nowhere to go, no supplies. 
Jesus motivation is the same. 

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He has compassion on the crowd 
if they've taken a big risk by 

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coming out to hear him teach in 
this remote place without any 

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idea of how long they'll be with
him or how they'll be supplied 

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for their needs. 
But the way the problem begins 

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to be addressed in this case is 
different. 

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Last time, the disciples brought
up the issue to Jesus. 

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This time, Jesus brings the 
issue to the attention of the 

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disciples. 
His implication is, So what are 

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you guys going to do about it? 
The disciples reply in verse 4. 

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How can one feed these people 
with bread here in this desolate

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place? 
Now if you're thinking about it 

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just on a human level, you 
bracket out what we've already 

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seen Jesus do. 
It's a reasonable question. 

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I can't feed 4000 people in the 
wilderness. 

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Neither can you. 
Not even Chick-fil-A could do 

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it. 
Humanly speaking, the objection 

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makes sense, but the disciples 
should know better. 

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They've seen this exact episode 
before. 

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Why are they so thick? 
Why don't they just tell Jesus? 

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All right, Jesus, we've seen you
run this play. 

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We know you can do this one. 
It's not as if they've 

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completely forgotten. 
Later in the passage, Jesus 

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asked them about the first 
feeding of a multitude, and they

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remember the details just fine. 
Their problem is not a lack of 

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information. 
The problem is a lack of 

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spiritual insight. 
The problem is they still don't 

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understand who Jesus is. 
They've seen a stunning miracle 

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and it hasn't sunk into their 
minds and hearts. 

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Their unbelief is so severe it's
comical. 

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It's almost hard to believe. 
How could you see Jesus feed 

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5000 people in the wilderness 
and then not trust that he can 

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do the same thing over again? 
How can you see that and go, 

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well boy, wilderness? 
A lot of people, no food, don't 

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know how we're going to get out 
of this one. 

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That's exactly the point. 
You can't explain their unbelief

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in rational terms. 
Their eyes are blinded. 

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It's like there's a screen over 
their eyes, so they can't make 

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sense of what they've already 
seen. 

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They've seen it, but they don't 
see it. 

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They've been there, but they 
don't get it. 

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It takes supernatural faith to 
receive the supernatural truth 

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of who Jesus is. 
Only by the miracle of faith can

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you receive the mystery of His 
person. 

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In their lack of faith, the 
disciples echo the unbelief of 

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the generation of Israelites 
that God brought up out of 

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Egypt. 
Think about all that. 

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They saw the plagues in Egypt, 
deliverance out crossing through

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the Red Sea. 
They'd seen God work marvel 

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after marvel after marvel, and 
yet they were unbelieving. 

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Psalm 78, verses 18 to 20 
reflect on Israel's putting God 

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to the test in the wilderness in
words that strikingly anticipate

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verse four of our passage. 
They tested God in their heart 

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by demanding the food they 
craved. 

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They spoke against God, saying, 
Can God spread a table in the 

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wilderness? 
He struck the rock so that water

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gushed out and streams 
overflowed. 

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Can he also give bread or 
provide meat for his people? 

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Just as Jesus is about to re 
enact God's miraculous act of 

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providing bread in the 
wilderness, so the disciples re 

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enact Israel's unbelief. 
Can God spread a table in the 

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wilderness? 
That is one of those passages 

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where it's easy to sit in 
judgement on the disciples. 

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How dumb can you get? 
How thick can you be? 

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But if you're tempted to judge 
the disciples in that way, I 

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just want you to reflect on your
own spiritual life and ask, has 

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God ever provided for you? 
Has God ever answered a prayer? 

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Has God ever intervened in your 
life in such a dramatic way that

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you can only say the Lord has 
done it? 

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And then have you ever forgotten
the lesson he taught you by that

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answer to prayer or deliverance?
Have you ever looked back and 

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gone, wait a minute, I've God 
has done this, I've seen him do 

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it. 
I know He can do it. 

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He's proved himself. 
And yet there's been a gap 

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between what God taught you the 
first time and how you responded

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the second time. 
Jesus is about to prove that he 

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can spread a table in the 
wilderness and he can spread a 

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table in the wilderness of your 
life. 

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Who can do that? 
Only God can. 

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That's what Jesus is going to 
prove. 

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In verses 5 to 9. 
He asked them how many loaves do

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you have? 
They said seven. 

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And he directed the crowd to sit
down on the ground, and he took 

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the seven loaves and haven't 
given thanks. 

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He broke them and gave them to 
the disciples to set before the 

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people, and they set them before
the crowd. 

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And they had a few small fish. 
And having blessed them, he said

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that these also should be set 
before them. 

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And they ate and were satisfied.
And they took up the broken 

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pieces, leftover 7 baskets full,
and there were about 4000 

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people. 
And he sent them away. 

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And immediately he got into the 
boat with his disciples and went

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to the district of Dalmanutha, 
as Jesus did before. 

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He works with the supplies that 
the disciples had on hand. 

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As Jesus did before, He employs 
the disciples to distribute the 

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miraculously multiplied bread as
Jesus did before. 

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He completely satisfies the 
hunger of the crowds that 

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there's even a bunch leftover. 
As Jesus did before, He 

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multiplies bread and fish from 
thin air. 

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He provides for the crowd's 
needs as only God can by putting

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forth His power to create. 
The test here for the disciples 

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and for us is this. 
Will you trust in God's 

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provision when your situation is
humanly impossible? 

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God loves to show off his power 
and grace and compassion by 

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providing for His people in 
situations that are humanly 

227
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impossible. 
He did that in the Exodus by 

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feeding his people with bread 
from heaven for 40 years. 

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Jesus did it here again by 
feeding 4000 people from teeny 

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tiny meagre supplies. 
And what Jesus did for them 

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then, he can do for you now. 
What do you need that only God 

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can supply? 
What situations in your life are

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00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:10,520
humanly hopeless? 
Whatever they are, cry out to 

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00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:18,720
God and ask Him to do what only 
He can, the Puritan Thomas Case 

235
00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:20,480
wrote and his treatise on 
afflictions. 

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Israel learned more of God's all
sufficiency in a land of drought

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then she could have learned in 
the land flowing with milk and 

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honey. 
Namely, that God can feed 

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without bread and satisfy thirst
without streams of water. 

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00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,920
That He can make the clouds rain
food and the rock give out 

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00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,480
rivers. 
That the creature can do nothing

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00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,320
without God, but God can do what
he please without the creature. 

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00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:49,360
Thanks, Joe. 
When there's no food in the 

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00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:52,520
wilderness, God can rain down 
bread from heaven. 

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00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:57,120
When there's no way to provide 
for yourself, Jesus can multiply

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00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,760
what you need. 
That's how he provides for us. 

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00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:06,079
That's how He provides not only 
our daily necessities, it's how 

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He provides salvation for us. 
Spiritually speaking, the 

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situation each of us is in by 
our fallen nature is even more 

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impossible than trying to feed 
4000 people with seven loaves of

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00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,359
bread. 
Spiritually speaking, we're all 

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00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:26,680
born blind to spiritual 
realities. 

253
00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:32,160
We're born with hearts deceived 
and distorted, set on the wrong 

254
00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:36,400
objects. 
We sin, and so we rack up a debt

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00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:39,320
that keeps getting bigger and 
bigger and bigger and bigger 

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than we could never repay. 
When you see the situation here 

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of Jesus providing for the 
crowd, doing something humanly 

258
00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:52,160
impossible, you should think 
that's what it took to save me. 

259
00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,520
And if you're not a believer in 
Jesus, you should understand 

260
00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,120
that what it takes to save you 
is something no human being can 

261
00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:00,880
do. 
You can't do it yourself. 

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00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:04,520
No parent can do it for you. 
No religious leader can do it 

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00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,440
for you. 
Spiritually speaking, your 

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00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:10,200
situation is humanly hopeless, 
which is why God sent Jesus into

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00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,320
the world to live a perfect 
life, to die on the cross, to 

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00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:17,560
pay the penalty for all the sins
of all those who had turned from

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00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:20,040
sin and trust in Him, and to 
rise from the dead. 

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00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:24,440
Talk about humanly impossible. 
Jesus did what was humanly 

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00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:28,200
impossible by rising from the 
grave after three days and then 

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00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:30,840
ascending into heaven where he 
sits at the right hand of God, 

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00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:34,400
and he calls all people now 
everywhere to repent and 

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00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:38,280
believe. 
Jesus did for you what is 

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00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:42,080
humanly impossible, so that if 
you receive it in faith, you'll 

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00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:46,640
be right with God forever. 
Jesus became bred from heaven by

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00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,440
becoming Incarnate, by giving 
his body on the cross to be 

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00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:53,480
broken for us, and by rising 
from the dead to become life 

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imperishable itself, to offer 
that same eternal life to all 

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00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:08,040
who trust in Him. 
So often God tests us in how He 

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00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:11,560
provides for us. 
He tests us in order to teach us

280
00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,400
that Our Daily Bread comes from 
Him. 

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00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:21,000
He tests us to train us to look 
for provision more from Him than

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00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:25,680
from any human or earthly cause.
God tests us by withholding what

283
00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,200
we need for a time. 
He tests us by delaying. 

284
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,640
He tests us by letting things 
get worse and worse, so that we 

285
00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,240
cry out to Him again and again, 
so that it becomes undeniable 

286
00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:40,320
that the solution to our problem
came as an answer to our 

287
00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,760
prayers. 
He tests us by putting us into 

288
00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:47,040
positions that look humanly 
impossible, so that we come to 

289
00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:53,080
learn by experience that what is
impossible with man is possible 

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00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:57,200
with God. 
Look again at verse 4. 

291
00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:02,840
How can one feed these people 
with bread here in this desolate

292
00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:07,240
place? 
What in your life most tempts 

293
00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:11,480
you to ask, how could God 
possibly provide? 

294
00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,760
Fill in the blank, whatever that
is. 

295
00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:22,000
Make it a focus of persistent, 
persevering prayer. 

296
00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,960
Bread from heaven is a test 
because you have to look up to 

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00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:30,200
God in prayer to receive it. 
Bread from heaven is a test 

298
00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:33,720
because God delights to provide 
by letting human means run clean

299
00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:38,320
out so that it's evident that 
the means are all His. 

300
00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:43,960
God delights to provide for you 
in ways that put you to the 

301
00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,960
test. 
But because of that, and because

302
00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,680
of the spiritual pride in all of
our hearts, we're tempted to 

303
00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,600
turn the tables on God. 
We're tempted to put God to the 

304
00:20:54,600 --> 00:21:03,240
test .2 Testing Jesus. 
Testing Jesus. 

305
00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:08,720
We see the Pharisees put Jesus 
to the test in verse 10 to 13 of

306
00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:11,760
our passage. 
Look with me at those verses. 

307
00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,360
And immediately he got into the 
boat with his disciples and went

308
00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:19,160
to the district of Dalmanutha. 
The Pharisees came and began to 

309
00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:21,920
argue with Him, seeking from Him
a sign from heaven to test him. 

310
00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,080
And he sighed deeply in his 
spirit and said, Why does this 

311
00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:31,000
generation seek a sign? 
Truly I say to you, no sign will

312
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:35,880
be given to this generation. 
And he left them, got into the 

313
00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:39,840
boat again, and went to the 
other side. 

314
00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:49,040
The main point of this section 
is that Jesus does not perform 

315
00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:53,600
proofs of His saving power on 
demand. 

316
00:21:55,360 --> 00:21:57,120
Notice the Pharisees posture 
here. 

317
00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:00,640
Verse 11 tells us they sought a 
sign to test Him. 

318
00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:06,040
They were not humbly inquiring. 
This was not faith seeking 

319
00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:09,360
understanding. 
Instead this is unbelief 

320
00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,440
demanding proof. 
Surely the Pharisees had heard 

321
00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,440
of many of Jesus miracles, but 
they weren't enough. 

322
00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,160
The Pharisees wanted a sign on 
demand. 

323
00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:22,800
They they were looking for 
reasons not to believe. 

324
00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,160
They wanted to discredit Jesus. 
OK, Jesus, so you're something 

325
00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:27,640
special. 
All right, Prove it. 

326
00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:34,480
Now, verse 11 tells us they 
sought from him a sign from 

327
00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:37,720
heaven. 
So I don't think that means they

328
00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:40,680
were just asking him to do one 
more miracle like he'd done. 

329
00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:45,120
I think they were asking him 
somehow to summon divine 

330
00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:47,680
authentication, almost like a 
voice from heaven. 

331
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,040
All right, Jesus, you represent 
the Father. 

332
00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,480
You claim to be the Son of God. 
All right, get him to tell us 

333
00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,680
what's going on here. 
It's as if they're asking him to

334
00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:59,200
to whip out on the spot a kind 
of divine ID verification card. 

335
00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:06,480
But this is not how Jesus works.
He refuses to give them any 

336
00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,960
sign. 
Jesus is not a dog who will do 

337
00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:17,080
tricks on command. 
Sit, lie down, roll over, sit 

338
00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:21,480
pretty. 
You cannot tell Jesus to sit up 

339
00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,400
and bark so that you'll come to 
believe in him. 

340
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,160
Specifically, Jesus says this 
generation won't receive any 

341
00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:31,760
sign. 
Why does he use that language of

342
00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,120
this generation? 
It's because he sees the 

343
00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:38,600
Pharisees as representing the 
unbelief of the people as a 

344
00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:40,720
whole. 
They're just like the Israelite 

345
00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:45,760
generation whom God rescued from
Egypt, but who still perished 

346
00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:50,160
because of unbelief. 
Jesus says this generation to 

347
00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:54,400
align his opponents with that 
generation that Michael's been 

348
00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,400
preaching to us about from 
Numbers. 

349
00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:58,920
That's why he groups them 
together as a whole. 

350
00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:04,360
Now what did that generation do?
Deuteronomy 616 tells us you 

351
00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:10,040
shall not put the Lord your God 
to the test as you tested him at

352
00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,240
Massa. 
The wilderness generation put 

353
00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:16,800
the Lord to the test. 
The Pharisees put Jesus to the 

354
00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,240
test. 
What does that teach us? 

355
00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:23,440
It shows us that Jesus is the 
Lord who is leading his people 

356
00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:26,720
in a new exodus and who's being 
tested just like they tested the

357
00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:31,400
Lord himself. 
Why does Jesus refuse to give a 

358
00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:35,320
sign on demand? 
Both because that's not how He 

359
00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:39,240
works and that's not how faith 
works. 

360
00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:47,160
If you demand that God himself 
prove Himself to you or you 

361
00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:50,800
won't believe in him who's 
supreme in that situation? 

362
00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:55,200
Who has the upper hand? 
Who's in charge you are? 

363
00:24:56,040 --> 00:25:00,600
Who's setting the standards by 
which this relationship will be 

364
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,280
evaluated? 
You are. 

365
00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:08,040
You can never come to a true 
faith in the true God by putting

366
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,800
God to the test. 
You can never come into a right 

367
00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:15,280
relationship with God by putting
yourself in God's place. 

368
00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:20,120
If you tell God I will not 
believe in you unless you prove 

369
00:25:20,120 --> 00:25:24,440
yourself to me. 
That's not faith, it's unbelief.

370
00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:29,840
You cannot come to God by 
setting an exam for him. 

371
00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:32,920
All right, God, the results are 
in. 

372
00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,600
We've graded your test. 
You got a 98. 

373
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:40,360
Very impressive. 
You've been working pretty hard.

374
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:42,760
There's one little mistake, but 
we can, we can overlook that. 

375
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:47,800
So now I'll believe in you. 
Congratulations, you've earned 

376
00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:52,240
my trust. 
Some thoughtful non believers 

377
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,400
can struggle with this demand 
for faith. 

378
00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:58,880
If you're not a Christian, maybe
you'd say you have a very 

379
00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,520
scientific mindset. 
You like how science operates 

380
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:08,680
empirically, meaning there's 
demonstration and verification 

381
00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:13,960
and falsification. 
You can prove something or 

382
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,880
disprove it. 
You like the confidence that 

383
00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,720
gives you. 
And so it seems reasonable to 

384
00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:23,200
try to use that scientific way 
of getting at the truth to try 

385
00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,320
to settle all of life's big 
questions and problems. 

386
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,920
But I want to suggest to you 
that if you try to answer all of

387
00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:34,720
life's biggest questions through
a scientific, empirical mindset,

388
00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:38,720
you will hit wall after wall 
after wall. 

389
00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:41,840
Can science tell you what love 
is? 

390
00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:46,840
Can science tell you whether 
life is worth living? 

391
00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:52,400
Can science tell you why human 
beings have an inviolable 

392
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:56,000
dignity? 
Can science tell you whether 

393
00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:59,480
there's a God? 
Can science tell you what the 

394
00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:05,960
good life is or how to live it? 
Just this week I was talking 

395
00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:07,840
with a non Christian whom I'm 
getting to know better. 

396
00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,040
He's very thoughtful. 
He understands a lot about 

397
00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:13,160
Christianity. 
He told me that he tries to seek

398
00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,760
answers to life's big questions 
from that kind of empirical, 

399
00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:19,520
scientific mindset. 
And I asked him if he ever hits 

400
00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:21,160
the limits of what he can find 
out that way. 

401
00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,040
He's very candid, very frank. 
He told me, yeah, all the time. 

402
00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:25,240
He doesn't know what to do about
it. 

403
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,560
He feels torn. 
He feels conflicted. 

404
00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:30,800
What about you? 
If that reflects your mindset at

405
00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:32,480
all? 
Have you ever hit any one of 

406
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:35,520
those walls? 
What do you do then? 

407
00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,320
Whether you're a believer or a 
non believer? 

408
00:27:41,120 --> 00:27:47,280
Are you putting God to the test?
That will not lead you to saving

409
00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:50,360
faith or true spiritual insight 
or right relationship with God. 

410
00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:54,280
Instead you have to let God put 
you to the test. 

411
00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:59,040
Brings us to .3. 
Tested by Jesus. 

412
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:06,960
Tested by Jesus We see Jesus 
testing his disciples in verses 

413
00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:12,840
14 to 21. 
Jesus rebukes them, examines 

414
00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:16,200
them, and prompts them to 
examine themselves. 

415
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,160
Just to preview what we learned 
from these verses. 

416
00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:27,320
True understanding of Jesus 
requires spiritual insight. 

417
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:32,080
It takes spiritual perception. 
We don't have that by nature. 

418
00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:37,840
We can't gain it by the flesh. 
Jesus sees into your heart and 

419
00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,120
knows whether you have that true
knowledge of Him or not. 

420
00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:47,960
And as we'll see at the end, 
only He can grant that true 

421
00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:51,640
knowledge of Himself. 
Look at me at verses 14 to 16. 

422
00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,520
Now they had forgotten to bring 
bread, and they had only one 

423
00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,960
loaf with them in the boat. 
And he cautioned them, saying, 

424
00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:00,760
watch out. 
Beware of the leaven of the 

425
00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:02,560
Pharisees and the leaven of 
Herod. 

426
00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:06,040
And they began discussing with 
one another the fact that they 

427
00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:10,600
had no bread. 
Again, this is just getting 

428
00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,960
ridiculous. 
They forget to bring bread 

429
00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,880
except 1 little loaf. 
But is that really a problem 

430
00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:20,440
after what they've just seen? 
Should they be concerned that 

431
00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:25,080
they are going to have a very 
light lunch after what Jesus has

432
00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:31,360
just done for them? 
In verse 14, the disciples again

433
00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:36,000
display their spiritual 
dullness, their denseness. 

434
00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,720
They're preoccupied with an 
earthly lack that should be no 

435
00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,480
problem at all. 
And Jesus uses that and pivots 

436
00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,200
to give them a spiritual 
warning. 

437
00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:47,600
In verse 15, Jesus uses the 
metaphor of leaven. 

438
00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,040
We often think of leaven as 
yeast, but it's not exactly 

439
00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,640
yeast. 
It's some leftover dough from 

440
00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:56,800
the last batch that's still 
active that you could use to 

441
00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:58,760
then help mix up the next batch 
of dough. 

442
00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:00,520
It's a little bit like a 
sourdough starter. 

443
00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:05,200
In any case, Jesus uses the 
metaphor of leaven to warn the 

444
00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:07,840
disciples about both the 
Pharisees and Herod. 

445
00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,720
Now why is that? 
They might not seem to have much

446
00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,640
in common. 
Well, what does leaven do? 

447
00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:18,400
It spreads. 
It imparts its character to the 

448
00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:22,600
whole new batch of dough. 
It's an active ingredient that 

449
00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:25,920
sets off a process. 
It changes what it comes into 

450
00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:29,840
contact with. 
And so throughout Scripture, in 

451
00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,040
the Old Testament and New 
Testament, leaven is used as a 

452
00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:36,520
metaphor for sins roots in the 
heart. 

453
00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:41,920
It's used as a metaphor for our 
inward inclination to evil that 

454
00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:45,640
spreads into our thoughts and 
words and actions. 

455
00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:51,200
Our inward inclination to evil 
infects our whole person. 

456
00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:54,880
So what Jesus is saying is don't
follow their example. 

457
00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:57,680
Don't be motivated by what 
motivates them. 

458
00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:03,480
Don't imitate the unbelief of 
the Pharisees or Herod's fear of

459
00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:07,160
man and licentiousness and power
grabbing. 

460
00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:10,520
He's warning the disciples 
against the roots of all of 

461
00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:15,600
those sins. 
If Jesus were to warn you today,

462
00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:20,240
right now, not to be influenced 
by someone else's leaven, who do

463
00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:24,080
you think he would name? 
Could it be a friend or a family

464
00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:27,360
member? 
Could it be a professional 

465
00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:32,960
mentor or coach? 
Could it even be a therapist? 

466
00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:39,280
Who in your life has influence 
over you in such a way that they

467
00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:43,200
might subtly turn your heart 
away from God? 

468
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:47,280
But the disciples still don't 
get it. 

469
00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,600
Verse 16 shows us they missed 
the point of Jesus metaphor 

470
00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:52,800
altogether. 
He warns them about leaven. 

471
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:56,360
They go, OK, I guess he must 
mean we don't have any bread. 

472
00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:59,360
Bad disciples didn't bring 
bread. 

473
00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,040
Do better next time. 
Thank you Jesus. 

474
00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:05,760
Right, They think he's still 
talking about bread. 

475
00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:10,000
So Jesus responds with an 
extended rebuke of their 

476
00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,840
incomprehension. 
It's a series of searching 

477
00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:17,920
questions in verses 17 to 21. 
And Jesus, aware of this, said 

478
00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:21,920
to them, Why are you discussing 
the fact that you have no bread?

479
00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:25,800
Do you not yet perceive or 
understand? 

480
00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:29,040
Are your hearts hardened? 
Having eyes do you not see, and 

481
00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:32,280
having ears do you not hear? 
And do you not remember when I 

482
00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:35,560
broke the five loaves for the 
5000, how many baskets full of 

483
00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:41,400
broken peas did you take up? 
They said to him, 12 And the 

484
00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,360
seven for the 4000, how many 
baskets full of broken pieces 

485
00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:48,320
did you take up? 
And they said to him, 7 And he 

486
00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:51,680
said to them, do you not yet 
understand? 

487
00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:56,960
In our passage, we're coming 
right up to the halfway point of

488
00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:00,920
Mark's gospel. 
And here Jesus sets his 

489
00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:07,160
disciples a midterm exam. 
How are they doing so far at 

490
00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:11,200
understanding who Jesus is and 
what he came to do? 

491
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:17,480
Of course, the questions 
themselves indicate the answer. 

492
00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:23,720
They're not doing so good. 
They are royally missing the 

493
00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:26,240
point. 
They're halfway through their 

494
00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:30,040
enrollment in Jesus class, 
Christology and Discipleship 

495
00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:35,480
101, and at this point they are 
failing miserably. 

496
00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:39,200
The answer to Jesus questions 
are pretty obvious. 

497
00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:41,960
They don't yet perceive or 
understand. 

498
00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:44,360
Their hearts are hardened. 
Their eyes don't see. 

499
00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:47,640
Their ears don't hear. 
Now, what's our new Exodus 

500
00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:51,680
connection here? 
It's that Jesus poses the same 

501
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:56,920
challenge in the same wording 
that the Lord does to His people

502
00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,320
in light of their hardness of 
heart in the wilderness. 

503
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:06,640
So Psalm 95 verses 7:00 to 9:00 
today, if you hear His voice, do

504
00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:10,440
not harden your hearts as at 
Moribah, as on the day at Massa 

505
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,440
in the wilderness, when your 
Father's put me to the test and 

506
00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:15,560
put me to the proof that they 
had seen my work. 

507
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,880
The disciples are in danger of 
hardening their hearts against 

508
00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:23,800
all that Jesus is revealing to 
them, just like the wilderness 

509
00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,199
generation did. 
They're in danger of failing to 

510
00:34:27,199 --> 00:34:31,280
see Jesus, despite the fact that
they're seeing him with their 

511
00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:34,719
eyes right now. 
There's also another connection 

512
00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:38,840
to the exodus here. 
Jesus asks them, do you not 

513
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:43,360
remember? 
In the Exodus, God decisively 

514
00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:46,080
delivered his people and then 
established the Passover as a 

515
00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:48,360
yearly remembrance of that 
saving act. 

516
00:34:49,199 --> 00:34:51,880
Exodus 12/14. 
This day shall be for you a 

517
00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:54,440
Memorial Day, and you shall keep
it as a feast to the Lord 

518
00:34:55,159 --> 00:34:57,560
throughout your generations. 
As a statute forever. 

519
00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:02,840
You shall keep it as a feast. 
Not only that, but in Exodus 

520
00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:07,000
1633 to 34, God tells Moses to 
put some of the manna into the 

521
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:10,680
ark of the Covenant, to be 
preserved as a standing memorial

522
00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:13,120
throughout all of Israel's 
generations of how the Lord had 

523
00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:15,160
provided for them in the 
wilderness. 

524
00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:21,680
So how do we remember what the 
Lord has done for us in saving 

525
00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:23,840
US? 
One way is by celebrating the 

526
00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,520
Lord's Supper, which He's given 
us for this very purpose, which 

527
00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:30,120
we'll do at the conclusion of 
the service, just like in the 

528
00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:34,080
miraculous feeding in chapter 6.
In our passage, too, Jesus 

529
00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:38,560
previews the Lord's Supper in 
verse six. 

530
00:35:39,240 --> 00:35:45,520
He takes the loaves, gives 
thanks, breaks them, and gives 

531
00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:48,920
them to the disciples, just like
he would at the Last Supper. 

532
00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:56,240
We also remember what God has 
done by reminding each other of 

533
00:35:56,240 --> 00:35:58,280
it. 
And if you're talking with 

534
00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,800
another member of the church and
they're struggling to remember 

535
00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:06,360
God's goodness and mercy, remind
that believer of the grace God 

536
00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:11,240
has shown in saving them and the
goodness God has shown in 

537
00:36:11,240 --> 00:36:15,720
sustaining them. 
Remind that believer, as Psalm 

538
00:36:15,720 --> 00:36:21,080
1O3 says, to forget not all 
God's benefits. 

539
00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:26,520
The answer to the last three of 
Jesus questions is a little more

540
00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,520
complicated. 
Do they not remember the feeding

541
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:32,600
of the 5004 thousand? 
Well, their answers show that of

542
00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:34,320
course they do. 
They were there. 

543
00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:36,400
It was pretty remarkable. 
They haven't forgotten. 

544
00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:38,760
They answered Jesus questions 
just fine. 

545
00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:41,000
They remember how many baskets 
of food were leftover. 

546
00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:45,360
Now scholars speculate over 
whether the numbers 12 and seven

547
00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:48,560
have symbolic significance. 
Maybe they do, I don't know. 

548
00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:50,720
I'm not confident in any 
particular interpretation. 

549
00:36:50,720 --> 00:36:54,360
I think the main point of Jesus 
reminding them of the leftovers 

550
00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:57,520
is simply to highlight the 
abundance of the provision. 

551
00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:01,080
Not only did all those people 
get fed, but there was stuff 

552
00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:03,240
leftover. 
Who can provide like that? 

553
00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:09,640
Only God himself, only the God 
who is Himself, our infinite 

554
00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:14,320
satisfaction can satisfy 
thousands of people by 

555
00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:19,400
multiplying bread from thin air.
Jesus highlighted that detail 

556
00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:25,160
that demonstrated divine 
abundance as a clue to his 

557
00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:29,600
divine identity. 
The disciples should have been 

558
00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:34,600
able to draw a straight and 
short line from what Jesus did 

559
00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:37,880
to who he is. 
They should have been able to 

560
00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:41,440
conclude that because Jesus 
provides in a way that only God 

561
00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:46,480
can, he is himself the only God 
to come in the flesh to save 

562
00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:48,960
them. 
What Jesus is doing in this 

563
00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:55,520
series of questions, not only is
he examining his disciples, but 

564
00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:59,040
he's requiring them to examine 
themselves. 

565
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:03,960
They should have been able to 
draw the right conclusion. 

566
00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:08,040
Jesus even lays out the evidence
again for them. 

567
00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:10,880
Do you remember how many baskets
full? 

568
00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:16,000
Jesus is putting a burden on 
them to examine their own 

569
00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:20,560
hearts, to examine their own 
spiritual condition, and to look

570
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,800
at what He'd revealed and draw 
the right conclusion. 

571
00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:30,240
Brothers and sisters, one way we
can serve each other is by 

572
00:38:30,240 --> 00:38:35,480
asking careful questions that 
foster self examination. 

573
00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:38,840
Jesus questions were a 
Searchlight that he was shining 

574
00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:42,000
into the hearts of the disciples
to get them to look inward. 

575
00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:48,240
How can you grow in asking other
church members questions like 

576
00:38:48,240 --> 00:38:51,200
that? 
Sometimes before I'll meet with 

577
00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:52,880
a church member, I'll try to 
come up with just one or two 

578
00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:55,160
questions in my head. 
Kind of get the exact phrasing 

579
00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:58,080
if I want to put it at some 
point in the conversation. 

580
00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:02,120
Sometimes you can serve a 
brother or sister better by 

581
00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:05,680
asking a question than by giving
an answer. 

582
00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:11,880
How can you grow in asking 
questions that prompt spiritual 

583
00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:15,120
self examination? 
And of course, we can also turn 

584
00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:17,640
Jesus flashlight around and 
shine it on ourselves. 

585
00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:23,240
If Jesus was going to draw up a 
personal spiritual midterm exam 

586
00:39:23,240 --> 00:39:26,600
for you today, what questions 
would he ask you? 

587
00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:31,520
Kids and teens in the 
congregation do that exercise 

588
00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:33,880
with me really quick, but just 
one question. 

589
00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:39,640
If Jesus were going to ask you a
question to show you your own 

590
00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:45,800
spiritual state, to help you see
where you stand before God, what

591
00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:50,360
question would he ask you? 
Write that question down. 

592
00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:54,080
Talk about it with somebody. 
If you go to youth group, talk 

593
00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:55,200
about it as a youth group 
leader. 

594
00:39:55,240 --> 00:39:57,320
If you have an older believer 
you meet with, talk with them. 

595
00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:01,760
You could even talk about it 
with your parents. 

596
00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:09,520
This portion of the passage ends
in an awkward, uncomfortable 

597
00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:11,600
place. 
Jesus question just hangs there.

598
00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:15,280
Verse 21. 
Do you not yet understand? 

599
00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:19,800
Earlier in Mark in chapter 4, 
verse 12. 

600
00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:24,480
Jesus quotes Isaiah chapter 6, 
verses 9 and 10 to explain why 

601
00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:26,880
he teaches in parables. 
Why does he do that? 

602
00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:32,960
It is so that people may see but
not perceive and hear but not 

603
00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:35,360
understand. 
That's what we expect from 

604
00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:39,000
outsiders, Maybe the Pharisees, 
the people who oppose Jesus's 

605
00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:42,560
ministry. 
OK, but in this story, it's the 

606
00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:46,480
disciples who have eyes but 
don't see, who have ears but 

607
00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:51,280
don't understand. 
It's the disciples who have 

608
00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:55,080
hardened hearts. 
That's disturbing, that's 

609
00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:59,160
troubling, it's haunting. 
It almost feels hopeless. 

610
00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:04,960
What hope is there for disciples
who have eyes but don't see? 

611
00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:12,320
The hope is that the one they're
following can give sight to the 

612
00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:17,640
blind. 
That's .4 sight to the blind. 

613
00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:21,920
That's what Jesus shows us he 
can do in verses 22 to 26. 

614
00:41:27,310 --> 00:41:30,310
And they came to Beseda, and 
some people brought to him a 

615
00:41:30,310 --> 00:41:31,910
blind man and begged him to 
touch him. 

616
00:41:32,630 --> 00:41:35,470
And he took the blind man by the
hand and let him out of the 

617
00:41:35,470 --> 00:41:38,190
village. 
And when he had spit on his eyes

618
00:41:38,190 --> 00:41:41,710
and laid his hand hands on him, 
he asked him, Do you see 

619
00:41:41,710 --> 00:41:43,800
anything? 
Just a little note there. 

620
00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:46,600
When it says Jesus spit on his 
eyes, presumably it means he 

621
00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:50,040
applied saliva to them, not like
spit in his face in any kind of 

622
00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:52,600
rude way. 
He took saliva, put it on his 

623
00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:57,160
eyes, and he looked up and said,
I see people, but they look like

624
00:41:57,160 --> 00:42:01,280
trees walking. 
Then Jesus laid his hands on his

625
00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:03,680
eyes again and he opened his 
eyes. 

626
00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:06,480
His sight was restored and he 
saw everything clearly. 

627
00:42:07,240 --> 00:42:11,480
And he sent him to his home, 
saying do not even enter the 

628
00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:15,840
village. 
Why does Jesus perform this 

629
00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:18,560
elaborate series of actions 
instead of simply healing the 

630
00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:21,160
man by a word? 
It's just like as we saw in the 

631
00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:22,960
healing of the deaf mute man 
last week. 

632
00:42:23,560 --> 00:42:25,480
I think Jesus has two reasons 
for this. 

633
00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:30,960
One is kindness, compassion, to 
show the man what he's doing and

634
00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:32,320
walk him through it step by 
step. 

635
00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:36,320
He begins by literally taking 
him by the hand and leading him 

636
00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:38,840
to be alone. 
But I think another reason for 

637
00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:42,080
it is symbolism. 
He's showing us that what this 

638
00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:44,520
man needs, the disciples also 
need. 

639
00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:48,720
And we all need, we all need 
Jesus to touch our eyes so that 

640
00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:51,920
we can see. 
We need Jesus to give us 

641
00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:55,360
spiritual insights so that we 
can see him as he truly is. 

642
00:42:55,720 --> 00:42:58,640
We need Jesus to heal our 
blindness, just like we confess 

643
00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:03,840
from our statement of faith. 
God, God's Spirit, enlightens 

644
00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:08,840
sinner's minds to understand 
God's word. 

645
00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:13,200
But then why does Jesus do it 
only halfway at first? 

646
00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:18,200
In all of Mark's gospel, this is
the only healing or miracle of 

647
00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:21,920
any kind that doesn't do it all 
right away. 

648
00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:24,400
He only gets the guy halfway 
there. 

649
00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:28,600
This is unique in Mark's gospel,
and whenever something is the 

650
00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:30,840
only one of its kind in any book
of the Bible, that should make 

651
00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:33,280
you pause and go, OK, what's 
going on here? 

652
00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:36,600
This one is not like literally 
all of the others. 

653
00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:41,520
I think we understand part of 
the reason for this by looking 

654
00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:45,280
backward, and we get the whole 
reason by looking forward to the

655
00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:50,080
very next passage. 
The healing that's only halfway 

656
00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:54,240
symbolizes that coming to 
understand Jesus truly is a 

657
00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:56,600
process. 
It doesn't happen all at once. 

658
00:43:56,600 --> 00:44:00,280
So when we look back to Jesus 
exam of the disciples that 

659
00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:04,160
they're failing, it gives us 
hope that they won't keep 

660
00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:09,320
failing. 
They will make progress, but we 

661
00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:13,520
shouldn't expect them to 
instantly flip from failure to 

662
00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:17,320
perfection. 
It's going to be a process, and 

663
00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:19,520
we see that very concretely in 
the very next passage. 

664
00:44:19,520 --> 00:44:23,200
So just glance ahead at the next
few verses from 27 to 33. 

665
00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:30,960
In these verses, like in verse 
29, Peter rightly confesses that

666
00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:34,160
Jesus is the Messiah. 
But then Jesus starts teaching 

667
00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:36,360
what that means. 
He's going to be rejected. 

668
00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:38,560
He's going to be killed. 
He's going to rise from the 

669
00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:41,400
grave. 
And Peter starts to rebuke Jesus

670
00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:44,520
and tell him that those things 
cannot and will not happen. 

671
00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:49,240
So what does Peter do? 
He gets Jesus exactly half 

672
00:44:49,240 --> 00:44:51,840
right. 
He got the Messiah part. 

673
00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:55,120
That's good. 
But he doesn't get the crucified

674
00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:59,480
part. 
The man Jesus heals at first 

675
00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:04,360
receives half sight, and then 
Peter right after gets Jesus 

676
00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:08,160
half right. 
The disciples will soon make 

677
00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:12,160
spiritual progress, but that 
progress will not be perfection.

678
00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:16,480
How does this passage connect to
our new exodus theme? 

679
00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:20,760
It does so by echoing the 
passage of Isaiah chapter 42 

680
00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:24,600
that Kendra read earlier. 
Isaiah 42 prophecies how God's 

681
00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:27,040
servants will lead God's people 
through a new exodus. 

682
00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:31,280
And just as Michael taught us 
from Isaiah 49 verse six last 

683
00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:36,080
Sunday night, the servant is 
both the Messiah and God's 

684
00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:38,400
people. 
We see this super clearly in 

685
00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:42,080
chapter 42. 
So 1st to go back to verses 6 

686
00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:43,520
and seven, don't need to turn 
there. 

687
00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:47,600
We'll just read a few verses. 
Isaiah 42, six and seven. 

688
00:45:48,120 --> 00:45:49,760
I am the Lord. 
I've called you in 

689
00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:51,760
righteousness. 
I will take you by the hand and 

690
00:45:51,760 --> 00:45:53,920
keep you. 
I will give you as a covenant 

691
00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:58,280
for the people, a light for the 
nations to open the eyes that 

692
00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:01,600
are blind, to bring out the 
prisoners from the dungeon, from

693
00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:03,560
the prison, those who sit in 
darkness. 

694
00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:06,760
Here God promises that His 
servant will open the eyes of 

695
00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:08,920
the blind. 
That's exactly what Jesus is 

696
00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:13,360
doing in healing this man. 
But then consider verses 19 and 

697
00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:20,000
20. 
Who is blind but my servant, or 

698
00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:22,400
deaf as my messenger whom I 
send? 

699
00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:26,800
Who is blind as my dedicated 
one, or blind as the servant of 

700
00:46:26,800 --> 00:46:31,000
the Lord? 
He sees many things, but does 

701
00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:35,360
not observe them. 
His ears are open, but he does 

702
00:46:35,360 --> 00:46:40,400
not hear. 
How can the servant both open 

703
00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:43,880
blind eyes and also be blind? 
Because the servant is both the 

704
00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:46,680
Messiah and Israel. 
It's as if those last couple of 

705
00:46:46,680 --> 00:46:50,360
phrases in that prophecy were 
written about the disciples who 

706
00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:53,720
have ears but don't hear. 
Jesus. 

707
00:46:53,720 --> 00:46:58,920
The Servant heals blindness. 
Israel the Servant needs her 

708
00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:03,120
blindness healed. 
And all of this is meant to 

709
00:47:03,120 --> 00:47:05,480
bring home to us our spiritual 
condition. 

710
00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:09,040
By nature, each of us is born 
spiritually blind. 

711
00:47:09,240 --> 00:47:12,760
No one knows God rightly. 
No one knows themselves rightly.

712
00:47:12,880 --> 00:47:17,240
Sin puts scales over our eyes, 
blinders on our faces. 

713
00:47:17,480 --> 00:47:20,200
Sin distorts our vision and 
keeps us from seeing God and 

714
00:47:20,200 --> 00:47:24,560
ourselves as we really are. 
Each of us needs spiritual sight

715
00:47:24,760 --> 00:47:28,240
that only Jesus can give. 
If you're not a believer in 

716
00:47:28,320 --> 00:47:31,720
Jesus, ask Him to give you that 
spiritual sight. 

717
00:47:31,720 --> 00:47:33,520
Ask Him to reveal Himself to 
you. 

718
00:47:33,520 --> 00:47:37,200
And if you are a believer in 
Jesus, praise God for the gift 

719
00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:40,400
of new eyes that He's given you.
Praise God for the gift of 

720
00:47:40,520 --> 00:47:44,400
spiritual insight and ask Him to
illumine your understanding. 

721
00:47:45,720 --> 00:47:48,720
When you come across a difficult
passage of Scripture, pray for 

722
00:47:48,720 --> 00:47:51,240
insight. 
When you get up on Sunday 

723
00:47:51,240 --> 00:47:55,640
morning, pray for God to enable 
you to receive spiritual truth. 

724
00:47:56,360 --> 00:47:59,360
Pray for Him to work in your 
heart to do the work in your 

725
00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:02,120
heart by His Word and Spirit 
that only He can do. 

726
00:48:02,960 --> 00:48:05,360
Pray that God would open the 
eyes of your heart to behold Him

727
00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:12,600
truly and to see yourself truly.
What tests are you undergoing 

728
00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:17,280
right now, especially spiritual 
tests? 

729
00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:21,920
One of the keys to passing every
test, both secular and 

730
00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:29,440
spiritual, is reviewing in order
to remember what has God done 

731
00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:36,880
for you in saving you? 
Survey his goodnesses to you. 

732
00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:41,320
Review how God has loved you and
cared for you. 

733
00:48:42,240 --> 00:48:45,040
And remember. 
Remember his love. 

734
00:48:45,680 --> 00:48:49,560
Remember Christ's saving death. 
Remember his death defeating 

735
00:48:49,560 --> 00:48:52,120
resurrection. 
Remember his soon return. 

736
00:48:53,160 --> 00:48:56,040
By God's grace, we intend to do 
all that together in just a few 

737
00:48:56,040 --> 00:48:58,480
moments as we celebrate the 
Lord's Supper. 

738
00:48:58,920 --> 00:49:03,560
Let's pray. 
Heavenly Father, we pray that 

739
00:49:03,560 --> 00:49:09,120
you would give us eyes to see 
Jesus as he is and to embrace 

740
00:49:09,120 --> 00:49:12,480
him by faith. 
We pray these things in Jesus 

741
00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:14,320
name, Amen.