Canterbury Gardens Community Church (CGCC)
Oct 4, 2026 · 40 min · 9 segments
We were asked to consider: Who is Jesus? Why has he come? What does it mean to follow Him? Want to know more about CGCC? Just head to our website: https://www.cgcc.org.au/
In fact, only a chapter and a half ago, we had the feeding of the 5,000, if you remember.
And now we have the feeding of the 4,000.
And many people speculate, why does Mark put two stories that are so similar, so close to each other in his gospel? Because there is many similarities between this story and the feeding of the 5,000.
But one key difference is the context of those stories.
You see, at the end of chapter 7, Mark talked about this last week, that he's been going around in Gentile regions.
And so it seems likely that this 4,000 is actually a gathering of predominantly Gentile crowds, as opposed to last in the 5,000, a gathering of Jewish crowds.
We can sort of see an allusion to this in the text as well.
In verse 3, it notes that some of them have come from very far away to hear Jesus, to sit with Jesus.
And so in very similar fashion, Jesus asks this question, the disciples ask this question, How can one feed these people with the bread here in this desolate place? Now that word for feed here is actually the word for satisfy.
Who can satisfy these people? Who can satisfy these people? And then Jesus gets them to sit down on the ground.
He takes the seven loaves, he breaks them, and he gives thanks.
That should remind you of something already, that he breaks the loaves and he gives thanks.
You know, last week we saw that all of us were equal in our need in our hearts for a saviour.
We're all on the same footing.
And here Mark's showing that all people have the same need of provision from Jesus alone.
And so in verse 8, they ate and were satisfied.
They were satisfied.
But here's the problem.
The problem of today's passage is that though Jesus is the only one who can satisfy all people, no one understands Jesus.
Him.
No one understands his message.
Immediately after this, he crosses over the sea to the Pharisees and he begins to argue with them because they're with him.
They begin to argue with him because they are seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
In fact, only a chapter and a half ago, we had the feeding of the 5,000, if you remember.
And now we have the feeding of the 4,000.
And many people speculate, why does Mark put two stories that are so similar, so close to each other in his gospel? Because there is many similarities between this story and the feeding of the 5,000.
But one key difference is the context of those stories.
You see, at the end of chapter 7, Mark talked about this last week, that he's been going around in Gentile regions.
And so it seems likely that this 4,000 is actually a gathering of predominantly Gentile crowds, as opposed to last in the 5,000, a gathering of Jewish crowds.
We can sort of see an allusion to this in the text as well.
In verse 3, it notes that some of them have come from very far away to hear Jesus, to sit with Jesus.
And so in very similar fashion, Jesus asks this question, the disciples ask this question, How can one feed these people with the bread here in this desolate place? Now that word for feed here is actually the word for satisfy.
Who can satisfy these people? Who can satisfy these people? And then Jesus gets them to sit down on the ground.
He takes the seven loaves, he breaks them, and he gives thanks.
That should remind you of something already, that he breaks the loaves and he gives thanks.
You know, last week we saw that all of us were equal in our need in our hearts for a saviour.
We're all on the same footing.
And here Mark's showing that all people have the same need of provision from Jesus alone.
And so in verse 8, they ate and were satisfied.
They were satisfied.
But here's the problem.
The problem of today's passage is that though Jesus is the only one who can satisfy all people, no one understands Jesus.
Him.
No one understands his message.
Immediately after this, he crosses over the sea to the Pharisees and he begins to argue with them because they're with him.
They begin to argue with him because they are seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
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