Miracles of Nature — The Four Thousand Fed
Matthew 15:32-38; Mark 8:1-10
1. What do you often tend to forget: names, birthdays, keys, umbrellas, etc. Why?
2. How did your parents complete this sentence when you were a child? "How many times do I have to tell you..."?
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Jesus Feeds Four Thousand
Matthew 15 32 Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”
33 The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”
34 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”
They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”
35 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.
37 They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. 38 There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. 39 Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.
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Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people…”
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Questions of Discovery
Seeking God’s Message Then and Now
1. Having already seen a miraculous feeding, how do you account for the disciples' lack of faith?
2. How long had the people been with Jesus? Why did He not want to send them away? (Matthew 15:32)
3. What did the disciples say to Jesus? (Matthew 15:33)
4. How much food was available? (Matthew 15:34)
5. After He commanded the people to sit on the ground, what did Jesus do? (Matthew 15:35-36)
6. What was gathered after the people were filled? (Matthew 15:37)
7. How many people ate? (Matthew 15:38)
8. Compare the feeding of the 5000 with the feeding of the 4000.
a. place
b. number of days with Jesus
c. number of loaves
d. number of fish
e. baskets remaining
9. Why does Jesus heal and feed the crowds?
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Questions for Personal Reflection
1. When you face overwhelming situations now, how well do you remember God's provision for you in the past?
2. Do you sometimes doubt Jesus' ability to meet your needs? How so?
3. What would stimulate your memory of God's mercy?
4. How helpful is it for you to hear the stories of the way God has worked in the lives of other Christians? Why?
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