Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

The Satisfaction of Christ

MARK 8:1–9 – In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.”

Today’s scripture is one of those riveting accounts of a miracle performed by Jesus; the miracle of feeding the masses fish and bread. And when we read “masses” we are not talking about a good size family reunion or church picnic. The number was at a minimum four thousand people. Imagine being there and seeing the bread and fish just keep coming and coming and coming, never running out until the last hungry soul received their share. We read toward the end of the account the obvious–And they ate and were satisfied. Rightly, so. Served by the Master out of His plenty, their physical need of food overflowed with satisfaction. But let’s look at this with a spiritual application for us.

Remember the promise Jesus gave on the shores of the Galilee Sea? The crowd was huge, like in today’s story, and our Lord proclaims for all to hear and embrace,“ I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst”(John 6:35). What Jesus offers is not a loaf of bread to satisfy a physical hunger pain or a literal drink of water to quench a temporary thirst. No, He is offering Himself as the only source of heart satisfaction, soul contentment, and a life freed from the bondage of sinful cravings and yearnings which cannot be fulfilled in the things of this world. The question for each of us is . . . “Are we finding this satisfaction in Christ?”

Jesus came to give life, abundant life (John 10:10). Not abundance of life in things but in Himself. Is He proving to be so in our lives? Are we able to say these words from the heart and lips of the Psalmist,“ Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25). One of the most powerful elements in our witness for Christ before a watching world is a life contented fully in Him. The world is marked by the sin of discontent. The Christian is to be marked by contentment; not in what God gives but in who God is–the One who truly satisfies all the longings in the human heart. May it be so for each of us naming the name of the Lord Jesus.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for giving me all I need in Your Son. May I live believing that each and every day.”

QUOTE: “Christ satisfies the human soul, brings peace to the human mind, and rest to the human heart.”

Because of Him,
Pastor Jim