Following Our Good Shepperd into the Wilderness
Truth Taught- Follow Jesus and He will lead you to green pasture and rest for your soul.
The wilderness wandering was anything but rest. The Israelites failed test after test. They complained, grumbled and there was a time or two Moses thought they were going to stone him. There was no rest for them because they would not trust God. A journey that should have taken a few weeks took 40 years because they would not trust and obey God. Instead, they always complained and the truth is, it was their own fault. They were the reason this trek to the Promised Land was taking so long. It seems the Lord is more concerned with how we arrive than when we arrive.
Food and water were also part of their test. Because they refused to listen and trust God, the wilderness was a miserable place of constant testing and no rest.
Exodus 17:1–7 (ESV)
17 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
We should notice quickly here that it was God who led them to the place called Rephidim. He did this on purpose. Something special about this place that Moses mentions,
but there was no water for the people to drink.
As was standard practice the people grumbled against Moses…
Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?
The people failed the test. God led them to the place where there was no water for a reason…to test them.
All they did was look around and say, there is no water here what are you trying to do kill us? They had no thought about trusting God. The Lord knows we need water, right?
The right response would have been, God knows we need water so, we will trust Him and while we wait we will praise Him for who He is and how He has kept us already.
Notice God’s plan…
Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
The people needed to learn to trust God so Moses was to lead them on to another place, called Horeb and the Lord would stand on a huge bolder and Moses would strike it and water would flow freely. The symbolism would be hard to miss. God is providing the water for them…trust Me God would say.
Sometimes God leads us to difficult places to teach us He can be trusted…He knows and yet He is growing us.
Unfortunately, the Israelites failed the test…
7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Now our text today from Mark’s Gospel is another group in the wilderness with no provisions…what will they do? Will they say, Jesus did You lead us out here to kill us? What do we say when God takes us to a difficult place in our lives? God, do you love me? Are You still with me? We must trust God in the dark places, our wilderness so to speak, where there is no water and praise Him for supplying everything we need in this life. Sometimes we just wait and trust because God will do something amazing.
Please Stand…
Mark 6:30–44 (ESV)
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
1. The People Follow Jesus and the Disciples Out into the Wilderness (6:30-34)
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
What’s important to see is that this crowd has been gathered mostly by the disciples that Jesus had sent out with His power. They have returned and like Jesus, there was a crowd that formed. If you remember, they were given power to speak with authority, to cast out demons and to heal. Their missionary mission caught the attention of many people.
We should also see that the crowd, which we will discover, is massive probably 10,000 people or more followed Jesus on their own. They were not led to the wilderness but went freely because that’s where Jesus was.
Also, they are here called Apostles because they are Jesus’ messengers given Jesus’ power. This name shows their function. They were preaching the Gospel with power and casting out demons and healing as they went. They were God’s appointed missionaries. Jesus said, follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.
For Moses and the Israelites, there was no rest out in the wilderness. It was a barren place where there was not much to eat or drink. They walked and walked for 40 years. Will God provide rest for His people in the wilderness through Jesus our Lord?
What we should see here is that this crowd came from all the towns out into the wilderness. They recognized Jesus and the disciples, now Apostles, and they followed them into the wilderness. This very large crowd was forsaking their towns and comforts to follow Jesus into the wilderness.
So eager were the people that they ran and got ahead of Jesus and the others and were there to meet them when they went ashore. Will this wilderness be different because Jesus is here?
34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
This verse is a reference to Numbers 27:17…
Here, Joshua is being appointed to lead God’s people Israel…
Numbers 27:17 (ESV)
17 who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”
Now, Israel is like a flock of sheep with no shepherd. The reality is that all who come to Christ will have a Shepherd, the Great Shepherd.
They are out in the wilderness with the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Will these sheep find provision and rest?
2. The Difference Jesus Makes, Green Grass and Bread in the Wilderness (6:35-44)
35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Mark wants us to see that Jesus is the faithful Shepherd that God’s people need. He is the Good Shepherd that leads His sheep to green pasture and knows where all the good places are to take His flock. We must see that Jesus will take us past and sometimes through the barren wasteland to good pasture. As we walk past the wasteland and even sometimes through the wasteland, we must remember, that’s not where our pasture lies.
Some of you here today may think that the desolate place is where you will stay. Please believe, that’s not our home. God may walk us through it but that’s not where we will live nor will we stay there. But we also must remember that it is in those places where God takes us such as a land without water or a trial with no human answer that He will show us Himself in a very powerful way.
While the Israelites wandered through the wilderness for 40 years; places where there was no food and no water, Jesus as our Good Shepherd has other plans for His people.
I pray today that you know your Good Shepherd…
John 10:27–30 (ESV)
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
The hour is getting late, supper time is approaching and we can sense the disciple’s concern for the people…
35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
According to the disciples, the situation is beyond human resourcefulness much like the land with no water.
Then Jesus speaks to them…
37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”
200 denarii- approximately a year’s wage for the common worker. They don’t have the resources to accommodate such a large crowd.
38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”
Something is getting ready to happen, so important that every Gospel writer includes this in their accounts.
Ezekiel 34 speaks of the days to come when Israel’s Messiah-Shepherd will lead His sheep into fruitful land. No more desert and no more danger but a land that is plush and running over with grain and wine.
Psalm 23(ESV)
23 A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Here, in our text we see the wilderness is being changed into an oasis of green grass with plenty of food for God’s people.
39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Where Jesus is there is green grass in the desert. Jesus is our oasis in the wilderness. The disciples were amazed that day, this would be an event they would forever remember.
Jesus tells the disciples to have the people sit down in groups of 50 and of 100. The significance of this, is that is how they were arranged when they camped in the wilderness as Moses led them. This is a visual of the wilderness of the OT…except here, where Jesus is, there is not a barren wasteland but thick, lush green grass. The desert is transformed into a place of refreshment and rest. It is teaming with life now. The cursed land is now a blessed place.
Jesus has just showed Himself as the Second Moses, the Son of God who is the Good Shepherd of God’s people, bringing us into green pastures of plenty and of rest.
Close your eyes for a moment and picture the scene. Desert all around and then there is this one place where Jesus is and it is bright green against the backdrop of brown sandy desert. Do you want to be there? Do you want to listen to Jesus teach and then eat a full meal and after rest on the green grass? If you do, then you have just been taken to the place where the Israelites after 40 years did not even go. In Christ we have what they were to have but did not ever get because they could not see by faith.
he looked up to heaven and said a blessing- the typical blessing went like this…Praise unto thee, O Lord our God, King of the world. Who makes bread to come forth from the earth…Amen.
God does a great miracle here. He does what Jesus prayed He would do and bread did come forth. No one knows exactly how this took place. Was it multiplied right then? Was it multiplied as the disciples passed it out? Did it fall from heaven like manna? The Bread of life provided bread for life.
After everything was over and the people ate all they wanted, there was gathered up loaves and fish that filled 12 baskets…One for each disciple.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.
44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Listen beloved…Jesus is going to take us into the wilderness to test us. To see if He is enough?
Hebrews 3:7–14 (ESV)
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
Remember beloved…stand firm in the wilderness. Keep your faith fixed on Jesus Christ in times of trial. Jesus, our Good Shepperd is taking us to green pasture where there will be plenty of blessings and rest for our souls. Enjoy His company now even in the wilderness and remember, He is enough.
Resources
Mark by William Lane
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