Sabbath School Lesson for July 27-August 2, 2024
Overview of Lesson 5, Miracles Around the Lake
Memory Text: “However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.’ ” Mark 5:19 NKJV
The Sea of Galilee, a relatively small lake (13 miles/21 km long and 8 miles/13 km wide), was the largest body of water for the local towns Jesus visited in Galilee, including Nazareth, where He grew up.
Mark focused on the miracles that revealed who Jesus was. Jesus was the one who spoke to the winds and waves to calm a storm; spoke to a legion of demons, forcing them into a herd of pigs; healed a woman who merely touched the hem of His garment; raised a young girl to life with a simple touch and word; and fed a huge crowd with a boy’s small lunch.
These miracles included the inside of a sandwich story in Mark’s Gospel. We hear how Jesus sent His twelve disciples out on a preaching mission of their own, and the story of how John the Baptist had lost his life for preaching the same message of repentance they were preaching. Again, Mark wants us to know the high cost of discipleship.
Let’s also not forget the reason Jesus performed all these miracles. As our memory text, Mark 5:19, points out, He did it out of love and compassion–the motive for our discipleship as well.
Mark, chapters 4-6, contain these miracles of Jesus:
- Sunday: Calming a Storm–Jesus saves us by His mighty power over nature.
- Monday: Can You Hear a Whisper Above a Shout?–Jesus hears the plea of one man above a noisy legion of demons.
- Tuesday: On the Roller Coaster With Jesus–Jesus conquers death and disease by His gentle touch and words.
- Wednesday: Rejection and Reception–Jesus is not afraid of those who reject and persecute Him.
- Thursday: A Different Kind of Messiah–Jesus did not come to conquer their earthly enemies, but to defeat sin in their lives.
Sunday: Calming a Storm
After Mark shared several parables of Jesus, he recorded a series of miracles the Lord performed–once again to help us understand who Jesus was. He first took his readers clear back to Creation, showing them how the Son of God, who spoke the world into existence, still had power over the forces of nature.
Jesus and His disciples were typically exhausted by the end of the day, with throngs of people surrounding Him to be healed and blessed by His teaching. At last, as nighttime drew near, they were able to push their boats out into the lake and cross to the other side, hoping to get a little rest from their labors, away from all the people. Jesus was allowed to fall asleep in the bottom of one of the boats (“as He was”, meaning as tired as He was).
Sometime during the night, however, a strong windstorm threatened to capsize the boat where Jesus slept. With waves crashing down on them, they woke Jesus up and with frightened voices wanted to know why He was allowing them to die like this.
Jesus proceeded to calm the storm with the words, “Peace, be still.” He then gently questioned their faith, while they stared in amazement at each other. Their fear of the storm was replaced with an awesome fear and reverence for who Jesus had proved Himself to be–the Son of God, Creator of the universe.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 4:35-41 and Psalm 104:1-9
- Who did Jesus prove Himself to be with such a miracle of calming the sea by speaking to it?
Monday: Can You Hear a Whisper Above a Shout?
Jesus had already cast out a demon from a man in the synagogue of Capernaum, on the western, Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee. But after crossing to the other side of the lake into Gentile territory of the Gerasenes, the first person Jesus met was a man possessed by many demons, calling themselves Legion, a Roman military force of around five thousand soldiers. These demons, too, knew who Jesus was, declaring Him to be “Son of the Most High God” (Mark 5:7-9).
Jesus miraculously heard the unfortunate man’s whispered plea for help, in spite of the demons’ loud pleas to leave them alone. The pitiful man had broken out of chains and shackles that the townspeople had attempted to use to restrict his violent behavior. His appearance must have been shocking, bloodied as he was with efforts to cut himself. Forced to live among the tombs of the dead, even the disciples apparently distanced themselves from this ceremoniously unclean, dangerous man who looked like a walking dead man.
Once again, we see the defiling forces of evil fighting the holy, righteous Son of God. But what a great missionary voice the former demoniac became, when Jesus sent him home to tell his friends the story of his miraculous healing, paving the way for future ministry in the region.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 5:1-20
- Why do you think Jesus so readily agreed to send the demons into the herd of pigs?
- Why did many of the townspeople feel afraid and beg Jesus to leave their region?
- Why did Jesus reject the healed man’s offer to follow Him?
- How can we, too, share the gospel at home, and not necessarily have to go to a foreign land?
Tuesday: On a Roller Coaster With Jesus
Themes of revelation and secrecy in these stories contribute to the up and down roller coaster ride for those in Jesus’ ministry. Mark 5:21-34 provides a contrast of two daughters, miraculously healed by Jesus the same day…
- One, a desperate woman, who was ill for twelve years with a constant blood flow that many physicians could not heal, no doubt leaving her impoverished and ceremoniously unclean.
- And the other, the desperately-ill, twelve-year-old daughter of Jairus, who was a prosperous ruler in the synagogue.
The older woman, trying to reach Jesus in a vast crowd, was only able to touch the hem of His garment. Amazingly, she was instantly healed of her ailment. Jesus felt the touch of healing, however, and brought her secret to the attention of those who were accompanying Him to the house of Jairus.
A messenger then interrupted Jesus with the sad news that Jairus’ daughter was dead. With much wailing and weeping surrounding Jairus’ home when they arrived, Jesus only allowed three of His disciples to accompany Him and the girl’s parents inside to where the girl lay. Once again, a simple touch and word brought her back to life. But, in this case, Jesus insisted they not share details of the miracle with others.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 5:21-24
- What can we see in these verses about Jairus’ position in the community, and his faith and concern about his daughter?
Mark 5:25-34
- What similarities and differences do you see between this woman who touched Jesus and the daughter of Jairus?
- Why was it important for both Jairus and the bleeding woman to have faith in Jesus? How was this faith shown?
Mark 5:35-43 and Luke 24:41-43
- For what reasons do you think Jesus said to give her something to eat?
Wednesday: Rejection and Reception
In between these miracle stories, Mark interjects “sandwich filling”. The rejection of Jesus in His hometown, was a departure from the successful healings and miracles that had marked His ministry elsewhere (Mark 6:1-6). His close friends and family in Nazareth were embarrassed and offended by the success and fame of Jesus. They saw Him as just another small town boy, claiming to be something more than he was.
Despite the unbelief and rejection in Nazareth, Mark records how Jesus instructed and empowered His twelve disciples to spread the gospel into other villages and towns in the area (Mark 6:7-13). Going out two by two, they were to rely totally on generous benefactors along the way.
Besides rejection that may result from evangelism, they knew that their very lives could be in jeopardy. Mark 6:14-29 then relates the story of John the Baptist. Herod was afraid that Jesus might be John the Baptist risen from the dead. Mark then gives chilling details about the beheading of the evangelist. King Herod, hearing about Jesus, no doubt had similar flashbacks about the cruel deed of beheading he was responsible for.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 6:1-6
- Why might we sometimes face doubts and rejection from those closest to us?
Mark 6:7-13
- Why do you think they were sent out two by tw0, and without any supplies or funds?
Mark 6:14-29
- Why was the chilling story of John the Baptist retold here?
Thursday: A Different Kind of Messiah
After the disciples returned from their missionary efforts, Jesus desired a quiet place where they could share with Him their experiences. But the crowds on the eastern shore of Galilee grew so great that Jesus was compelled to speak to the people and heal their sick for hours on end. They were to Him as sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:30-34).
As the day wore on, the disciples told Jesus that perhaps He should dismiss the crowd and allow them to go home for a meal. There was nothing nearby that could feed that many people. It seemed like the most practical thing to do, but Jesus had another plan in mind.
After sending them out to see how much food might be among the people, John’s version of the story mentions that it was Andrew, Peter’s brother, who found a boy with five loaves of bread and two small fish (John 6:8-9). Amazingly, after Jesus blessed this paltry amount and broke it into fragments, there was enough to feed more than five thousand people, with twelve baskets of food left over (Mark 6:35-44).
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 6:30-34
- How had Jesus become so popular, even outside Galilee?
Mark 6:35-38 and John 6:8-9
- Do you think the disciples made a thorough search for food? And what would have motivated them to do so?
- Why might it have been important for the food to be found among the people?
Mark 6:39-44
- What kind of faith did the people show by sitting in organized groups as directed by Jesus and the disciples?
- Since there were twelve baskets left over and twelve disciples, who might the leftovers have been intended for, and why?
Friday: Final Thoughts
After seeing so many powerful miracles performed by Jesus, the disciples were definitely seeing that He was the divine Son of God, the longed-for Messiah. But they still lacked a full knowledge of His mission on earth. Like so many of the Jews back then, they thought the Messiah would be Israel’s king to free them from the oppressive rule of the Romans. As the author Ellen White describes, “The fact that He claimed to be the Sent of God, and yet refused to be Israel’s king, was a mystery which they could not fathom.” ~The Desire of Ages, p. 385
Many today are still looking for Jesus to establish a kingdom, or nation, here on earth. They believe their country’s divinely-appointed leaders will free them from the oppression of their secular enemies. This false interpretation of God’s will and mission must be examined in the personal experience of each believer. We must determine for ourselves what the true will of God is for our individual lives. We can’t do it for others.
Jesus will come back for us as the conquering King, but only when the whole world is ready for it. Until His Second Coming, God will continue to speak to our hearts in the small, quiet voice of love (Psalm 46:10).
Next Week: Inside Out
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