Bread for the Crowds

The Passover meal in which Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper is really the third Eucharistic meal in the gospel of Mark. In the feeding of the 5000, Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, and gives it his disciples to give to the crowd. In the feeding of the 4000, Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, and gives it to his disciples to give to crowd. In the upper room, Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, and gives it to his disciples. And the implication is clear. The disciples are to take this bread, this meal to the crowd. And we know from the early chapters of Acts that this is exactly what they did: they were breaking bread from house to house, and before long there were so many widows, deacons were appointed to help oversee the distribution of bread. The disciples were faithful in handing out the bread that the Lord had given to them. But this not just any bread. This is the body of our Lord Jesus broken for you. This is the body of our King enthroned on a cross, ruling over death from inside of His tomb, the body of the risen Lord who has been given the name that is above every name that at His name every knee should bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. This is not just any bread; this bread for the world, bread for the hungry crowds out there. Do not send them away hungry. Do not tell them to go back to the cities and find dinner. If they are hungry, tell them there is bread. And do not worry about whether there will be enough. There is always enough. There is enough for you and for the crowds. The Shepherd King has come for His sheep, and He will always feed them. So come, your King is here.