January
21st Christ
feeds the 5,000
13:
When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert
place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him
on foot out of the cities. 14: And Jesus went forth, and saw a great
multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed
their sick. 15: And when it was evening, his disciples came to him,
saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the
multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy
themselves victuals. 16: But Jesus said unto them, They need not
depart; give ye them to eat. 17: And they say unto him, We have here
but five loaves, and two fishes. 18: He said, Bring them hither to
me. 19: And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and
took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven,
he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the
disciples to the multitude. 20: And they did all eat, and were
filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve
baskets full. 21: And they that had eaten were about five thousand
men, beside women and children.
Christ
walks on water
22:
And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship,
and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the
multitudes away. 23: And when he had sent the multitudes away, he
went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come,
he was there alone. 24: But the ship was now in the midst of the sea,
tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25: And in the fourth
watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26: And
when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27: But
straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I;
be not afraid. 28: And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be
thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29: And he said, Come. And
when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to
go to Jesus. 30: But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid;
and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31: And
immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said
unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32: And
when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33: Then they
that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth
thou art the Son of God.
Christ
heals all the people
34:
And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
35: And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent
out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that
were diseased; 36: And besought him that they might only touch the
hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
Matthew
continues to describe the huge popularity of Christ. When Christ sees
the crowds he is moved with compassion for them and heals their sick.
And so Christ reverses the physical effects of the discipline of God
on a nation that is spiritually way from the Lord. At the end of the
day the disciples of Christ come to him and say, ‘send the people
home’. They were on the high moorland of Israel and there was
nothing to eat. There were probably as many as 20,000 people there or
more. (5000 men) Christ simply says, ‘they don’t have to go - you
give them food’. They find their only recourses is a young boys
lunch of five barley loaves and two small fish. Christ commanded the
multitude sit down in groups of people. Then Christ takes the bread
and blesses it in true Jewish fashion and then he gives it to his
disciples to distribute. When everyone had had their full, they took
up twelve baskets full (One for each disciple) Jesus told the
disciples to go away, by ship, straight away, while he sent the
people away. (According to John’s Gospel this is now the heart of
Christ Messianic ministry) Christ goes away from his people into the
mountain. He has made provision for everyman and his little faithful
ones are on a ship and the wind is against them. This is the current
situation in the church age. But Christ is going to go to his
faithful walking on the waters. Christ comes to them and says, ‘it’s
me! don’t be afraid’. Peter says Lord, ‘if it is really you,
let me come to you’. And Christ says, ‘Come!’ Peter steps out
of the boat to walk to Jesus. However half way to Christ he is
distracted by the wind and he is afraid and he begins to sink. Then
Peter calls out, ‘LORD save me!’ And the Lord puts out his hand.
Then the Lord says, ‘Peter why did you doubt?’ The storm ceased
and the disciples worshipped Christ. They said, ‘you truly are the
Son of God’. When they arrived at the other side huge crowds
brought their sick and everyone was made perfectly whole.
- What is Christ demonstrating when he fed the 5,000 families?
- Is the account different to the feeding of the 4,000?
- What is significant about the storm on the lake?
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