Matthew 14

Chapter 14

The following material is adopted from John MacArthur’s commentary on Matthew and his Study guide. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end

Read and summarize

Look for

— Prayers ( Blue )

— Promises ( Green )

— Warnings ( Red )

— Commands ( Purple )

Introduction

MacArthur

Our Lord’s prophetic parables underscore the truth that some people will believe the gospel, but many people will not. Matthew records in this section a number of incidents in Jesus’ life that confirm this spiritual law: the hostility in His hometown of Nazareth, the hard-hearted Herod, the superficial reception of the masses, the worship of the twelve disciples, the desperate faith of a Canaanite woman, and the Jewish leaders who sought to trap Christ. Yet, in the midst of this kingdom conflict, we see the true heart of Jesus for people as He performs more amazing miracles

Q: When Herod heard about Jesus he was greatly distressed. Why ( 14:1-2 )?

Herod’s Reaction ( 14:1-2 )

( 14:1-2 ) At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus 2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

Herod

RC Sproul

Keeping track of the Herod family tree it is difficult

— When Herod died his kingdom was divided among his sons

— His son Archelaus became the ethnarch (that is, a ruler over a nation, one rank below king) of Judea, the territory where Jerusalem as located

— His son Philip received the territory N and E of the Sea of Galilee (1/2 brother of Archelaus and Antipas)

— His son Antipas, was called a tetrarch (one rank below ethnarch); He ruled over an area W of the Sea of Galilee and another E of the Jordan, known as Perea

— Although he was a tetrarch, he took the title King

— This is the Herod that Matthew is speaking about

— He is also the Herod who heard the case before Jesus’ crucifixion ( Lk 23:6-12 )

— Herod thought that Jesus was John the Baptist, who had risen from the dead

— Herod was afraid that John had come back from the dead for revenge

— Barclay cites the ancient Christian writer Origen, who said that Jesus and John the Baptist closely resembled each other in appearance. If this were true, it would give more reason for Herod Antipas to believe that Jesus was John come back from the dead.

Going Deeper

Herod the Great

— Herod the tetrarch was the son of Herod the Great by his fourth wife, Malthake, a Samaritan, and half brother of Herod Philip, the son of his father’s third wife, Mariamne the Boethusian

— Herod the Great was an Idumean; and because he not only was a Gentile but a descendant of Esau and married a Samaritan, he had been especially despised by the Jews

— His cold-blooded atrocities — such as his having all the members of the Sanhedrin put to death for daring to challenge his authority, his having at least one of his wives and two of his sons executed, and his laying all the male babies of Bethlehem in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the Messiah — made him more hated still

Herod the tetrarch

— Herod the tetrarch was known as Herod Antipas and after his father died the Romans divided the kingdom among his three sons

— Archelaus was given the southern provinces of Judea and Samaria

— Philip was given the northern provinces of Trachonitis and Iturea

— Herod Antipas was given the area in between, which included Galilee and Perea

— Philip’s wife, Herodias, left Philip to live with Herod Antipas

— Herodias bore a daughter to Philip, who in 14:6 is referred to simply as “the daughter of Herodias” but who by Josephus is called Salome. At a later time this daughter would marry her half-uncle Philip the tetrarch ( Luke 3:1 ), thereby becoming both the sister-in-law and aunt of her own mother!

Q: Why did Herod order John the Baptist killed? Was it peer pressure ( 14:3-11 )?

Herod’s Reason ( 14:3-11 )

( 14:3-11 ) For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 4 Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6 But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. 7 Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. 10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.

— These verses are a flashback to events that happened a year or more earlier, just before Jesus started His ministry

— Philip, Herod’s half-brother, was another of Palestine’s four tetrarchs; Philips wife left him and went to live with Herod Antipas

— John the Baptist condemned the two for living immorally

— Herod feared almost everyone and anyone except God

— How easy it is to give into the crowd and let ourselves be pressured into doing what is wrong

— Don’t get into a situation where it will be too embarrassing to do what is right

— Determine to do what is right, no matter how embarrassing or painful it may be

Going Deeper

— Herodias is one of the most wicked and perverse women mentioned in scripture, perhaps second only to Jezebel

— Although she was at first beguiled by Herod, it was not long until she was manipulating him

— Because both Herod and Herodias were already married, their marriage to each other was doubly not lawful

— The Holy Spirit refused to recognize her as Herod’s wife and directed Matthew to refer to her as the wife of his brother Philip

— Herodias as the daughter of Aristobulus, another half brother of Herod, making her Herod’s niece

— Adam Clarke on Herodias: “This infamous woman was the daughter of Aristobulus and Bernice, and grand-daughter of Herod the Great. Her first marriage was with Herod Philip, her uncle, by whom she had Salome: some time after, she left her husband, and lived publicly with Herod Antipas.”

— In speaking out against Herod and Herodias, there is the suggestion that John did this repeatedly. “It was, moreover, perhaps more than a passing remark: said is in the imperfect tense, which may indicate a continuing ‘campaign’.”

Q: Whose disciples came out and got the body of John ( 14:12-13 ) ? What did they do immediately after burying John?

Jesus’ Response ( 14:12-13 )

( 14:12-13 ) Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus. 13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

— How painful it must have been for John’s disciples to take his body and bury it

— John the Baptist was the first martyr to die for Christ, and it seems certain that Jesus took this opportunity to further prepare His disciples for what lay ahead for them

— Christians in some parts of the world suffer great loss after they come to Christ

The Miraculous Feeding ( 14:14-21 )

( 14:14-21 ) And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

— The fact that the feeding of the five thousand is one of only two miracles recorded in all four gospels testifies to its unique importance

— This is the pinnacle of Jesus’ ministry; but the reaction of the people is mixed and fickle

—The disciples told Jesus to send the multitudes away but Jesus told them: You give them something to eat

— Jesus means that these men should not be so quick to shake off responsibility

— They were often ready to do this very thing, and say, “Dismiss the crowd” (here in 14:15 )

— They “rebuked” the parents who brought their children to Jesus ( 19:13 )

— “Don’t bother the Master and don’t bother us,” was too often their slogan

— Jesus wants to remind us that simply trying to get rid of people in need is not the solution

Q: What might that say about our motives for following Jesus? Are we in it to be fed? Are our desires for physical needs our primary concern?

The Deeds of Piety ( 14:14 )

( 14:14 ) And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

— Mark tells us that Jesus arrived by boat and a crowd was already there to meet Him ( Mk 6:30-34 )

— Jesus performed some miracles as signs of his identity

— He used other miracles to teach important truths

— But here we read that he healed people because he “had compassion on them”

— Jesus was, and is, a loving, caring, and feeling person

— When you are suffering, remember that Jesus hurts with you; He has compassion on you

Q: What did Jesus tell the disciples that seem impossible ( 14:16 )?

The Dullness of Perspective ( 14:15-17 )

( 14:15-17 ) When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

— Think of how dull the disciples must have been at that moment

— When Jesus said give them something to eat, the idea of miraculously feeding them never entered their minds

— Jesus and the disciples could have made many legitimate excuses. “This isn’t the right place.” “This isn’t the right time.” “The people can take care of themselves.” Indeed, there was no physical necessity to feed this multitude. These were people who were used to skipping meals, and they certainly expected nothing. Yet Jesus had compassion on them nonetheless

— Despite two years of walking with the Lord, hearing Him teach God’s truth and seeing Him demonstrate miraculous power, the twelve were too spiritually dull to see the obvious

— They were looking only with their human eyes and only at human resources

— Jesus challenged His followers to act on His compassion by feeding the multitudes.

— Both Jesus and the disciples were aware of the great multitude and aware of their needs. Yet it was the compassion of Jesus and His awareness of the power of God that led Him to go about feeding the multitude.

· The people are hungry, and the empty religionist offers them some ceremony or empty words that can never satisfy.

· The people are hungry, and the atheists and skeptics try to convince them that they aren’t hungry at all.

· The people are hungry, and the religious showman gives them video and special lighting and cutting-edge music.

· The people are hungry, and the entertainer gives them loud, fast action, so loud and fast that they don’t have a moment to think.

· The people are hungry – who will give them the bread of life?

Pastor Jason

— They were focusing on what they didn’t have rather than on Him who had everything; when God provides sometimes we have more than we need

— God didn’t miraculously fill their stomachs or distribute the food. God wants to work through us not around us

— Like the disciples, we look around and say someone has to help these people. We might say we I don’t have the money. But Jesus’ response is, “What did you have? I can use that. I can multiple that.” (Pastor Jason, April 11, 2021 )

The Display of Power ( 14:18-21 )

( 14:18-21 ) He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

— Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed over 5,000 people

“What a feast this was! Christ for the Master of the feast; apostles for butlers; thousands for numbers; and miracles for supplies!” (Spurgeon)

Might this show as a preview example of the great messianic banquet that the Messiah will enjoy with His people?

— What he was originally given seemed insufficient, but in his hands it became more than enough

— We often feel that our contribution to Jesus is meager, but he can use and multiply whatever we give him, whether it is talent, time or treasure

— It is when we give them to Jesus that our resources are multiplied

— The text states that there were 5,000 men present, besides women and children

— Therefore, the total number of people Jesus fed could have been 10 or 15 thousand

— The number of men is listed separately because in the Jewish culture of the day, men and women usually ate separately when in public

— The children ate with the women

Going Deeper

Lessons to be learned

— Jesus gave His disciples the example of withdrawing from needless danger

— The disciples also learned the importance of rest and solitude, even when in the midst of serving the Lord

— Jesus also confirmed the disciples’ need to show compassion for those in need, even when the needy and fickle are undeserving

— The Son of Man meet the needs of the multitude that day, although He knew that most of them would soon turn on Him

— Jesus taught the disciples that, in meeting the physical needs of others, they were also to minister the truth of the kingdom. A “Social Gospel” that does not witness to men’s spiritual needs is no gospel at all ( Gal 1:6-9 )

— Jesus taught the disciples to do things in an orderly and careful manner, just as God does ( 1 Cor 14:33, 40 )

— Along with the lesson of orderliness as the even more important lesson of obeying the Lord even when the reason cannot be seen

— Jesus demonstrated God’s great generosity in providing enough food for every person to be fully satisfied

— The supreme lesson for the disciples was to learn to trust God to supply what seems impossible; especially when it comes to our compassionate actions on His behalf

— How do these statements resonate with you?

· Jesus felt compassion for the multitudes and acted on His compassion by feeding them.

· He used the disciples to carry out His compassion.

· Might this be Jesus primary way of acting on His compassion to serve those we meet who are in need?

· For further thought: What could we do as individuals to be ready to act on / with the compassion of Jesus?

Q: Who stayed to send the multitude away ( 14:22-23 )?

Proof of His Divine Authority ( 14:22-23 )

( 14:22-23 ) Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.

— Seeking solitude was an important priority for Jesus

— He made room in his busy schedule to be alone with the Father

— Spending time with God in prayer nurtures a vital relationship and equips us to meet life’s challenges and struggles

— Develop the discipline of spending time alone with God — It will help you grow spiritually and become more and more like Christ

Q: Why did Jesus send the multitudes away? Earlier the disciples told Him, send them away but he said no. Now, why does He send them away ( 14:22 )

Send the multitudes away

RC Sproul

— Matthew does not tell us, but John does

— “ Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.” ( John 6:14-15 )

— The people were struck by the power of His miraculous feeding, so they were on the verge of demanding the He become their king

— The political ambitions of the people were not in line with His mission, so He firmly and swiftly dismissed them

— Now, He went to be alone to pray ( 14:23a )

Q: What time of night did Jesus go to them ( 14:24-27 )?

Proof of His Divine Knowledge and Protection ( 14:24-27 )

( 14:24-27 ) But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

— The disciples were already confused, frustrated, and disappointed that Jesus had sent them away

— Though they must have wondered why He sent them to certain death, the twelve are to be admired for their obedience and perseverance

— Although the night was dark, the sea stormy, and the situation apparently hopeless, they were doing their best to do what the Lord had commanded

— The worse part was that Jesus was not with them

Fourth watch of the night

— The time just before dawn ( 3-6 am )

— The disciples had been at sea for at least nine hours, most of the time battling the wind storm

— But Jesus had not forgotten them and He came to them through the very danger that threatened to destroy them

— We will never find ourselves in a place where Christ cannot find us; and no storm is too severe for Him to save us from it

Be of good cheer, It is I

RC Sproul

— Perhaps, just hearing Jesus’ voice was a source of comfort

— But this little statement is packed with meaning

— Each time Jesus said I am He used a unique combination of Greek words, egro eimi

— He was using the name of God, I AM WHO I AM ( Ex 3:14 )

— This combination is rarely found outside of John’s gospel, but here it is in Matthew

Going Deeper

— troubled is the same word used to describe Herod ( 2:3 ); to shake with fear

— So the disciples who were reluctant to leave Jesus and go to Capernaum obeyed by rowing out into the storm they knew was coming

— They honored Jesus with their faithfulness

— When believers are in the place of obedience they are in the place of safety, no matter what the circumstances

— The place of security is not the place of favorable circumstance but the place of obedience to God’s will

Proof of His Divine Love ( 14:28-31 )

( 14:28-31 ) And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

— Peter was not putting Jesus to the test, something we are told not to ( 4:7 )

— Peter knew Jesus had the power to enable him to walk on water but he did not presume to act without the Lord’s express instruction

— Peter was continually in the Lord’s shadow and footsteps

( 14:30 ) he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

— Peter started to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the high waves around him

— His faith wavered when he realized what he was doing, but his weak faith was better than no faith

— We may not walk on water, but we do walk through tough situations

— If we focus on the waves of difficult circumstances around us without looking to Jesus for help, we too may despair and sink

— To maintain your faith in difficult situations keep your eyes on Jesus’ power rather than your inadequacies

Q: How could a man who left everything as Peter did, be called a man of little faith (14:31 )?

( 14:31 ) And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

— Peter was the only one of the twelve that had the faith to get out of the boat

— He had seen every miracle and heard every word the Lord taught and preached

— And yet, in that moment of severe testing his faith was reduced to very little

— Jesus referenced “faith” and “doubt” in His response to Peter. What do you think is the relationship between faith and doubt?

Q: What miracle did Jesus perform when He got into the boat ( 14:32-33 )?

Proof of His Divine Power ( 14:32-33 )

( 14:32-33 ) And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

— The most spectacular miracle was accomplished without Jesus saying a word or raising a hand

— The wind stopped

— Immediately they were on the other side of the lake

— Not too surprising that the disciples were “greatly astonished” ( Mark 6:51 )

— This is the first time we meet with so plain and open an acknowledgement of his being the Son of God

Going Deeper

— The disciples had been having astounding displays of Jesus’ miraculous power for two years, and for them these remarkable events should not have been astonishing

— We learn from Mark that their amazement resulted from their not having “gained any insight from the incident of the loaves” — or from Jesus’ earlier stilling of the storm or from any other great work He had done — because “their heart was hardened” ( Mark 6:52 )

— Yet in that moment those same hearts were softened and those eyes opened as they began to worship Him

— They were more than simply amazed as the crowds and themselves had always been

— They were taken past amazement to worship

— At last they were starting to see Jesus for who He really was; the one whom God highly exalted and on whom He bestowed the name which is over every other name ( Phil 2:9-11 )

Q: What land did they go to? What did the men do when they heard Jesus had come to them ( 14:34-36 )?

The Compassionate Healer ( 14:34-36 )

( 14:34-36 ) When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

— People understood Jesus was a great healer but how many understood who he truly was?

— They came to Jesus for physical healing, but did they come for spiritual healing?

— They came to prolong their lives on earth, but did they come to secure eternal life?

— People may seek Jesus to learn valuable lessons from his life or in hopes of finding relief from pain

— But we miss Jesus whole message if we seek him only to heal our bodies but not our souls

Q: Does this mean that only those who, by what is generally called “saving faith”, touch Jesus were healed ( 14:36 ) ?

Hendriksen

— Not necessarily

— The main point of the story is not the faith of men but the power and love of Christ

Going Deeper

— Gennesaret is a small but beautiful plain located between Capernaum and Magdala

— According to Josephus, the Roman Historian, it was lush and extremely fertile area

— The fields and vineyards were irrigated from no less than four large springs enabling the farmers to produce three crops per year

— The entire area was devoted to farming and there were no towns or villages

— Jesus probably intended to spent some time there alone with his disciples, but his plans were interrupted by people who wanted healing

— Jesus wanted to offer them more than physical healing; John says that He offered himself as the bread of life ( John 6:33-35, 48-51 )

— But they didn’t want spiritual food, only physical healing and many were offended and left him ( John 6:52-60, 66 )

— Despite their superficiality and ingratitude He mercifully healed them

Additional Resources

MacArthur, John. Matthew 1-7. Moody Press, 1985.

MacArthur, John. Matthew 16-23. Moody Press, 1988.

MacArthur, John. Matthew 24-28. Moody Press, 1989.

MacArthur, John. Matthew 8-15. Moody Press, 1987.

MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary. Moody, 1985.

Bible Study Questions: https://www.bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Matthew/Matthew%20Chapter%2014.html

Life Application Study Bible. Zondervan, 2011.

Hendricksen, William. Matthew: New Testament Commentary. Baker, 1995

R.C. Sproul. Matthew: An expository commentary. Ligonier Ministries, fourth printing, 2019.