For the next month or so, we are going to backtrack through the Gospel of Luke, and gather some observations about the work of God, in and through various circumstances and in and through a variety of resources. How He works, what kinds of things He does with different resources and what the end result is, when He decides to do something.

Luke 9:10–17 ESV

10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Watch What God Can Do . . .

We should be watchful of the things that God does, the work that He is doing, the provisions that He provides, the transformation that He accomplishes in our lives etc. .

Watch What God Can Do . . .

Whether these things are miraculous, seem ordinary, whether they are works that are of a physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual nature. Watch WHAT He does.

Watch What God Can Do . . .

God/Jesus God in the flesh, was revealing His might, His ability to create something out of nothing, to make thousands of pieces of bread and fish, to feed a multitude.

Back in January, we looked at some miracles of Christ in Luke 7, during that time I used Grudem’s definition of a miracle to help us understand exactly what a miracle is. He said,

“A miracle is a less common kind of God’s activity in which he arouses people’s awe and wonder and bears witness to himself.”

Watch What God Can Do . . .

Each of the “what’s” that are possible with God, namely “all things” are just that, they are things that He can do. They are not things which we ought to demand. We certainly are able to ask, and if we ask with the proper motives, we will receive them, according to James 4:2-3

Watch What God Can Do . . .

The point here is that God is alive, active, and engaged in our lives. He is not a “watch-maker” God.

McArthur points out five needs Christ met during the time of this miracle- Rest, Healing, Divine Truth, Daily Food and Provision for His servants.

God Shows Compassion

Jesus begins by taking His disciples, who are exhausted, into a desolate place to rest.

Luke 9:10 ESV

10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida.

Jesus’ plans were to have a time of quiet rest, but the crowds followed after Him

Luke 9:11 ESV

11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.

Jesus does not drive them away, He instead shows compassion, even though John tells us that they were coming for all the wrong reasons. Yet Christ ministers to them for a good part of the day. He preaches to them, first- preaching to them the Kingdom of God.

Luke 9:12 ESV

12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.”

God Reveals Himself

Jesus (God in the flesh) takes the time to educate the crowd and the disciples concerning the Kingdom of God

Luke 9:11 ESV

11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.

God trains up His followers

Luke 9:13 ESV

13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”

John 6:5–6 ESV

5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

Watch what God can do with something small

Something small or simple or insignificant is frequently used by God to accomplish marvelous things. Something small, like a meal of 5 loaves and 2 fish for a group of 5000 men plus the women and children ( Bible scholars believe they counted the men, not including women & children).

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Inspired Action

Inspired Action

In October, 1880, when J. H. Garrison was editor of The Christian, a weekly publication of the Disciples of Christ, he was invited to address the national convention meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. The night before his departure, as they were having family prayers, Garrison asked for God’s guidance at the convention and mentioned the needs of people around the world. Afterwards his two boys, six and ten, and a little niece who lived with them, “gathered up their pennies and nickels and tied them up in a little bag and brought them to me, wholly unsolicited, saying, ‘Here is all the money we have and we want it to go to the people who have never heard about Jesus.’ ”

The amount? $1.13.

Deeply moved, Garrison referred to the experience during the course of his address in Louisville. He dramatically asked, “Brethren, what will you do with these children’s offerings? At present you have no place for it—no fund in which I can place it.”

Result? The Foreign Missionary Society of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was born. Isaiah’s words, though in another context, are nonetheless pertinent: “And a little child shall lead them” (11:6).

A gift of $1.38 in 1880 would be equivalent of a $35.00 today.

What incredible work could God do with a $35 gift?

Bread- A symbol of Christ

Christ is represented in the Manna spoken of in Exodus and also in the time of the prophets.

2 Kings 4:42–44 ESV

42 A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” 43 But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’ ” 44 So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.

Luke 22:18–20 ESV

18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Luke 9:12 ESV

12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.”

The disciples clearly did not expect Jesus to do anything supernatural in this commentary.

Luke 9:13 ESV

13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”

Christ says, “You give them something to eat.” Is this to suggest that they could have changed the five loaves and two fish into enough food? He met their needs and created a “crisis of faith” for crowds.

Jesus did not need to respond as He did. How often do we look for miracles, in areas, that a miracle is unnecessary or even harmful? Jesus knew what the needs were, and what ought to be done.

But Christ gave them all they wanted to eat.

Luke 9:17 ESV

17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

John 6 gives us a picture of how the crowds responded to this miracle, they wanted to be fed (for free) and yet they reject Him because He says, I AM the Bread of Life.

Luke 10:13–14 ESV

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.

Watch what God did

He/Jesus turned the small gift into an abundant blessing

Luke 9:17 ESV

17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Enough for the entire crowd to eat until they were satisfied (same Greek word used as when a calf was fattened)

Enough for the disciples as there were 12 baskets of extra pieces left over.

Look back earlier in the chapter, this is on the heels of the disciples being sent out with no provisions.

Luke 9:2–6 ESV

2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

The miracle performed in Bethsaida, recorded in all 4 Gospels, and one of the greatest miraculous works, since the creation and the flood, as Christ created food from virtually nothing and it was used to allow the disciples to be convinced that Jesus was indeed “The Christ of God.” His Anointed and Chosen One, who would carry on the Kingly line of David and through Him all the nations would be blessed.

Jesus turns this simple thing, into an abundance of compassion, and abundance of teaching, training & learning.

Watch What God can do with something simple.

This ought to encourage us to easily surrender the things to Him that He is asking of us. We shouldn’t have to think twice about allowing Him his rightful control over our: Time, Money, Food, Talents, Energy etc .etc etc...

Sometimes, God chooses to use little simple things, to make a point, to magnify His name, to prove He is able to do the unexpected. We aren’t told what this boy thought or how he reacted, but we know that his small gift was used in marvelous ways, despite what this boy may have thought about it.

To God Be the Glory, Great Things He Is Doing!