Feeding 5,000 Sermon

Jesus’ popularity

A great multitude of people followed Jesus to the (5,000 men not including women and children)

Earlier part of Matthew 14 takes place in Nazareth, later on in the chapter they are on the Sea of Galilee which is probably where they stopped. Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee is 15-20 miles.

The multitude of people walked all that way just to see and hear Jesus, using context we can only assume that they did not bring provisions.

It was a deserted place v.15 and the people became hungry.

The disciples told Jesus about this and told Him to send them away in order to get food.

Jesus’ authority

Jesus did not want the people to leave, He told the disciples to give them something to eat. But all they had was five loaves and two fish.

Jesus told them to bring them to Him v.18 and commanded everyone to sit down.

Jesus took the food and prayed over it to His father, He was going to help Him in what He was about to do.

He distributed to the disciples, and them to the multitude of people.

Everyone in the crowd got their fill, not just ate enough to take the edge of hunger off, they were filled.

They even had left overs, twelve baskets worth.

Application

How far would we go for Jesus? We should not just go that 15-20 miles, we should be willing to do anything for Him, no matter the distance, no matter what.

Those that did not make the trip or maybe some turned back half-way, they did not receive the blessing from Jesus. Just like us, if we give up on Jesus, He will give in on us.

When we do follow Him and obey Him, we are blessed richly.

We need to be like the disciples in the way that Jesus distributed to them and they distributed to the multitude. Jesus blesses us, we need to carry that out to everybody else who does not know Him.