Sufficiency Found in Christ: The Feeding of 5,000 Matthew 14:13-21

I would invite you to please take your Bible and turn with me to the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew chapter 14.

Matthew 14 · chapter mention

Matthew chapter 14.

Matthew 14 · chapter mention

And as you are turning in your copy of God's Word, let me say this morning what an absolute privilege and joy it is for me to be with you.

I send greetings from a lot of dear friends that you have at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

It doesn't take long after I open my mouth and begin to speak that you can tell that I'm from the southern states of the United States.

And so it's been a great privilege to get to know many of you last October, and I'm looking forward to the module starting tomorrow.

We have an exciting week ahead as we begin in the apostolic period, just in the apostles, and go all the way to the Reformation.

So lots of rich, glorious history.

But this morning, we look at a marvelous story in God's Word, Matthew chapter 14.

Matthew 14 · chapter mention

I would like to draw your attention this morning, beginning in verse 13.

If you will have your Bibles open to this passage, you'll find it extremely helpful as we look at God's Word together.

Matthew chapter 14, beginning in verse 13.

Matthew 14 · chapter mention

When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.

Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said,

This is a remote place and it's getting late.

Send the crowds away so they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.

Jesus replied,

They do not need to go away.

You give them something to eat.

We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish, they answered.

Bring them here to me, he said.

And he directed the people to sit down on the grass.

Taking the five loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven,

he gave thanks and broke the loaves.

And he gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave them to the people.

They all ate and were satisfied.

And the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

The number of those who ate was about five thousand men besides women and children.

Well, this beautiful account of the feeding of the five thousand

is probably one of the most familiar stories in all of Scripture.

This story is immortalized, as it were, for us in children's Bibles and storybooks.

And has become in our minds and in our thinking one of the great pastoral miracles of Jesus.

As we can picture him in our mind's eye,

sitting on a rock on a grassy hillside with families and lovable children kind of surrounding him.

But with closer examination into the text that's before us,

it's easy to allow that stereotypical scene really affect the way that we read the context

of the passage that we're examining this morning.

And so I want you to notice at the beginning of Matthew 14,

something that is very devastating that has just occurred.

Namely, the execution of John the Baptist.

Who we all know, of course, as the forerunner of the Messiah.

The son of Zacharias and Elizabeth.

Who was in fact the cousin of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now if you remember the event that was surrounding this horrific execution

and the murder of John the Baptist.

The event surrounding this was the birthday celebration

and a banquet that was being held by a man by the name of Herod Antipas

in his fortress palace in southern Israel around the Dead Sea.

During this lavish event, the crowd became so worked up into a scene of drunkenness and lust

at the dancing of a young girl that Herod promised the young girl

to give her absolutely anything that she asked for.

acting as a puppet on a string controlled by her mother

who had been preached against by John the Baptist

because of her adulterous affair.

She asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

Look with me in Matthew 14 in verse 10.

And had John beheaded in prison.

His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl who carried it to her mother.

John's disciples came and took his body and buried it.

Then they went and told Jesus.

We could really call this the first banquet of Matthew 14.

A banquet of wickedness and murder and drunkenness.

But in verse 14, we come to a banquet of another kind, don't we?

The banquet that Jesus Himself presides over.

This banquet is not held in a fortress or a palace or a castle,

but it's in the open air of the rolling hills of Galilee.

The invitation to this banquet is not restricted to the intelligentsia of the day

or the high political leaders or the kings of the day.

But this particular banquet is open to all crowds without any discrimination at all.

Unlike Herod's banquet, the preeminent purpose of which was to brag about his position among the crowds,

Jesus' banquet is not provided to boast of his standing to the crowds,

but is meant to be a reminder to us of the love and compassion that Jesus has on people.

Unlike Herod's banquet that was self-serving and deadly,

the compassion of Jesus is so vividly seen in this manner in which He satisfies the vast multitudes that are before Him.

There are only two miracles that are recorded in all four Gospel accounts.

The feeding of the 5,000 and the resurrection of our Lord.

All four Gospel writers saw the great importance of the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000,

and so they include it in all of their accounts.

And what I want to do with you this morning is to simply walk through very slowly this text

as we begin to see five very simple truths.

Five things that I would like to say to you this morning

that we can hang our thoughts on that helps us walk through the text before us.

The very first thing that I would like to mention to you and draw to your attention

is separation from the crowds.

Separation from the crowds.

In the parallel account of this event as recorded for us in Mark's Gospel, chapter 6,

Mark says in chapter 6, verse 30,

the apostles returned to Jesus and told Him all they had done and taught.

Now, this very interesting verse tells us something else that's going on here

just prior to the great miracle of the feeding of the 5,000.

We have to go back a bit to discover what that is.

In Mark chapter 6, verse 7, Mark says,

Mark 6:7

Jesus called the twelve to Himself and began to send them out two by two

and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

And so here we are, the disciples who have now been ministering in the towns and villages

of the surrounding area are now coming back to Jesus

to report everything that has taken place in their individual ministries

among the people in the surrounding areas.

You see, Jesus has sent them out two by two

into all the surrounding area to teach and to preach and to work miracles.

And now they are coming back, reporting back to Jesus all that has taken place.

And because of this, the crowds of people are following the apostles back to Jesus.

And the crowds are growing numerically into an uncontrollable frenzy of people.

Mark tells us, the disciples are reporting to Jesus all their ministry activities

and the crowds are growing so large, they don't have time to get anything to eat.

And so because of this great commotion,

Jesus and the twelve withdraw from an undisclosed location on the Sea of Galilee

to what Scripture tells us is a deserted area.

Now Luke, in his story of the feeding of the five thousand,

tells us that Jesus and the disciples withdraw from this massive crowd of people

into an area known as Bethsaida.

Now look with me in Matthew 14, verse 13.

Matthew 14:13

When Jesus heard what happened,

He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.

Now when we read this verse,

Matthew seems to indicate that Jesus is alone by Himself.

Even though that we know He is among the other twelve disciples.

But what I love about Matthew's account

is I think Matthew is emphasizing here

something so intimate and personal

about our Lord

in verse 13.

We see something here

of the tenderness

and the grief

and the love of our Lord

for John the Baptist

who has just died.

If you can think back upon your life

and consider times

when you've heard

about the death of a dear loved one

or a death of a dear close friend

and how you've just simply

wanted to withdraw

from the noise

and the hustle and bustle

of the crowds

just to withdraw

and reflect

and to pray

and to go into another room

or go somewhere

simply

to be alone.

And so what I think Matthew

wants us to see here

in verse 13

is simply

Jesus'

heartfelt grief

over the death

of John.

Perhaps it's a time

for Him to think

and to pray

and to contemplate

as the news of the death of John

has reached His ears.

John,

of whom Jesus said,

among those born of woman,

none has been greater.

And I also want to point out

that I see this

as a turning point

in the ministry of Christ

which we'll talk about later.

And so here we are.

Jesus has just heard

that John has been executed.

He gets into a boat

along with the twelve disciples

who have just come back

from all the surrounding villages

and they set off

onto the Sea of Galilee

this one afternoon.

That brings us to our second point.

Sheep without a shepherd.

Would you look at the end

of verse 13?

Hearing of this,

the crowds followed Him

on foot

from the towns.

When Jesus landed

and saw a large crowd,

He had compassion on them

and healed their sick.

The people recognize

Jesus and His disciples

get into the boat.

And from all the surrounding towns

and villages,

they follow Him on foot.

And Jesus and His disciples

set sail on the Sea of Galilee.

They see this massive crowd of people

forming on the shoreline.

Now, there are about 200 villages

and cities and towns

in this area of Galilee.

And Matthew says

they come from the towns.

This indicates, my friends,

that everyone from every town,

every village,

every city

come out to see Jesus.

This speaks to us, doesn't it?

Something of the great fame

of Jesus

during this period.

He never could get away

from the crowds of people.

May I put it in a perhaps

very American terminology,

Jesus is a rock star.

And every time He speaks,

every time He performs a miracle,

literally the entire town

goes to see Him.

And this enormous crowd

is following Jesus

on the shoreline,

but the other Gospel writers say

they not only are walking,

the other Gospel writers tell us

they ran to see Him.

This is not just some ordinary person

that you meet on the street.

They're running after Jesus

because they want Him

to do something for them.

And even when seeking privacy,

Jesus cannot hide.

Look at verse 14.

When Jesus landed and saw

a large crowd,

He had compassion on them.

I just love that verse.

Jesus is not some brash,

harsh man

who cannot be approached

or who's trying to avoid people.

No, He looks upon them

as He did Jerusalem

and He mourns for them.

Their condition,

their need,

their spiritual blindness.

Jesus is the complete opposite

of unapproachable.

He's tender.

And He's loving.

And He's full of compassion.

And the compassion is so great

that He's no longer concerned

over His own rest

or His own time

or His own grief.

But He's most concerned

with the need

that is before Him.

Mark 6, verse 34

Mark 6:34

says that He looks out

over the vast multitudes of people

as sheep not having a shepherd.

Numerous times throughout Scripture

we see that this is a theme

that's picked up

that the people of Israel

and others are seen

as vast multitudes of people

without a shepherd.

For instance,

in Numbers chapter 27

Numbers 27 · chapter mention

when Moses is praying for the Lord

to send Israel a leader,

it says,

Moses said to the people,

may the Lord the God

who gives breath

to all living things

appoint someone

over this community

to go out

and come in before them

and one who will lead them out

and bring them in

so the Lord's people

will not be like sheep

without a shepherd.

After the death of Moses,

the children of Israel

were sheep without a shepherd.

And Moses' prayer, of course,

is answered in the man

by the name of Joshua.

And now according to Matthew 11,

John the Baptist

was the greatest of the prophets.

This privileged messenger

sent to prepare the way

of the Messiah.

And so in a sense,

John the Baptist

is a shepherd of the people

pointing them to the Messiah.

But here we are

and what has just happened?

John the Baptist

has been executed.

He's just been killed.

Do you see

how this is the closing

of one chapter

and the opening

of a new chapter?

That final Old Testament prophet,

John the Baptist,

has now died

and he's just passed off the scene

after fulfilling

his God-called commission

to prepare the way

of the Messiah.

And here we have

Jesus who is stepping ashore

as the one true shepherd

of Israel.

And in Matthew 14,

we see this as a turning point.

Jesus is now

the new Moses.

Jesus is now

the new Joshua.

Jesus is now,

if you will,

the new John the Baptist

who will lead his people

down straight paths

of repentance and faith.

Jesus Christ,

the Supreme Shepherd of Israel

with great compassion

and tenderness

and love

in his heart

now steps ashore

to the people.

What a marvelous scene

this must have been.

The apostles tell us

that in his compassion,

Jesus sees this vast multitude

without direction,

without purpose,

without a leader,

and so he comes ashore.

And I love this.

Mark chapter 6 tells us

Mark 6 · chapter mention

he begins to teach them.

In Jewish literature,

the feeding of Israel

is often associated

with their being taught

the Word of God.

And so here is

the Supreme Shepherd

of Israel

coming forth

beginning to feed

His people

by teaching them

the Word of God.

The sheep

who have no shepherd

now have a shepherd

and He begins

to feed them.

What a beautiful picture.

Now we move on

in the text

that we find

physically

there is

scarce

provision

for the multitude.

The synoptic Gospels

Matthew,

Mark,

and Luke

refer to this

miracle

as taking place

in the evening.

It's

supper time.

It's

the evening

meal time.

It's

dinner time

as

my grandmother

would call it.

Notice verse 15.

Now when it was

evening.

So here we are.

Jesus and His disciples.

We know there's

somewhere

around the city

of Bethsaida

on the northwestern

shore

of the Sea of Galilee.

This hillside

is covered in grass.

So this is taking place

at some point

between March

or April.

The disciples

are seeing

this enormous crowd.

They come to Jesus

and make

at what appears

to be

a very reasonable

request.

Jesus

send the crowds

away into the villages

that they may

buy food

for themselves.

themselves.

However,

with a bit of

closer examination,

we see

that this

statement

by the disciples

loses fact

that

Jesus

standing

before them

is the

Good Shepherd.

And all

the miracles

that proceeded

in the days

ahead

showing

and demonstrating

that He

would provide,

the disciples

seem to forget.

And they're

looking at

the physicality

of the situation.

And in contrast

to the disciples'

suggestion

that the people

should go

buy food

for themselves,

verse 16,

Jesus looks at

them and says,

no,

you give them

something to eat.

This simple

command

assumes

the disciples

should serve

as extensions

of His

miracle

working

power.

Oh,

how easily

the disciples

had forgotten

just

a few

days ago

when they

went into

the villages

and performed

miracles.

But the

disciples

understand

Jesus'

command

in terms

of what

they themselves

are capable

of doing.

What do

the disciples

say?

What's their

response?

Jesus,

should we

leave and

purchase

200 denarii

worth of

bread?

They're

automatically

thinking

in physical

terminology.

It would

take 200

denarii

to feed

this many

people.

Jesus,

one denarius

was the

equivalent

of one

day's

wages.

So,

200 denarii

would be

worth about

eight months

worth of

wages.

We don't

know if

they had

this much

money with

them,

or it's

a hypothetical

question,

as was

often given

to Jesus,

Jesus,

you've

lost your

mind.

Can you

just see

Peter shaking

his head

and throwing

up his arms

in the air?

Jesus,

you've lost

it.

You've

gone crazy.

We don't

have enough

money to

feed these

people.

Now,

just to be

clear,

there's not

5,000 people

here.

But the

numbers

qualified in

the statement

that there

are 5,000

men.

So,

it obviously

does not

include the

women,

the wives,

the mothers,

the sisters,

etc.,

who were

there among

them,

which probably

equaled around

5,000.

It also

doesn't include

the vast

multitude of

children who

also would

have been

there,

which would

have numbered

around 10,000

to 15,000.

In other

words,

my friends,

this is an

enormous crowd

and the

disciples are

looking out

over at

what is

probably

about 25,000

people and

they're saying,

Jesus,

you've lost

your mind.

We do not

have enough

money to

feed them.

And so

in the story,

we leave

the disciples

with their

hands in

their empty

pockets,

trying to

figure out

how are we

going to

provide for

these people.

And that

brings us to

the fourth

point of

this event,

sufficiency

found only

in Christ.

Notice

verse 17.

The

disciples

come back

to Jesus

with a

boy's

dinner.

dinner.

We have

here only

five loaves

of bread

and two

fish.

Immediately,

Jesus says,

organize the

people and

have them

sit down

on the

grass.

Now, I want

you to

notice

verse 19,

this phrase,

he directed

the people

to sit

down on

the grass.

to sit

down in

this culture

for this

type of

meal,

pointed to

the fact

that this

was going

to be a

banquet

meal.

This is

not a

usual

meal.

Jesus is

preparing for

them a

banquet.

This is a

celebration

meal.

meal.

The

banquet

meal

given

by their

king

in honor

of the

arrival

of his

kingdom.

And then

verse 19,

our Lord

takes five

loaves of

bread and

two fish

into his

hands and

he gazes

into the

heavens.

We're told

not to

the content

of his

prayer.

We can

imagine

with our

imagination

that perhaps

it's the

common

table

prayer

of

Judaism.

Praise

be to

you,

O Lord

our God,

King of

the world,

who makes

bread to

come down

from the

earth and

who provides

for all

that you

have

created.

Perhaps

that was

what he

said.

We

don't

know.

But what

I love,

if I could

give a

footnote

here,

is I

love the

parallel

between

this

banquet

meal

and the

one he

will share

in the

coming days

with his

disciples in

the upper

room before

he is

crucified.

Both

accounts

take on

the same

sequence

of events.

Taking

bread,

blessing

bread,

breaking

the bread,

and giving

the bread

to the

disciples.

And so

with these

five loaves

and two

fish,

which are

completely

inadequate

to feed

the

thousands

of

people,

in the

hands

of

Jesus,

sufficiency

is found.

After

blessing

the food,

notice what

it says

in verse

19,

he gave

them to

the

disciples.

Which is

best seen

as Jesus

is continually,

constantly,

unceasingly

giving bread

to the

disciples.

As they

distribute

what has

been given,

they come

back and

return for

more and

more and

more and

more.

Listen,

my friends,

Jesus is a

bottomless

well of

sufficiency,

mercy for

every single

need that

we have.

Isn't the

story of

Scripture

that our

Lord again

and again

lavishes

grace upon

grace and

hope upon

hope and

love upon

love and

bread upon

bread upon

His

children.

children.

Here is

their

king,

their

shepherd,

spreading a

banquet

celebration

meal on

this grassy

hillside.

Not in the

glittering halls

of a palace,

but among

ordinary,

common,

ordinary

people.

Why?

Why?

Because He

wants them

to know

that their

shepherd

has arrived.

Now, I want

you to notice

the conclusion

here.

It involves

three

statements

as we

see

satisfaction

fulfilled

in Christ.

What does

it say

happens

next?

Verse 20,

they were

satisfied.

They were

satisfied.

One of the

great biblical

images of

joy in the

eternal kingdom

is a

banquet

where the

people eat

as much

as they

wish to

eat.

Don't you

wish you

could do

that now?

There is a

marvelous

passage

in Isaiah

Isaiah 25:6–9

chapter 25

verses 6

through 9.

On this

mountain,

the Lord

Almighty

will prepare

a feast

of rich

food

for all

peoples,

a banquet

of aged

wine,

the best

meats,

and the

finest of

wines.

On this

mountain,

He will

destroy the

shroud

that

enfolds

all peoples,

the sheet

that covers

all nations.

He will

swallow up

death

forever.

The

sovereign

Lord

will wipe

away the

tears

from all

faces.

He will

remove the

people's

disgrace

from all

the earth.

The Lord

has spoken.

In that

day,

it says,

they will

say,

surely this

is our

God.

We

trusted in

Him.

And He

saved us.

This is the

Lord.

We trusted

in Him.

Let us

rejoice and

be glad

in His

salvation.

compassion.

Listen,

my friends,

the meal

here that

Jesus

provided is

not a

snack that

tides them

over until

they can go

into the

villages and

buy for

themselves

food.

The bread

that Jesus

gives

satisfies

the soul

and is an

expression of

His compassion

and it's

given in

such measure

that there

are baskets

left over.

Notice

verse 20.

The disciples

pick up

twelve basketfuls

of broken

pieces that

were left

over.

I think

it's perhaps

a bit

misleading if

we try to

go into the

symbolism of

why there

were twelve

baskets and

all of the

rest of it.

I think

the emphasis

here in

the text

is on the

superabundance

of the

sufficiency

and satisfaction

that is only

found in

Jesus Christ.

Do you

remember in

the wilderness

wanderings,

as we've

already heard

this morning,

the children

of Israel

wandering around

for forty

years,

every single

morning they

would go

outside of

their homes

and they

had to pick

up manna

off of the

ground.

Every single

morning.

And if they

did not eat

that,

it began

to grow

old and

stale and

moldy and

bugs would

consume it.

The next

morning,

they had to

go out and

gather the

manna again.

But the

bread that

Jesus

provides,

the abundance

Jesus supplies

in knowing

Him is

enough.

What is

He saying

to these

people in

Galilee?

He's saying,

I am

better than

Moses.

I am

better than

Joshua.

I am

better than

Ezekiel and

John the

Baptist.

I am

enough for

every need

that you

have.

And then

notice verse

21,

there were

five thousand

men.

The women and

the children

ate right

along with

the men.

Sometimes

what's

interesting,

friends,

is what's

not in

the text.

And here

we see

something

missing.

There's no

mention as

to the

crowd's

reaction.

Throughout the

Gospel accounts

and all the

miracles that

are recorded

for us by

our Lord,

there always

seems to be

a reaction

of amazement,

it says,

or astonishment,

it says.

But you see,

this miracle is

not confirmed

by the

crowd's

reaction,

but by a

description of

what happened.

Here,

you have

five thousand

men are

fed and

satisfied,

and there

were

leftovers.

Very quickly,

now that we're

at the end,

let me just

simply give

you a couple

themes here

that we've

picked up on.

First of all,

this massive

miracle reveals

to us

something of

the greatness

of Jesus.

all the

miracles of

Moses and

Joshua and

Elijah and

Elisha and

John the

Baptist,

even if you

will,

they pale in

comparison.

Do you remember

what I told you

at the beginning?

John the

Baptist had

been executed

as a signal

of the closing

of one chapter

and the opening

of a new.

Jesus is seen

here as

Israel's

final,

complete,

great

shepherd.

Jesus is seen

here,

my friends,

as our

great

shepherd.

Hebrews reveals

to us that

he's God's

final word.

God has

promised

to send

a shepherd

for his

people,

and now

he's giving

his people

bread and

fish.

Another theme

that we learn

from the

disciples is

simply this,

I am

always

inadequate

for the

task that

Jesus has

for me.

Always.

Sometimes

we're

overwhelmed,

aren't we,

at the

task that

Jesus has

for us,

or the

calling to

which he

has called

us to.

And just

like the

disciples,

when asked

to do

something,

or to say

something,

or to go

somewhere,

on behalf

of our

Lord,

we stand

with our

hands in

our pockets

trying to

find the

money to

do it.

Jesus,

I can't

speak,

Moses said.

I can't

go back

to Egypt.

I stutter

when I

speak.

Isaiah,

woe is

me,

for I'm

a man of

unclean

lips.

God,

I can't

go tell

them.

David,

have mercy

upon me.

Oh God,

I am a

sinner.

The Apostle

Paul,

I am the

chief of

sinners.

Every

person God

calls in

Scripture

recognizes

themselves

as inadequate

for the

task to

which they

are called.

But oh,

the Apostle

Paul reminds

us in

2 Corinthians

3,

not that

we are

sufficient

in

ourselves

to claim

anything

is coming

from us,

but our

sufficiency

is from

God.

Listen,

folks,

if God

has called

you to do

something,

if God

has called

you to

say

something,

if God

has asked

you to

go

somewhere,

I promise

you,

on the

authority

of His

Word,

that He

will

super

abundantly

be sufficient

and supply

for whatever

you need.

And finally,

Jesus is

always,

always,

my friends,

more than

adequate

in every

task

and in

every challenge

that we

face.

Ephesians

Ephesians 3:20

chapter 3

verse 20

tells us,

now to

Him who

is able

to do

far more

abundantly

than all

that we

can ask

or think

according to

the power

at work

within us.

We are

completely

inadequate

for every

single thing

to satisfy

the people.

Do you

want to

share the

Gospel

with

Kerageline

and to

go out

from here

to the

surrounding

villages

and towns

and areas?

Do you

want

Kerageline

Baptist

Church

to make

a difference

in the

community

and among

the people?

I dare say

we would all

say amen

to that

desire.

Let me

tell you,

you are

completely

inadequate

to do

any of

it.

But oh

my,

the glorious

good news

is that

Jesus Christ

the Son of

God

has come

in flesh,

robed

Himself

like us

to make

us sufficient

for every

task that

we have

to which

we are

called to.

He has

went to the

cross and

substituted

Himself.

He has

risen from

the dead

and now

He reigns

as the

glorious

sovereign

of the

universe.

He is

soon

returning

for His

people

to set

up His

eternal

kingdom.

My

friends,

we

win.

So we

go

with the

good news

of the

gospel.

Depend

upon Him.

Look to

Him.

Cling to

Him.

Trust

Him.

and He

will

satisfy

you

with

eternal

pleasure

and

eternal

joy.

What a

beautiful

story

of His

sufficiency

and His

adequacy

for all

of our

lives.

Let's

pray together.

Our

Father,

we thank

You for

our time

this morning

in Your

Word.

what

glorious

good news

that we

have in

the

gospel.

What

glorious

good news

we have

in the

sufficiency

of Christ

for all

of our

needs.

Father,

what a

privilege it

is to be

here this

morning and

to worship

You with

brothers and

sisters in

Christ.

And I

pray,

Father,

that the

good news

to us

this morning

would so

equip us

for the

task ahead

that we

would find

and discover

our complete

sufficiency

is only

in You.

We thank

You this

morning for

our time.

We pray in

Jesus' name and

for His sake.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, Dustin.

and what

an encouragement

it is to us

when we

leave today.

Thank you.

...

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