Matthew 15:29-39 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the
sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. (30)
And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were
lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at
Jesus' feet; and he healed them: (31) Insomuch that the multitude
wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the
lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of
Israel. (32) Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I
have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now
three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away
fasting, lest they faint in the way. (33) And his disciples say unto
him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill
so great a multitude? (34) And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves
have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. (35) And he
commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. (36) And he took
the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and
gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. (37) And
they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat
that was left seven baskets full. (38) And they that did eat were
four thousand men, beside women and children. (39) And he sent away
the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.
Matthew 16:1-13 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. (2) He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. (3) And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? (4) A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. (5) And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. (6) Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. (7) And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. (8) Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? (9) Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? (10) Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? (11) How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? (12) Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. (13) When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Last week we spoke of the multiplying of the bread and fishes and how that was a LIVING parable of what Jesus taught afterwards in John 6 about Himself being bread of life. That message, and a message we preached in Feb 2000 and here as well several months ago, came together this week for a message combining both pictures.
In Matthew 15 is the story in Matthew's gospel about the multiplying of the bread and fishes.
Here is how Matthew plays it out. A different message. Pharisees and Sadducees tempt Him asking Him for a sign.
And so we happen to read that when Jesus left with the disciples, the disciples forgot to take bread.
Jesus perceived their thoughts about this, and rebuked them.
The fact was that they had actually BEEN INFECTED with the leaven of the pharisees!
Just as the pharisees had placed before their very eyes the messiah and indications of the fact that God did send Messiah then and there in their time, and they could not see it, the disciples had words of Jesus in their laps and they could hot get what he was actually saying. Jesus told them to beware because He knew they had been infected. After a certain time by being around Jesus, they should have started to get things from God. And that is the reason we read that when they arrived at their destination, Jesus immediately starts asking them who did the disciples think He was.
When Jesus spoke of the gates of hell not prevailing against the church on the rock, and how he must go to Jerusalem and die, and rise again, Peter rebuked him for thinking of dying.
Mat 16:23-25 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (24) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (25) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. Jesus nailed his problem in refusing to deny self.
What should have happened was what happened outwardly with the BREAKING OF THE BREAD.
One other alternative if that Jesus did multiply enough for them to be able to carry all they could, and then it multiplied even more as the disciples broke the bread, themselves. At any rate get the picture.
Jesus is the Bread of Life!
Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. When He broke the bread he said it was His body. 1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. Perhaps Jesus was ALSO saying YOU DO THE SAME WITH YOURSELF.
Peter was not doing it.
The Sadducees and pharisees could not discern anything spiritual, because they were not getting any revelation from God.
Mar 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. Recall the Herodians.
Recall Jesus spoke of the Church on the rock.
Mat 7:21-24 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (24) Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: The ones who hear the word and DO IT.
Phi 3:10-11 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (11) If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Notice that KNOWING JESUS is associated with being able to experience His resurrection and suffering.
John 13:13-15 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. (14) If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. (15) For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Mat 3:13-15 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. (14) But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? (15) And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. Deny yourself.
We could say the taking and blessing and breaking and giving can be said to be taking, blessing, breaking and MULTIPLYING. Blessing and multiplying go together. Heb 6:13-14 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, (14) Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. But between the blessing nd multiply is the BREAKING! Gen 1:22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. The house on the rock gets power from the rock, when it is built of the same material as the house on sand that falls.
2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Speaking of foundations or ROCK, Paul said Jesus KNOWS THEM WHO ARE HIS. John 10:11-15 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (12) But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. (13) The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. (14) I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. (15) As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. He knows the sheep and they know Him.
Deny yourself.
ONLY THOSE WHO DENY THEMSELVES are broken to be multiplied, and Jesus is repeated in them, and they alone FEED MULTITUDES.
2Co 4:6-15 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. (8) We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; (9) Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; (10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. (11) For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. (12) So then death worketh in us, but life in you. (13) We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; (14) Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. (15) For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. You cannot feed anyone else without brokenness.
Be the bread multiplied.
John 12:24-25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (25) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. |