A Chapter Of Murder And Miracles (Matthew 14:1-36)

The fourteenth chapter of Matthew opens with the death of John the Baptist, who had been imprisoned for preaching against the wicked ruler Herod Antipas. His father, Herod the “Great” had been the “ruler” of Judea from 37 - 4 BC at the behest of Rome and the emperor Augustus Caesar (ruled from 27 BC - 14 AD). Herod had schemed to hunt down and murder Jesus when He was an infant (Matthew 2:1-18). Augustus Caesar was the ruler who issued the decree to tax the subjects of the empire and unknowingly set events into motion that would fulfill the prophecies concerning the arrival of God’s Promised Messiah (Isiah 7:14, 9:1-6: Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-7). Herod Antipas, Herod the Great’s successor, who was just as corrupt as his father before him, had taken his brother Philip’s wife Herodias for his own. His sister-in-law was now his live-in lover, and John had rightfully condemned it (verses 3,4).

Antipas desired to have the Baptist put to death, but he knew that if he did so, the people would have initiated a rebellion against him, and Caesar would have stepped in to crush any dissent but also remove him from power and even put him to death for failure to keep his subjects under control. John’s role as a prophet and preacher of righteousness had made him both popular and beloved with most of the public (v.5). Herod’s lust for Salome along with his foolish decision to grant her perverse request brought about John’s death by having him beheaded (verses 6-11). It was Herodias who had been the initiator of this horrendous act. Later, John’s disciples came to retrieve and bury his body. Herod’s fears abounded afterwards. He believed that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead and had been given the power to perform miracles. Like Lady Macbeth, who could not remove the stain of regicide from her soul, neither could Herod remove the guilt from his conscience, at least for a time. He soon ignored it at the expense of his soul as well.

The one miracle of the Lord Jesus that is recorded in all four gospels is the feeing of the multitude (Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14), a demonstration of His authority and compassion. It is also a witness of His power and ability to perform the mighty work of God that His generation had only heard about in the synagogues where the Scriptures taught and read. Jesus, having been informed of John’s death, went to a quiet place to mourn. His time of solitude was brought to a halt when the crowds had left the cities and went to the place where. He was staying. Divine compassion overruled personal needs and Jesus met with the people, healing the sick and ministering to them. Here are four points to consider in reading about this and the other mighty works of Jesus. First, He genuinely cares for us, though most others, especially those of notoriety and wealth do not (1 Peter 5:6-7). Second, in terms of spiritual matters, we can do nothing apart from Christ (John 15:5). Third, this miracle points us to the sufficiency of Christ in all matters (2 Corinthians 3:5). He will always meet our needs (Philippians 4:19), not necessarily our wants. He wants obedient servants, not spoiled brats. Fourth, God works not only by His supernatural power, but also through people who are able and willing to forsake the pleasures of the world in exchange for eternal reward (Matthew 25:21; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

In verses 22-33, we read that Jesus spent some final moments with the crowd and then dismissed them. He instructed His disciples to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while He departed to a solitary place in order to spend time with the Father in prayer. The boat that the disciples were in began to be tossed about by the wind and waves which were a constant threat. At the time of the fourth watch, (3:00-6:00 AM), Jesus came to the disciples by walking on the surface of the sea. As the Creator, He has total dominion over all things (Genesis 1:1-31; John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:1-2). The disciples started to panic, believing that they were seeing a ghost. He reassured them and told them to not be afraid. Simon Peter made a bold request, asking that if Whom he was seeing was the Lord, that he step out of the boat and walk to Him. Jesus encouraged him to do so and for a brief moment, he was headed to the Lord in a great act of faith, only to take his eyes off of Him and sink into the turbulent waters. Peter called out to Jesus to save him, and He did so, telling the wind and waves to cease their actions. Jesus got into the boat and gently rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith. This opened their eyes to the fact that Jesus was the Son of God. Today, their testimony is recorded in the Scriptures for us to read, trust, and know that what we are reading is truth and that Jesus Christ is Lord. We are also blessed by the fact that while we have never seen Him in the flesh, He sees us and has given us the faith and belief to trust Him for salvation and true peace. We will soon see Him when He returns to make all things new as He promised. He can make a new creation out of you right now (2 Corinthians 5:17). Nobody and nothing else will do (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Call on Him today (Romans 10:9-10, 13).

donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

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