Miracle Bread Text: Matthew 14: 15-21
15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
How many of you remember your mother buying ‘Wonder Bread’ from the grocery store? When this bread was blessed and broken by Christ it became a miracle of creation of substance! Jesus not only gives miracle salvation, miracle healing, but He can give miracle material substance! Five loaves and two fish. This bread was baked into thin layers which had to be broken to be divided and then eaten. The fish weren’t 30lb catfish; they were the fish that was common in that country (weighing at best a few ounces)! This was a creative miracle!
Even today, Jesus Christ is in the creative miracle business! I have seen Him provide when there wasn’t any other explanation!
The first church that I pastured at the time was out in the middle of nowhere, but God started bringing the people. We had over 200 people in that little church. We needed a building, but we had very little money, so God brought a little tornado by the church and it lifted the roof and set it back down. We collected 32,500 for the damages. Instead of fixing the building we decided to buy some property in a better location. The man wanted 65,000 for 12 areas of land. Well, a man from Adairsville decided he wanted to buy our church. He offered more than the building was worth-32,500! This gives us exactly 65,000 cash to pay for the new property! Today, there is a 9000 sq. Ft. church going strong that is growing-all for the glory of God!
Going back to the text: It’s not coincidence that this is the only miracle recorded in the Gospels by all four writers!
Its significance may be seen in the sermon Jesus delivered right after this miracle when He proclaimed Himself to be “the bread of life!” (Remember, many that day stopped following Him.) John 6
In II Kings 4:42-44 we can read where Elisha feeds some hungry men. 42. Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.” 43 But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’” 44 So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.
Notice that this man gives Elisha the first fruits. First fruits, throughout God’s word are the tithe. (It belongs unto God.)
Listen, when we faithfully give God our first fruits it speaks to His heart and it also shows Him our heart!
Illustration: Call 12 men up and give them all a basket which represents what Jesus did and can do when we are faithful with the first-fruit! Get these men to life these basket unto the Lord and thank Him!
God gave His first fruits unto Adam and Eve. Eden! Abel gives the first fruits of his crop unto God, but Cain gives a sacrifice! (God desires the tithe!)
Why does God use the tithe? Maybe He knows if you will trust Him with what He gave you; you can be a candidate for more of His blessings!
Turn to II Corinthians 8:7 Paul’s commending the church in they’re giving, but listen to what he say’s next. 7). But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.
Notice that Paul calls tithing ‘Grace.’ I believe with all of my heart that when men place Christ first with their tithe he or she will be set up to grow in other areas!
Jesus’ miraculous feeding of over 15,000 men, women and children indicate several things: #1. He fulfills the crowds expectations of Him, and He does the same for us today!
Deuteronomy 18:15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,
#2. Jesus can supply for us our daily bread! Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
#3. Jesus is the Messiah who will provide the Messianic Banquet. Matthew 26:29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 22: 1-14 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding,”’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
One translation reads, Many are called but few choose!
God wants to bless you! Remember, there’s a time of sowing and reaping. If you don’t sow you can’t reap, so today decide prayerfully to change you’re thinking and put God first and He will put you first! (Matthew 6:33)
How many of you want Jesus’ miracle bread?
