And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
And...this is a word used to indicate continuation of and event or a statement. This tells me that the next statement is a continuation of a previous event or statement. Looking back to the previous chapter before this we understand the flow of this particular verse of scripture. Jesus had gone through chapter four calling some guys to follow him as disciples and they did. Imagine a man showing up feeling like some wise smart guy asking you to leave your career and follow him…where? You don’t even know! This must have looked ridiculous. Learned men like Matthew and Luke a physician following someone like Jesus. In order for them to understand the man they were called to follow he showed them some signs and wonders. Matthew 4:24-25 said his fame went throughout…and they brought unto him...sick people…and he healed them. The result of this was that he had great multitude follow him.
It was after all of these that we come into this new chapter with the word And showing that the event of the previous chapter and the present one are connected. After he had done great miracles he was now going to teach them how they too can become miracle workers.
Seeing… To see is to recognise, to observe in details, have vision, not be blind, perception by sight, perceive mentally, get to know, become aware of, find out, learn, check out, look over carefully. Is it not amazing that we serve a seeing God! We serve a God who can recognise us and our infirmities. The God we serve is not an image made by men that have eyes but cannot see. He is not a force or an imagination in our mind.. He is a seeing God! Not only does He sees but he also recognises, Jeremiah said in Chapter 1 and verse 5 Before I formed you in the belly I knew thee.. He knows, he is aware of me. He knows what I’m going through. Bible says we have not an High priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities - Hebrew 4:15. He is touch by our feelings! He is a seeing God!! He sees beyond what man cannot see, he seeing my inner thoughts, he sees what no man can see…He sees!!!
the multitudes…means a large gathering of people, battalion, large number of people. Jesus saw these multitudes. Who were they? Chapter 4 had introduced us to this multitude and who they were. Verse 23 said he went about all Galilee, teaching…preaching…and healing…hmmmm…this is really powerful! Jesus not only taught…he also preached…now that is a whole message on it’s own. He didn’t just teach and preach. He also healed and these three things made his fame go abroad throughout all Syria. Naturally people are drawn to where there is light, so after illuminating their lives with the word and giving them hope via his healing they went out to tell others about Him. The result of this is that more people came who were sick with one disease or the other and some who were hopeless and needed direction also came. This were people who had divers issues, issue of sicknesses, diseases, demonic oppressions, even mad people were part of this multitudes. Isn’t interesting that our God the most Holy one would allow mad folks to come near him…while we his disciples cannot stand people who do not share our believes.. food for thought. Where did they come from? Verse 25 says they were from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and even beyond Jordan…hmmm, people travelled from across the river to get to Jesus. Paid the prize to get their breakthrough. Now wherever there is power the people would come no matter how far it is. John the Baptist was in the wilderness cursing and abusing the people but people still travelled their to hear him. This people were from all over. Why did they come? simple they came to hear Jesus because of his wisdom in his teaching and preaching. They came to be healed of all their infirmities. They came to experience his power for themselves. So they came to b seen and yes!!! Jesus did see them even beyond their own imaginations. He saw their needs and knew how to meet their needs.
He went up... Who went up? Jesus! Son of the living God went up. The lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world went up…Lilly of the valley went up, bread of life went up, the King of Kings went up...there’s something about his going up!! He said it is expedient for him to go up...so that the comforter can come.. He went up!!! There is something about going up in the bible. Jesus went up on the mount of transfiguration. He told the disciples to stay up in Jerusalem until they be endued with power. There are great men of God in the bible who went up.. Up signifies a place higher than the ordinary. So, to experience the extra ordinary ..you need to go up.. Pastor E.A. Adeboye said "If everyone around you is sitting down make sure you are standing up, if they are all standing up, make sure you are standing out. Per adventure they stand out with you, then you must be outstanding, but if they get outstanding as well you’ve got to be a standard!!!" \When you go up you can see clearer and farther than when you are in the plain. Spiritually we need to go up with Jesus in order to see thing from his perspective. Going up means leaving behinde the elemetary teachings and going up to break strong bones. When Moses went up into God’s presence the glory of God shone upon his face so much that the people were not able to look him in the eyes - Exodus 34:35. When you go up you experience God’s exclusive glory and your face would radiate the glory. Up is the place of his glory. So, Jesus went up.. you need to go up!!!
Into a mountain... what is a mountain? A land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill. 137 time the word mountain was mentioned in the bible. The first time it was mentioned was in Genesis 12:8, when Abram after the Lord had appeared to him moved unto a higher ground east of Bethel (House of God) and built and altar to the Lord and called upon God. He was called, he answered, God spoke and he went on the mountain to have a more personal experience with the Lord. The mountain is a place higher in level spiritually than the plains and it brings you closer to the presence of your maker. Jesus Christ at the beginning of his ministry was led up unto the mountain by the spirit to pray. Jesus took Peter James and John to the mount of transfiguration. The law was given to Moses on the mount. God’s glory was revealed to Moses on the mount. Even Abraham met Jehovah Jireh on a mount. The mountain is a place of higher spiritual experience. Physically, standing on the top of a mountain gives you an advantage over anyone in the plain. You see better and farther. So, Jesus went up onto the mountain. On the other hand the mountain can also be interpreted as an hindrance an obstacle to overcome. Bible says who art thou o mountain before Zerubabel. Who or what are you o mountain in the part of God’s children?? Bible also talked about the mountains on the left and on the right side of the children of Israel while the host of Egypt was behind them and the red sea was in front. In order words mountains cornered them against their enemies. So Jesus climbed up on the mountain…that tells me something.. every mountain of hindrance is meant to be a stepping stone unto a greater height of spirituality. Jesus turned what was to some people a challenge to an advantage...he went up into a mountain!!!
and When.. the and here is meant to connect the previous actions of Jesus with what he was about to do. From the time he saw the multitude to the next event that was about to be described. When...on the other hand is a time related adverb also used as a conjunction.
He was SET.. to be set is a positional statement. To be put in certain place. To fix conclusively or authoritatively. To establish, put in a certain state. Another very interesting definition of this is to make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc. Get ready for a particular purpose or event. To be set is to be balanced on a platform. Jesus was fixed before he attempted to fix other people. He took up an authoritative position. He preached from a position of authority. He was set!!! He was established and ready on a steady platform before he began to teach. Isn’t it interesting that the King of Kings would ensure that he is ready before he started but we his disciples would jump and start things without being ready. He had stability, he was balanced before he did anything else. He was set!!! He was in control. Imagine what disaster we cause when we try to help people when we ourselves are not set. We are still unstable and struggling with a particular issues yet we want to reach out and carry others. It wouldn’t work. You cannot help someone drowning if you are not a good swimmer yourself. He was set!! Another bible translation says he was seated.. To be seated is also a comfortable position. You cannot be seated in a place where u hardly have a foothold. You can only be seated when you have balance and you also have room. He was set!!!
His Disciples.. who is a disciple?? a disciple is someone who believes in and spreads the doctrine of another. But this were not just any other person’s disciples, they were His disciples. What made them his disciples? What qualified them to be His disciples? In the previous chapter (Matthew 4) we were introduced to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. After being baptised in chapter 3 by John the Baptist and heaven opened and God acknowledged him. Bible says he was led up into the mountain to pray 40 days and 40 nights!!! After this the first thing or person he had to deal with was the devil himself. After he had effortlessly put the devil in his place he went on about the business of the ministry. The first thing He did in chapter 4 verse 17 was to establish the vision for his ministry...Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…Repentance and reconciliation between man and God was his mission. Then he needed to find men who would run with the vision in order to accomplish the mission. verse 18 introduces the first set of people who became his disciple.. Peter and Andrew. These guys had it going on. They had a business running. They were not educate but they were professionals in their own right. They were fishermen. Jesus found them at their duty post. They weren’t layabouts. The work of the ministry was not an outlet for their frustrated career goals. They weren’t just fisher men they had boats a ship and smaller boats. It is also amazing that Jesus did not pick the religious leaders, the rabbis, the sad-u-sees and phar-i-sees. He did not pick this guys because of their educational or family background. He picked them based on the state of their heart. They were men of a simple heart. Or how else would you explain the fact that a complete stranger shows up in your office, tells you to leave your job and follow him and without any question you leave you job and followed. Bible says they left their job straightway and followed him. The next set of people that joined the train were James and John, directors of Zebedee and sons fishing enterprise. Why did Jesus decide to pick four fishermen? This is another study on it’s own, but here was Jesus, a carpenter’s son choosing his first four disciples and picking fishermen. I would think he should have chosen people who had what he lacked, like we all do but not Jesus. Bible says God chose the foolish things of this world to confound the wisdom of the wise. Maybe if he had picked the Professors of law, they’d have had series of debate on who should be healed and who should not. They would have argued who Jesus should save and who he should judge. They probably would have explained away the dynamics of the miracles done by Jesus. Another thing that is so important in these group of people was that they were willing to leave their position as head of their organization to be followers of Jesus. They were humble hearted enough to abandon leadership of their fishermen association to be just followers of Jesus. They had not even seen him do any miracle…but they just wanted to follow. Now this were the ones called His disciples. Are you a disciple? or are you His disciple? you can be a disciple and not be His disciple. These guys were his disciples. His Disciples!!!
Came unto Him... These guys were his own so they had no choice but to come to him. A major characteristic of a disciple is that they will always come to the master. They would not go to another, but they will always go to their master. So, they came unto him!!! There’s something about Him that drew them to him. They left the multitude. Disciples have to leave the multitudes to come up to Him. They could have stayed because it was more convenient for them but they paid the prize. They came unto Him!!! You need to come unto Him. Bible says in Him we live in Him we move and in Him we have our entire being. Jesus said come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy ladened. So, they came unto Him!! Are you still living in sin? You need to come! Do you have things you’re dealing with that’s beyond you? You need to come unto Him. Coming unto Him is not a want, it’s a need. I need to come unto Him.
