A panel of historians recently voted Winston Churchill as the greatest person of the 20th Century. He was born.......does anyone know when? Even a guess? It was November 30, 1874. Does anyone have any idea where Sir Winston was born? Oxfordshire, England. How about the names of his father and mother? Randolph Churchill and Jenny Jerome Churchill. That is interesting. He is perhaps the most important figure of the last hundred years, and yet we know almost nothing about his birth. That is quite a contrast from a Man named Jesus. Now, it is true we don't know His precise birthdate. December 25 was chosen by the church in the 4th Century as the date when Jesus' birth would be celebrated. Yet, it is interesting that 2000 years after He was born, almost the entire world still commemorates that day when a woman named Mary, engaged to a man named Joseph, gave birth to a very special baby, in a stable located in a village called Bethlehem. People remember Jesus' birthday.
Friends, as we look back at the great individuals of the past thousand years, none of them even begin to compare with Jesus. If we want proof of that, we need to look no further than our calendar. We are approaching the end of the year 1999, or more precisely 1999 A.D., Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord -- 1999 years since Jesus was born. Even those who are clearly non-Christian admit His influence. They refer to it as the Common Era, acknowledging that the vast majority of folks mark their time based on the birth of this one Man. I have never ever heard anyone suggest that we change our calendar to date our years from when Winston Churchill was born. That would make it 125 A.C., After Churchill. Or how about 64 A.E., -- that many years since Elvis was born? No, we mark our calendar only by the true King, Jesus.
Why is He so special? Why do we remember His birth? What is there about Jesus Christ which makes Him the focal point of human history? Part of it is the very unique circumstances surrounding His birth. Jesus alone, not Winston Churchill or any of the rest of us, was born of a virgin. Certainly His extraordinary claim to be the Son of God, actually God in a human body, is something which captures our attention. And, most important of all, His death and resurrection make Him stand head and shoulders above anyone else, and make His claim to be God very credible. Yet, there is one more piece of the puzzle. Part of the reason Jesus is not someone people can ignore or forget, is how He lived and what He did during His thirty-three years on earth. Especially as Matthew and the other gospel writers gave their accounts of Jesus' public ministry during the last three years of His life, they want us to see what an amazing, wonderful and unforgettable Man He was. One of the stories that all four gospel writers tell, is about the time that Jesus fed a crowd of 5000 people. Our text today, as we continue our journey through the Book of Matthew, is 14:31-21. As we explore this passage of God's Word, I want the Lord to help us see Who Jesus was, and is, in a fresh way so that our celebration of Christmas this year can be full of joy and hope. Let's pray that would happen.
The feeding of the 5000. Listen as we read how Jesus feeds a hungry crowd. Matthew 14:13,14 When Jesus heard what had happened, (that is the execution of John the Baptist which we talked about last week) 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. Notice that apparently because Jesus was human, as well as divine, He sometimes wanted privacy. Herod's sudden interest in Jesus' ministry no doubt concerned Him. He wanted to get away from the people and all the demands which they put on Him. But, when a crowd manages to find Him, He doesn't become angry. Instead, He has compassion on those folks and heals those who are sick. 14:15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." As the afternon wore on, the disciples realize they could be facing a big problem. There is a huge group of people and there doesn't seem to be any food around. Everyone is no doubt getting hungry and the disciples have a very practical solution. It is time to end the service and dismiss the folks so they can go get their own food. But, 14:16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." Now, I have a feeling that Jesus was maybe giving His disciples a hard time. He knew that they did not have the ability to feed the crowd and, as John 6:6 says, Jesus already had in mind what He was going to do to feed everyone.
Matthew gives us a condensed report and omits the reaction of the disciples to Jesus' suggestion. John 6:7 tells us that Philip responded, "Eight months' wages (that was 200 denari in those days) would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Incidentally, if we try to translate it into our currency, Philip is figuring that they would need at least a dollar a person to give everyone just a snack, maybe a cheeseburger or something. Matthew also omits Jesus' next statement, where He asks, "How much food do we have?" According to the other gospels, the disciples then kind of surveyed the crowd. Peter comes back and reports that he found a boy who had five barley loaves and two small fish. Jesus then asks that the boy's lunch be brought to Him. Matthew 14:19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. Jesus seems to have a very organized plan, and it works. 14:20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Matthew then gives us some statistics. 14:21 The number of those who ate was about 5000 men, besides women and children. Under Jewish custom, when in public, men would eat separately from the women and children. Thus, when we are told that 5000 men were fed, it is likely that the total crowd was at least 15,000 people. So, it would probably be better if we referred to this as the story of the feeding of the 15,000, but I doubt that will catch on.
This is obviously a remarkable story. So remarkable, in fact, that many folks ask, "Did it really happen?" Liberal Bible teachers have suggested that what really occurred was that the boy's willingness to share his lunch inspired others in the crowd to do the same. So, when everyone shared their food and ate only what they needed, there were twelve baskets left over. The big lesson then would be that we should share with those in need. Now, that is a great idea, but it is not what the story is about, because it is not what happened. All four gospels tell us the same thing. Jesus fed about 15,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two small fish. Yes, our modern scientific orientation makes it hard for us to swallow that, but that attitude is the only reason someone would suggest that the people simply shared their lunches that day. Liberal Bible teachers have tried to remove the miraculous from the gospels, giving natural explanations for the different miracles Jesus performed, in order to make these stories more palatable to folks living in the 20th Century. As we enter the 21st Century, however, more and more people are realizing that if we eliminate the miracles, we rob these stories of their power and even their meaning. The Bible clearly teaches, and I choose to believe, that Jesus actually took a little boy's lunch and fed about 15,000 folks that day.
I believe one of the main reasons the gospel writers report this event is that it clearly shows us two essential aspects of Jesus' character. These are two qualities which we usually don't think belong together, but in Jesus they are a magnificent combination. First is Jesus' compassion. Jesus loves people, He cares about them. We noted that earlier when we saw how even when He was seeking privacy, He could not turn down the opportunity to heal and help people. Here, as He is very busy teaching and ministering to a huge crowd, Jesus is still concerned about the very practical needs of the people around Him. He is thinking, "They are getting hungry. We need to get food for them to eat." People involved in Christian ministry sometimes get so wrapped up in what they are doing that they don't really think about the people they are supposed to be ministering to. I know, as a pastor, once in a while my mind can get so preoccupied on Sunday mornings with the details of this service that I become almost oblivious to you folks who are here. That did not happen with Jesus. He never forgot that people were the reason He was here on this planet. He said He had come to seek and to serve those who were lost. (Luke 19:10) He met the needs that folks had. I like the story of a man who fell into a pit and could not get out by himself. A strict fundamentalist came along and said, "You deserve to be where you are." A Christian Scientist came along and said, "You only think you are in a pit." A charismatic said, "If you have enough faith, you can just speak the words and you will be out of the pit." An optimist came by and said, "Things could be worse." A pessimist said, "Things will get worse." An IRS man came along and asked if he had paid his taxes on the pit. And then Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit. That story is fiction, but the point is true. When Jesus encountered people who were struggling with guilt, He offered them forgiveness for their sin. When He met people who were crippled, He healed them so they could walk. So when He is with those who are hungry, He gives them food. Whatever needs people had, physical or spiritual, Jesus devoted Himself to meeting those needs.
As the story goes on, we see there is no limit to Jesus' willingness to do this. The ultimate need of human beings is some way to be saved from the results of sin and eternal death. As human beings, we need someone who will rescue us from our wretched condition of being separated from God and without hope. Jesus is willing to do that. He is willing to give up His own life as a sacrifice of atonement. The angel told Joseph that the baby will be called Jesus "because he will save his people from their sins." He did that by dying on the cross in our place. He suffered agony, pain, and the horrors of death itself for me and for you. He did that because it was the Father's will, and also because of the great compassion, the great love, He has for people. We catch a glimpse of that compassion in our story today.
Secondly, we also see Jesus' power. In our world the compassionate are usually not powerful, and the powerful are usually not compassionate. But Jesus is both. His power is very obvious in our text today. He simply takes five loaves of bread and two fish and turns them into a meal for a huge crowd. Not only does everyone get something to eat, there are leftovers. How did He do it? I have no idea. There is no natural explanation. Some of you have added a little water to the soup so you could feed a couple of unexpected guests at dinner, but Jesus does something very different. It was a miracle. It was another demonstration of His supernatural power. Jesus had the ability to do remarkable things. So far in Matthew, we have read how, by simply speaking to the wind and waves, He was able to calm a storm. When that happened, His disciples asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him." (8:27) Amazing power. Then He commanded demons to come out of a man and He cast them into a herd of pigs. His power threatened some of the folks who saw that happen and 8:34 says, "...they pleaded with him to leave their region." Then He heals a paralyzed man so he can walk, he touches the eyes of two blind men and all of a sudden they can see, and then He enables a man who was mute to speak. He even walks into a house where a dead girl is lying on the bed, takes her hand and brings her back to life. Indeed, His power has no limits. He demonstrates that most clearly the first Easter morning, when three days after being executed by the Romans, He rises from the grave, conquering death itself.
What does this amazing combination of compassion and power mean for us? What are the lessons God wants us to learn from this story? Well, first of all, it helps explain why Jesus is the focal point of history. It helps us understand better why 2000 years after His birth, millions continue to celebrate His coming to earth. There has never been anyone else like Him, and there never will be. He is totally unique in the best sense of the word. He is, as John 1:14 says, "...the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." I would suggest that if the feeding of the 15,000 were the only demonstration of Jesus' compassion and power, it by itself would be sufficient to make Him the greatest person who has ever lived. But, it is only one of many such acts performed by Jesus, and it pales in comparison to His ultimate demonstration of compassion and power, which is His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. When we think about who Jesus is and what He did, it is really no surprise that our calendars are based on His life. In fact, what really seems strange is that there are so many on this planet who, even after hearing the story of Jesus, somehow think He can be ignored. It baffles me that there are so many who even believe the facts about His life recorded in the gospels, who believe that He really did feed 15,000 people with a boy's lunch, and yet don't think He is really that important. They think that getting the shopping done, cleaning the house, finishing the project at work, getting an "A" on the test, or watching the football game, are what life is about. But they are not. Jesus is. He is the focal point, not only of history, not only of the calendar, but the focal point of life today.
Secondly, as we see Jesus' compassion and power, it also shows us that we need to embrace Him as our personal Lord and Savior. Jesus does not desire that we spend one day a year celebrating His birth. Rather, we are to spend 365 days a year honoring Him as our Lord and King. The first step in doing that is to receive Him as Lord and Savior. I hope you realize I am talking about something very different from just going to church, being religious or being a nice person. As God's Spirit enables, we need to turn away from trusting in ourselves and turn to Jesus Christ and place our trust in Him. If you have not done that, if you are not trusting in Jesus Christ today, I encourage you to do so. If you are not sure what I mean, please talk to me. Only with Jesus as your Lord and Savior are you going to truly experience His compassion and power in your life.
Now, most of us here are already believers in Jesus Christ. Some of us have followed Him for many years. What should our response be to what we have learned about Jesus? Well, we need to rejoice in His compassion and power. Friends, often we talk about what we should do to obey God. That is important. I think it would be appropriate to say that the compassion and power that Jesus reveals in this story are good models for us to follow. Each of us should seek to show compassion to the people around us. As believers in Christ, each of us should desire to see God's power at work as we serve others. But remember, Christianity is a religion of grace. The primary reason we come together is not to encourage each other to do wonderful things for God. There is nothing wrong with that, of course, but I believe the number one reason we should come together is to celebrate the marvelous things God has done for us through Jesus Christ. Not what we can do for God, but what God has done for us. What I think we need to do today is just sit back, or stand back, in awe of Jesus Christ. I was a small child when I first heard the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. I remember wondering whether or not I would have been willing to give my lunch to Jesus, like that little boy was. Even then, I valued my meals quite a bit. I am sure I heard the story frequently during those early Sunday School years, but to be honest, since that time I have not really thought about it that often. Yet, it is such a great story because it shows Jesus' compassion and power so clearly. Friends, this morning I feel like my words have been very feeble, but I hope God's Spirit has used them in your mind and heart to give you a fresh sense of the compassion and power that are found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Friends, I encourage you today, this week, and especially as we approach Christmas, to rejoice in the compassion of Jesus. Think about the great love He has for you. Think about His concern for every aspect of your life. Think about how, when it seems that no one else really cares or understands how you feel, Jesus always does. He is indeed the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. Or, as the hymn writer put it so well (and I love these words), Jesus! what a Friend for sinners! Jesus! Lover of my soul; friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole. And then this verse, Jesus! what a Help in sorrow! while the billows o'er me roll, even when my heart is breaking, He, my Comfort, helps my soul. Friends, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, I invite you to simply bask in the marvelous compassion of Jesus. Then, I encourage you to rejoice in the power of Jesus. No matter how difficult the challenge is that you face, no matter how many difficult challenges you face, nothing is too hard for the Lord. No, don't fall into the trap of thinking that Jesus will perform a miracle for you on demand. Some people do think that, but that clearly is not what the Bible teaches. Rather, we can be confident that the Lord desires not only what is best for us, but that He also has the ability to see that it comes to pass. If I were having financial problems, it would be nice to have friends who were very sympathetic and compassionate, but what would really help is if I had a best friend who was a multi-billionaire. Having Jesus Christ as our Friend, makes Bill Gates look like a pauper. There are no limits on what Jesus can do for us if He chooses to do it. As Psalm 115 says, "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." Nothing, absolutely nothing, is too difficult for Him. Christian brother or sister, I invite you to bask in the tremendous power of Jesus.
In 2 Corinthians 9:15, as Paul concludes a discussion about God's generosity and grace, he says, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift." Another Bible verse reads, "Thank God for his gift too wonderful for words." Friends, that's what I encourage you to do today, throughout this whole Advent Season. Think about Jesus. Think about Who He is. Think about what His coming means to your life. Think about what His compassion and power mean to your life. And then simply praise God, "for his gift too wonderful for words."
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Go to www.life.1stbaptist.org/sermons.htm for Pastor Dan's full text Bible based sermon site
