The Feeding Of The 5000 - On A Mission With A Miracle Series

Going on a journey through Luke - in a series of meals that teaches us about the Gospel and head towards the breaking of bread!

First meal at Levi's we see how Levi's destiny should have been as God's Go Between a Priest, but sin had marred him and robbed him of his true destiny and made him a traitor - Rome's go-between. Jesus' love and grace had captivated him enough to make him repent. He holds a banquet to intro Jesus and his new Christian mates to his old non Christian mates. The Pharisees don't like it - but find out that Jesus wants all of us to repent (turn away from our old way of thinking and doing) and turn to him to enter the kingdom.

This intrigued Simon the Pharisee enough to invite Jesus to a second banquet. It gets gatecrashed by a repentant prostitute, much to Simon's disgust - he's not too inclusive of who can enter the kingdom. So Jesus teaches that anyone who repents is welcome! The gospel is for anyone and everyone! We are called to welcome in anyone.

This morning we are going to be looking at the feeding of the 5,000 in Luke 9. This section is about two things. Who is Jesus? And getting sent on mission!

We're going to read the whole section around the feeding of the 5000 from v1 of Luke 9 to v20

Context

v1-6 the 12 sent on mission

Take nothing - so rely on hospitality - Just like Jesus

i) proclaim the kingdom of God - a great new ruler has arrived, Jesus. Looks after his subject and treats them with grace and healing

ii) heal the sick

Identity - followers

Authority to heal.

So have you!

v7-9 Who is Jesus?

Herod is asking

John the Baptist raised from the dead - which would have scared him silly having lopped off his head

Elijah - that might seem a bit random to us, but Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot - one of only two in the OT who didn't die, and many Jews wondered whether e would come back to prepare the way of the Messiah. Actually that was a type, a picture - and John the Baptist played that role!

Then he might be one of teh prophets of old - Moses himself had promised that one day a prophet like himself would come in Deut 18:17-19

Parallel with end v18-20

Herod's question isn't immediately answered.. So

Jesus asked who the crowds saying I am?

Same answer

i) John the Baptist

ii) Elijah

iii) Prophet of old

But Peter knows he's the Christ, not Mr Christ, but the Christ, the Messiah!

The difference between the two questions is the miraculous meal in between, where Jesus shows the answer.

So what we will see in the feeding of the 5,000 is Jesus showing, not just saying, who he is in the miracle with so a whole bunch of OT allusions to a prophet of old Moses, Elijah, and the Messianic banquet in Isaiah 25

Who is Jesus?

Storyline

Jesus has got away with the 12 to debrief on their first tour, but of course the crowds find out where they are and join the. So Jesus taught on the kingdom of God and healed people of everything that prevented them entering it, so they are ready to dine in the Kingdom of God. That healing is physical and spiritual - ailments, illness, oppression gone and sin-sickness sorted.

The disciples had received hospitality as they had travelled about proclaiming the kingdom and healing the sick. They are now going to learn about extending hospitality miraculously!

OT Allusions

Moses and the Manna

Hundreds of years before when God had rescued the people of Israel with Moses from slavery in Egypt, the people complained that they were hungry in the wilderness.

So God sent Manna - I am about to rain bread from heaven for you Ex 16:4.

These people are also in a wilderness without food.And Jesus looks up to heaven and bread miraculously comes down.

He's the New Moses about to lead the people to a new exodus, freedom from slavery to sin.

There's more

Elijah and the feast for the prophets

The feeding of the 5000 would have reminded the early church of a second OT story - Elisha told his servant to feed a group of prophets with 20 loaves. But teh servant answered ow can i feed 100 men - So Elisha repeats "Give it to the men, that they may eat and have some left" in 2 Kings 4:42-44.

So Elisha tells his servant feed the men, the servant protests - eventually does it and there's leftovers. And now Jesus does the same telling his disciples to feed 5,00 with 5 loaves and two fishes. They protest. But there's not only enough, but 12 baskets of leftovers.