Where Did Those Baskets Come From?

Where did those baskets come from?

Luke 9:10-17

Let’s look at vs. 10 again:

10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

Meaning “house of fish” it was a small fishing village

Located on the west side of the sea of Tiberias

Jesus was in his year of popularity. His fame had gone before him. Many who heard of Jesus sought to find him that they might be healed or touched, or simply just learn of this great prophet.

Previous to this event we’re fixing to preach about, Jesus had just sent forth his 12 disciples to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

When they returned, he took them to a private desert place to talk to them and hear their report.

HOWEVER… word got out of where he and his disciples were at, and pretty soon a crowd developed and found him.

11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

Isn’t it great that the Lord takes time out to meet people’s needs?

He didn’t turn them away, but welcomed them.

12 And when the day began to wear away

Jesus had been ministering all day long… it was getting near supper time.

The disciples wanted to send the people away to the village to get food.

Why? They obviously noticed that the people had no food with them!!!

Then Jesus did something out of the ordinary.

He said…

Vs. 13…. Give ye them to eat

Now isn’t that something!!! And I’m sure they were wondering the same thing!

All we have is 5 loaves and 2 fishes!

(John’s account is that they came from a small lad,

so they couldn’t even have been large loaves or big

fish)

Jesus instructs them to sit the men in companies of 50.

So there were 100 companies of 50 men each.

16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

17 And they did eat, and were all filled:

What a miracle!!!!!

Not only did he provide healing for the body, but he provided nourishment for the body as well!

(We could preach on this a while, but I wish to focus on the remaining of this verse)

and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

There was leftovers. And that is something else we could preach about… but listen to this:

Where did those baskets come from???

Did they just appear out of nowhere?

Did they just happen to be sitting out there in the desert?

We could maybe account for one basket, for I’m sure that the small lad had to have something to carry his lunch in.

But where did the other 11 come from?

I don’t know… but wherever they did come from… they came empty and left full!!!!!!!

How many times have you come to church empty and left empty?

You weren’t satisfied.

You weren’t filled up.

You didn’t receive anything from the Lord.

Somebody else got blessed, but you didn’t.

Somebody else got healed, but you didn’t.

Deliverance, but you didn’t

Help, but you didn’t

Why? Because you didn’t bring anything to get anything in!!!!

That’s like saying…

I’m going fishing, and going to bring home a bucket full of fish, but you don’t take a bucket or a stringer….

How many times have you come to church just to come to church… and never really expected anything from God?

Back in 2Kings 4 there was a certain wife of one of the prophets of God that was now widowed. She cried out to the man of God, Elisha, that the creditor was coming to take her two sons as bondmen.

He said to her… what do you have?

All I have is a little pot of oil.

3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

Then shut the door and begin to pour!!!!!

She poured until there were no more vessels to fill.

She sold the oil, paid her debts, and saved her sons from being slaves!!!!

Do you understand why she received her miracle??? Because she had something available to put that miracle in!!!!!

AND it started NOT with something EMPTY, but with a pot that had a little something already in it!!!

That lad brought his basket, and it didn’t have much, but it had something he was able to give!!!!