MATTHEW 14

In today’s study our titles are; Verses 1-14 John the Baptist is beheaded. Verses 15-27 Jesus feeds the 5,000. Verses 28-33 Little Faith. Verses 34-36 The sick in Gennesaret. Matthew 14 and verse 1 reads.

Mat.14:1] At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

Tetrarch is one who controls the fourth of the kingdom. The entire land in and around Judea was under Roman control, but this fourth is Judea only and more specifically the land of Palestine. Now, this Herod is the son of Herod the Great, the one who killed all male’s born under the age of 2 at the time of John and Jesus’ birth.

Mat.14:2] And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

I wonder if the resurrection of Jesus would have as much impact on him. I doubt it, but this shows that Herod loved John the Baptist.

Mat.14:3] For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.
[4] For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

Says here, for his brother’s wife’s sake, Herod had taken her for his wife, but that she was married to his brother, she couldn’t be counted as his wife. Let’s go to Leviticus 18 and verse 16 reads.

Lev.18:16] Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.

And in Leviticus 20 and verse 21 reads.

Lev.20:21] And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.

Back to Matthew 14 and verse 5 reads.

Mat.14:5] And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

In Matthew 3:4 we learned that John the Baptist wore raiment of camel’s hair, and his meat was of locust and honey. These are the raiment and food of the prophets. Let’s go to Matthew 21 where Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees concerning John and verse 25 reads.

Mat.21:25] The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
[26] But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
[27] And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

Back to Matthew 14 and verse 6 reads.

Mat.14:6] But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

This was a sexual dance. Herod would be forced to do what he wouldn’t do on his own.

Mat.14:7] Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

When a king makes a decree, he can never go back on it.

Mat.14:8] And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.
[9] And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
[10] And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
[11] And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.

Lovely daughter and mother, may the LORD reward them according to their works.

Mat.14:12] And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

These disciples of John the Baptist certainly became Jesus’s disciples. Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins, their mothers were sisters as we learn in Luke 1. Jesus loved John and would leave because of his grief. When he left to go into the desert place, he took them (John’s disciples) with him. Luke 9:10.

Mat.14:13] When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
[14] And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Compassion is a trademark of God’s Elect. Christ is our example.

Mat.14:15] And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
[16] But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

This is going to be very deep, Father I pray for eyes and ears to be opened, in Jesus’s precious name, Amen. Let’ s read very carefully.

Mat.14:17] And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

Five in biblical numerics is Grace. And the loaves represents’ the body of Christ. Two represents The Son in the Triune Godhead. Fishes is an acronym for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

Mat.14:18] He said, Bring them hither to me.

As disciples we are to feed them the Word of God. He said, Feed my sheep. The pasture is his Word, freely it is given, freely we give. Remember the Parable of the Sower.

Mat.14:19] And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

Commands them to sit, everything is in order with discipline. He blesses, as all should be thankful and bless his food. Notice that it is not Jesus that feeds the multitude, but his disciples.

Mat.14:20] And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

And they were filled, let’s go to Matthew 5 and verse 6 reads.

Mat.5:6] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Now, these twelve baskets represent the twelve tribes. But these fragments represent the false doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. His disciples will need a little help with this in Matthew 16 and verse 8 reads.

Mat.16:8] Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
[9] Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
[10] Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
[11] How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
[12] Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

In Jer.17:5-7 we learn, cursed is he that puts his trust in man, and blessed is he that puts his trust in God. Traditions of men make void the Word of God. Check your teachers, are they teaching God’s Word, or out of their own hearts. Back to Matthew 14 and verse 21 reads.

Mat.14:21] And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Five thousand men and their families, probably around 20,000 people that were fed.

Mat.14:22] And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
[23] And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
[24] But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

We covered how the LORD can calm the sea in Mat.8:23-27, but I want to take this a little deeper. Let’s go to Revelation 17 and verse 15 reads.

Rev.17:15] And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

The waters are the people. Let’s now understand Psalms 65 and verse 7 reads.

Psa.65:7] Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.

Back to Matthew 14 and verse 25 reads.

Mat.14:25] And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

The fourth watch is between 3am.-6am.

Mat.14:26] And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
[27] But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

The Comforter is coming.

Mat.14:28] And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

The waters are the people of this world. This will test Peter’s faith.

Mat.14:29] And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

That’s right, Peter walked on the water also when Peter had his eyes on the LORD.

Mat.14:30] But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Hosanna, save me now. Peter took his eyes off the LORD.

Mat.14:31] And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

I know I would have run on the water to Jesus, never a care for the world. But this happened to Peter for our example.

Mat.14:32] And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
[33] Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Peter took his eyes off Jesus. The sea represents this world. And while in this world, we have faith, that Jesus is the Son of God. Let’s go to James 1 and verse 6 reads.

James 1:6] But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

And in Proverbs 3 and verse 5 reads.

Prov.3:5] Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
[6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Back to Matthew 14 and verse 34 reads.

Mat.14:34] And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

Gone over; Passover.

Mat.14:35] And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
[36] And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

Much faith found here, but what of this hem of his garment. Let’s go to Numbers 15 and verse 37 reads.

Num.15:37] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[38] Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
[39] And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
[40] That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
[41] I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.

Don’t forget to be a doer of his commandments. Great study today, let’s go to his throne.

Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.

KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible