🍂English Sermon QT
-Nov 28, 2018
Jesus’ Miracle in the Wilderness (Luke 9:11-13)
📜Reading the Bible text
11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. 12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” 13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” Luke 9:11-13
✍️The crowd were about 5 thousand men with their families all together at least 20 thousand of people followed Jesus in remote place. Jesus was teaching about the kingdom of God and healing them. Why was Jesus teaching about the kingdom of God until late time even the people were getting hungry? Because when we are seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness first, God promised us that He will give us everything we need as well.
In Matthew 6:31-33, Jesus said, “do not worry about your food and cloths. Your heavenly Father knows what you need all them. But you seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.
Who brings God’s kingdom and righteousness to us? Jesus. Jesus gives us eternal and earthly blessing. Jesus wanted the people to have eternal blessing in heaven first, then worldly blessing will be given as well. But disciples still didn’t understand Jesus and His kingdom yet. Continually worried about the food. So, they said to Jesus, “Send the people away to buy their food,” but, Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” “No, don’t send them away from Me, I am the bread and I will feed them.” Jesus is the God, true bread of life from heaven, they must not go away from Him.
The people had come to Jesus with empty and hungry stomach, how could send them away with still hungry and starving. When we come to Jesus, we expected Him to fill our empty and grieving heart with His love, grace and His true bread. “Away from Jesus” means becoming stray and away from blessing, like prodigal son away from His rich Father. Disciples searched their resources and found only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish that was all they had. It’s too small in their eyes because they only saw what they have on their hands. What do you see? Jesus was there with them, but they didn’t see Him.
What are those 5 loaves of bread? We know Jesus, our Bread of life, and is the Word of God coming from heaven. Then, five means the 5 books of God’s Word and Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. What are those 2 fish? Fish in Greek “ichthus” is are an acronym for the confession of our Christians’ faith, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, our Savior.” Which means Christians believe in Jesus as our Christ, Son of God and Savior. The fish became Christian symbol and faith in Jesus Christ. When Jesus said to the disciples, “You give them something to eat,” He meant that if you have Me, the Word of God in you and Faith in Me, you may have plenty of Bread and Fish and feed all those crowds. Ask Me in My NAME, I will give you abundantly. Amen.
