Matthew 14 – Walking with Christ is walking with God
Introduction
A. In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:33, Jesus assures us that God will take care of us when we put his kingdom in first place. Now in Matthew 14, Jesus shows us that the Son of God has the power to provide both the bread and the necessary protection to serve according to his will.
B. There are parallels between the wonders of God in Exodus, when the Israelites first began to march toward the promised land, and the wonders of Jesus in Matthew 14 when His disciples had just begun to follow Christ, in which He began to prepare them for the New Kingdom of God.
1. Jesus fed the 5.000 with bread and fish, when there was not enough to feed even the 12 apostles.
2. Jesus walked on the waters, and even gave Peter the power to walk on the waters, and then as the entered the boat, He calmed the waters that lashed the boat with its waves.
B. Chapter 14 begins with the sad story of the royal execution of John the Baptist by the hand of King Herod Antipas. How can the Kingdom of God resist the forces of an immoral king who so easily could kill the prophet of God?
1. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15
2. At this moment of weakness, Jesus demonstrated that God is Almighty, all-powerful, and ready to help His servants.
I. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4
A. God fed Israel with manna and quail and quenched their thirst with water from the rock.
1. Exodus 16:13 – 17:7
2. Exodus 17:8-16 God gave them the triumph over the Amalekites by the rod of God and the hand of Moses held high, held steady, (Hebrew: Faithful -the same word in Habakkuk 2:4 and quoted in Romans 1:17 "The Faith") with the help of Aaron and Hur.
B. Jesus refused to obey Satan, Matthew 4:4, when He was tempted to turn the stones into bread, after suffering hunger for 40 days. We will live by what God provides. We will live by faith in the faithfulness of God.
C. In Matthew 14:13-21, the crowd sought to follow Jesus, but neglected to bring enough bread. Jesus fed 5,000 men without counting women and children.
1. Matthew 6:25-26, 31-33: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” ... “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
--Jesus taught them to trust the Father for what they needed to eat, and not be anxious over life.
--He reminds us of the miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding. John 2.
2. With the miracle of providing food, Jesus demonstrated the divine power that Jehovah demonstrated in the wilderness with Israel. Although God's way may lead us through dry places, our Lord Jesus is capable of sustaining us, come what may.
--Our part is to put the Kingdom of God first, to look for him first of all. Jesus promises to provide all that we need to sustain us.
II. “And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. Exodus 14:13-14
A. When Jehovah saved Israel from the Egyptians, He parted the waters of the Red Sea. Exodus 14:15-31.
1. God demonstrated that He is willing to intervene in nature with his omnipotent power to help, protect and save his people. God has power over the waters.
2. God thus also defeated the enemies of his people. He has at his disposal more than we can imagine, to give us the help we need.
3. Remember Paul's prayer In Ephesians 3:14-21. Look at how it ended: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
B. When Jesus walked on the waters, Matthew 14:22-33, “And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” V33
1. The disciples at first said “But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” In the face of the power of the Son of God, we tremble.
2. When Peter recovered his presence of mind, relying on the power of Jesus over the waters, he asked that he also might come to Jesus walking on the waters. Jesus invited him and Peter also had power over the waters by the command of Jesus over nature, that is, until he began to doubt.
3. In addition, when Jesus and Peter entered the boat, the winds and waves that lashed them calmed down. He who has power over gravity and over the waters can also command the winds and they will obey him.
A. Mark 4:35-41. On another occasion, they found themselves in the boat when a violent tempest frighteneded the disciples, and Jesus was asleep inside the boat. “And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus “awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” The disciples “were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
B. The Lord saved Israel by sending the powers of the wind and the rain. 2 Samuel 7:5-14. With the repentance of Israel and the prayers of Samuel, God defeated the Philistines with a great thunder. Samuel then set up "a stone and called it Ebenezer, saying: This is how the Lord has helped us."
-- Judges 4-5 The Lord defeated the Canaanites by using a storm in which the water filled the battlefield. 5:20-23: “From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent Kishon swept them away, the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might!”
--Joshua 10:10-15 The Lord also helped Israel in the days of Joshua, “And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword. 12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.”
Conclusion
A. God offers to provide and care for the saints, and He can do it in His own way, i.e. using resources that man does not always understand. Matthew 6:33 If we seek the Kingdom of God first.
B. With God nothing is impossible. Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23; 14:36.
--If you should have faith as a mustard seed ... Matthew 17:20, “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”