Season 4 Podcast 124 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 14, “Miracles.”

Season 4 Podcast 124 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 14, “Miracles.”When John the Baptist was beheaded, the Savior understood that his mission was completed. The language of the Bible is terse; therefore, we are required to read between the lines. Matthew records.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.Christ often sought a desert place apart for prayer and meditation. In this instance perhaps to express his grief. We know his heart was broken for the unjust murder of his cousin who had served his purpose on earth so honorably by sacrificing his life for Christ, the first of many martyrs. Christ also knew even at this early hour that his own disciples would be required to sacrifice their lives for the cause of Christ. And thousands of others would follow. It must have weighed on him, yet it is followed by one of the great miracles of the Bible, the feeding of the five thousand.Saints, or followers of Christ, are required to go through many filtering systems to reach the Kingdom of Heaven, what Peter calls ‘The trial of your faith.” Those who followed Christ into the wilderness were the faithful for it must have been a hardship for them to leave their daily obligations to seek out the Savior. They were rewarded immensely. We think of it as the feeding of five thousand but in their custom they only counted the men. The number of women probably exceeded the number of men and then there were the children. It was more like ten or fifteen thousand, all fed on five loaves and two fishes. 14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.It is revealing that Christ set aside his own sorrow and immediately looked with pity upon the multitude, many of whom came to hear the pleasing word of God and many came to be healed. Imagine for a moment the reality of those who were seriously ill following Christ far into the desert. It was that kind of faith that led to the amazing miracles, and that is the primary message of the feeding the five thousand. Christ, Lord of the earth, creator of man and the universe, could do no miracles unless the people had faith. His move into the desert filtered out those of little faith. What a lesson that was for us to learn today. It is only in our extremities that God is able to perform miracles. Why would Christ so restrict his power. It was a lesson he taught us at the very beginning of his ministry when he went alone into the wilderness led by the spirit to commune with God. Only after he had fasted forty days, meaning a very long time, when he was at his weakest did Satan appear to him, was he confronted with temptations. His answers to Satan explain Christ’s miracles. Remember the temptations of Christ were as great to him as ours are us to. That is why he has empathy for our sins. The fact that he never gave into temptations is the reason he has the power to satisfy the law of justice and to atone for our sins through his mercy.