Matthew 14

Notes for BSF 

HEROD BEHEADS JOHN THE BAPTIST (Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29)

Herodias used her daughter to manipulate Herod
Herodias had no interest in doing what is right in the eyes of God. John the Baptist rebuked her and Herod for committing the sin of adultery. Instead of repenting, Herodias schemed to be rid of John for good. She had her daughter dance seductively for Herod and his drunken guests just so Herod could be manipulated to give her what she wanted: John the Baptist beheaded.

Herod eagerly pleased men, despite knowing better
When Herod heard Herodias' daughter requesting the head of John the Baptist, he knew he had gotten himself in a hole.

Mark 6:26
And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.

Herod knew John was God’s prophet; he knew of God's word through John's preaching. Sadly, he never internalized this knowledge and live it out. Instead, he chose to remain in his sins, to pursue fame and wealth in the world rather than to follow God. When given the choice, he chose pleasing men over pleasing God every time.

Be cautious of the oaths we make
As God has warned, never make oaths, because that put our name on the line. Worse, it puts His name on the line. If we cannot fulfill the oaths we make, we not only make ourselves a liar but God as well.

Herod should not have made the oath in the first place. But because he made that oath, he put himself in a very difficult position. Herodias' daughter twisted his oath for evil, and now, he was damned if he fulfilled it and damned if he didn't If he didn't fulfill it, he would be known as a liar and lose respect among the influential men he often hosted. If he did fulfill it, he would commit a great sin against God, murdering the greatest prophet of the Old Testament.

Unfortunately, in a series of horrible decisions, we see Herod choose men over God, again and again.

Herod took an interest in Jesus
Herod knew he had beheaded John the Baptist (Luke 9:9). Hence, when people speculated that Jesus could be John who had risen from the dead (Luke 9:7), Herod took an interest in Jesus.

Jesus saw right through Herod
Calling him a fox (Luke 13:32), Jesus knew the heart of Herod (Luke 23:7-12). Jesus knew that Herod took an interest in Him only because Jesus was famous. Herod wanted to use Jesus’ popularity to his benefit, to help boost his own popularity. Jesus knew that and thus did not speak to him. If Herod was not interested in hearing the truth, then he will hear nothing -- for Jesus is nothing but Truth.


JESUS FEEDS A MULTITUDE (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-13)

As Jesus gained popularity, it became more and more difficult to find private time with His disciples. Everywhere He went, people followed. Some sought Him for the Truth, but most sought Him to witness His miracles.

Regardless of the heart condition of the people who pursued Him, Jesus showed compassion. Even after a long day of traveling, teaching, and healing, Jesus continued to give, always welcoming people with love.

Jesus taught His disciples compassion
After a long day, the disciples were tired and hungry. It was late, and it was time that they had rest. They had been traveling with Jesus, working right along side of Him. Hence, when they saw a multitude of people, they wanted to send them away so that they could at least rest. However, 

Matthew 14:16
But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

We reside in enemy territory (Ephesians 6:12), and so, the work is never done as long as we remain on this earth. We may grow tired, as soldiers of war grow weary of the fighting. However, if we stop fighting, then who will stand up for the weak and the needy? Here, Jesus taught us to show compassion even when we are exhausted. We are here to serve others, not ourselves. We are here to help others, just as Jesus has helped us -- physically AND spiritually. As Jesus' disciples, we are to continue to spread the love of God.

For a deeper discussion on the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, see this previous post:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/04/5-loaves-and-2-fish.html


JESUS CALMS ALL WINDS (Matthew 14:22-36; Mark 6:45-56)

Jesus slips away to pray
With multitudes of people following Jesus, many Israelites want Jesus to be their king (John 6:14-15). However, in His first coming, Jesus did not come to be King. He came as the sacrificial Lamb of God. He came this first time to serve and to provide salvation. As the pressure to "make" Jesus their king surfaced, Jesus slips away to be with the Father (Matthew 14:23).

The disciples were defeated because they did not rely on God
When facing the storm, they were afraid but did not rely on God for strength. They were troubled and did not even recognize Jesus as Jesus approached them: And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were afraid, saying, “It is a ghost!” (Matthew 14:26)

Peter was the only disciple who had strong enough faith to reach out to Jesus. However, even he lost faith sometimes. When he saw that the wind was boisterous, he became afraid, lost his focus on Jesus, and started to sink (Matthew 14:30). To Peter’s benefit though, he did immediately reach back out to Jesus.

We should not lose sight of Jesus. Although our situation can be really bad, although the storm may be really scary, we ought to remember that God made the wind, He made the water – He therefore has command over them. So, when we are scared and think nothing can save us – remember God. God can always save us.