The King, King Herod, and John the Baptist
14
📚At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,2 📚and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has risen from the dead, and so miraculous powers are at work in him”.
14:2 Herod was an evil man. Here is evidence that his conscience was bothering him for what he did to John. He was afraid but, like so many others, he did not let his fear turn him to God. Observe his belief in the resurrection of the dead. See notes on the resurrection at John 5:28-29.⚜
3 📚For Herod had seized John, bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.
14:3 Herod had persuaded Herodias to leave Philip and live with himself. This was contrary to God's law (Lev 18:16).⚜
4 📚For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her”.
14:4 John was a courageous man who did not withhold God's message even from depraved rulers. See also Matt 10:18; Acts 26:1-2.⚜
5 📚And though he wanted to put him to death, he was afraid of the people, because they counted him a prophet.
14:5 He wanted to kill John only because Herodias wanted him dead, but for some time protected him from her vengeful demands. He knew John was a righteous man, and he was afraid of both John and the people (see Mark 6:19-20).⚜
6 📚But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. 7 📚So he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 📚And she, having been previously instructed by her mother, said, “Give me here John the Baptist's head in a dish”. 9 📚And the king was sorry. Nevertheless because of his oath and those who were sitting at the table with him, he commanded that it be given to her.
14:9 Note at v 5. One may be distressed at the actual act of killing a person, even though the wish had been in the heart.⚜
10 📚And he sent men and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 📚And his head was brought in a dish and given to the girl, and she took it to her mother.
14:10-11 Here is the end of the man whom Jesus called one of the greatest of all men. Yet neither God in heaven nor the Lord Jesus on earth lifted a finger to prevent it. God does all things well and rules over all, but often His ways are mysterious (Isa 55:8-9; Acts 12:1-4; Rom 11:33). As for John, he had done his part in preparing the way for Christ (Matt 3:1-3; John 3:27-30), and his ministry was completed. So God gave him the great privilege of suffering and dying for Christ.⚜
12 📚And his disciples came, took away the body, buried it, and went and told Jesus.
The King feeds five thousand
13 📚When Jesus heard this, he left there by boat to a deserted place alone. And when the people heard about it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
14:13 Verse 23.⚜
14 📚And Jesus went out and saw a great crowd, and was moved with compassion for them, and he healed their sick.
15 📚And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the time is late. Send the crowd away, so that they can go to the villages and buy themselves food”.
16 📚But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat”.
17 📚And they said to him, “We have here only five loaves, and two fish”.
14:17 It is always true that what His disciples have will not be enough in itself for the multitude, but He will accept it and use it in marvelous ways.⚜
18 He said, “Bring them here to me”.
14:18 This is what He says to us now about all we have.⚜
19 📚And he commanded the crowd to sit down on the grass, and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, he blessed them, broke them, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowd.
14:19 He first acknowledged publicly from where His power came. See Matt 3:16; John 5:19-23. In expressing thanks to God the Father He is an example to us all – Eph 5:20; 1 Thess 5:18; Lev 7:12-13; Ps 7:17; 50:14-15; 56:12. See the work of the disciples here – they could not provide all that was needed, but they could give it out when the Lord provided it. This is true also in the work of His disciples in spiritual matters. There is enough food in Christ's gospel to feed the whole world! God wants distributors.⚜
20 📚And they all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve basketfuls of the pieces that were left over.
14:20 It was the job of the disciples to serve the people. Then the Lord provided for the disciples. This will always be true. Compare Matt 6:33; Luke 6:38; 2 Cor 9:8-10; Phil 4:19. Observe also that as they distributed to others the supply increased.⚜
21 📚And the number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
14:15-21 This is the only miracle Jesus performed which is recorded in all four Gospels (except His resurrection from the dead). See Mark 6:35-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:1-13. As with His other miracles this one too was for the good of others, and showed not only His supernatural power but His compassion. This miracle was important also because of the truth it signified. Jesus based some teaching on it in John 6:26-59.⚜
14:21 Matthew alone records that there were women and children present. There may not have been very many, since the place was “remote” (v 15), but we cannot be sure about this.⚜
The King walks on water
22 📚And immediately Jesus had his disciples get into a boat and go before him to the other side, while he sent the crowds away. 23 📚And after sending the crowds away, he went up into a mountain by himself to pray 📖. And when evening came, he was there alone. 24 📚But the boat was now in the middle of the lake, tossed by waves, for the wind was against it.
14:24 Sudden storms on the lake - Sea of Galilee could be very dangerous to those out in boats. In this case, it was just another opportunity for Jesus to show His loving care for them, and His divine power.⚜
25 📚And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the lake.
26 📚And when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were alarmed, saying, “It is a spirit”. And they cried out in fear.
14:26 They could not believe that flesh and blood could walk on water, and so thought Jesus must be some spirit or ghost. Compare Luke 24:36-39.⚜
27 📚But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid”.
28 📚And Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water”.
14:28 Here we see something of Peter's character – impulsive and daring. Evidently he thought that if Jesus could walk on water He could make him also walk on it.⚜
29 📚And he said, “Come”. And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
14:29 This walking on water was not by Peter's power. Jesus can enable men to do many things they cannot do themselves. Compare 2 Cor 3:5.⚜
30 📚But when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me”.
14:30 There is a lesson here in spiritual matters – as long as we keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus and trust Him only, we will be able to do the things He says, even things impossible to us otherwise. If doubts overwhelm us – if we take our eyes away from Him and become occupied with difficulties and dangers – we will fail and sink.⚜
31 📚And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, and caught him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
14:31 Peter's faith was small and yet he walked on water! Learn that even a person of small faith can do impossible things as long as he trusts in the Lord Jesus to enable him. See Matt 17:20. But doubt is ruinous. When his faith failed his feet failed.⚜
32 📚And when they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 📚Then those who were in the boat came and worshipped him, saying, “You truly are the Son of God”.
34 📚And when they crossed over, they arrived at the land of Gennesaret.
14:34 This was on the west side of the Sea of Galilee.⚜
35 📚And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent word out into all the surrounding countryside, and people brought to him all who were sick, 36 📚and begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak. And all who touched it became perfectly well.
14:36 It was not a cloak which healed them, but Christ's power released in response to their faith – Matt 9:20-22.⚜