Matthew 14:1-36

Matthew’s Good News

Matthew’s *Gospel

Hilda Bright

Chapter 14

John the *Baptist dies 14:1-12

v1 At that time, the ruler called Herod heard reports about Jesus. v2 So he spoke to his servants. ‘This is John the *Baptist. He has risen from the dead! That is why he has the power to do *miracles’, he said. v3 Some time before this, Herod had arrested John because Herodias wanted this. Herodias was the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. Herod ordered his men to tie John up. Then they put him in prison. v4 John had been speaking to Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have her as your wife’, John said to him. v5 So Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people. They thought that John was God’s special servant. v6 On Herod’s birthday, Herodias’s daughter danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased Herod very much. v7 So he made a promise. He promised to give her anything that she asked for. v8 Then her mother told her what to ask for. ‘Give me the head of John the *Baptist here on a big plate’, she said. v9 This upset the king, but he had promised in front of his dinner guests. So he ordered that she should have her desire. v10 Then they went to the prison and cut off John’s head. v11 They brought the head to Herod on a big plate and they gave it to the girl. And she carried it to her mother. v12 Later John’s *disciples came. They took away his body and they buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Verse 1 This Herod was Herod Antipas, who was a son of Herod the Great. He ruled the areas called Galilee and Perea after his father died. Sometimes people call him ‘the tetrarch’ which meant ‘ruler over a quarter of the land’. Later it meant just ‘ruler’.

Verse 2 The news about Jesus made Herod afraid. He had a guilty conscience. He had ordered someone to kill John the *Baptist. So Herod was afraid that Jesus might be John. Perhaps John was alive again. Herod thought that John had returned to punish him in some way.

Verses 3-11 describe why they killed John.

Verses 3-4 On a visit to Rome, Herod had seen Herodias. She was his brother Philip’s wife. This Philip had a private business in Rome city. He is a different Philip from the ruler that Luke mentioned (Luke 3:1). Herod divorced the Arab princess who was already his wife. Then Herod stole Herodias from his brother. John the *Baptist was not afraid of Herod. John told Herod that he had done something wrong. Herod was guilty because he already had a wife. And Herodias was his brother’s wife. It was wrong to marry his brother’s wife, unless he had died (Leviticus 18:16).

Verses 6-7 The daughter of Herodias was a princess. But she did not seem to feel shame that she danced in public. Then Herod made a foolish promise to her. She could have anything that she asked for.

Verses 8-9 Herodias hated John. She wanted him to die. And now she had the opportunity. Herod would have pleased Herodias before this, but he had been afraid of public opinion. He was more afraid of his guests’ opinion. So he did not change his decision about his foolish promise. He did not want his guests to think that he was a weak leader. He granted Herodias’s wicked request, and he broke the *Law. ‘You must not kill’, the *Law says. Many guests would not have enjoyed looking at someone’s head on a dish. But they had probably drunk too much wine, so they did not care.

Verses 10-12 John was in prison in the castle at Machaerus. Herod and his friends were probably there for his birthday party. John’s *disciples were able to bury John’s body. Then they went to Jesus. And they told him what had happened.

Jesus feeds 5000 people 14:13-21

v13 Jesus heard what had happened to John. Then Jesus wanted to be alone. So he went across the lake in a boat to a quiet place. But the crowds heard about this and they followed him. They walked from their towns and went round the lake on the land. v14 And when Jesus landed, he saw a large crowd of people. He felt great sympathy for them. So he healed the people who where ill.

v15 When it was nearly evening, the *disciples came to Jesus. ‘There is nothing here’, they said to him. ‘It is already getting late, so you must send the crowds away. Then they can go and buy some food in the villages.’

v16 But Jesus replied to them. ‘They do not need to go away’, he said. ‘You give them something to eat.’

v17 ‘We have only five loaves of bread and two fish’, they answered.

v18 ‘Bring them here to me’, Jesus said. v19 Then he directed the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and he thanked God. Then he broke the loaves into pieces and he gave them to the *disciples. Then the *disciples gave the food to the people. v20 All of them ate and had enough to eat. Afterwards, the *disciples picked up 12 baskets full of broken pieces that the people had left. v21 There were about 5000 men who ate the food. There were women and children who ate as well.

Verses 13-14 Matthew says that Jesus wanted to go away by himself. He was sad because John the *Baptist was dead. Also, Mark and Luke say that he wanted to take the 12 tired *disciples away from the crowds (Mark 6:30-31; Luke 9:10). But Jesus and his *disciples did not escape. The crowds of people saw where Jesus was going. So they walked round the top end of the lake and they arrived first. Jesus in the boat took longer to cross the lake. People in the crowd wanted Jesus to heal them. He was very sorry for them, so he healed them. He helped the people and he did not please himself.

Verses 15-17 The *Israelites had asked, ‘Can God provide food in the desert?’ (Psalms 78:19). God had answered. He sent special food from heaven for them. The people had to collect it each day (Exodus 16:13-18). The *disciples believed that the supply of food was far too small. They thought that there was not enough food for such a large crowd. Jesus saw what the crowd needed. Then he trusted God’s great power and provided plenty of food.

Verses 18-19 The *Jewish people thanked God before they ate a meal. Jesus also did this. He used what the *disciples had. Then he increased it. God uses whatever gifts we bring to him. And he increases them. Jesus asked the *disciples to give out the food. God helps people. But he also needs *disciples who will help him to do his work.

Verse 20 Everyone had enough to eat. Also, they filled 12 baskets with the extra pieces. Jesus had done a *miracle to satisfy the people’s hunger.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all record this *miracle. Matthew leaves out some of the details that Mark and Luke write about. This *miracle reminds us about two things:

1. It reminds us about God’s *miracle of the harvest. He provides enough food for everyone in the world. But some people and nations are greedy and selfish. They make some people hungry. God is generous, but people must not waste his gifts.

2. The *Jews had many firm ideas about the *Messiah. They thought that he would feed them with ‘bread from heaven’. John tells us more (John 6:1-15). The crowd believed that Jesus was the *Messiah. So they wanted him to be their king. They wanted him to lead them against the *Romans (John 6:15).

Jesus walks on the lake 14:22-33

v22 Immediately afterwards, Jesus told the *disciples to get into the boat. He sent them ahead to the other side of the lake. But he stayed, and he sent the crowd away. v23 After he had sent the people away, he went up the hill by himself. He went there to pray. So when the evening came, he was there alone. v24 The boat with his *disciples was already a long way from land. The boat was in difficulty because a strong wind was blowing against it. And the waves were very high. v25 Very early the next morning, Jesus went out to the *disciples on the lake. He walked on the water. v26 The *disciples saw him walking on the lake. Then they were very afraid. ‘It’s a *ghost!’ they screamed. They cried out because they were very afraid.

v27 At once Jesus called out to them. ‘Be brave! It is I. Do not be afraid’, he said.

v28 ‘*Lord, if it is really you, talk to me. Tell me to come to you on the water’, Peter said to him. v29 ‘Come’, Jesus replied. So Peter got out of the boat and he walked on the water towards Jesus. v30 But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid. He began to sink in the water and he cried out to Jesus. ‘*Lord save me!’ he called.

v31 Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. ‘You do not really believe me!’ he said. ‘There was no reason for you to doubt.’

v32 When they climbed into the boat, the wind became less strong. v33 Then the *disciples who were in the boat *worshipped Jesus. ‘You really are the Son of God’, they said.

Verses 22-23 Jesus needed to continue his work and not cause political trouble. So he sent everyone away. Then he went and talked to God alone.

Verses 24-25 ‘Early the next morning’ was between 3 and 6 a.m. The *Jews called this the fourth period of the night. In Mark 6:39 we read that the people sat down on the ‘green’ grass. So the time of year was probably April. Jesus knew that the *disciples were in difficulty. They were trying to row against a strong wind. In the other storm that Matthew wrote about (Matthew 8:23-27), Jesus had been with them in the boat. That was during the daytime.

Verses 28-31 Only Matthew records Peter’s request. But Peter failed to keep watching Jesus. So he had trouble. He knew that only Jesus could save him then.

Verse 33. The *disciples may have known the words from Job 9:8. ‘God alone... walks on the waves of the sea.’ They knew that no ordinary man could walk on water like that. So they were afraid and they *worshipped Jesus. They would not understand completely that Jesus was the ‘Son of God’ until after the *Resurrection.

This account has encouraged Christians in times of difficulty. Jesus is always there when we are struggling with circumstances, *temptations or sad events. He tells us not to be afraid. He tells us to trust him. Peter failed when he looked at his situation. He should have kept looking at the power of Jesus. When Jesus got into the boat, the wind decreased. So, in any time of great difficulty, the company of Jesus can make our minds calm.

Jesus heals sick people at Gennesaret 14:34-36

v34 When they had crossed over the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. v35 The men who lived there recognised Jesus. So they sent a message about him to everyone who lived in the whole neighbourhood. Then they brought all the people who were ill to Jesus. v36 They asked Jesus to let the sick people just touch the edge of his clothes. And all the people who touched his clothes became well again.

Verse 34 Gennesaret was an area on the north west side of the lake.

Verses 35-36 Everyone who believed that Jesus could help them was welcome. Jesus did not refuse to help anyone who needed his help. There is no record here that he taught the people. He showed by his actions what God is like.

This short section contrasts with the beginning of chapter 15. The people of Gennesaret were glad to see Jesus, but the *religious leaders did not like him. The people who touched Jesus became well again. But the *Pharisees would not touch someone whom they considered ‘not clean’.

gospel ~ 1. good news; 2. one of the first four books in the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
Baptist ~ someone who baptises people.
baptise ~ to put a person under water or put water on a person to show that they want to follow Christ.
miracle ~ a great thing that only God can do.
disciples ~ those who follow another person to learn from him.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Israelite ~ a Jewish person.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything to do with a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything to do with a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Messiah ~ the Jews' word for the king who would come and rescue them.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.
ghost ~ a spirit; when someone thinks that they have seen the spirit of a dead person.
spirit ~ the part of us that lives when our body dies; a being that is alive, even without a body; the part of a person that will always be alive, even after their body is dead. There are good spirits, like God’s Spirit and his angels. And there are bad spirits, like Satan and his angels.
being ~ a person or animal that is alive.
angels ~ God's special messengers.
Satan ~ the chief evil spirit.
messenger ~ a person who gives a message.
Lord ~ master; a name that we call God or Jesus; we call God or Jesus Lord when we obey them.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
resurrection ~ when someone comes back to life again.
temptations ~ testing; efforts to make someone do wrong things.
religious ~ something that people do as part of the worship of God.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
Pharisee ~ one of a group of Jews who thought that they obeyed all God’s rules. They did not like the things that Jesus taught. They thought that they did not do any wrong things. So, they thought that they were very important and clever.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.