- Herod
- Tetrarch (ruler over fourth part of the kingdom), was deceptive and selfish
- Gave into temptation and sinned greatly – Eloped with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip I, divorced his own wife
- Did not listen to John the Baptist though he feared him.
- Made a rash promise after being influenced by the seductive dancing of his wife’s daughter, leading to John’s beheading, as Herodias had planned
- John the Baptist
- Boldly spoke truth to Herod, risking his life to obey the LORD.
- Jesus
- Withdrew to a lonely place to grieve and to not fall into Herod’s hands since he had heard about Jesus and feared it was John the Baptist who returned from the dead
- Jesus and disciples needed rest (Mark 6:21) but He was moved with compassion, His inner being stirred, stronger than sympathy.
- Miracle: Feeding of the five thousand
- More than five thousand men, besides women and children
- Disciples wanted to send all the people away but Jesus asks disciples to feed them
- Jesus wanted to test them but He knew what He was going to do (John 6:6)
- What do you have
- Boy had five loaves and two fish
- Give it to Jesus
- Was the boy willing to share?
- Obey Jesus
- Told disciples to seat people in groups and distribute the food
- We are distributors, not manufacturers. Give what we have to Christ, He will multiply it and use us to bless others.
- Don’t waste anything
- What was left was gathered, not wasted!
- Miracle: Walking on water
- Jesus sends multitudes away
- John 6:14-15 – The people wanted to make Him king. Disciples could have been enticed by this since they didn’t fully understand why Jesus came.
- He brought me here (Wiersbe)
- Disciples were in God’s will when the storm came, unlike Jonah.
- Jesus knew the storm would come, He was deliberate when He sent them.
- Disciples were safer in God’s will than if they were on land with the crowd and out of God’s will
- Storms of correction (example: Jonah) vs storms of perfection (in this incident)
- He is praying for me
- Jesus saw the disciples were struggling (Mark 6:48), just like He knows our struggles today
- While we are in a world with tribulations (John 16:33), Jesus is praying for us (Romans 8:34)
- Knowing that Jesus is praying for us should encourage us to be bold in our faith and following Jesus
- He will come to me
- What the disciples were fearful of, Jesus demonstrated His power over it by being above it.
- Disciples didn’t recognise Jesus because they weren’t looking for Him or expecting Him in faith.
- Fear blinds us to the presence of the Lord.
- He will help me grow
- The purpose of the storm was for the disciples to grow in faith, to trust Jesus even when He wasn’t there!
- Peter
- Demonstrated great faith when he asked Jesus to beckon Peter to Himself
- Demonstrated what happens when we take our eyes of Jesus
- Demonstrated humility when He cried out to Jesus for help
- He will see me through
- If Jesus says “Come”, then it will happen as He has purposed. We may fail (like Peter) but God will succeed in the end. Jesus and Peter walked together back into the boat!
- When Jesus calmed the first storm (Matthew 8:23-37), the disciples wondered “What manner of man is this?” but now, they declared “You are certainly God’s Son!”.