December 18, 2024
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Reading along with us in our Lenten readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Advent 2024 – Day 18 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Year of Growing Opposition
Read Sections 4.4 through 4.7 (pages 71-76)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
Feeding of over 5000 people Jesus did miracles for different reasons. Jesus did this miracle because scripture says, He has compassion on the people. Love that. Compassion on us! 5 loaves 2 fish seems insignificant. But what do we bring to our Lord? We bring meager parcels. And God always multiples. Jesus then sends the apostles off on a boat and he goes to pray on a mountain top. Fourth watch of the night, many hours of struggling, Jesus comes to calm. We want instant relief in this life. Lessons of faith to be learned Peter’s story of taking his eyes off Jesus and sinking. Well, that is self explanatory!! Always rocked my mind. Jesus tells the wind to stop. Ok. I get that. But the waves stop!! Jesus explains that he is the bread of life from heaven. Time for these people to understand who they are following. Not an easy lesson. The bread of life must be eaten to sustain life. Invite Jesus daily in order to sustain spiritual life
The Life of Jesus 4.4 – 4.7
Not that long ago we were reading through Numbers where God supplies the Israelites with manna while they’re wandering through the wilderness. They were constantly faithless with God and their descendants are no different. The disciples knew about God supplying over a million people with manna in the Torah and they didn’t know if Jesus could supply food for several thousand.
The people Jesus feeds then follow Him to Capernaum looking for more free food (they wanted the same treatment as their ancestors in the wilderness) and said they’d believe in Jesus IF he did another miracle for them. But Jesus doesn’t do miracles to prove himself to unbelieving people, He does miracles for those that already know He can.
Jesus then says that instead of seeking worldly food and drink that satisfies for only a time before getting hungry/thirsty again and doesn’t keep people from eventually dying anyway, people should seek HIM: the true food and drink that brings eternal satisfaction and life. Not that God doesn’t understand our need for worldly necessities, but we are to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” (Matthew 6:33 NASB2020)
What a unique and astounding miracle feeding the 5,000+ people. I mean, how could you ever fake that? And the proof is in the pudding, they all left full!. It just goes to show that Jesus, because He is God, can do anything. He wants. And it is amazing that Jesus, after this, goes up the mountain to spend time with the Father. He most likely is setting up the opportunity to walk on the water to further wow the disciples and us. And what a picture of the power and ability we have if we will only keep our eyes on Jesus! And when we do that we will also be satisfied in a way that is far greater than having our bellies full. We all understand the dynamic of hunger and being able to eat and then not needing any more. Well, Jesus is able to make that work spiritually so that we need nothing else. The question is will we believe that and continue to keep our eyes on Him and not give in to the desires that come from sin and satan that highlight and tempt us with desires of the flesh and they convince us that we are still hungry. But not hungry for the things of Jesus, because in Him we will always be satisfied. But hungry for the things of the flesh in which we will never be satisfied, but always need more and more. But it does mean having such a dependence and connection to Him that it is like consuming Him. Taking Him in and digesting and ingesting Him like we would a piece of bread. Jesus is clearly making an analogy here that challenges the human mindset. And then we must choose, do we still trust and follow because we know He knows what He is talking about….and it is our problem, and not His, that we are confused…and so best to stay and listen until we understand….but that’s more for the next section than this….
Advent Day 17 & 18
The feeding of 5000 must have been something amazing to see. As if healings, casting out demons, and even raising the dead wasn’t enough for people to believe this is a miracle that 5000 people see and experience at the same time…just wow!
Peter takes his eyes of Jesus and immediately sinks. Could we get a better picture of the direction our lives should take?? The moment it becomes about anything other than Jesus we put ourselves at risk of drowning. Drowning in the evil of this world, our own selfish desires, or our own pride. That little shift of focus is all it takes and is certainly a powerful reminder that He is the bread of life the ONLY one that can save us from ourselves!
Day 18 4.4 – 4:7
Five loaves of bread and two small fish and he fed 5000, people witnessed that first hand, the apostles saw what he had done and they even had leftovers, how could there be any doubt of who he was and who had sent him, I loved that Jesus always went off by himself to pray to his father in Heaven, just shows how important prayer is. When Jesus was done praying he went down and walked on water to the boat where the apostles were and Peter had spotted him and wanted to meet him by walking on the water to him but as Peter was walking he let the things around him the waves and wind distract him and he took his eyes off Jesus and went into the water where Jesus had to pull him up. Don’t let the things around you distract you from always looking to the Lord, it’s hard for all of us with busyness of the world draw us away and we have to remember who is using that to take our eyes off of Jesus.
Advent day 18
Jesus answered; “the work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”
We want to know what “good works” earn a relationship with God. We could never do enough. He did the work. We must believe.
Jesus prayed. The one who descended from heaven continues His communication with the Father. If He is God, why does He need to pray? I believe this is an example of his true humanity and example to us as to how we can and should continually pray. I think it is also an example to the Jews that he has come from the Father and submits to the Father and is walking in obedience to the Father.