Here Comes Manna From Heaven...Again!

His life.

He doesn't anywhere in his letters loose any of the powerful things did.

I was the guy healed that lame man number. I was the guy preach the very first sermon was so powerful frees people got converted. He writes this close yourselves with humility for God as opposed to the crown gives grace that power in Israel. What Jesus did, but at what they have you ever been tempted to do the same. Well, Jesus is about to give a needed and humbling lesson to these disciples and to us today. Welcome to wisdom for the heart. Stephen Davey is in Luke nine today with a message called here comes manna from heaven again a newspaper reporter went to interview a successful entrepreneur who was worth $20 million. He finally got a sitdown interview with him and asked him how to do it that you make all that money $20 million. The man replied. Well I'm glad yes actually is an amazing story.

You see, when my wife and I got married, we started out with virtually nothing.

We only had 57 between us. I took the nickel and went down to the grocery store and I bought an Apple shined it up and sold it for $0.10. But what you do, then the reporter you know asked Samantha why would not want to more apples.

Shine them up and I sold for $0.20 in the reporter and I was excited. He was a great story when he wrote it at the ask you excitedly.

What will then what what happened in the man said well one of my relatives died.

Let me $20 million over the years. Interestingly, think about human nature. He found more interesting to think about that that nickel and a couple of apples in the gift he been given in over the years had convinced himself that he'd done something forgetting that he had received everything to the disciples have just returned from their first tour of their first global impact trip. It was regional. They preach God's son gave them miraculous power apostolic power, which would be used temporarily in this day to validate their ministry and authenticate them as messengers from God. They had experienced several weeks of amazing activity and an incredible miracles.

It just flowed from their hands, that it was, as we said it was an exciting time and it will go straight to their heads. I invite you back to Luke's gospel. Let's find what happens next. Frankly convinced that if a reporter had shown up about now, they would've told the reporter about about two apples and how they sign them up. Frankly it's more fun to talk about that Apple you sold for a dive that what you've inherited, displayed that you didn't learn before I die.

Then I came across one throughput. The problem of our human nature and provided in a humorous manner. He wrote that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of that donkey and everyone was waving palm branches and singing praises. Do you think that donkey ever had the idea was for him but are kindly pulling the disciples away after this trip, to debrief and instruct them were now in verse 10, where there about to be taught. Let's back up to that verse as it sets the stage is Jesus is about to teach them lessons in humility as you serve the Lord. Verse 10 on the return, the apostles told him all that they had done. Note that all that they had done and he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Beth side up.

When the crowds learned that they followed that as they raced around the edge of that like they found him. He welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing now. The day began. Don't to wear away in the 12 came and said to him send the crowd a way to go into the surrounding villages and countryside find lodging and get provision for we are here in a desolate place to miss that the disciples are now telling Jesus what to do how to do his ministry there veterans on one trip. They now know it's time to stop preaching and send people away in the Lord wrap up that last point, let's let people let's let people go be the right thing to do.

See, they know better than Jesus, but they don't know is that Jesus is about to miraculously feed them.

In fact, Jesus is about to demonstrate the only miracle that will be recorded in all four gospel apart from our other than the resurrection. It's this event is about to take place and they probably all recorded it. Certainly the spirit of God wanted to do, but I'm convinced they they never got over it.

If you combine the clues of the four gospel accounts will stay in Luke for for time sake. But if you combine the clues you discover. This is taking place right around 4 o'clock in the afternoon on an afternoon in mid April. John's account tells us, it all begins by Jesus asking Philip this question. Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may be but he said this he asked this to test him the mosey testing was he testing the level of faith in his miraculous ability. Well then they all fail the test never crossed their mind that Jesus would perform a miracle of this scale, they never thought about that for a moment. What was Jesus testing their financial skills their their management ability with. I evidently Philip thought so he asks specifically for lot. Where can we go buy enough bread to feed these people will I ask Philip because Philip is from his hometown worries from he knows the region.

He knows where the bakery is.

He knows the market. He knows the price of bread. I love it because Philip immediately thinks that Jesus is serious so we get that is notepad and pencil. Okay, let's see we have 5000 men plus women and children. Multiply that by the cost of bread divided by 10 of the Biden okay Lord I thought it verse seven, 200 did area. I work for Brad would not be enough for each of them to get a little bit too little bite still would be enough. We have one years annual average salary in this generation.

One year, not enough it will work. So he's counting every penny and he just can't come up with enough change reminded me of those days when I look for change under the car seat and the cushions of the couch. Member those days.

Maybe you're there right now a member those days in seminary were Martian I would like to see how much change.

We had we come up with just enough I go down the stairs of the apartment and that the little laundry area and I have enough to buy one Dr Pepper and we'd split it 36 for me once and for her. Maybe you're wondering right now. How's the Lord going to provide just exactly what Jesus is leading his disciple to the point where they can't figure it out, and I think he is smiling to himself as Phil Estill is the bath yet.

This is get figured out is 200 and area to feed this crowd.

Luke says that Jesus simply responds here in verse 13 and he said to them, I love this.

You give them something to eat. You give them something to eat. Context I think he saying you guys of the miracle workers you guys did amazing things with your hand you can tell me about is going to talk about this amazing trip with things to come from your hand someone and you feed them ready for this shocking to me.

John's gospel tells us that they found the boys lunch five loaves and two fish, which lets me know they can scout around off those who do the math and and this is all they can come up with. So when Jesus tells them to feed the crowd. They are frankly speechless that they're just kinda sorta stammering out verse 13 we have no more than five loaves and two fish. Unless we are to go in and buy enough food for all these people are suddenly aware of their inability, they are suddenly confronted with the fact that all they've really done a shiny couple apples. Beyond that, everything they received Christ confronts them with all the power that they had demonstrated the reminded Emilio we inherited so overwhelmed with this command and with this crowd. They've completely overlooked the creator Jesus is going to teach them some lessons in humility which will become the foundation for Spirit empowered God honoring service what you do is going to teach them. They have nothing to offer people apart from him going to teach them that their hands are useless unless his hands are involved. He's going to teach them.

They have no power apart from his power, and provision easy to teach them that there is adequacy happens to be the perfect opportunity to reveal his sufficient John's Gospel account gives us the detail that Andrew was actually the disciple who'd found the little boys lunch. He also tells us, so that when Andrew handed it to Jesus. He apologized and he said all but what is this about submitting. I mean, silly, useful lunch. What is this defeat such a crowd. What what my thinking. I think the other disciples or office thinking give the boy back his lunch too late.

It's now in the Masters hand is another lesson to learn, and that is that Jesus can use whatever you give them. Don't miss the obvious, whatever you give a little boys lunch.

This is about to become the most famous brown bag lunch in church history.

The amazing thing here isn't that Jesus will do so much with so little. I love the fact that he chooses to use the little that we give him and he does so much.

I'm glad for that. Whatever you put in his hand. Don't say, well, Lord, you know, what's this so little when my thinking through my kidding. I have so little experience, I have so little talent so little ability to know you just put it in the Masters hair and you let him do the multiply and in whatever way he wants to whatever degree gets all the credit to take a closer look at this lunch included barley bread. John tells us this is the common bread of of the poor. It was less desirable in texture and taste than wheat bread. Most often this was fed to cattle so this gives us all a little insight into the poverty level of this boy. The word translated Luke uses for loans is like the loaf of bread you buy that's already sliced that this would fit in the palm of your hand. It would have been flat pancake like little palm-sized pieces of bread were also told that he had to fish.

John helps us here because he uses he clarifies. He uses the word ops area.

That's a small fish like up a minnow or sardine was common in this day for people at spices and and and relish and marinate these little fish to go along with rather bland meals among the common people. So basically this little boy had some pickled fish to help his rough course dry barley bread go down now.

Jesus gives another command was disciples. Verse 14 have them sit down in groups of about 50 each, and they did so and had them all sit down not remember Jesus is has told them to feed them. He hasn't retracted that can't take it back there just resting around looking at each other. You know the Weiner watcher or spinner. What many says go have them sit down in the wonderful thing here to me blossoming newsreader, but the word sit is not the typical to sit down.

It's the word Brookline. They used when there called to the table to eat. They would recline in that manner. Low tables propped up on an elbow.

Jesus is telling them go get them all ready to recline and then get get prepared for a meal.

What meal to come to the table for today. You get to see them. He gets them even closer to the press test which I'm sure panic going around get everybody collected any we need when we have and I don't know any recline gospel accounts tell us this crowd is around 5000 men add to this the women and children. This miracle really isn't given outlining your Bible, the heading, which is inspired certainly miss it here is the feeding of the 5000 be more accurate to say the feeding of 15,000. Imagine what we can feed 15,000 people another's.

Another reason why believe Jesus at everybody recline before he performs the miracle in it so that they can all now watch what happens. And at first I think the crowd would have been just as mystified as the disciples were terrified.

They been called to dinner and now there's a meal coming so now they can look at Jesus and they can see the mountains of bread stepped around him, a boatload of fish that's just been delivered in a 50 minute renter card to get an already this is was the lunch there about to watch a stunning miracle and Jesus wants them to know this is undeniable. This is tangible. This is physical. This is all as one author put all of the way parties that there are no fish shot Jesus asleep.

There's no trickery.

They will be able to deny but I do want you to know that there's a deeper purpose of the prophetic purpose behind this miracle. The rabbis of Jesus's day were teaching that when the Messiah came, he would reproduce the miracle of the manna in the wilderness, the Messiah would deliver manna from heaven again. Jesus is about here to answer the age-old question delivered by the psalmist in chapter 78 will prepare a table for us in the wilderness and Jesus is essentially saying yes I well I can I can bring manna again. By the way the crowd is going to be so blown away by this miracle. John tells us that when he finishes this day come forward to crown him king you are our king. He is delivered manna in the wilderness again and again for the sake of time, or just simply mention the what he does next. The other Gospels record as he preaches to them that he is the bread of life is not only delivering man. He is manna from heaven. I want you to notice for 16.

After taking the five loaves and two fish, he looked up to heaven and set a blessing over them any broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. The Gospels tell us of the alternates he he he continues breaking that bread. That fish looks construction here means. He kept on he kept on breaking and they kept on delivering. He kept on breaking and they kept on delivered rental that we don't know if the disciples use a router tunics and Jesus you know that it just cascaded from his hands into their tunics and then they walked among the crowd and people were reaching in getting all that they needed all that they wanted all that they could and then you know the tune, accepting they run back and Jesus would just fill it all up again.

I wonder if they're getting the point that Jesus is the supply and and they're just providing the service. That's true to this day church.

Jesus is the originator.

He is the creator were just the courier disciples. He got all caught up in what their hands it accomplished in Jesus as reminding them that their hands are empty unless he feels and he kept filling his literally, by the way, creating bread and fish. He's bringing into existence. Basket loads of bread, freshly baked wouldn't be surprised if it was warm and fish. The implication is he's even created the spices that marinated bypassing all that was involved so that they would have this relish to go with her partly birth. He is the Lord of all creation. Colossians 1 tells us. For by him all things were created, let me give you a fresh illustration that I am Lord of creation is bread and fish, I did the math. I could be wrong. I did an average of five. Since the boat is getting 85, but you're talking about over 100,000 pieces is just literally flowing from his hand Luke tells us number 17 that they all ate and were satisfied were uses for satisfied a significant means literally fattened to fill up. This is the Greek term used for fattening animals with feed the rancher or the farmer would bring them into the corral and let them gorge on food why you take your kids the Golden corral today's perfectly named the restaurant where they can gorge until they can eat no more.

Evidently the Lord's okay with it periodically because he doesn't just make enough for our stuff. They got all they could want to eat there completely full and not significant to the miracle. Now I don't want to bore you with all you know about the little skeptics out there but I'll point out that what what they say is that this is impossible for Jesus to do what one skeptic train of thought is that what he did was offer them communion little bitty Pete.

They how long that would never mind there is anyone cool piece.

Then there are skeptics who say that Jesus could not have done this so what happened was this little boy was so convicting and offering his lunch that they all brought out the lunches that they had back then they just shared with everybody and they had a wonderful time so Luke demolishes that theory verse 17. They all ate and were satisfied and what was left over was picked up what was it 12 baskets of note this broken pieces. It all come from his hand.

They were sharing each other's lunch's is often Jesus. Now you got one basket of leftovers for each of the 12 disciples they get to eat to weave in the Lord, they might've gone hungry for the night. They get to eat and every time they eat the reminded of their inadequacy in the Lord's efficiency. Alexander McLaren wrote on this text 100 years ago are going to remember. They always found his hands full whenever they came back to him with their hands empty. They learn this lesson of humility and service.

I believe they did fax when the apostle Peter comes to the end of his life. He writes a couple of inspired letters we call first and second Peter and he doesn't anywhere in his letters list any of the powerful things he did. I was the guy who healed that lame man from birth I was the guy spoke in a language I never studied me say I was the guy preach the very first sermon in church history was so powerful, 3000 people got converted things not signing any apples. No, he writes this close yourselves with humility for God as opposed to the proud but gives grace to the home one evening talking when you end up referring everything one who deserves all the credit and all the glory and all the friends is your supplier, your creator's lesson is called comes manna from heaven again. In addition to equipping you with these daily Bible lessons. We also have a magazine that we publish. Stephen deals with a different topic each month and helps you think biblically about real life issues Seth baby contributes a daily devotional guide that you can use to remain grounded in God's word every day.

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