Anesti Ministries

Who is Jesus?

v1-12 Herod did not follow Jesus and so he did not know who Jesus was. Herod thought that Jesus was John the baptist who was raised from the dead. John was not afraid to speak the truth no matter the cost. The death of John the baptist is an example of how the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence (Matthew 11:12).

Herod’s actions teaches us to be careful with our words. In Matthew 5:37, Jesus teaches us to honor our words. We should not make promises that we are not able to fulfil. Initially, Herod did not kill John because Herod feared man more than God. But Herod regretfully killed John because it would be embarrassing if he did not honor his oath in front of all his guests.

The bread of life

v13-21 Jesus fed five thousand men and their families with only five loaves and two fishes. Even though what we have may seem small, Jesus will multiply it when we place it in His hands. After Jesus broke the loaves, He distributed it among His disciples. The disciples had to exercise great faith as they received a small loaf from Jesus. But while they continually broke off small pieces to feed the people, the bread never ran out. This reminds us of how God fed the Israelites with manna for 40 years while they were in the wilderness (Exodus 16:35). There are 3 lessons we can learn.

1. Jesus is the true bread of life that came down from heaven (John 6:35). The significance of the 12 baskets points to Jesus as the bread of life for the nations.
2. Jesus calls us to be like His disciples. We are called to feed others spiritually with the spiritual food we receive from Christ.
3. Even though the multitude was in a desolate place, they witnessed the Lord’s supernatural provision. Even in times of lack, Jesus promises to provide for all your needs. This reminds us of the Lord’s prayer and God provides for us daily (Matthew 6:11).

The Son of God

v22-33 Jesus often spent time alone praying and communing with God. If the Son of God prayed, then we must make prayer an essential part of our lives too. We must spend time alone with God listening to what He wants to say to us. When we don’t spend enough time with God, life will begin to overwhelm us.

While Jesus was praying, the disciples were battling the storm for over 9 hours. They were struggling in the boat because Jesus was not in the boat with them. But the moment when Jesus got into the boat, the sea became calm. In the Old Testament, the sea is a symbol of chaos. When Jesus walks on water, it demonstrates two things. First, that Jesus is more than a human being because He is above nature. Second, that Jesus is above all the chaos and storms of life. Peter was able to walk on water but started to sink only when he began to look at the wind. When you feel like you are drowning in life, fix your eyes on Jesus. When you look away and focus on the problem, you will easily be overwhelmed. But no matter how stressful life gets, Jesus calls you not to be afraid. He is always there to lift you up.

The disciples recognise the difference it makes when Jesus enters into the boat. And all of them declare that Jesus is truly the Son of God. These disciples have followed Jesus, seen His ministry, served with Him, and experienced Jesus for themselves. Jesus desires to come into your life, so that you can encounter Him and experience His peace.

v34-36 The reaction of the people in Gennesaret is totally opposite from the poeple in Nazareth (Matthew 13:53-58). Unbelief stops us from allowing Jesus to do miracles in our lives. The people at Gennesaret had the same faith as the woman who was healed by touching the fringe of Jesus’ garment (Matthew 9:20). When we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we open the door for Jesus to do miracles in our lives.