Jesus feeds the 5000 — Missionary Training Center presentation
Feeding the 5000 — Missionary Training Center presentation:
Christ’s leadership & character wonderfully displayed in the miracle of feeding the 5000 (see Matthew 14:16-21, Mark 6:33-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:5-14)
- Luke 9:10 – “And he (Jesus) took them (the twelve apostles), and went aside privately into a desert (solitary) place…And the people, when they knew it, followed him:…and he received them…and spake unto them…and healed them…” Jesus apparently wanted to be alone with the twelve, but those who followed Him always sought him out. Rather than being upset at those who thronged about him, He always opened his arms to them. There was no ‘inconvenient’ time for the Lord; He was always doing good and never felt intruded upon.
- Matthew 14:14 – Jesus ‘went forth’, He had compassion, He healed their sick, His ministry was among the people, He ‘went about doing good’. Message for missionaries?
- Matthew 14:15 – “…disciples came to him…”; He was always teaching, always setting an example, always building, inspiring, lifting, edifying (BILE). “What manner of men ought ye to be?” Message for missionaries?
- Matthew 14:16 – they ‘need not depart’; I can take care of mine own, I am the Good Shepherd. Message for missionaries?
- Matthew 14:16 – ‘…give ye them to eat…’ Why did Jesus ask the disciples to feed the multitude? What opportunity was He giving them? Message for missionaries?
- Luke 9:14 – “…there were about 5000 men…” The fact that 5000 men, and probably another few thousand women and children, sought him out in a DESERT place, is beyond comprehension. That is almost an entire city. How many sick or debilitated or maimed would there be in that crowd? And yet He healed all those that needed healing.
- Matthew 14:17, 21 – 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed 5000 MEN (let alone the women and children)! All things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23). Will you have “5 loaf – 2 fish” moments on your missions?
- Why start with the loaves and fishes? Why didn’t the Savior miraculously provide a sumptuous banquet of rich and exotic foods? Message for missionaries. Yoke metaphor in Matthew 11. Bring what you have and I will make up the difference.
- Mark 6:39 – His disciples caused the throng to sit down and to be divided into companies of 100 and companies of 50. Why? ‘My house is a house of order’ (Doctrine and Covenants 132:8)
- Matthew 14:19 – Jesus blessed and broke the food, and then gave the food to his disciples to distribute among the throng. WHY? Where was the spotlight? In the eyes of the multitude, who was performing this miracle? Leadership principle? JUDAS was included in those twelve!
- Matthew 14:20 – “…all did eat, and were FILLED…” Why not “took the edge off their hunger” or “sustained them until they could get a proper meal”? Christ-like attribute?
- Matthew 14:20 – Twelve baskets of surplus!! Significance of the number 12? Principle? “Prove me now herewith, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” “I have come that men might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. John 10:10. No matter what the need, the Savior can meet it and more!
- Who was this miracle primarily for? Why?
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