The Feeding of the Four Thousand

The point: Come to this miracle expecting to learn distinct and winsome flashes of the glory of Christ not seen in the former miracle.

Martin explains the difference between the 'basket' (kophinos) in the feeding of the 5,000 and the 'hamper' (spuridas) in the feeding of the 4,000, using the analogy of 'little lunch pails' versus 'hampers' to emphasize the distinctness of the two miracles.

In one, they sat down upon the green grass. Here, they sat down upon the earth. And as a very insignificant in some ways and yet in other ways a very significant capstone to those differences, when it came time to gather up the first two incidents, fragments and then to describe the amount that was left over there is perfect consistency in the account in Matthew and in Mark that what they took up of that which remained over in the first incident of the miracle of feeding a multitude the incident of Mark 6 they gathered in 12 little

6:40 - 7:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes Jesus' actions during the miracle, focusing on His orderly preparation of the multitude, His calm yet miraculous supply of food (seven loaves and a few fish), and…

Martin references Acts 9:23 where Paul was let down over a wall in a 'spuridas' (large wicker basket) to further illustrate the significant size of the baskets used in the feeding of the four thousand, reinforcing the distinction from the smaller baskets of the earlier miracle.

And it's a basket large enough that it could hold a man and allow him to be let down over a wall in it because that's precisely the word used in Acts 9.23 when Paul was let down over the wall in a spuridas a large wicker or rope basket while he never could have been let down over the wall in a cotinos unless he had taken some magic potion that would have made him into a lilliputian. And then a few of him could have been placed in the basket. And so Mark tells us again with that minute detail of an eyewitness

32:08 - 32:52 Read in full sermon

Driving home: what is he saying he's saying it is easy for me to feed four thousand as far as five ten as two a million as one for all I am in my own person the one in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily you see they needed…

Martin uses the analogy of a baseball player who hits a home run in his first game but then fails, to illustrate that Jesus' repeated miracles of feeding multitudes demonstrate His consistent, infinite power, not just a 'one-shot wonder'.

and for these disciples one can only imagine how it underscored in their own dawning understanding of who Jesus was something of the infinity of his power you see there are one shot wonders in all my life almost every field some of you who follow baseball know that some guy came up from the minor leagues and the first time it bat facing big league pitching he knocked one clean over the center field wall and everyone figured ah here comes the next Babe Ruth or the next Mickey Mantle or the next Roger Marris or the next Willie McCovey or whatever and lo and behold he went up to the bat

40:25 - 41:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Behold Jesus not just to admire His past compassion and considerateness, but to know and be consoled that He is that to His people now, as a High Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

Martin quotes Professor John Murray, who states that Christ carried His reservoir of human experience into heaven, to explain how Jesus, though glorified, still has considerateness and sympathy for human infirmities.

to purchase food and so he has the considerateness born of that similarity and affinity of experience and blessed be God he is the same today for though he is no longer with us in the flesh and in his glorified state he is beyond the reach of hunger pangs and weariness as professor John Murray has stated it so beautifully Christ has carried with him into heaven the reservoir of human experience acquired while here

48:49 - 49:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Give thanks publicly and without shame to the God of heaven for the food He has provided, even in public settings like lunchrooms, offices, or school cafeterias.

Martin recounts a story of Scottish Covenanters who identified a spy because he failed to give thanks before eating, illustrating the importance of public thankfulness as a mark of genuine faith and a pattern set by Christ.

influence on the performance of a miracle but it is particularly significant in illustrating the manner in which we should receive the good gifts of God's providence we're too apt to regard them and to receive them and partake of them as things of course without feeling any emotion of gratitude for them or giving expression in any form of such gratitude as we may feel time was when it was as common for Christians to give thanks before anything they ate as it was for them to eat and then the author goes on to tell of an incident in the history of the Scottish Covenanters these were Christians w...

55:29 - 56:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Give thanks publicly and without shame to the God of heaven for the food He has provided, even in public settings like lunchrooms, offices, or school cafeterias.

Martin uses the analogy of a dog wagging its tail and barking towards its master for a bone to shame humans who, with intelligence, often fail to give conscious thanks to God for His provisions.

long enough to let people know that you without shame are giving thanks to the God of heaven for the food that he has provided Paul did it on a ship in the midst of a storm you read about it in Acts gave thanks it says before them all our Lord has set the pattern the reality is that every good and every perfect gift comes down from above at least the dog wags its tail and barks in the direction of the master that throws him a bone dogs shame us at times for we who are given the faculty of intelligence speak and thought give no

58:27 - 59:11 Read in full sermon