Matthew 14-15

John the Baptist Beheaded (14:1-12)

A. Our Lord’s popularity was gradually increasing to the point that even a king would be able to know Him. This was Herod Antipas, son of
Herod the Great, who ruled over Galilee and Perea from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39.
1. He had an opinion that this Jesus whom he often heard was John who was raised from the dead (i.e. transmigration).
2. In order to be understood by the reader, Matthew made a little flashback of the account of John’s death.
B. Formerly, Jesus described John as a man of conviction and not “a reed shaken by the wind.” This commendation was true to John for he
had just rebuked a king even at the expense of his own life.
1. John resented Herod Antipas in his marriage with Herodias for 3 reasons:
a. Antipas was already married with the daughter of Aretas, king of the Nabatean Arabs.
b. Herodias was the wife of Herod Philip I, Antipas’ brother.
c. Herodias was Antipas’ niece.
2. Because of this rebuke Herodias urged his husband to execute John at once, but because of the fear of the multitude he resorted to put
John to prison in the castle of Machaerus instead. We can see also from the book of Mark 6:20 that the king had a high respect for
John.
C. Then a good opportunity came for Herodias to let John be executed when Herod Antipas held his birthday.
1. Many friends came and in the event the daughter of Herodias from Herod Philip I came also and danced that pleased Antipas’ eyes.
a. The Bible did not name this character who danced in Antipas’ birthday, but external historical reference like Josephus would say
that her name was Salome.
b. Since this was a pagan banquet and both the inviter and the invitee were of corrupt moral standard, we can assume that the
dance of Salome was lustful.
2. Antipas was so pleased that he promised to give anything she wanted. Salome then consulted her vengeful mother which resulted to
the head of John be placed on a platter.
a. Herod was hesitant, but he was not able to deny the request because of his oath and the people who sat with him.
b. At last Herodias seemed to have won. John indeed lost his head, but the adulterous couple would soon lose their power. Aretas,
Antipas’ former father-in-law soon invaded him which caused the two to escape to Rome, but were later on banished by Caligula to
Lyons in Gaul on a charge of misgovernment.

Feeding the Five Thousand (14:13-21)

A. When Jesus heard what happened about John, He withdrew at once through the sea of Galilee in a solitude place. But a multitude followed
Him, around 5,000 men besides women and children, and our Lord ministered unto them. And when the evening came Jesus fed them with
5 loves and two fish. All ate and were filled and twelve baskets full of fragments were gathered up, probably each one for the apostles.
1. This miracle was witnessed by everyone and was repeated more than 5,000 times.
2. This event made the people amused that they even plotted to make Jesus a King (John 6:15) which caused Jesus again to withdraw.

Jesus Walks on the Sea (14:22-33)

A. Jesus made His apostles go into the boat alone by themselves for He was still sending the multitudes away and Jesus wanted to pray alone.
But while Jesus was praying, the waters were in turbulent motion that made the boat tossed by the waves. So when the fourth watch came
(i.e. 3 to 6 a.m.) Jesus walked by the sea.
1. “A ghost!” was the reaction of these apostles. The Jews believed in spiritual apparitions (1 Sam. 28:15). Everyone was overcome by
fear and only comforted when they heard the voice of their Master.
2. Peter, as impulsive as a boy, wanted to come to Jesus, but it shows Peter’s faith. When he started walking he took his eyes from Jesus
to the waves that caused Peter to sank, it shows his lack of faith because of fear.
B. The wind ceased which were witnessed again by these apostles. The disciples were so impressed that they exclaimed with one voice, “of a
truth, you are the Son of God.”

Many Touch Him and Are Made Well (14:34-36)

Defilement Comes from Within (15:1-20)

A. The sect of Pharisees might have been alarmed because of Jesus teaching against their tradition that they had dent some representatives
from Jerusalem to confront Jesus about this matter.
1. Traditions of the elders refer to the religious customs which were handed down from generation to generation.
2. The issue was not of hygienic matter, but of ceremonial defilement or ritual washing. Failure to comply would make a person unclean
to them.
3. The Jews had 2 Laws: the written law and the oral law. They supposed that when Moses was on Mount Sinai, these two sets of laws
were delivered to him.
a. The oral law was handed down from father to son, and kept uncorrupted to their day. The oral law was finally collected and written
down about A.D. 200. It is now known as Mishnah and was recorded to Talmud.
b. The Pharisees elevated those traditions as more authoritative than the O.T. law itself. In this the Pharisees differed from the
Sadducees.
B. Jesus declared unto them that their oral law was in conflict with the written law. He cited as an example the issue about corban. The
written law commanded them to honor their parents and support them, but the oral law can avoid the responsibility by declaring the money
as corban or “gift to God.”
C. Jesus quoted unto them Isa. 29:13 to show unto them that they are worshipping God in vain.
1. Vain worship means to no purpose, worthless, unacceptable worship. Teaching as doctrines of God the doctrines of men makes a
worship vain.
2. Any practice of Christian worship must be challenged with this scripture.
D. Then our Lord pronounced what was their status and what would happen to these hypocrites.
1. They were plants which were not planted by the Father. They would be uprooted since it was not originated by the Father.
2. They were blind leaders. They would fall into a pit for they cannot see the way. In the same manner people should not come unto them
for they would lead them unto destruction since they were blind to the way of salvation. It shows that the teacher and the student will
have the common fate.
E. Then Jesus illuminated them of what really makes a person defiled, it is not by what he eats but by what he thinks.

A Gentile Shows Her Faith (15:21-28)

A. Then Jesus after rebuking the Pharisees, at once went to the nearby gentile country in Tyre and Sidon the coastal ancient cities of
Phoenicia. Now a gentile woman implored Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter.
1. We are not told how this woman came to the knowledge about Jesus and about His Messiahship, for she declared to Jesus as Son of
David.
2. Our Lord did not immediately grant the request of this woman probably in order to test her faith.

Jesus Heals Great Multitudes (15:29-31)

Feeding the Four Thousand (15:32-39)

A. Jesus left Phoenecia, avoided the sea of Galilee and moved to Decapolis (Mark 7:31). It seems that our Lord was avoiding Herod’s territory.
B. This story has some similarities with the account of feeding the five thousand: the multitude came to Jesus, our Lord healed them all, they
became hungry, the Lord had compassion with them, they were fed with a miracle, and gathered remains that filled baskets.
1. But this story is different from that of Chap. 14: the context was different, the location was different, the supply was different, and the
number of baskets were different.
2. It would seem to be so far-fetched that Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus how the 4,000 would be fed when in fact Jesus had just recently
fed 5,000. It shows how these apostles were so dull with reference to believing.