Jesus knew that the people’s attitude towards John determined their attitude towards Jesus himself (Matthew 11:18–19). There was also a link between the impression that Jesus’ works made on Herod and the death of John, recounted in Matthew 14:1–12. The issue here is that Herod does not receive Jesus in faith, but rather takes him to be John, seeing John—and by extension, also Jesus—as his enemy. Herod Antipas is thus like his father, who, in fear of Jesus, massacred the infants in Bethlehem. We also see here how the ruler turns against Jesus. Secondly, note the weakness and sinfulness of Herod on display here: adultery, sensuality, drunken feasting, reckless swearing, murder, and fear of the people (Matthew 14:1–12).
Both the people and the authorities are turning against Jesus, and he now withdraws as much as possible (see Matthew 14:23; Matthew 20:17; Matthew 24:3), devoting himself to the instruction of his disciples.
The miraculous feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:13–14) shows how despite his desire to withdraw himself, Jesus still shows compassion. Those who follow Jesus only outwardly still receive great blessings, but only the disciples get all they need to continue on the path of salvation. This feeding is like the other miracles, because it is not an act of new creation, as Jesus uses what already exists. John’s Gospel records that Jesus, after this feeding, also preached to the Jews, but the people’s mood shows increasing hostility, so Matthew does not even mention that sermon, for it is no longer part of Jesus’ public teaching of the people (John 6:63–64).
Matthew stresses how even in this later period, Jesus’ power still brings blessing to many. The fact that Jesus is the Bread of Life does not appear in this Gospel, nor does the miracle expressly point to the Lord’s Supper, but we do see how Christ cares for the very crowd who have rejected him.
Note how this feeding of the five thousand is a mass miracle, which Jesus did not commonly do, instead generally blessing specific individuals. Yet here he helps many at once. This miracle, though performed in the region of the Decapolis, is a farewell to the people as a whole: all who had crossed over to the other side of the sea. The Saviour still seeks to open their eyes to his majesty, but the crowd only wishes to honour him as a miracle-worker by making him king, but without seeing that in him alone, both body and soul find the greatest blessedness. In other words, the people have not progressed beyond the level they reached after the preaching in parables.
This miraculous meal was meant mostly to show the disciples that Jesus was the Son of God (Matthew 14:33; Mark 6:52), and that what God had done through Moses (Exodus 16:1–36; Numbers 11:1–35) and through Elisha (2 Kings 4:42–44), he was now doing through Jesus. They also needed to learn to trust him to feed the hungry, even when the natural means for doing so were lacking.
From the very beginning of his ministry Jesus had felt connected to John and knew that the attitude people had towards John determined the attitude they would have towards him (Matthew 11:18–19). In that sense there is also an inner connection between the impression that Jesus’ works made on Herod and the death of John, which the evangelist here recounts in Matthew 14:1–12. The main issue here in this passage is that Herod does not receive Jesus in faith, but rather takes him to be John; and in any case, Herod sees in John—and by extension also in Jesus—his enemy. Herod Antipas walks in the footsteps of his father, who, for fear of the threat that Jesus represented, massacred the infants in Bethlehem. Furthermore, we see here how the governing authorities turn against Jesus. Matthew first recounts the conflict with the people in Jesus’ hometown, and then the conflict with the ruler. Secondly, we must take note of how the weakness and sinfulness of Herod is on display here: adultery, sensuality, drunken feasting, reckless swearing, murder, fear of the people—all of it comes to the surface here in Matthew 14:1–12.1
A new period in the life of Jesus is here approaching. Both the people and the authorities are turning against him, and he now withdraws as much as possible (see Matthew 14:23; Matthew 20:17; Matthew 24:3), devoting himself to the instruction of his disciples.
The miraculous feeding of the five thousand, recorded here in Matthew 14:13–14, clearly shows that despite his desire to withdraw himself he remains as compassionate as always. Even those who follow Jesus only outwardly receive great blessings from him, but only those who truly follow him—the disciples—receive everything they need to continue on the path of salvation. In this sense, the feeding is connected to the other miracles in that it is not an act of new creation: Jesus begins with what already exists (following the same pattern throughout the work of redemption). John’s version of the gospel records that Jesus, after this feeding, also preached to the Jews, but from the mood of the people it becomes clear that they were not merely indifferent toward him—their hostility was increasing. Therefore, Matthew does not even mention that sermon, for it no longer belongs to Jesus’ public teaching of the people, but rather to his discussions with the crowds and to instruction meant only for the apostles (John 6:63).
Matthew merely highlights that even in this later period, Jesus’ power continues to operate undiminished, bringing blessing to many. The fact that Jesus is the Bread of Life does not appear in this Gospel. Nor does the miracle expressly point forward to the Lord’s Supper. Yet we do read that Christ, even when he desires to be alone in seclusion, remains moved by compassion for the very crowd that has rejected him.
The remarkable feature of this feeding of the five thousand is that it is a mass miracle. Jesus did not commonly perform miracles of this kind, as he otherwise commonly opted to bless specific individuals. Yet here he helps many at once. This miracle, though performed in the region of the Decapolis, signifies a farewell to the people as a whole—the people who had crossed over to the other side of the sea. The Saviour still seeks to open their eyes to his majesty, but the crowd sees nothing. At most, they wish to honour him as a miracle-worker by making him king, yet without understanding that in him alone, both body and soul find the greatest blessedness. In other words, the people have not progressed beyond the level they reached after the preaching in parables.2
We hear nothing concerning the reaction of the people. This miraculous feeding was apparently intended not so much for the crowd as for the instruction of the disciples. After all, the disciples needed to know that Jesus was the Son of God (Matthew 14:33; Mark 6:52), and that what God had once done through Moses (Exodus 16:1–36; Numbers 11:1–35) and through Elisha (2 Kings 4:42–44), he was now doing through Jesus. Secondly, they needed to learn to trust him to feed the hungry, even when the natural means for doing so are also lacking.3
1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus,