Twelve Evangelists Were Sent and Five Thousand Were Fed
Book of Luke Chapter 9
We should understand that God has revealed His program for the Church, and the Church is to follow the program God has given us.
We do not have the authority to change the program the Lord Jesus Christ lived and died for and then arose in glory to give us an example of our own glory when we reach Heaven.
We must understand Christ’s calling and our own calling.
We would not understand anything if we were not called of God!
Paul wrote by the Holy Spirit: Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, “called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God”,
All God’s saints have been called: Rom 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, “called to be saints”: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are called for His purpose: Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, “to them who are the called according to his purpose”.
It is because we are called of God that we can believe!
God chose us while we were still sinners, just like the Lord Jesus Christ called twelve men who were the outcasts of society.
God chose us when we deserved death and offered us life!
This is the same thing the Lord Jesus Christ did when He called His disciples.
*Luk 9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
Luk 9:2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
1) We already know that the devil’s demons can cause sickness and misery.
Luk 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
Luk 13:16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
2) We should also know that demons can influence the mind.
We know that Satan deceived Eve, and Eve caused Adam to sin.
2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Satan and his demons can lead weak Christians away from the simplicity of Jesus Christ by telling us that it is hard to live by the commands of God, and most of us will fail. He does not mention God’s grace.
Jas 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Jas 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
We must keep our minds on Christ Jesus!
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
3) Demons deceive people.
1Th 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
Through his demons Satan also works in unbelievers.
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
4) Demons deceive nations.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
5) Demon possession is a reality.
The Scriptures teach us that there was a great outbreak of demon activity in the time of Jesus Christ, no doubt to oppose Him.
We see this through all the Gospels and in parts of the Book of Acts.
We can see evidence of demon possession in the affected person’s personality.
Demons do have some supernatural knowledge and intellectual power and can show supernatural strength.
Jesus Christ defeated Satan and his demons at the cross:
Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Are there demons out there today? We have the power to defeat demons because we have the power to defeat Satan, and that power comes by using the Word of God, as we saw in the temptations of Jesus Christ.
Jas_4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
As far as the gift of healing, it was given to the Apostles of Christ by Jesus himself to promote the Gospel. These healings were instantaneous, unconditional, and most importantly, purposeful.
Not just for the purpose of relieving their suffering.
It was secondary to preaching the Word of God.
It was to confirm these Apostles as the messengers of God.
We must understand who our enemies are: Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Today God heals through answered prayer and not through another person.
The Lord Jesus gave these men the power to do certain things and then the authority to use that power.
He does not do this today!
*Luk 9:3 And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
Luk 9:4 And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
Luk 9:5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
Luk 9:6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
We wonder why the Lord told them not to take necessary items with them.
The Lord Jesus did not want them to worry about anything when it came to their own needs. This would only hinder them in fulfilling their mission.
They were to travel with “faith” that our Heavenly Father would provide those needs.
This way, they could dedicate themselves completely to their task.
They were to have perfect faith!
Missions and missionaries fail because of a lack of faith!
We need to believe and trust God everyday knowing that He loves us and He will do what He says He will do.
We cannot allow material things to become obstacles in serving God.
We must avoid any appearance of evil or of being evil.
We must avoid all worldly distractions when serving the Lord.
The Jews were hospitable people, taught from the beginning by the Laws of Moses.
Exo_23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
The disciples were to investigate and search out a receptive family and home and stay there until it was time to move on to another city.
The family is still most important to God. The Church is to be the family of God!
The Gospel is a message for the community intended to spread from family to family.
There is nothing upon this earth that is to be more stable than the godly family.
Preaching and door-to-door evangelism are still the preferred methods of reaching the lost.
Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
This is the method taught by the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus told His disciples that there would be places where they would not be received.
It was the custom of the Jews when they returned from Gentile lands, as they crossed the frontiers of the Holy Land, to shake the dust off their feet.
This was saying: “we free ourselves from all contact with you” or “we free ourselves from participation in your condemnation”.
It had the same meaning as that of Pilate: Mat 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
The Apostle Paul also had his method for the Judaizers: Acts 18:6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
What did the Lord Jesus say about those who rejected the Gospel? Mat 10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
And so, they went forth preaching and teaching the “Kingdom of God”.
*Luk 9:7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;
Luk 9:8 And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
Luk 9:9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.
There was a revival happening in Judah, and it found its way into the halls of government.
This teaches us that every government always has its ears open to what is happening in Christianity.
Almost every government will seek ways to stop any revival of Christianity.
Herod had already murdered John the Baptist, thinking he had stopped the Christian movement, but he was wrong.
No government exists that can stop the plan of God!
Some people had said that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead.
This bothered Herod because he had murdered John by removing his head to give to his wife, and he was feeling guilty because he was guilty.
The family of Herod was a tangled mess.
Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, another son of Herod the Great. When she married Philip, she was marrying her own father’s brother.
Herod Antipas was another uncle of Herodias, and Herod Antipas talked Herodias into leaving his brother Philip to marry him, further compounding the incest in this family.
This is why John the Baptist preached against these things, and it got him murdered by the king.
Not only had some people said that John had risen from the dead, but others had said that Elijah had come back as had been prophesied, and some had even said that Jesus was one of the other prophets that had been raised from the dead.
The biggest thing we see here is that the imaginations of non-believers will run wild when they realize their guilt.
What did God say about the conscience? Heb_9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
What else did God say? 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Herod thought that if he could just see the Lord Jesus in the flesh, then he would not feel so guilty and just maybe he could be forgiven.
Wickedness will bring you to conviction sometimes, but you must act upon it.
*Luk 9:10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
The first thing we notice here is that we all need some private time with the Lord Jesus.
It is just after this that the Lord Jesus spends most of His time with these twelve men.
This is also a good example for all of us. We need to tell the Lord what we have accomplished and then seek His wisdom on how to do better.
There is no time that we should be standing still.
If we are having results in our ministries, it is only because we know the Lord Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit.
We should always evaluate ourselves to see how we can improve.
A desert place is a place that is not cultivated for crops but consists of grazing land.
Bethsaida was the birth home of Peter, Andrew, and Philip.
Joh 1:44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
It seems no matter where the Lord was, crowds of people could always find Him.
*Luk 9:11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
We should notice that the Lord Jesus always has time for the needy.
These disciples would soon embark on the greatest mission of this world, but the Lord Jesus would always take time to help those who came to Him because He is our compassionate Savior.
This lesson is clear. Even when we need our rest, there are still people who need the Lord.
There are always sheep who need the Shepherd.
Mar 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
In the Kingdom of God, God is the absolute ruler, and we are His subjects; the Word of God is the absolute law, and obedience is demanded.
Many people are confused about this and think they can alter the Law of God.
If you are a “Born Again” child of God, you have already felt the healing power of God, but in most cases, healing is not our greatest need.
It is always our Spiritual needs that are most important, so therefore the Lord does not always heal us as we would think He would.
Most of the time, we can learn more in our suffering than we can ever learn when we are healthy, and we can get closer to God.
This was a lesson that these chosen men of God needed to learn.
Miracles are great, but salvation is greater!
*Luk 9:12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.
Luk 9:13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
We know that these disciples had been given certain powers when they were sent on a mission, and we do not read where He had taken their powers away.
So, the Lord tells them to provide their needs.
These people had certainly been listening to the Lord for several hours, and it may have been hard for them to find food so late in the day.
We know this was a crowd of five thousand men, and it could have been much larger if there were women and children there.
The Lord Jesus could have stopped his teaching earlier, but He did not.
Either way, five thousand people would never find shelter or food to meet their needs in such a short period of time.
The answer these disciples had was that the people could provide their own needs.
We know that people just cannot be left to sustain their own needs; we all need God’s help.
Jesus told His disciples it was they who should provide the needs of these people.
It was more important for these people to hear the message of God than it was to seek food and shelter.
Joh 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
Joh 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
The biggest problem the twelve disciples saw was that there were just not enough resources available to feed these people.
The twelve men said that they did not have the power to meet the needs of these people. We know that only God has such power.
There is nothing too hard for God!
*Luk 9:14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
Luk 9:15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.
It would have been hard to make sure that every person could eat if this crowd were not organized.
They were set as if they were an army.
While this was taking place, the Lord took time to pray. He had what He needed: “five small barley loaves and two fish”.
Mar 6:40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
Mar 6:41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
*Luk 9:16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
Luk 9:17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
The Jewish barley loaves were broad, thin cakes, and they were broken to eat them.
The two fish were small fish, maybe no bigger than sardines, and were salted to preserve them.
The Lord Jesus Christ broke these small cakes and fish, and He gave them to the Apostles, and He just kept on breaking and giving until all were fed.
The Lord Jesus Christ was meeting the needs of these children of Judah.
Jesus had first looked up to Heaven, giving thanks to God the Father.
Jesus thanked God for what He did have, fives cakes of barley and two fish.
He then blessed what God had already given to Him.
We should understand that once we do our part in the work God has given to us, then and only then will God multiply our resources.
What we will see is that there was plenty enough to feed this large crowd, and there was still some leftovers.
God will provide more than enough!
Each of the Lord’s disciples kept coming to Jesus to fill their baskets until all were fed.
Joh 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
Psa 37:16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
By feeding these people in such a desert place, the Lord Jesus shows these Jews He is the new Moses spoken of in the Books of Moses!
Deu 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
When everyone had their fill, twelve baskets, one for each Apostle, were filled with what had not been eaten.
When we study this miracle out, we do not see any indication that any of these people were aware of the miracle that had just taken place beyond His own disciples.
The truth is that this world belongs to the Lord Jesus: Psa 24:1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
*Luk 9:18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
Luk 9:19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
Luk 9:20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
The Lord Jesus never forgot to thank His Father for what He had done.
The Lord Jesus also needed strength as He would set out for Jerusalem, where He would soon face the cross.
We can only imagine the mental anguish upon the Lord as He walked by Golgotha, knowing He would soon die there.
No doubt this would be part of His suffering for us, even before the cross.
At the end of His prayer, He then asked His disciples, “Who say the people that I am”?
There were many Jews who thought that Jesus was the reincarnated John the Baptist.
Others said He was Elijah who had returned as prophesied.
It was also time for those twelve chosen men who rest their minds on Jesus the Christ of God.
It was time for them to confess without hesitation that Jesus was the Messiah sent from Heaven.
As disciples of Christ Jesus, we must pray before all major events in our lives.
As disciples of Christ Jesus, we too must come to an understanding of the Cross, His death, burial, and His resurrection.
We must pray for strength to withstand the trials of life, to bear our own cross that lies ahead of us.
Psa 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Psa 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Many people just said the Lord Jesus was just a great man who had come their way.
These twelve men needed to have their concept of the Messiah corrected with the truth.
The general saying was that the Messiah would come to be King of Israel and, like King David, save them from their enemies.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Mic 5:3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
Mic 5:4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
Jer 33:14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
Jer 33:15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
Jer 33:16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.
All these things would be true, but the Lord Jesus first came to save us and start the Church.
Jesus was not the Forerunner John the Baptist.
Jesus was not Elijah returned.
Jesus was not one of the Prophets of the Old Testament who returned.
These are the same false confessions made of the Messiah in every generation.
The Lord Jesus is much more than just some man martyred for His faith.
He was certainly the greatest teacher and the greatest prophet of all time.
He was the only one who could tell us the truth of God.
He was the One sent not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles.
He was a Great Carpenter.
He did make this world, but many reject this truth.
What is the truth? 1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
Again: 1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1Jn 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
The Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah sent from the only true God, Immanuel, with the mission to save all mankind.
The Lord Jesus was not just some man. He is the Almighty Living God!
*Luk 9:21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
The truth is, “Faith” in God cannot be lived out in a vacuum.
A sheltered faith can never be a mature faith!
As believers, we are not to accept the opinion of others; we must know that we know the Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah sent from God to save us from the penalty of our sin.
The Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah, but not what the Jews wanted at that time.
The path of His suffering was not an option. It had to take place just as written in the Word of God.
The path to His Kingship will also be just as described in the Word of God.
It was the elders of Judah, the Chief Priests, and the Scribes, who caused Jesus to be slain.
Many of these were the members of the Sanhedrin Court, the Supreme Court of the Jews.
Amen