Welcome back to the Daily PBJ Devotionals. Today's devotional is about Matthew chapter 14. So let's read that. At that time, Herod the Tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus and said to his servants, this is John the Baptist. He has risen from the dead. That's why miraculous powers are at work in him. Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him into prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. because John had been telling him, it is not lawful for you to have her. Although Herod wanted to kill John, he was afraid of the people because they regarded John as a prophet. On Herod's birthday, however, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist. King was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted and sent to have John beheaded in the prison. John's head was brought in on a platter and presented to the girl who carried it to her mother. Then John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. And they went and informed Jesus. When Jesus heard about John, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed him on foot from the towns. When he stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. When evening came, the disciples came to him and said, this is a desolate place and the hour is already late. Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food. They do not need to go away, Jesus replied. You give them something to eat. We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish, they answered. Bring them here to me, Jesus said. And he directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he spoke a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up 12 basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About 5,000 men were fed in addition to women and children. Immediately, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side while he dismissed the crowds. After he had sent them away, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already far from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. It's a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus spoke up at once. Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid. Lord, if it is you, Peter replied, command me to come to you on the water. Come, said Jesus. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me. Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and took hold of Peter. You have little faith, he said. Why did you doubt? And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, truly, you are the Son of God. When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding region. People brought all the sick to Him and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed. And this is God's word. Here now is my devotional on this passage, Matthew chapter 14. Jesus performed miracles for one main reason, to prove His claims to be the Son of Man, the Messiah. We saw that in verse 32 and you can see it also in Acts chapter 2 verse 22. Here in Matthew 14, Jesus did two extraordinary miracles. He fed over 5,000 people using seven small items of food, as we read in verses 13 through 21. And he walked on water, as we read in verses 22 through 32. Although a huge crowd benefited from the way Jesus miraculously multiplied the food, the text indicates that really only disciples knew a miracle had happened. I say that because verse 19 says, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. This suggests to me that only the disciples knew and were aware of what was going on. If Jesus did miracles to prove his identity as Messiah, and if the disciples had already believed in him, why did he do these incredible miracles that only the disciples seemed to witness? The answer is suggested in verse 14 when Jesus said, you give them something to eat. And the answer was actualized in verses 29 through 31 when Peter walked on the water, began to sink, and was asked by Jesus, why did you doubt in verse 31? Jesus did these miracles for the disciples who had already believed in him because he wanted them to know that he would work powerfully through them, not just for them. to be His servants and to do His will. The disciples needed to believe that Jesus would use them powerfully and that, by His power, they could do anything God called them to do. Primarily, that meant evangelism. The disciples did some miracles in the book of Acts, but they seem to have done far fewer miracles over many years than Jesus did in three years while He was on this earth. God's will was not for the disciples to fix the world's problem by working miracles. Rather, God's will was to make disciples by His power, according to Acts 1, verse 8. The same is true for us. Could Peter walk on the water before he met Jesus? No. That would have made fishing easier for him, but no, he couldn't. Did Peter walk on the water when he believed in Jesus? Yes, he did. How about you? Could you talk about your faith in Christ with a non-believer before you became a believer? Of course not. Can you talk about your faith in Jesus now? Yes, you can. But if your focus is on the obstacles and the objections and the fears that you have, like Peter focused on, the wind and the waves, then you will struggle to give the gospel to people around you. What if Andrew, the disciple who found the five loaves and the two fish, according to John 6, verse 8, what if he had asked Jesus to help him multiply the food when Jesus said, you give them something to eat, in verse 16? Do you think Jesus would have honored that prayer of faith? Do you think he would have multiplied the bread and the fish in Jesus' name just as Simon walked on the water when he believed in Jesus? I think the answer is yes, he would have. Where in your life should you be acting in faith because you believe in Jesus's power instead of standing idly by waiting for something? That's a good question to meditate upon today. And I hope you will. And we'll catch you again in the next devotional.