Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves … They all ate and were satisfied. Matthew 14:19-20
Jewish tradition and Bible prophecy said when the Messiah came the lame would walk, the blind would see, lepers would be cleansed and they would be fed—like Moses fed the Israelites with manna. This last belief grew out of Moses’ words, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you” (Deuteronomy 18:15).
Many times Jesus said and did things that should have alerted the Jews to the fact that he was the Messiah. Another example was when he forgave the sins of the paralytic man. Jews believed that only God could forgive sins (Luke 5:21-25).
Jesus gave many signs to the Jews but they missed them all. They had formulated their own ideas of a Messiah. Someone who would overthrow the Romans and restore the nation to the Israelites. A temporary fix to the problems they were currently facing. A Messiah who fitted into their expectations.
I suspect many still do this. They create the god they want. One who will solve their temporary problems, bring immediate comfort and require nothing from them. Or they create a caricature of God that is so small and pathetic he is easy to dismiss him as irrelevant or impotent.
The evidence needs to be considered objectively. Was Jesus just a good teacher when he made so many obvious claims that he was God? From an insignificant group of disciples came the greatest movement the world has ever seen. Christ-followers changed societies’ values and impacted the world in countless fields of endeavour.
So what about you? Who do you say Jesus is? (Mark 8:29).
