Jesus feeds 4000 people.

1. COMPELLED
BY
COMPASSION

2. GRACIOUS JESUS
(MATTHEW’S PERSPECTIVE WITH GOSPEL PARALLELS)
1. Presenting the King (Matt 1-4)
2. Winning Attitudes (Matt 5:1-12)
3. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 1 (Matt 5:13-
48)
4. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 2 (Matt 6)
5. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 3 (Matt 7)
6. The King’s Touch (Matt 8)
7. The King Calls (Matt 9)
8. The King Commissions (Matt 10)
9. Wisdom and Greatness (Matt 11)
10. Servant Leadership (Matt 12)
11. Hidden Wisdom (Matt 13:1-43)
12. Hidden Treasures (Matt 13:44-14)
13. Gates of Heaven and Hell
(Matt 15-17:9)
14. Winning Others Over (Matt 17:10-
18:35)
15. Kingdom Values, Kingdom Wealth
(Matt 20)
16. The Royal Entry (Matt 21)
17. The Chosen Few (Matt 22)
18. The King’s Glorious Coming (Matt
24:1-44)
19. The Final Reckoning (Matt 24:45 –
25:46)
20. The King’s last days (Matt 26)
21. The King Conquers (Matt 27)

3. GATES OF HEAVEN AND
HELL(MATT 15:1-17:9)
68. Empty Traditions
69. Persistent faith
70. Compelled by
Compassion
71. Viral Influences
72. Keys to the Kingdom
73. Death Prediction
74. Discipleship
75. A glimpse of glory

4. INTRODUCTION
Since we have already discussed a similar miracle – feeding
of the 5000, we’ll look at the bigger picture as well and some
comparisons.
Though the exact location within Decapolis is not clear, most
scholars believe that the 5000 were primarily Jewish
audience whereas the 4000 appear to be primarily Gentile – a.
because Decapolis is a primarily Roman area and b. because
of the mention of “they glorified the God of Israel”.
Some take note of the numbers 12 baskets – representing
Jews and 7 baskets representing completion – the whole
world.

5. COMPELLED BY COMPASSION -
INTRODUCTION
The last phase of Christ’s ministry –
the first half of his final year on the
earth covers Gentiles.
We see increasing Jewish opposition
and increasing Gentile acceptance.
God’s work never stops – it moves on
and on and spreads wider and wider.

6. When one door is closed
God always opens others.
God always has a special
role for us in His kingdom.

7. Matt 15.29-39; Mark 7:31-8:10
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
Matthew 15:29 Jesus left there and went along the
Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside
and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing
the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many
others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.
31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute
speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking
and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of
Israel.
COMPELLED BY
COMPASSION

8. Matthew 15:32 Jesus called his disciples to him and
said, “I have compassion for these people; they have
already been with me three days and have nothing to
eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they
may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get
enough bread in this remote place to feed such a
crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
COMPELLED BY
COMPASSION

9. COMPELLED BY
COMPASSION
Matthew 15:35 He told the crowd to sit down on the
ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the
fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them
and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to
the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied.
Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls
of broken pieces that were left over. 38 The number
of those who ate was four thousand men, besides
women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the
crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the
vicinity of Magadan.

10. BACKGROUND
Most scholars believe that Jesus is now back
in the area where He healed the demoniac
earlier – in the Decapolis with a primarily
Gentile audience. Matthew reports that the
demoniac was from Gadara. The feeding of
4000 was in Decapolis near the Sea of Galilee
which is Gadara or its vicinity.
Did Jesus indeed get a huge reception in the
region He was rejected? Did the demoniac
turned evangelist actually win over people to
Jesus? Food for thought!!

11. LOCATION
This is Jesus’ second
Journey into Gentile
regions. After coming from
Tyre and Sidon, Jesus goes
to the Decapolis region
(Mark 7).
The heat is catching up with
him in Galilee with
opposition increasing.
Jesus knows His time is yet
to come, so is moving out
from Galilee.

12. LOCATION
During this period, He feeds the 5000 near
Bethsaida.
John 1:44 tells us “Now Philip was of
Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.”
We can conclude that this is Jewish
territory.
He later feeds the 4000 in the Decapolis –
Gadara is mentioned. Gadara and Gerasa
are two of the 10 cities of Decapolis.

13. LOCATION
Decapolis – means 10
cities. These cities while
having a mix of Roman and
Jewish presence had a
predominantly Roman
culture and stamp mark.
At the time of Jesus it had
Roman occupation, so a
largely Gentile audience.

14. LOCATION (OF THE
HEALING OF THE
DEMONIAC)
Matthew reports that the demoniac healed earlier was from
Gadara. On this occasion he mentions Decapolis, along sea
of Galilee. Looking at the map, we see him in the vicinity, if
not actually at Gadara.
The verses quoting the incident of the demoniac.
Matthew 8:28 “When he came to the other side, to the
country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the
tombs met him.”1
Mark 5:1 “They came to the other side of the sea, to the
country of the Gerasenes.”
Luke 8:26 “Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes,
which is opposite Galilee.”

15. LOCATION (OF HEALING
OF THE DEMONIAC)
Gerasa, referred to by Mark and Luke for the
healing of the demoniac (as opposed to Gadara,
referred by Matthew), is one of the cities of
Decapolis and the capital of the country of the
Gerasenes. It lay around 37 miles/60 kilometres
away from the Sea of Galilee.
Some scholars believe that Mark and Luke refer to
“Gerasa”, not as a region, but as a term.
“Gerasa” is appropriate symbolically, since the
Hebrew root grš means “to banish” and is a
common term for exorcism. [1]

16. THE BIG PICTURE
We see that in the last year of ministry, he does
visit Gentile regions, though He states that He was
sent for the Jews.
While we don’t read too much into the numbers
and symbols, God chose Jews as His chosen
people but has later opened the privilege to the
whole world.
God’s choices are best. He continues to persevere
with the Jews. A time will come when the Jews
come to faith in “fullness” (Romans 11).

17. THE BIG PICTURE
Why would Jesus focus on the Jews while there
was so much opposition?
We never know God’s ways, but His chosen people
continue to have a faithful strain that will
powerfully impact the world.
God will one day fulfil His purposes for the Jews
and for the world as our Master and Lord.
Till then He continues to bless those who open
their hearts to Him.

18. THE BIG PICTURE
What does He do in the three days with the crowds?
• Teaching
• Healing
• Providing their needs.
We as His children are called to do the same – in a spiritual
sense.

19. COMPELLED BY
COMPASSION
The driving force of our interaction with others is
compassion.
• We are given a focus – based on our gifts, but should
never hesitate to venture beyond.
• We teach – sometimes with words – mostly through our
lives.
• We allow the Lord to heal primarily spiritually as we
facilitate spiritual life and growth in people
• We help in little ways with their physically needs but
mostly help them connect to the Great Provider, The Bread
of Life.

20. WHAT IS OUR FOCUS?
Do we have clear goals to achieve spiritually?
Are we using our spiritual gifts to achieve those goals?
Are we doing daily tasks to achieve them?
Are they driven by love?

21. WHAT ARE WE
TEACHING?
“our life is the only bible many people will read”
Do people see Jesus in us?
In what ways are we different from the real nice people
around?
Do we attempt to share His Word at every opportunity?

22. ARE WE HEALING?
Do our words bring joy, encouragement and strength to
those in sorrow?
Do we have courage to correct and support people in the
wrong track to bring them to the right track?
Do we smile and remain patient even when annoyed?
Is the Spirit’s healing power flowing through us to others?

23. ARE WE PROVIDING
FOR OTHERS?
Are we sharing our resources with those around?
Are we giving to believers in need?
Are we providing spiritually by praying for and with people
and enjoying fellowship with them?
Are we compelled by compassion?

24. REFLECTION
Jesus is the bread of life.
In what ways has Jesus
been the bread of your
life?

25. DISCUSSION
1. Share how you have found out the focus area of your life.
2. What teachings have transformed your life? How do you
teach others about Christ?
3. When have you felt compelled by compassion? Give
examples.

26. REFERENCES
1. biblicalhistoricalcontext.com