Every Australian knows what it is like for life to feel too hard, too big, too complicated. It might be the moment you get that phone call no one wants. Or the day the costs keep rising but the income doesn’t. Or when the family situation that looked manageable suddenly isn’t. At those moments we Aussies say “She’ll be right” or “I’ll take things one day at a time” Or “I just need to put one foot forward than the other”. We just need to keep going.
But what if there was another way? A way where it didn’t just all depend upon by us? A way where we could walk through life believing and trusting that “Jesus is Lord.”
You see if you had to compress the whole Christian faith into three words, you could hardly do better than “Jesus is Lord.” Those three words capture the centre of everything that Christians believe — that the man from Nazareth is God’s eternal Son, the risen King who rules over history, salvation, and our lives.
And yet those same three words clash with the instincts of modern Australia. We prize independence, self- direction, and the freedom to set our own course. But the Christian life begins with joyful surrender — recognising that if Jesus is Lord, then Jesus has the right to lead us, command us, forgive us, reshape us. And that is what Matthew 14 is all about.
Jesus is Lord even in a world of evil, of need, of storms and of brokenness. It’s not just theory, its practical. It’s not just in our dreams but it is true in all parts of our lives. Not just then and there but here and now.
1. Jesus is Lord, even in a world of evil (verses 1-12)
Slide 2
“At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
For our passage starts with an evil king, Herod. Now this is not the Herod from Matthew 2 who sought to kill Jesus and instead wiped out all the babies in the Bethlehem region. That was Herod the Great. This is his son. And he is not so great. And it is an open secret that his life is a complete moral mess. And the prophet John the Baptist courageously both preaches the gospel in Herod’s territory but also applies the gospel to Herod himself.
Slide 3
Page | 5 3 “Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother
Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.”
Herod you see was married and yet he desired his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. So, in a scandal that filled the gossip columns for months, they each left their own marriages and were married to each other. And while most kept their heads down, John the Baptist raised up his voice to condemn this ungodly action. Which got him imprisoned.
Slide 4
6 “On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 & had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. ”
Slide 5 Look at the evil going on in this scene. A drunken party. A sensual dance. A rash oath. A plotting and
revengeful queen. A weak king. And a platter with the John’s head being paraded around. It’s the kind of story that makes you wonder, “Where is God when evil wins?” And Matthew’s answer is even in a world of evil, Jesus is Lord.
You see, Herod may sit on a throne, but he is not the real King. Evil may roar, but it cannot rewrite God’s plan. John’s death does not halt the kingdom — it prepares the way for the King. For it sets before us a pattern that will be repeated when Jesus meets his day in court.
For just as John the Baptist is arrested & bound by Herod, so Jesus will be arrested & bound by the Romans. Just as Herod fears the crowd because John is a prophet, so the religious leaders fear the crowds because the crowds believe that Jesus is a prophet. Just as Herod is asked to execute John by another and is distressed to do so, so Pilate is asked by others to execute Jesus and is reluctant to do so. And just as John is buried by his disciples so is Jesus.
Evil looks like its winning but it is not. Instead, God is moving all the pieces around his chess board to get
his desired victory. Injustice is real and terrible, but justice will win in the end.
Slide 6 But why include this story now, at this part of Matthew’s gospel? I think there are three reasons. Firstly,
Herod’s murderous reaction shows the confusion that was out there during Jesus’ ministry as to who John the Baptist and Jesus really were and what on earth was going on with all this preaching and all these miracles. It also shows that the Word of God being preached is provoking opposition and foreshadows what will happen at the cross. And it contrasts John the Baptist, the forerunner, the prophet, with the real thing, the Son of God who will be soon seen as Lord. Lord over all evil.
For Jesus is Lord over Herod. Over Pilate. Over Putin. Over evil. Leaders will not get away with doing the wrong thing. One day they will have to stand before the just judge of all the world. Jesus. Who didn’t bring down judgement on them during his life. But on himself. Taking on the evil, the sinfulness, the darkness of this world, in order to offer it forgiveness, grace & light. I’m sure at times we all have our doubts when we see evil before us. But Jesus is Lord & Matthew is calling us to make him our Lord despite the evil around us and despite
2. The needs around us, Jesus is still Lord as well (verses 13-21)
Slide 7
Page | 6 13 “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” Away from the territory of Herod. Away from the crowds. Even away from his disciples. His cousin had just died. The
one who had prepared the way, for the WAY, had been taken out of the way. And I am sure on that hill far, far away, he thought about the hill that he would one day trudge up to die on the cross.
So, Jesus does what he often did. He withdraws. He spends time with God in prayer. He takes his focus away from the evil in this world and puts it back on the good God in charge of this world. But this quiet
time doesn’t last quite as long as he would have liked.
Slide 8 “Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large
crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
He goes from contemplating his crucifixion, a selfless act of love for others, to showing compassion to the tired & hungry crowd, a selfless act of love to those who are around him. And how does he show compassion on the crowds? Well Mark’s gospel tells us he teaches them. But Matthews gospel says that he also heals their sick and he feeds them.
Slide 9
15 “As evening approached, the disciples came to him & said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages & buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat”
“You give them something to eat.” Jesus gives them an impossible demand. Feed a crowd of some 5,000 men, what 25,000 people, if you add the women and children in? They are in a desert, a solitary place. There is no Coles or Woolworths within miles. And besides that, where would we get the money, it is not like they have loads of money in their pockets.
Slide 10 But do you notice in the aftermath of this miracle, that’s exactly what they did? 17 “We have here only five
loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.”
The disciples could see the 5 loaves of bread and the 2 fish but they couldn’t see the riches of Jesus Christ that was available to them. It was like they were standing next to Warragamba Dam in front of a few thousand thirsty people and saying, sorry but we only have a couple of bottles of water with us, we can’t do anything to help you with your thirst!
But they can do something about the people’s hunger. Because just as God provided for his people in the desert with bread and quail through his servant Moses. Just as God multiplied Elisha’s 20 loaves of bread to feed one hundred people, so Jesus is Lord over the needs of the people around him. Their need for teaching, yes, salvation, certainly, but also their need for hunger. And just as God causes barley to grow in the fields and fish to multiply in the seas, each and every day of the world’s life, so he can speed up that process when he wants to. Jesus can always provide food for the people he has compassion on.
Slide 11 And he can even provide enough for doggy bags afterward! 20 “They all ate and were satisfied, and the
disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about 5,000 men, besides women and children.”
But I want you to notice that Jesus meets the crowd’s needs through his disciples. Jesus’ words, “You give them something to eat,” unlock a key application for us because they show how Jesus involves His
Page | 7 followers in His compassionate work. The disciples look at the need and see only scarcity — not enough food, not enough strength, not enough solutions. But Jesus calls them to act, not because they have the
resources, but because Jesus does.
He stretches their faith by commanding them to do what they cannot do on their own, then supplying everything they lack. The miracle happens through their hands, but by His power. For us, this means that when we look at the needs around us — in our families, our church, our community — we shouldn’t throw up our hands because the problems around us are too great. Jesus still says to His people, “You give them something to eat,” and He still provides the grace, the courage, the resources and the strength to do what He commands. Through ordinary disciples, He meets extraordinary needs.
I was amazed that when the fire went through those 7 high rises in Hong Kong, that a day or so later there was the Salvation Army being interviewed on the news, being the first ones on the scene showing love, compassion and providing food and clothing. It reminds me of what happened in Haiti in 2010 when World Vision was there on the scene in the aftermath of a massive earthquake with Christian care and concern.
Slide 12 There tagline at the time was “World Vision – we were there before the earthquake, we have been there
afterwards and we will be there in the future.” That a reflection on Christ’s compassion, isn’t it? We will care when no one is looking and that will give us the opportunity to care when the world’s spotlight highlights a need, and we will continue to care even when that spotlight moves to another terrible example of need.
Slide 13 For Jesus is Lord, over all need. You’ll never bring Jesus a need too big. You’ll never bring Jesus a resource
too small. His compassion meets you where you are, not where you wish you were. Jesus is Lord — and His heart is moved by your need. And he often meets that need through us, the Church.
As preacher Fredrick Bruner once said, “disciples should always count to eight.” That is in this story there are 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and 1 Jesus who can be counted upon to meet all our needs. For Jesus is
Lord over need, over evil and thirdly
3. Jesus is Lord over storms (verses 22-33)
Slide 14
22 “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.”
Jesus still needs his time alone and his time alone with God and so he packs the crowds off, encourages the disciples to travel home by boat, leaving him some precious time to himself. He knows the storm is approaching but the disciples don’t. So, a couple of hours later they get caught in a doosy of a storm. And despite having a number of professional fishermen on board, they are scared of the damage that the storm will bring. But they are even more afraid of a ghostlike figure who has decided not to walk around the lake but to walk on the lake, effortlessly coping with the uneven surface and the waves crashing all around him.
Slide 15
26 “When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
It is I. Or in the Greek “I am.” Jesus deliberately usings the name of God Himself. “I am who I am.” There is no need to be fearful, God is with them. They can take courage because God is with them. No need to be afraid, because Jesus is Lord even over the storm.
That’s exactly what Isaiah 43 has promised, isn’t it? “When you pass through the waters, they will not overflow you.” Why? “For I am with you and I am Yahweh.” Which means when you are in the wilderness and you are without bread, you will not starve, for I am Yahweh and I am with you.’ And when you are faced with evil you don’t need to be worried because I am Yahweh and I am with you. Even when your boat is tossed by the waves and the winds are howling, we don’t need to afraid, Yahweh is with you. Jesus is Lord and can save you.
Slide 16 And then we get this wonderful little cameo by one of Jesus disciples, Peter. 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter
replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “Why did you doubt?”
Peter shows remarkable faith. He takes up Jesus’ invitation to come to him. He gets out of the safety of the boat, he sets his gaze on Jesus and he does what Jesus has just been doing, he walks on water. He actually walks on water. Wow. Imagine that. Imagine seeing that. Imagine experiencing that. Jesus’ lordship over the wind and waves and the water is graciously extended to Jesus’ disciple Peter.
The laws that bind us here on earth are loosened. Because faith in God, faith in Jesus is more powerful than any earth-bound law. Friends, I often forget that. You see I can see the five loaves of bread and the two fish and the crowd but I often don’t also see Jesus’ presence. I often see the evil running rampant in this world and fail to see how the death & resurrection of Jesus changes everything. I see the wind and the waves and the storms that buffet me but rarely do I put my trust in Jesus’ presence with me. But that is what faith is all about.
Slide 17 Remembering that Jesus is Lord over everything. Keeping Jesus in full view when the tough times come.
Trusting that if God sends me into the storm, then it hasn’t come to him as a surprise what is happening to me. Instead, he sent me there for a reason. And by faith he will help me cope with everything that is thrown at me. I just need to keep my eyes on him.
Which is what Peter does at first. But then he takes his eyes off Jesus, and puts them onto the wind and the waves. And when he does that Peter, the rock, begins to sink like a stone. And immediately Jesus grabs him. Not after a lecture. Not after a delay. Immediately. When Peter’s faith wobbles, Jesus’ grip holds firm. For Jesus is Lord, even when Peter is sinking.
Slide 18 You and I are very much like Peter. We do have faith but at times we also have our fears. We do have times
when we are willing to step out of the boat & other times we are stricken with doubts. We just need to remember the words of John Newton “If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer.” And those of Corrie Ten Boom, “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.”
And the disciples realise that. And they worship him. For the first time they acknowledge he is the Son of
God. He is Lord of all and He is worthy of their worship.
4. Jesus is Lord over evil, need, storms and lastly brokenness (verses 34-36)
Slide 19
34 “When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.”
Page | 8
Page | 9 Jesus and the disciples now reach land. Word spreads. People carry the sick to Jesus. They beg to touch
even the fringe of His robe. “And all who touched Him were healed.” This is a preview of the coming kingdom — where Jesus will restore creation fully and finally. He heals bodies. He restores dignity. He
mends hearts. He repairs what sin has shattered.
Slide 20 In a world of brokenness, Jesus is not merely a healer— He is the divine Restorer. He gently, patiently,
powerfully works to restore us to the image of God we were created to reflect. Where others see “too damaged,” Jesus sees “worth restoring.” Just as the painting needed the hands of a master, so we need the Lord who has authority over our brokenness —and who delights to make all things new. Jesus is Lord — and He promises to restore what sin and suffering have taken, starting now and ending in eternity.
Slide 21 Australia has always admired the capable person — the self-reliant bloke or woman who simply “gets on
with it.” We value grit, toughness, and quiet determination. It’s why Jimmy Barnes’ Working Class Man still hits something deep in our national soul. It celebrates the everyday Aussie who shoulders the load, pushes through the pain, and keeps going no matter what life throws at them. And there’s something good and honourable in that.
But the truth is: even the strongest Working-Class Man eventually meets an evil he can’t control, a need he can’t meet, a storm he can’t calm & a brokenness he can’t heal. Self-reliance isn’t enough. Even the proudest Aussie battler reaches the end of their own resources. But that is exactly where Matt 14 becomes good news. Because the Christian life isn’t about being a tougher Working-Class Man. It’s about becoming a Worship-Class Man.
Slide 22 A Worship-Class man is someone who says: “In a world of evil, Jesus is Lord. In a world of need, Jesus is
Lord. In a world of storms, Jesus is Lord and even in a world of brokenness, Jesus is still Lord, still my Lord. And because of that I will worship Him. I will put my faith in him. And I will keep my eyes on him. Jesus is Lord is not just something I am going to say in a worship service, it is a truth that I am going to live in the middle of evil, when my needs are not being met, when the storms are raging and when my brokenness is exposed. Jesus is Lord will be from now on the motto of this worship class man.”