There's No Such Thing as Impossible with Jesus!

Have you ever found yourself in a seemingly impossible situation?  Maybe it was with your marriage or your money or a member of your family. 

 

Did you think it was impossible for your marriage to work or someone else’s marriage?  Did you think it was impossible to ever have enough money to pay off that bill?  Did you think it was impossible for a member of your family or someone’s to be saved or reconciled?

 

This morning, in Luke 9:10-17, we’re going to see that there’s no such thing as impossible with Jesus.  This story is found in all four gospel accounts: Matthew 14, Mark 6, John 6, and here in Luke 9.

 

Remember, Jesus sent out the sent ones last week.  He first called them apostles in 6:13.

 

13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles.

 

Guess what?  They came back.

 

Verse 10 says the apostles returned.  Remember that apostle means sent one.  Therefore, you and I are also sent ones in the informal and general sense, and we have been sent across the street and across the hall and across the locker room with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

 

The apostles returned and told Jesus all that they had done.  Perhaps they were tired.  I know I am after a mission trip or after a long day on a mission trip.  Therefore, Jesus took them to a deserted place for some privacy. 

 

However, their private place wasn’t private for long.  They had been followed because people were attracted to Jesus. 

 

BTW…If people were attracted to Jesus, in one sense, they should be attracted to Christians.  However, if you’re the kind of Christian that is rude and obnoxious and people can’t stand you, that isn’t biblical Christianity that you are practicing.

 

Verse 11 says Jesus received them and shared the kingdom of God with them.  What is the kingdom of God?

 

He shared the gospel with them.  Then, He healed them to authenticate and affirm the gospel message. 

 

That is what life changes does.  When lives are changed, the truth of the gospel is verified.

 

 

1. A Legitimate Problem, Luke 9:12

12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”

 

In verse 12, it seems to be near the end of the day.  The twelve came to Jesus and encouraged Him to send the crowds home so that they could find a place to stay and get something to eat.

 

The end of verse 12 calls this place deserted.  That meant no place to stay and no food to eat. 

 

Verse 14 says this was about 5,000 men.  Including women and children, this crowd could easily have been large than Rains County. 

 

So what would you do?  This was a legitimate problem. 

 

 

2. The Human Solution, Luke 9:13-14a

13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.”  And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. 

 

In verse 13, Jesus told the twelve to take care of the situation. He told them to get the crowd something to eat.

 

BTW…Jesus could have snapped His fingers and solved this problem.  However, He didn’t.

 

Why?  His plan is use the body of Christ to share the gospel and pray and minister to people. 

 

However, this was problematic.  They only had five loaves and two fish.  John 6 says they belonged to a little boy.

 

Keep in mind this wasn’t Texas Toast and 30-pound channel cats.  These were five biscuits and two sardines. 

 

Perhaps they could have purchased some food.  However, it still wouldn’t have been enough for this number of people.

 

The disciples were thinking with their minds rather than their hearts.  In some cases, that is right, but not when Jesus tells you otherwise.

 

 

3. Divine Intervention, Luke 9:14b-17

Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.  16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

 

What happens when Jesus gets involved with our legitimate problems after we have tried our solution?  What happens the Divine intervenes? 

 

At the end of verse 14, Jesus told the twelve what to do.  They had the crowds sit down in groups of 50.  We assume this was simply for organizational purposes. 

 

Verse 16 says Jesus took the boy’s food.  He took the five biscuits and two sardines, and He looked toward heaven and thanked His Heavenly Father for the food.  Then, He gave and gave and gave until everyone had something to eat.

 

Verse 16 is the miracle.  Verse 16 is where Jesus suspended natural law.  Verse 16 is where the Divine intervened.

 

Keep in mind, this was a bite or two.  Verse 17 says they ate and were full.

 

There were even leftovers.  Why twelve baskets full?  There were twelve disciples, and each on saw this miracle personally and up close.

 

 

Application and Conclusion

So what?  One point of this story is to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah.  However, that is not the main point because Jesus could have done all of this without anyone’s help. 

 

Therefore, what is the main point?  Jesus wants us to depend on Him all day and in every way, but especially when life seems impossible. 

 

He wants us to trust and obey.  Notice that the miracle is verse 16.

 

What happened before verse 16?  Verse 15.  They disciples obeyed in verse 15. 

 

When life seems impossible with your money and your marriage and members of your family, trust and obey.  See Psalm 37:5.

 

5 Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.