Day 94: December 30, 2025 – Isaiah 48-51 and Matthew 14-15

So we have the feeding for the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000. It is no wonder that Jesus tells the crowds the only reason why you come to see me is because I feed you and heal you. It should give us pause that maybe we also like the crowds are only following Jesus because of what we can get from him: eternal life, peace, maybe even a sense of inclusion and part of the crowd as we live in a society and culture where being Christian is the norm.

Isaiah’s words remind us that the people of Israel remain in captivity and are slaves in a foreign land as this is written. The prophet reminds the people what got them here in the first place and how they can find themselves out of it. There is the promise that one day they will get out of this dire situation in which they find themselves, but disobedience comes at a cost.

The life of Jesus is one that he is becoming known now. Even the rulers of the land, including Herod who wonders if Jesus is not just a John the Baptist version 2.0, pays attention to him. This causes Jesus to change his plans and his actions by moving further away from Herod and to a place where he can do his thing without being noticed nearly as much.