The Bible asks and answers some remarkably important questions, such as “What is your life?” “What is man?” “Am I my brother’s keeper?” “Why do you call me Lord and do not do what I say?” “What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?

These are all profound questions, and the Bible gives us the answers to them.

Today we’ll see how Herod asks perhaps the most important question anyone can ask about Jesus: “Who is this?” (9:9). How you answer that question will determine your eternal destiny. What do you believe about the identity of Jesus Christ?

After Herod asks that important question, Jesus feeds the 5000, demonstrating who he is—the Creator, who has all resources at his disposal.

This part of Luke, chapter 9:1-17 contains three main parts: 1) Jesus sends the disciples out on a short-term missions trip; 2) Herod questions the identity of Jesus; 3) the feeding of the 5000.

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at Luke 9:1-6, where Jesus sent out his disciples on a short-term mission trip. Today we’ll consider Herod’s important question and the feeding of the 5000.

This passage challenges us to identify Jesus correctly and to follow his example of compassion and generosity.