If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 14.  You'll remember over the last few months we've looked at Matthew 11, 12 and 13.  Highlighting the majesty of Christ in Matthew 11, highlighting the character of Christ in contrast to His opponents in Matthew 12 and highlighting the parables of Jesus in Matthew 13 and especially those kingdom parables which are recorded there.  We also saw in Matthew chapter 13, that a major shift in Christ's teaching ministry occurs.  Beginning in Matthew 13 we see more and more throughout the gospel of Matthew a rejection of Jesus' public ministry not only by the Pharisees but even by the crowds who were following after Him. Matthew 14 continues in that vein. In this passage, we open in the first 12…