I am going to make it a goal to come home from Sunday service each week and retype the sermon. Not only will it help me to review the lessons as I type, it will also be available to Jon and I down the road as we need to be reminded of these precious truths.
Matthew opens with a description of Jesus' Messiah-ship. As the book develops, we see many instances where people are "awestruck" or "amazed" at the things He is doing. However, the full recognition of Who He was is not seen.
Chapter 14 tells of the death of John the Baptist and the feeding of the 5,000. IMMEDIATELY after the miraculous feeding, Jesus sent the disciples into the boat out into the sea. Jesus then was "by himself" and went to pray "alone." **NUGGET: though this is not the point of the story, we should see this lesson of truth that Jesus prayed publicly, privately, frequently, and at times in length. We also must find time to be alone to commune with our God and Father.**
vs. 24 The storm was very rough; it was the 4th watch of the night and they were fighting the wind and waves for probably a long time, perhaps to the point of exhausted delusion.
vs. 25-26 The disciples saw a "ghost" and were terrified.
--Why did Jesus send them out? Did he not know a storm was coming? Did He know, but not care? Was He upset that even after the feeding of 5,000 people, they still did not know Who He was? Was He indifferent to their safety? What is this?
vs. 27 Jesus said to them "Take heart; It is I. do not be afraid." This "It is I" statement shows a strong identity, as if saying emphatically I. AM. ME. JESUS.
--Sound familiar? This echoes Exodus 3:13-15 when God identifies Himself as "I AM WHO I AM." Though not identical, the phrase ego eimi would show the reality that He was their Savior.
vs. 28-31 Peter asks that if it is Jesus, that He command him to come. Jesus commands him so, and Peter walks on the water! But when Peter saw the darkness and water and wind he began to sink and cried out, "Lord save me." Jesus immediately reached out and took hold of Peter and asked, "Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
--So many times we may look around and see the dark world. We begin to trust what we see. So many times we cry out to a spouse, family, money, social status, etc. to help us, but do we ever cry out to God? We must only turn to Him in times of faith or WE WILL SINK. Peter did not call to the disciples for a rope or life jacket. He called for help to the One Who had called him to come. We must do the same, and IMMEDIATELY Jesus will save. It is not our faith that saves us, as many teachers and preachers wrongly declare from this passage. It is He Who is the OBJECT of our faith that saves and is the One worthy of our faith and devotion.
Vs. 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
--Who ever had authority over the wind, sea, and storms? We see no one with this power in the OT. Only God, YHWH, had this power and authority. The OT is full of references to God’s omnipotence over nature.
Vs. 33 Those in the boat worshipped him saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
--This answers the question in Matthew 8:27 when the people ask in the boat, “What man is this that even the waves and winds obey His voice?” It is God Himself; Jesus Christ the only Son of God.
--So why did Jesus send them out? He sent them out to have the recognition and worship He deserves. This is why He also sends us out to the ends of the earth. If we are trusting Christ, the true, living God, why would we ever doubt? It is an act of grace that God puts us in times and places that draw us away from self to God Himself.
C.S. Lewis states “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” Mere Christianity
Everything is pending on our confession of Christ as God, for Matthew 10:32-33 says “Everyone who acknowledges me [Jesus] before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” We have become so familiar with some of these stories and truths that when we hear them we nod in acknowledgment. But do we have a proper response to the proper confession in every area of life? Are we compartmentalizing our lives in a way that we do not really understand that Jesus is the Christ, God Himself? Do not trust your eyes, but know the truth and live it and worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). It is in this way that we will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:4). As a teacher once said,
‘Memorize the Gospel.
Pray the Gospel.
Sing the Gospel.
Review what the Gospel has taught you.
Study the Gospel.
Never move on.”
Vs. 34 “And when they crossed over to the land of Gennesaret…”
--They made it to the other side. We must trust we will make it to the other side, to His glory and His honor and His praise.
No comments:
Post a Comment