01.04. He's Walking On the Water
He’s Walking On the Water Matthew 14:22-33
By my count I find 10 miracles that Jesus performed recorded in all of the three synopsis gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. There are only two miracles recorded by John that the other gospels record. This one and the feeding of the five thousand, which was, recorded by all four gospels writers. Matthew, Mark and John record the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. Luke is the only gospel that does not record it. John records it as the fifth sign miracle.
Background:
Jesus had just feed the 5000 and he sends his disciples over the sea to the other side. He goes up on the mountain to pray. The mountains are high surrounding the Sea of Galilee. According to the NIV they were 3 or 3 ½ miles away from shore. This would put them in the middle of the sea.
The liberal theologians have come up with what we could call their "Exit Strategy" of explaining away or getting out of this miracle. Some dismiss this miracle by insisting that instead of walking on the sea it should be translated walking by the sea. My question is how did he reach down and pull Peter up. Some even claim that it is the result of a wild night of partying by sailors. It’s it amazing what some will believe when they don’t want to admit in a miracle working God. We must exercise an act of faith to believe it happened just as it is recorded. We believe God could, would and did.
Matthew 14:22 Obedience sometimes puts us in the middle of a storm. The disciples were obedient and were in the middle of God’s will and God’s storm. Paul’s testimony was compelling to say the least. Notice it in 2 Corinthians 11:25-28 "Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."
Matthew 14:24 He know when we are in trouble. Have you ever wondered how Jesus knew they were in a storm.
Are you battling a head wind? When we flew to Israel the wind was blowing from here to there and it only took us about 10 hours. Coming back we were flying into the wind and it took two hours longer. Notice they had rowed all night. If they left the shore at about dark and the storm arose shortly there after it is during the "fourth watch" or between 3 and 6 AM when Jesus appears out of the blackness of a raging angry sea. Does it feel like the storm is dark and the waves high in your trouble? Do you think He don’t know the storm is going on. Notice a few moments ago I said they were in God’s` will in God’s storm. Friends the storms belong to God as well. Remember the storm that Jonah found himself in, it was God’s. The storms we find ourselves in are God’s storms. He is sovereign.
Psalms 107:29 "He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still."
Nahum 1:3-4 " The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry…"
Picture of mans inadequacies. They had toiled without Jesus help. All the work we do as someone said will have to be redone if we don’t do it in God’s power.
Matthew 14:25-26 Spooks in the dark. There is little doubt that it was a dark night. After all it was storming and the waves were breaking upon the little boat.
These fishermen, who had been in storms before, though He was a ghost. The one who could calm the storm came and they didn’t recognize him. They were expecting the worst and found it hare to believe the best. Remember Eli knew the noise Samuel heard was God. Notice Jesus never explained how He walked on the water. It is not important that we understand the how but accept that He did by faith.
Matthew 14:28-29 Dare to be like Peter. Sometimes in industry an engineer has to override a computer or a sensor that is sensing something is wrong to fix a problem. He knows what is needed better than the sensor. Remember the robot from "Lost in space" saying, "Danger, Danger, Danger." On the last shuttle mission the computer said there was a problem when in fact there was not and NASA engineers had to override the computer.
Sometimes we must make an intentionally choice to trust God. We have to override our senses. We must by pass the obvious to trust in the Creator. Peter was in a boat, thinking he was seeing a ghost, but he chose to step out onto the water, which didn’t make sense except to Peter, and walk to Jesus.
Matthew 14:30-32 Get Jesus in our Boat. It has been said many times that Peter was fine until he took his eyes off of Jesus. This is true but I want to emphasize what happen next. Most of us have lost sight of Jesus in the storms. We have all looked down at the waves at our feet. However notice that Jesus was standing by. He reaches out and picks Peter up. Might I say that He is reaching out to us today?
Notice when Jesus got in the boat the storm ceased. We just need to let Jesus pick us up sometimes and put us in the boat so the storm will cease.
Matthew 14:33 A defining moment of faith. Remember that this miracle is the fifth of the seven sign miracles of John. Jesus did not simply go around doing good to do good. He had a purpose. His purpose was that men might believe on Him. Notice what I call a defining moment of faith for those in the boat. They fell down and worshipped. Only Matthew gives us this detail. They next said, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God."