Faith, Not Fear.
Matthew 14:22-33
We are going to look at an episode in the life of Christ that
emphasizes the ongoing faith or trust of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is interesting that in this example, as in many examples, the contrast with
faith is fear. I think that fear is the basic orientation of our sin nature,
going back to the fall of Adam in Genesis chapter three. Remember, Adam and Eve
had sinned and were in garden. They heard the sound of the Lord God coming to
visit them, as He did every day, and when they heard that they were afraid, and
they ran and hid. God nevertheless sought them out. It is a great example of
how God takes the initiative in grace to seek us out and to make the gospel
known to us in one way or another.
We see the same thing emphasized in this episode. The disciples
are travelling by boat across the Sea of Galilee. They come into a storm, their
lives are in jeopardy and the Lord is not with them. But the Lord comes to them
in the midst of that trial seeking them, demonstrating that He is always fully
aware of what is going on in their lives and that He is the one who can provide
the true ultimate solution to the problem. This is an account that is given to
us not only in the Gospel of Matthew but also the Gospels of Mark and John.
This is the longest account, though, in Matthew. Of the three accounts that are
given in the Gospels this is the only one that mentions Peter. The other two
just talk about the Lord Jesus Christ coming to the disciples at night while they
are on the Sea of Galilee as He is walking upon the water.
There is a connection from this event to the one before that we
need to pay some attention to. The previous event is the feeding of the five
thousand, and it is at that event that Jesus again is showing that He has the
ability to supply the needs of His people Israel. As we have seen in our study
of Matthew, there is at the beginning the presentation of the King. Jesus is
presented as the future King of Israel, that He is the one who has come to
offer the kingdom. John the Baptist's message was repent for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand. Then when Jesus came on the scene His message was repent for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand. When He sent his disciples out He sent them
to the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the same message. The Old
Testament had predicted that God would send a figure identified as the anointed
one—the Greek form of the word is CHRISTOS. Jesus is presented as the Messiah
and He gives all of the confirming miracles in fulfillment of Old Testament
prophecies that He is indeed the Messiah. He is able to heal the sick; He is
able to forgive sin; He is able to heal lepers and give sight to the blind, and
He casts out demons. Initially He is welcomed by the people,
but then as we go through Matthew we see that there is a gradual and increasing
negative tone and reaction, especially from the religious leaders. This reaches
a crescendo when we come to Matthew chapter twelve, and when Jesus casts a
demon out of a man they accused Him of doing it in the power of Beelzebul (a derogatory title for Satan). So they were
saying that He was not the Messiah, that He just got His power from the Devil,
and that He was in league with the Devil. At that point Jesus said that they
had now enacted what would be an unforgiveable and irreversible sin in that the
consequences now were set in stone and the nation of Israel would go out under
judgment.
At that point there was a huge shift that took place in the
ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Up to that point He had been offering the
kingdom, His miracles were in public, He was going out on the highways and
byways and travelling from village to village presenting the offer of the
kingdom; but from this point on things go more private. He teaches those who
come to Him, only performs miracles in His own settings when, again, people
come to Him and there is increasing opposition from the religious leaders. The
shift that takes place also involves training the twelve; He is teaching the
disciples.
In chapter thirteen He goes through a series of parables to
describe what will happen now that Israel has rejected the offer of the
kingdom. The kingdom will ne postponed and there will be an intervening age. So
we are not living in the kingdom today in any way, shape or form. The kingdom
will not come into being until Jesus returns the second time and establishes
the kingdom in Israel, when the Jewish people turn to Him as the Messiah and
welcome Him. This will come at the end of the time referred to as the
Tribulation or Daniel's seventieth week, referring to the prophecy in Daniel
chapter nine describing when that event will take place. So from the point of
His rejection Jesus begins to train the twelve. He taught them what would
happen because the kingdom was being postponed, that there would be an
intervening age. That intervening age isn't identical or synonymous with the
church age. It began at that point which was about two years into Jesus'
ministry and it extends through Daniel's seventieth week or the
Tribulation.
Then we came to the beginning of this chapter when Matthew inserts
a flashback related to Herod the tetrarch, who is Herod Antipas. Matthew 14:1 NASB "At
that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, [2] and said to his
servants, 'This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is
why miraculous powers are at work in him'.Ó Herod is scared to death because he
thinks John the Baptist has come back to haunt him because of the horrible
decision he made to follow the whims of his wife's daughter and have John
beheaded. We see also a hint because of the way Matthew organizes his material
of rising political opposition to Jesus. So at that time Jesus decides to
leave.
All of these events take place around the Sea of Galilee, which is
surrounded by mountains and high ground. That creates a certain interesting
dynamic on the Sea of Galilee, especially in the evening. Storms can come up
very suddenly and violently. To orient us, we are going to start at Tiberius
and move clockwise. Tiberius was a Roman city that was never visited by our
Lord Jesus Christ that we know of. Just north of there is the town of Magdala which
was the hometown of Mary Magdalene. A little further in is Gennesaret
where the disciples will end up at the end of this episode. Capernaum is the
town where Jesus was living at this particular time, and it was Peter's
hometown. Then we cross over to the north side of the Sea of Galilee and come
to Bethsaida, and this is more than likely where the feeding of the five
thousand took place. What we are going to see is that after the feeding of the
five thousand Jesus is going to go somewhere between Capernaum and Bethsaida,
into the hills alone, and He is going to send the disciples back. This was only
about 13-14 miles of sailing from Bethsaida over to Capernaum. When this event
takes place the storm comes up on the Sea of Galilee and Jesus is away from
them, up in the mountains.
Matthew
14:22 NASB "Immediately He made the disciples get
into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds
away." A couple of times in this story Matthew uses this term
"immediately", indicating how sudden things are happening. This takes
place right after the feeding of the five thousand. Remember He started feeding
them with five loaves and two fish and He ends with twelve baskets filled with
fragments. The number twelve is significant because it is the number of the
tribes of Israel. The point being made there is that Jesus is sufficient to
provide the needs for Israel, and to provide more than enough.
The
verb that is used here where it says Jesus made the disciples get into the boat
is important because it is a word that indicates that He is giving them an
order. This is somewhat distinct. He is sending them out into the Sea of
Galilee and it shows that He has purpose and a design. There is something
specific that is going on here, Jesus is going to take then through another
training event. What had happened with the feeding of the five thousand was
that Jesus was distributing to the disciples and the disciples were the ones
who were taking the bread and the fish out to the people. This is a picture of
how it will be in the coming age. Jesus is the head of the church and it is the
disciples and the leaders of the church who will minister to the people; it is
Jesus who will provide a perfect, sufficient amount of spiritual food for the
masses. He is the one who is in charge. He is compelling them, forcing them to
get in the boat.
This
is interesting because when we look at the other Gospel accounts there are
several times when it is recorded that Jesus went off by himself, but this is
the only time that Matthew emphasizes that. Usually Jesus is
accompanied by two or three of the other disciples; here He is going off
completely by himself, and there is a reason and purpose for that. He is
compelling them to go out onto the Sea. What they are going to encounter is
storms and they are going to become very much afraid. They will face that which
they cannot control and they will be at the point where they could lose their
boat, their livelihood and even their lives. This storm will threaten their
very existence. And what we learn from this is that God is often going to
direct us purposely into challenging situations, situations where it may cost
us our health, our financial reserves, our freedom and even our lives. But God
is in control, and this kind of thing is stated several times in Scripture.
John
16:33 NASB ÒThese things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation,
but take courage; I have overcome the world.Ó In other words, take courage, be strong because I have overcome the world.
1
Peter 4:12 NASB "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery
ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange
thing were happening to you".
1
Corinthians 10:13 NASB "No temptation has overtaken you but
such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be
tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way
of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."
James
1:2-4 NASB "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you
encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces
endurance. And let endurance have {its} perfect result, so that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." Again, we have the idea of joy
and courage and strength when we face tests. The natural reaction if fear, but
the Word of God says don't be afraid; have joy, have
courage, be strong. This is a
pattern. God is using this in order to tech us and to train us and to mature
us.
2
Tim 3:12 NASB "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ
Jesus will be persecuted." Jesus knows that we have to learn. The only way
we are going to learn to trust Him is to be put in situations where everything
is stripped away and we have no choice but to depend upon Him.
Matthew
14:23 NASB "After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on
the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone."
When evening came He was alone there. The disciples had already departed and
are alone. This is a picture of what happens to us in our lives. The Lord Jesus
Christ has ascended to heaven; He is seated at the right hand of God the
Father; He has not left us completely alone but has given us a helper. God the
Holy Spirit indwells and fills believers and He strengthens us through His
Word. But the Lord is gone, just as He was with the disciples. He was away from
them; they couldn't see Him. They didn't know where He was. When the storm
comes up they don't even pray for Him to come and rescue them. But what we see
is that He was totally aware of what they were going through. There was no
surprise, and without any prayer request from them to come and give them aid
the Lord takes the initiative to seek them out and provide assistance for
them.
Matthew
14:24 NASB "But the boat was already a long distance from the
land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary." So Jesus has
designed this situation from the start as a training exercise, a simulation
drill, in order to prepare the disciples for what is going to come. Here they
are facing the waves and the opposition from the sea, from creation, but the
Lord Jesus knows that in the future they are going to face opposition from
people, from governments, and from natural creation events. They had to learn
how to trust the Lord. That is the same for us. As we go through life we are
going to encounter various trials, as James says, and we have to be prepared in
order to handle those trials.
The
Lord makes the disciples go alone and He puts them in an interesting position.
Almost half of the disciples had a fishing background. Most of them came from
areas around the Sea of Galilee and would have been very familiar with boats. So
God is testing them, not at a point where they are incompetent, but at a point
where they would think they are exceptionally competent and don't really need
God's help. What God has to do with most of us in our lives is not to teach us
how He will sustains us in our areas of weakness but how He will sustain us
when we think we can do it on our own, without His assistance. Of the 35
miracles that are recorded in Scripture 7 of them have to do with fish, the
sea, or with boats. This shows that He is teaching these fishermen that they
have absolutely no sufficiency, no ability in themselves, and He is teaching
them that He is the one in charge. He is directing things, overseeing the
circumstances of their lives even when He is not present, and even though He is
not perceptible to them He is teaching them, as He says in Matthew 28:20,
"I am with you always, even to the end of the age." As the waves come
up and the wind opposes them and they are unable to make any forward progress
the Lord is going to come and rescue them.
Matthew
14:25 NASB "And in the fourth watch of the night He came to
them, walking on the sea." The fourth watch according to Roman time was between
3am and 6am. We don't know if it was at the beginning or at the end of that
time frame, the fact that they can see Him perhaps suggests that it is at the
end of that time frame, and maybe it is the early light from the coming dawn which enables them to see Him on the water. But the
text doesn't make a point of that. Jesus knew exactly where they were, just as
He knows exactly where we are. He knew exactly what they were encountering,
just as He knows exactly what we encounter. And He comes to them in their time
of need. In their darkest hour He is ready and able to take care of their
situation, just as He knows our deepest heartaches and our difficult problems;
and He is the one who sustains us and is able to take care of us.
Matthew
14:26 NASB "When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they
were terrified, and said, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out in fear."
Troubled is the Greek word TARASSO, which means that they are agitated. It can be an extreme
form of agitation where it could go as far as to indicate that they are
terrified, which is possible. And they are saying that it is a PHANTASMA, a word meaning an apparition. They
don't think it is real. The result is that they are afraid. Fear is the core
emotion generated by our arrogance because we know at the core of our being we
know that we are not self-sufficient. As much as our arrogance seeks to
convince us that we are self-sufficient and that we can sustain ourselves the
problem is that we can't. 1st John tells us that perfect love casts
out fear. The only way that we can deal with the fear that is at the core of
our being is by coming face to face with God as expressed at the cross: that
God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.
As
we look at what is happening here we see that just as Adam and Eve ran from God
because when God shows up they don't trust Him; they think God is out to get
us, God is going to punish us. So they ran and hid. This is often the way it is
for us. When God takes us through a difficult situation or some trial it is not
what we want. We want our life to be calm and peaceful and everything to go our
way but as soon as we turn a corner and there is opposition, somebody who is
maltreating us, or there are negative circumstances, then our initial response
is: Well, God is going to do it to me again. We want to blame God for our
problems. God takes us through these circumstances and situations not to get us
but to prepare us, to mature us, to teach us to trust Him and not to be afraid.
As
soon as the disciples see Jesus they are scared to death. There is no hint that
they are praying or having any positive response to the Lord. Immediately they
see Him and are afraid He counters that. Matthew 14:27 NASB "But
immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Take courage, it is I; do not be
afraid'.Ó
There
are three things that are said here. It is not "Be of good cheer".
The Greek uses the verb THARSEO, which means to be confident or courageous. In other words,
Jesus is saying: Be strong, be confident, take heart, be courageous; don't fold
in the midst of the test. The second thing He says is the core issue. It isn't
"It is I" as the NKJV translates it. He uses a very distinctive phrase, the Greek
phrase EGO
EIMI.
That is the Greek translation of the name for God in the Old Testament, Yahweh, the name which
comes from the Hebrew verb meaning to be; it is the self-existent one. So that
phrase becomes a claim of deity. In fact, in the Gospel of John Jesus uses it a
number of times to emphasize that He is God. John chapter eight: "Before Abraham
was, I
AM"
[EGO
EIMI],
the name for deity, and the Pharisees understood it that was because the text
says they reached down for stones to stone Him for blasphemy. Why should they
be strong? Because Jesus is God, Jesus is in control, Jesus is the one who
controls the waves and the storms and the sea. Then the next thing He says is:
Do not be afraid. Over 350 times this idea that we are not to be afraid or not
to worry, not to be anxious, not to be troubled, is mentioned in the Scripture.
God tells us over and over again not to be afraid.
Promises:
Isaiah 41:10, 13, 14; Exodus 14:13; Joshua 1:9; Matthew 28:20; John 14:27; 1
Peter 3:14.
Matthew
14:28 NASB "Peter said to Him, 'Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water'. [29] And He
said, 'Come!' And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came
toward Jesus." Peter walks on the water for a while. He is
trusting the Lord and then all of a sudden out of the corner of his eye
he sees the waves coming along and shifts his gaze from the Lord and on to the
water. The lesson here is that we have to keep our focus on the Lord and not on
the circumstances. The circumstances are always going to appear overwhelming,
always appear to be beyond our control; and guess what: they are beyond our
control. So what are we supposed to do? Put our focus and attention on the
Lord.
Watch
what Jesus does. Matthew 14:30 NASB
"But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he
cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Ó The Lord is doing nothing at this point. Then
Peter calls out to the Lord. [31] "Immediately
Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, 'You of
little faith, why did you doubt?' Ó Immediately the Lord stretches out His hand
and catches him. The Lord is always ready to sustain us, always ready to
provide for us and protect us. He is our safety net, the only real safety net
we have.
The
reason we like this story is because this is us. We look
at the Lord and say we are going to trust Him, and then as soon as the first
difficulty comes along, what do we do? We take our eyes off of the Lord and
start worrying, becoming anxious, and putting all of our focus upon the problem
and not on Jesus Christ as the solution, and we immediately start to sink. But
the Lord knows that and He is always ready to reach out and grab us and sustain
us, we
Just
have to turn back to Him. A lot of times when we do this we get dizzy. We are
turning to the Lord and then to the circumstances and back to the Lord so fast
we just want to pass out. The Lord says, "Why did you doubt?" Focus on
Him.
Then
look at what happens. Matthew 14:32 NASB "When they got into
the boat, the wind stopped." You probably read through that way too fast. They
got in the boat. How far away from the boat do we think they are? Ten, fifteen, twenty feet, probably. So what did they have
to do? They had to walk back to the boat. Was Jesus carrying Peter? No. I think
they were walking together. What was Peter looking at? His eyes were glued on
the Lord. He didn't for a nano-second look anywhere
else. They went back to the boat and his focus was right on the Lord; they
walked back and got into the boat. And immediately the wind ceased.
When
we learn the lesson often the Lord ends the test, ends the problem. He is the
one who brought it into existence in the first place to train us and when the
lesson is over with it is time to move on to the next situation. It is
difficult to trust Him, but Job who lost everything said: "Though He slay
me, yet will I trust Him."
The
result: Matthew 14:33 NASB "And those who were in the boat
worshiped Him, saying, 'You are certainly GodÕs Son!'Ó That means they
recognized He is the creator and they are obedient to Him; they worshipped Him,
bowed down in obedience to Him, recognizing His authority in their life. And
their worship consisted of their recognition of who He is. "You are certainly
God's Son!" Later on in Matthew chapter sixteen Peter is going to make
this declaration again. So the disciples were gradually coming to a recognition of who He is. This isn't a full bore recognition
like Peter has down the road, and that is the way it is for many people. They
only gradually come to understand who Jesus is. They recognize this like a new
baby might recognize its parents, but a one-year-old doesn't appreciate its
parents like a ten-year-old. As you grow and mature you appreciate them more
and more.
The
point for the believer is this: This is a training lesson. God takes us through
a lot of training lessons. The training is that we can do nothing apart from
Him. John 15:5, Jesus said: NASB
ÒI am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me
and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." That
is the lesson for the disciples. It is that dependence day by day on the Lord
Jesus Christ, walking by the Holy Spirit that gives us strength. We are going
to face difficulties, opposition, and even persecution. Job said: "Man is
born to trouble as the sparks fly upward". We need to prepare for it, and the only way to prepare for it
is to study the Word of God and internalize it so we can face whatever comes
our way.