Jesus Over Nature
Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 39:07
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· 13 viewsYour confidence in life’s storms, is not your ability to hold onto Jesus but His ability to hold onto you as Lord over Creation.
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23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
We’ve been following Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount.
Noticing along the way the displays of HIS Authority.
Authority over lepers.
Authority over disease.
Authority over sickness.
Authority even over His followers.
Last week we saw the demands of our Lord upon His followers.
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.
19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
Genuine faith in Christ produces radical, uncompromising discipleship that prioritizes His Kingdom above our own–No retreats, no reserves, and no regrets
Genuine faith in Christ produces radical, uncompromising discipleship that prioritizes His Kingdom above our own–No retreats, no reserves, and no regrets
At this point, it may leave you thinking…
“Alright, let’s go! I’m ready to follow Jesus!”
“I’m ready to follow my Lord anywhere!”
Isn’t it ironic that directly after demanding his followers to come after him with no retreats, no reserves and no regrets, we get this story today?
A story with danger?
A story of the disciples almost loosing their lives?
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
The lack of the crowds is important.
He’s only with His disciples.
His desire is to show His identity to His disciples.
He was not necessarily revealing Himself to the crowds.
If the crowds had witnessed all the miracles in the same way as the disciples, they may have tried to set Jesus up as a “miracle worker” of some kind.
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves…
For some context, Jesus has now come to the Sea of Galilee.
680 ft below the Mediterranean Sea.
It is surrounded on every side like a bowl of sorts.
Often strong winds that will create terrible squalls of wind.
These create awful storm conditions.
Jesus asleep in the midst of a great storm.
Jesus asleep in the midst of a great storm.
The “great storm” can be described as more than just a little bit of a squall.
The word here for “storm” is “σεισμὸς” which refers to violent shaking.
This storm was a violent storm.
A storm with extremely large waves.
So large that they are filling the boat with them!
The surprising feature though is where Jesus is during this…
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
Here is Jesus asleep.
Jesus earlier described Himself with His favorite title of the Son of Man.
The Son of Man is referenced almost 80 times in the gospels.
Jesus didn’t come as the exalted Lord recognized by all.
He came as the Suffering Servant to be rejected by all.
The man who was truly exhausted in His physical body.
Jesus was not just someone who floated along in some ghostly fashion.
He was tired.
He was hungry.
He was fatigued.
he himself likewise partook of the same things…
Here we see Him sleeping.
Jesus didn’t have some kind of sleeping disorder.
What allows a person to sleep in a storm?
Jesus’ absolute trust in His Father.
Jesus’ absolute trust in His Father.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
It is an absolute trust in the hand of His Father that allows Jesus to sleep in the boat while it is being flooded with water.
Absolute trust in His Father.
Remember that Jesus was the one who got into the boat to begin with.
It was no mistake that they were in this boat.
The astute Bible reader will see this scene in their mind…
A terrible storm on the body of water.
Sailors frantic at the thought of perishing.
A man asleep in a boat…
Jesus isn’t the first character we’ve seen that is fast asleep in a boat during a great storm.
It’s like Matthew is winking at us…
It reminds us of Jonah!
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
But where was Jonah?
5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.
Here was Jonah fast asleep in the bottom of the boat.
But remember why Jonah was in the boat at all.
He was in the boat because he was fleeing God’s command over his life.
He was going in the exact opposite direction from where God told him to go.
6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
Now Jonah knew the storm was happening because he was walking in disobedience.
Only after he was thrown overboard was the sea calmed.
Jonah slept in the bottom of a boat from the path that Yahweh had made clear to him.
The storm only stopped when Jonah was thrown into the sea!
The storm ceased when the rebelled was expelled from the boat!
Jonah did NOTHING but get Wet!
But Jesus on the other hand here…
He walked in obedience to His Father’s plan.
He trusted His Father’s plan for His life.
Jesus, who was greater than the prophet Jonah had come.
41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Unlike Jonah who showed us a rebellious prophet.
Jesus on the OTHER HAND will be the storm calmer Himself.
The One who calmed the Storm in Jonah has come.
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
Jesus’ confidence in His Father’s providence.
Jesus’ confidence in His Father’s providence.
Jesus had an absolute confidence in His Father’s plan over His life.
He knew that He would need to go to the cross.
He knew that He would need to fulfill His Father’s purposes.
Example of Stonewall Jackson
General Stonewall Jackson was a West Virginia native.
He received his name because of the way he stood in battle.
It was described of him that he would sit on his horse looking like a stone wall.
Unmoved.
In a piece from the New York times, citing one of his generals…
“General, how is that you can keep so cool and appear so utterly insensible to danger in such a storm of shells and bullets as hit?”
He became instantaneously grave and reverential in his manner, and answer in a low tone of great earnestness,
“My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to always be ready, no matter when it may overtake me.”
He added after a pause, looking at me full in the face,
“That is the way all men should live, and then all men would be equally brave.”
Following Jesus does not mean a life of safety.
Quite the contrary, it is following Him even into danger.
If we’re going to follow Jesus we must remember what He just told the two men that came to Him.
He has not come for “peace and comfort.”
But following Him will lead into turmoil and scary situations.
Your confidence in the midst of the storm is not your ability to hold onto Jesus, but His ability to hold onto you as Lord over Creation.
Your confidence in the midst of the storm is not your ability to hold onto Jesus, but His ability to hold onto you as Lord over Creation.
The frantic disciples in the midst of the storm.
The frantic disciples in the midst of the storm.
25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
Keep in mind that these men were fishermen by trade.
They had been on the sea before when storms arose.
This wasn’t their first “rodeo” on the sea.
They were experienced seamen that understood what to do in a storm.
Which makes this all the more remarkable to consider that they were afraid.
What kind of storm would cause experienced fishermen to cower like children?
Only a storm that was brought about by divine providence.
This storm wasn’t a mistake.
It wasn’t an accident.
Even behind it was the hand of a Gracious Heavenly Father.
25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
Their fear of perishing in the midst of the storm.
Their fear of perishing in the midst of the storm.
These disciples are afraid.
Their afraid because their eyes are fixed upon the storm around them.
Their afraid because their circumstances are terrifying.
Here’s the thing: We act out of what we love most in every moment.
This is part of the way we’re hardwired.
We act in accord with what we love most.
But as we have considered in Sunday School, as our fears rise and fall with our loves.
What we love most we inevitably fear most.
In this moment the disciples greatest fear is this storm around them.
This is because their very lives are being threatened.
There is a kind of fear that is good and natural.
If a person stands in the way of a car heading directly toward them, the kind of fear that is natural compels us to move.
But then there is a kind of fear that “indicates a want of faith” as Calvin observed.
A kind of fear that brings dread and disturbs peace.
A kind of fear that clamors with dread.
The kind of fear that Jesus is rebuking these disciples for is the kind of fear that forgets.
It’s the kind of fear that forgets the goodness of God.
It’s the kind of fear that forgets God’s power.
It is an Agnostic fear.
It forgets the loving, merciful hand of a Gracious Heavenly Father.
The Psalmist describes this kind of fear…
25 He spoke and raised a stormy wind that stirred up the waves of the sea.
26 Rising up to the sky, sinking down to the depths, their courage melting away in anguish,
27 they reeled and staggered like a drunkard, and all their skill was useless.
The kind of fear that looks around at the surrounding circumstances and shrinks with trepidation.
The kind of fear that smothers faith.
As one theologian said…
“But all-consuming dread…forgets the power and goodness of God. It extinguishes faith. Godly fear recognizes the threat at hand, but it is tempered by confidence in God.”
The initial antidote for this sort of fear he’s repentance.
Thomas Brooks used to refer to repentance as
“a vomiting of the soul.”
Like these fisherman, it is only after we have been tossed on the sea of affliction that we tend to vomit up our fear before the Lord.
It is only after we have been struck with seasickness.
It is only after we have been gripped in the terror around us that we vomit this kind of fear up.
Paralyzed with Fear Christian
I want to say something to the Christian that is struck with fear.
Do not think that gripping tighter to the side of the boat will bring you any comfort.
Do not think that holding on a little longer will bring you reprieve.
Christian, there is only one remedy to your overwhelming, distressing fear.
26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”
He does not chide them for disturbing him with their prayers, but for disturbing themselves with their fears.
It seems like such a simple question,
“Why are you afraid?”
The answer should seem obvious on the surface.
“We’re afraid because of the storm.”
“We’re afraid because we’re going to lose our lives in this storm.”
No different than Pilate asking, “What is truth?”
As The TRUTH stands and looks him.
So the disciples fear, and quake at the distressing storm all around them.
While they come to their very peace in the storm.
Their weak faith in a strong Savior.
Their weak faith in a strong Savior.
Jonah stands as a good example here.
Rebellious and fearful on the sea.
Yet the Sovereign Lord comes after him for his good.
“Faith is not courage that arises from self-confidence. Faith is courage that comes from confidence that Jesus is with us, and that He is equal to every danger.” —Peter Leithart, Matthew, p. 191
Your confidence in life’s storms, is not your ability to hold onto Jesus but His ability to hold onto you as Lord over Creation.
Your confidence in life’s storms, is not your ability to hold onto Jesus but His ability to hold onto you as Lord over Creation.
Notice that Jesus does not say these men have no faith.
He rebukes them that they have “Little faith”
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Christian, the cry of faith is directed unto the Lord Jesus.
Faith is not a puffing up and pretending to be brave.
Faith is the falling head-long to the Lord Jesus and crying out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
“If men would but dig to the root of their fears, they would certainly find unbelief there…Fear is generated by unbelief, and unbelief strengthened by fear; . . . and therefore all the skill in the world can never cure us of the disease of fear, till God first cure us of our unbelief; Christ therefore took the right method to rid his disciples of their fear, by rebuking their unbelief.” —John Flavel
The disciples faith was mixed with unbelief.
Their fear was mingled with faith.
Unbeliever
I want you to notice that Jesus rebukes their “Little faith!”
But their faith was present because they came to HIM in need.
If you’re an unbeliever here today you need to hear this:
You’re perishing but its not in this boat with Jesus.
5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
To think you’re in the boat with Jesus but IGNORE Him is utter foolishness.
Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Jesus Over Nature – “What sort of man is this?”
Jesus Over Nature – “What sort of man is this?”
Previously we never saw how people responded to His miracles.
We never hear how the priest responds to the leper.
We never hear how the Centurion responds to the healing.
But in this section of miracles all Matthew seems to focus on is the people’s responses to Jesus.
Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Jesus’ authority through His spoken Word.
Jesus’ authority through His spoken Word.
Jesus speaks and the chaotic waters turns into a still as crystal glass.
In the ancient world, much pagan myth and lore circled around the sea.
The sea was always seen as the place that harbored the deep and dark monsters of the deep.
It was viewed as the chaotic place because of the way it was outside of man’s control.
15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
But not for our Lord.
29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
The disciples realized that NATURE was subordinate to Jesus.
“What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
They realized that Jesus does something that ONLY Yahweh can do.
Jesus appeals to NO outside authority.
He merely speaks.
Application for Believers
Resting in the Power of God Over Creation
27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Jesus’ sovereignty over the creation–wind and seas.
Jesus’ sovereignty over the creation–wind and seas.
The question of “What sort of man is this?” is literally, “What kind of guy is this?”
“Who is this man?
8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death…
This is what the disciples are grappling with.
We’re not talking about some phony televangelist that claims he can control the weather.
We’re talking about the Son of God in power saying, “Stop!” and it nature obeys.
The Antidote to Fear
The antidote to fear is not confidence in circumstances.
The antidote to fear is not artificial strength in a wishful thinking.
The antidote to fear is actually more fear.
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
“Anxiety grows best in the soil of unbelief. It withers in contact with faith. And faith is fertilized by the fear of God.” —Michael Reeves
The difference between the disciples fear before and after Jesus speaks is the object of the fear.
It’s not fear itself.
The object of their fear shifted.
Before Jesus spoke, they feared the storm.
But after Jesus spoke, they feared HIM.
It’s only when we have our fears and loves rightly ordered that we will have appropriate confidence.
Your confidence in life’s storms, is not your ability to hold onto Jesus but His ability to hold onto you as Lord over Creation.
Your confidence in life’s storms, is not your ability to hold onto Jesus but His ability to hold onto you as Lord over Creation.
