Jesus: Lord of All Creation
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Here lately we’ve had some pretty powerful storms. It seems the weather has been on full display. Now, every time the wind picks up and starts to howl, I listen closely and start watching the trees to make sure they stay in place.
Some of us have developed a sort of PTSD from the wind and the rain. However, if we can sit back and look at the storms from a safe vantage point, they are a powerful display of God’s creative force.
Every year that we go to the beach, I love to see a storm roll in across the ocean. In our condo, we can see for miles up and down the beach and you can watch the storms roll in and move out over the ocean. You see great big lightning bolts strike the water and hear the loud clap of thunder. The last place you want to be is in the water.
These storms carry such powerful force with them. The lightning alone can fry our power grid in seconds. So, you can imagine the horror of being a first century fisherman out on the Sea of Galilee when a storm rolls in. No matter how trained you are for the conditions, you still have a battle on your hands!
This morning, we are going to look at the wind and the waves and see the Disciples out on that sea, but I don’t want you to lose sight of the real meaning of this account of Jesus. We are going to see the veil pulled back and the identity of Jesus revealed as the Lord of all creation. Let’s dive into our text this morning.
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Pray
Before we get into the meat of the passage this morning, it is important to make sure we understand a little of the background of the passage this morning. Some of this background is given by Matthew in verse 22-23 and some of it is information we have to bring to the passage from what we know about these men in the boat.
First we need to know where the scene takes place and why the Disciples were on the lake in the first place
Sea of Galilee
topography and storms
not an ocean like the song suggests
deep lake with currents
One of the main ways to travel the region was by boat
Jesus had just fed the 5,000 on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He had left Herod’s region and gone across the sea to get alone, but the crowds had followed Him. Jesus then had compassion on them and healed them and fed them.
The response of the crowds recorded in John’s gospel tells us that they wanted to make Him King and Jesus had to forcefully send them away. They wanted a king who would help them feel better and give them a better quality of life, but Jesus came to bring a spiritual kingdom.
Jesus sends the Disciples on ahead of Him while He dismisses the crowds. Look again in verse 22.
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
Matthew uses the word “immediately” 3 times in this passage. The text also tells us that Jesus “made” or “compelled” them to get into the boat and go on before Him.
This is going to be a major detail, so hold onto that for a second.
Jesus sends the crowds away and then goes by Himself to pray. Wouldn’t you like to know what Jesus was praying about?
In the moment, how many preachers and religious leaders would have clamored for the crowd’s approval. Jesus had all the makings of a great movement at His fingertips, and yet He sends the crowds away. Jesus is not there to draw a crowd or create a movement. He is there on a rescue mission to save us from our sins.
Jesus gets alone with the Father to pray for two reasons, I believe.
He gets alone to align Himself to God’s will
He gets alone to give the Disciples time to struggle
Jesus needed to align Himself to the Father’s will because in the danger of His growing popularity was the reality that people might miss what Jesus came to do. He didn’t come to make our lives better, at least not in the short term.
It is true that when Jesus was ministering to the crowds, He healed the sick and the lame and raised the dead to life. But, there was a purpose behind these miracles. John uses the term “signs.” These miracles were intended to show the identity of Jesus and to help people get a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God was going to be like. When Jesus comes again, there will be no more sickness, or pain, or suffering, or death. Wherever Jesus is present, these things have no place, because He reverses the curse of this world.
However, the reality is that the Kingdom of God is a now/not yet kingdom. It is present with us, but it is also still future. It is both a spiritual kingdom and a physical kingdom yet to come.
Jesus also wanted to send the Disciples out across that Sea so that they could head into the storm that He was going to send their way.
Let that sink in for a minute.
Let me ask you a question. Who has the power over the weather? Who is in charge of every minute detail in this world? God is right? The sovereignty of God cannot be overstated. His in absolute control of this world and everything in it. According to the Bible and our lesson last week in Sunday School, even the Devil is on God’s leash!
So Jesus, being fully God, knows that a storm is brewing when He sends the Disciples out across that see. He sits up on the mountain top with a great vantage point to see them struggle.
Show the picture of Jesus on the mountain (raft joke)
He knew He was sending them in the calm of the Sea only for this storm to whip up and for them to have to struggle all night. They had probably been rowing hard against the storm for 9 hours or so by the time Jesus walks out to them on the sea.
The text says,
23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
The Bible says the Disciples were a long way from land.
They were beaten (tortured) by the waves.
The wind was against them.
Anybody here got a testimony where you’ve felt that you were in that storm? We all can give an Amen to that.
But this passage is not about the storm. Jesus knew they would wrestle with the storm. These were seasoned fishermen, used to this lake, and they couldn’t get across, no matter how hard they tried.
The point that we need to take away from this is that sometimes God will send you into a storm and it isn’t because He is against you, but because He loves you. You need to come to the end of your strength to discover His. You need to wrestle with the storms to discover the God of creation.
It is now the 4th watch of the night. The Romans divided up the night into 4 watches and this is around 3-6 am. It is probably just before dawn but in the darkest part of the night. It gets dark before it gets light...amen?
Now, let’s get into the meat of the message and discover what this passage is really about.
It isn’t about Jesus calming the storms of your life.
It isn’t about you stepping out in faith like Peter did, thought that is a side application.
The reason Matthew records this account for us is to identify Jesus as God Himself. Jesus is no mere prophet, He is the creator of the world.
There are 4 things I want you to take way from what happens next this morning as we dive in further, no pun intended!
1. Person Gave them Pause (v.25-26)
1. Person Gave them Pause (v.25-26)
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.
2. Presence Gave them Peace (v. 27-31)
2. Presence Gave them Peace (v. 27-31)
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
“It is I” = I Am
God Who stretched out the sea
8 who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;
Reminder of the One who walks across the sea to rescue
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Isaiah
16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters,
3. Power Gave them Praise (v.32-33)
3. Power Gave them Praise (v.32-33)
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Conclusion:
Jesus was like God
Provided Manna to Feed
Parted the Waters and crossed safely over
Healed and carried their diseases
1 Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.
