No Reason to Doubt

Matthew 14:22-33

Dear Friends in Christ,

If only someone would find Noah’s Ark buried in the snow on the mountains of Ararat, then all the doubters in the world would have to believe. If only we could prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Shroud of Turin is real, that the power of Jesus’ resurrection made a permanent imprint on that cloth, then those who doubt would have to believe. The rich man said, “if only God would send poor Lazarus back from the dead to warn my brothers, then they would believe and not join me in Hell.” But what reply was given to him and all those who think as he did, that some great discovery or amazing miracle will remove people’s doubts? “They have Moses and the prophets.” If God’s word doesn’t remove their doubts, a miracle, an ancient artifact, or even someone rising from the dead, won’t make any difference..

Sometimes we have doubts too. Sometimes we wish that we could have some proof, that we could see something fantastic that would make it clear to us that God exists, or that Jesus is the Savior.

We heard earlier how Elijah was down in the dumps. Part of the reason was that God had given an undeniable display of his existence. He had shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was the one and only true God. He had sent fire from heaven to devour Elijah’s sacrifice. He had done it in full view of thousands of people including King Ahab who reported it to Queen Jezebel. But they still refused to believe. In fact, Queen Jezebel ‘s response was “Elijah has to die.” But when God appeared to Elijah, he didn’t appear in the violent wind. He didn’t appear in the earthquake. He didn’t appear in the fire. He appeared to Elijah in connection with a gentle whisper.

God can still do fantastic miracles, but he usually doesn’t. However, he has recorded many of the fantastic miracles he has done in the past in the gentle whisper of his word. By having these miracles recorded for us he reminds us that we have no reason to doubt who Jesus is and what he has and can do for us.

Recently we heard the familiar account of Jesus feeding five thousand plus people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, and that there were twelve baskets of leftovers after everyone had eaten all they wanted. What a fantastic miracle! But, as was the case in Elijah’s day, the reaction to the miracle wasn’t what you might have hoped it would be. John tells us that the reaction of the people who saw the miracle was that they wanted to make Jesus King. They wanted to force him to lead them to Jerusalem and set up an earthly kingdom there. And why not? If they ever faced a famine, or were running low on food, Jesus could miraculously provide some for them. Jesus knew he had to act quickly. Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. He didn’t want the disciples to get caught up with the crowd who wanted to make him an earthly bread king. Then he went off by himself to pray.

We don’t know what Jesus said in his prayer, but humanly speaking I can imagine he felt a little like Elijah did. “What am I going to do with these people?” Certainly, he was praying for strength and patience to bear with people’s doubts and false ideas, especially when it came to his own disciples! What a blessing that our God is patient with us! What a blessing that he doesn’t just cut us off when, even in the face of all the evidence he has given us in nature, in our life experiences, and most importantly in his word, we still sometimes have doubts! We sometimes doubt his power, or his love for us, or even his existence!

Jesus sent his disciples away from the crowds so that they wouldn’t be caught up with them in trying to force him to be an earthly king. He let them be buffeted by a contrary wind-- not in grave danger, but stuck in the middle of the lake for most of the night. Then, just before dawn he came to them walking on the water. They were tired. They had not slept. They were worn out from rowing, trying to keep the boat headed into the wind and waves so that it wouldn’t swamp or capsize. Their first reaction when they saw something coming toward them was that it was a phantom, an apparition, an evil spirit of some kind coming to finish them off. But Jesus immediately calmed their fears with his word. Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.

When we have doubts, when we have wrong ideas about Jesus and he comes to us and we realize how wrong we are, our first reaction is to be terrified as well. We know what we deserve because of our doubts. We have not trusted him as we should. We have sinned. We deserve to have him come to us to destroy us. Like the disciples, we have at times been sucked in with the crowds and thought of Jesus selfishly, more of “what can you do for me in my physical life,” than rejoicing at what he has already done to save us for all eternity. But Jesus comforts us with his word. He says, “Stop being afraid. I have not come to destroy you. I am your Savior.”

At first, Peter took Jesus at his word. He had no doubts. He trusted that if Jesus would give the word, he too could walk on water. And he did! He trusted that with God all things, even seemingly impossible things like walking on water, were possible. But then he was distracted. He felt the wind. He saw the waves. He thought, “maybe Jesus can’t make me walk on water under these conditions.” He doubted, and he began to sink.

We’ve all been there. We have all experienced times when we prayed about a situation. We heard God tell us in his word not to be afraid. We heard his promise that he would be with us. We went to face the situation filled with confidence, but then, something unexpected happened. Suddenly we weren’t so sure that God could help us do what we needed to do. We wimped out. We started to sink. We didn’t say what we knew we needed to say. We didn’t do what we needed to do. We felt like a failure.

What do you do when you feel like a failure because you realize that you doubted, that you didn’t trust God and his promises? Peter shows us. He cried out, Lord, save me. And even though he had every right to let Peter sink like a stone; even though he has every right to let us on our own to wallow in our own self-pity; he reached out and grabbed Peter’s hand and brought him safely into the boat with him. And by his grace, when we call out, “Lord, save me,” he reaches out and grabs us by the hand and assures us of his love. Instead of taking us to the boat he takes us to the cross. He assures us that he has paid for our sinful doubt along with all our other sins. He has not and will not forsake us when we call on him in any physical or spiritual need.

As soon as they got into the boat the wind suddenly stopped. The waves were gone. And John tells us, suddenly they arrived at their destination across the lake. They had seen Jesus feed over five thousand people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. They had seen Jesus, and Peter, walk on the water. They had seen that Jesus had power even over the wind and the waves. They were moved to confess truly you are the Son of God. “At this moment there is absolutely no doubt in our minds. You are the Messiah. You are more than a mere man. You are God and man.” They worshiped Jesus. They did something that is reserved for God alone. God alone is to be worshiped. They worshiped Jesus, and Jesus proved the truth of their confession by accepting their worship.

Jesus is no longer walking the earth. He did what he came to do. He lived perfectly in our place. He suffered and died to pay for our sins. He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. He’s not going to physically appear in our neighborhood and perform some miracles to remove our doubts. But through his word that the Holy Spirit has caused to be written and preserved for us today, he tells us about everything that Jesus said and did so that we might stop doubting and believe. As we hear about Jesus feeding the five thousand and walking on water and stilling the storm and casting out demons and raising the dead, like the disciples in the boat, our doubts are removed. We fall down and worship. We confess truly, Jesus, you are the Son of God.

As John says in his gospel, Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Whenever you are tempted to doubt, take out your Bible and read the words and works of Jesusa and confess with the disciples, truly, Jesus, you are the Son of God, you have paid for my sins. You are my Savior. I have life in your name.

Trusting that Jesus is the Son of God, our Savior from sin, that’s the most important thing. That was the main purpose of Jesus’ miracles. That’s why the Holy Spirit had them recorded for us. But there’s another secondary purpose. The miracles of Jesus remind us that with God all things are possible. There isn’t anything that he can’t do. He can do immeasurably more than we can ask or even imagine. We are not to doubt that he can take care of our physical needs; we are not to doubt that he can help us through any difficulty we may face. James reminds us that when we pray about such things we are not to doubt. Remember the three men who were facing the prospect of being thrown into the fiery furnace-- they said with complete confidence, “Our God can rescue us from the flames.” They didn’t know what he would do, but they had no doubt about what he could do. We have no reason to doubt God’s power to handle any trouble or difficulty we may face. Take Abraham as another example. He had absolute confidence even though he and Sarah were past the age of having children, if God said they would have a child, they would; or later, that if God allowed him to sacrifice his son Isaac, God could and would raise him from the dead.

Jesus’ miracles remind us that he is in control. He has power over wind and waves, sickness and disease, demons and even death. He will keep his promise to provide our daily bread, our basic necessities, even if it takes a miracle to do so—remember, he provided manna in the desert for forty years. How often haven’t Jesus’ words been directed at us, you of little faith, why did you doubt?

Jesus’ miracles remind us that we have no reason to doubt. They remind us that we can have absolute confidence that he can do whatever is necessary to help us in time of need. And as we trust him completely, having no doubt about what he can do, when it comes to our physical earthly existence, we pray with complete trust, “not my will, but thine be done.” If I get tired and worn out, like the disciples in the middle of the lake, I know you have a reason. If you choose not to heal my sickness you will either help me bear it or use it to take me to heaven. To live is Christ, to die is gain. Either way I’m not going to doubt. I’m going to put myself in your hands and trust that you will do what is best for my eternal good.”

God can do all things. He is God. If we are looking for proof, for God to do something miraculous, something that will remove people’s doubts and prove his existence, we will miss it. God is not in the habit of showing himself in the violet storm, or the earthquake or the fire. He will not satisfy sign-seekers. He chooses to show himself in the gentle whisper of his word. Through the miracles recorded in His word he gives witness that Jesus is the Son of God, our Savior and that there isn’t anything he can’t do for us.

Praise God that he forgives your doubts for Jesus’ sake. Praise God that Jesus still reaches out and takes us by the hand when doubt makes us sink and then he points us to his cross for forgiveness and strengthen faith. In Jesus we have no reason to doubt.