Jesus is the Great I AM, Matthew 14:22-36

Matthew 14:22–36 (CSB)

"22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the boat was already some distance from land, battered by the waves, because the wind was against them. 25 Jesus came toward them walking on the sea very early in the morning. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear. 27 Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter answered him, “command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.” 34 When they had crossed over, they came to shore at Gennesaret. 35 When the men of that place recognized him, they alerted the whole vicinity and brought to him all who were sick. 36 They begged him that they might only touch the end of his robe, and as many as touched it were healed.”

For some this passage may be very familiar, for others you might be sitting there with your mouth wide open thinking to yourself that this is the most amazing thing you have ever heard! And, I would agree with you, this is absolutely amazing!

If this was the only story from the life of Jesus we had to tell, it would be worth telling over and over again. If Jesus had only walked across the sea, at night, in the middle of raging storm; called Peter out of the boat to walk on the water too, picked Peter up out of the waves when he began to sink; healed the sick on the shore when they landed, and then been taken to the cross and crucified, I think we would still be telling this story and calling people to believe.

With every healing of a disease, casting out of a demon, or miracle like the loaves and fishes we have enough evidence that Jesus is the one God promised would redeem and restore His people.

And yet, the truth is deeper than anyone anticipated. Jesus is more than a king or a prophet, and this passage is one of the moments where the big truth about Jesus is clear, and I am excited to spend some time on it with you today.

The passage reveals that

Jesus is the Great I AM, and the Great I AM is worthy of worship.

I know that the fact that Peter gets out of the boat and walks on the water is hard to look away from. But, I want to submit to you that there is something more amazing and more profound in this passage than the moment that happens with Peter on the water. In fact, I think the moment with Jesus and Peter on the water is actually a supporting truth to the primary revelation that Jesus is the Great I AM, and the Great I AM is worthy of worship.

To make our way there we need to ask ourselves a question that we should always ask when we read the Bible:

“What does this passage reveal about God?”

Or “What does this passage teach me about the Father, the Son, the Spirit, or all three?”

In particular, we need to ask ourselves “What does this passage reveal about Jesus?”

A quick glance at the passage reveals the following as it relates to Jesus:

Jesus walks on water

Jesus comforts the disciples

Jesus confirms His claims

Jesus catches Peter when He falls

Jesus is worshipped by the disciples

Jesus heals those who are sick

Again, I know that the moment between Peter and Jesus gets most of the attention when it comes too preaching. And I am not just trying to do something different with the sermon others you may have heard before. My hope with this sermon is to illuminate the truth about Jesus that makes getting out of the boat to walk on water make sense. My hope is that you will live with the kind of faith that moves you to trust Jesus enough to climb out of a boat on the raging seas and walk toward Jesus. But, without the truth that we are focusing our attention on, there is no reason to ever get out of the boat and plenty of reason to be afraid.

Jesus is the Great I AM, and the Great I AM is worthy of worship.

I have mentioned that there are a few themes that run throughout Matthew’s gospel. Just last week we mentioned that Matthew reveals from beginning to end that Jesus is the promised King of Israel. He is the one that God promised to David when He said that a descendant of his would reign on the throne of Jerusalem forever and ever. Jesus is that King, and that’s why Matthew gave us the contrast between King Herod and King Jesus in the passages before. Even John points that out in his gospel at this point in the life and ministry of Jesus.

John bridges the account of Jesus feeding the multitudes and the passage are looking at in Matthew with the following verses in John 6:14-15:

“14 When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Therefore, when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”- John 6:14–15 (CSB)

Jesus was and is the promised King of Israel, and we see that revealed to us intentionally throughout Matthew’s gospel and the rest of the NT. But, the fact that Jesus is the full and final yes to all of God’s promises means that there is more being revealed than the fact that Jesus is the King.

What I mean is that 2 Corinthians 1:20 (CSB) says, “20 For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.” This means that the promises that God has made from the Garden of Eden to Abraham, to Moses, to David, to the prophets, and to Mary and Joseph all find their yes in Jesus Christ.

Matthew’s reveals throughout His gospel that Jesus is the Great I AM, who alone is worthy of worship.

Jesus is worshipped at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of Matthew’s gospel. (Matthew 2:2-11; 14:33; 28:8-10 & 28 16-17)

Here’s a quick glance at the times Matthew writes explicitly about the worship of Jesus in his gospel:

From the very beginning Jesus is being worshipped. We see it when the kings from the East come to see the newborn king.

Matthew 2:2–11 (CSB)

“2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born. 5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet: 6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”, 7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.”, 9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

In the middle of his gospel Matthew reminds us that Jesus is worthy of worship.

Matthew 14:33 (CSB)

33 Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus doesn’t stop them and remind them of the passage He quoted to the devil. Nope, not at all. Jesus receives their worship in the boat and every time they offer it.

At the end of his gospel Matthew finishes with the worship of Jesus by His disciples.

Matthew 28:8–10 (CSB)

8 So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. 9 Just then Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

Literally, right before Jesus gives them His parting command Matthew records the disciples worshipping Jesus, and Jesus receiving their worship.

Matthew 28:16–17 (CSB)

16 The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted.

But, there is another passage in Matthew that talks about worship. In Matthew 4 Jesus is confronted by Satan and tempted in the desert.

I have mentioned before that Matthew’s gospel parallel’s Jesus’ life with the redemptive history of Israel. For instance, in Matthew 2 Jesus is taken to Egypt by Mary and Joseph so that He would escape the wrath of Herod, but at the same time so that He would come up out of Egypt like Israel.

The passage in Matthew 4 is another instance where the life and ministry of Jesus is connected to the life and history of Israel. Jesus goes out into the wilderness, reminiscent of when Israel also wandered in the wilderness after being freed from Egypt. While in the desert Jesus did what Israel could not do. Israel was tempted to turn and rebel against God and they did. But, when Jesus was confronted by Satan he did not give into temptation. Satan offered to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would bow down and worship him.

Matthew 4:9–10 (CSB)

9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”

I point out this moment because we have just looked at the instances where Jesus is worshipped by others. Because Jesus has rebuked Satan and quoted Deuteronomy 6 in the process we have to ask ourselves why Jesus doesn’t stop people from worshipping Him?

The reason Jesus doesn’t stop people from worshipping Him is because

Jesus is the Great I AM

This passage is revealing to us that Jesus is the Great I AM, He is the Son of God who demonstrates the power of God and who alone is worthy of worship!

Let’s connect some dots…

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13 to Satan when He says, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” To help with context and connecting the dots let me read Deuteronomy 6:12-13, “12 be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 13 Fear the Lord your God, worship him, and take your oaths in his name.

The only God who is worthy of worship is the one who brought Israel out of Egypt. He is the Lord, Yahweh, the one who sent Moses to Israel to free His people from the Egyptians.

When God sends Moses to Egypt to free His people, Moses asks God who should I say has sent me… Exodus 3:14 (CSB) says, “14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM., This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”

Now I point this out because the Great I AM is the one who is worthy of worship, and for Jesus to be worthy of worship He would have to be the Great I AM.

Look back at Matthew 14:33. When Jesus approaches the disciples in the boat He called out to them “Have courage, it is I.”

Why should they have courage? Well, they should be courageous because they are exactly where Jesus sent them. The same man who previously calmed the storm with his voice is the same one who sent them across the water. Just like Moses was to have courage because of who sent him, the source of their courage is the one who sent them.

Jesus told them to have courage because He is the Great I AM. The words Matthew uses that are translated as “It is I” can be translated more literally as “I be” or “I AM.” And the significance of Jesus saying I AM is what we just read in Exodus 3:14. There in the middle of the night, in the middle of a raging storm, while walking on the sea Jesus tells them to have courage, or don’t be afraid because I AM Who I AM.

This truth, the truth that Jesus is the Great I AM is the source of the worship that happens in the boat with the disciples. Jesus is the Great I AM,

Jesus is the Great I AM, and the Great I AM is worthy of worship.

We must guard against looking so hard for ourselves in the passages that we read that we miss who Jesus is. We must guard against making the story of God’s redeeming work about us. We are not the center of the story of the cross and the plan of God. At the center of God’s story is Jesus, and wherever there is a correct or clear view of Jesus there is worship.

The redeeming and restoring work of Christ results in worship. In fact, Jesus tells us in John 4:23 that the Father wants worshippers.

“23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him.” - John 4:23

This truth that God wants worshippers has lost its impact in our lives today. The reason it has lost its impact is because we have a short sighted view of what it means to worship.

We have reduced worship too singing, and if we are honest there are many who have reduced worship to specific songs. This happens when we say things like “I can’t worship to that music, or I can’t worship to that song.”

But, what if God was sitting right here in front of you, seated on His throne in the most glorious and awe inspiring visage you have ever seen. The father on the throne, the Son at His right hand, and the Spirit of God hovering over the scene… what if the song they played or the music they used was the kind you said you can’t worship too? Would you sit in silence in the presence of the almighty? Would you wait to see if you knew the next song or like the next style of music?

I don’t think you would. But, I think that many times we do. Without a right understanding of worship we will miss out on our opportunities to praise.

Notice here in the story of Jesus walking on water what doesn’t happen. Matthew doesn’t record a series of high-fives for Peter. Matthew doesn’t record Jesus going back out on the water to give the rest of them the chance to walk on the water too. He doesn’t say that after this Peter was the leader because he got out of the boat. Nope, there is absolutely no mention of this moment in Peter’s life again. In fact Luke doesn’t even include it in his Gospel, and there are no mentions of it again in this gospel or in the other parts of the New Testament.

This story isn’t supposed to make you want to walk on water or do big things for Jesus. This miraculous account of Jesus walking on water is meant to lead you to want to worship Him and no one else, because no one else is worthy of worship!

“Worship is God's gift of grace to us before it's our offering to God. We simply benefit from the perfect offering of the Son to the Father through the power of the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). Worship is our humble, constant, appropriate, glad response to God's self-revelation and his enabling invitation.” - Bob Kaughlin, Worship Matters

Worship is a response to God. And here in the obvious presence of the Great I AM these men did the only thing that they could do, they worshipped. They humbled themselves and gladly responded by adoring and praising Jesus for who He is.

In fact, it’s our goal each week that you would have the opportunity to gather together with your brothers and sisters and gladly offer up praise to God for who He is and what He is done. The goal of our gathering is to glorify God, because the goal of our lives is to glorify God rather than ourselves.

In his book Worship Matters Bob Kaughlin writes about worship and says:

“That's why biblical worship is God-focused (God is clearly seen), God-centered (God is clearly the priority), and God-exalting (God is clearly honored). Gathering to praise God can't be a means to some "greater" end, such as church growth, evangelism, or personal ministry. God isn't a genie we summon by rubbing the bottle called "worship." He doesn't exist to help us get where we really want to go. God is where we want to go. So God's glory is the end of our worship, and not simply a means to something else. In the midst of a culture that glorifies our pitiful accomplishments in countless ways, we gather each week to proclaim God's wondrous deeds and to glory in his supreme value. He is holy, holy, holy. There is no one, and nothing, like the Lord.” - Bob Kaughlin, Worship Matters

Jesus is the Great I AM, and the Great I AM is worthy of worship.

You see Jesus proves to us that He is more than a king the crowds could replace Herod with. Jesus is more than a prophet who can multiply a meal to feed 5,000.

Jesus is more than Moses who God used to part the sea… Jesus walks on the sea!

Do you get this, the same Jesus who in Matthew 4:10 told Satan “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” Is worthy of worship and being worshipped.

Then, when Peter says “Lord if it’s really you let me come out on the water to you…” Again, similar to when Moses was unsure of the Lord’s plan in Exodus 4. In a series of exchanges God confirms to Moses similar to the way Jesus does with Peter.

God turns Moses’ staff into a serpent and back into a staff, He gives Moses hand a disease and then takes it away, Then, God tells Moses if they won’t believe the staff and the hand, then take water from the Nile and pour it on the ground and ti will turn to blood to prove that the I AM has sent you.

Now, I don’t want to take this comparison further than it needs to go. But, we see throughout the Bible that God has chosen to confirm decree and affirm the faith of His people. And, in the moment on the water Jesus allows Peter to walk on the waves as well. But, Peter is not Jesus and he gets distracted by the wind and the waves and begins to sink.

Jesus didn’t calm the waves down so Peter could have an easy walk of faith. Nope, in the middle of the storm Jesus calls Peter out of the boat. And isn’t this how God works in our lives today?

Jesus calls us to trust Him in the midst of the storm

rather than the absence of the storm.

And, like Peter when you take your eyes off of Jesus and focus on the doubts and distractions around you, you will falter. But, just like Jesus does for Peter God will reach out and bring you up out of the wind and waves.

The point of this passage is not to inspire reckless or crazy decisions in the life of the church. This isn’t a passage aimed at stirring up a series of bold and brash moments in the next week of your life.

No, this passage is aimed at removing any remaining doubts about who Jesus is. This passage is further confirmation of the truth of who Jesus is. This passage justifies your faith in Jesus and provokes you to worship. This passage reveals to us that

Jesus is the Great I AM, and the Great I AM is worthy of worship.

A Few Ways to Apply This Great Truth

1. Don’t get out of the boat for anyone other than Jesus

No one and nothing else deserves the kind of devotion we see displayed by Peter. When Peter gets out of the boat he places his life solely in the hands of Jesus. Peter risks everything on Jesus, but there isn’t anyone or anything else that is worth that kind of risk.

That’s the point of seeing who Jesus is, that He is the Great I AM.

There isn’t a job, person, experience, or relationship worth what Jesus is worth. And, if you give yourself to someone or something else like this, then you are worshipping someone or something other than Jesus.

2. Keep your eyes on Jesus

Distractions are going to come and go, in fact many of what you see as distractions are god given tests for the sake of your faith. Temptations come from the devil, but tests come from the Lord. And, whether it is a temptation from the enemy to cause you sin, or a test from the Lord to help you to grow in your faith you keep your eyes on Jesus and your feet on His Word.

3. Worship is more than a weekly event, it is your whole life

The men who worshipped Jesus in the boat continued worshipping Jesus with their lives. In fact, most of these men were killed later in their lives because they followed Jesus.

I find that Romans 12:1-2 is a great passage to remember when it comes to understanding the full scope of worship.

Romans 12:1–2 (CSB) says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

Paul writes about worship as what you do with your bodies, your mind, and even your lifestyle. He sums worship up as living according to the will of God. Paul says that we are transformed by the power of God rather being conformed to the ways of the world. For instance:

Purity is worship.

Man we have avoided this for far too long in the modern church. It’s almost never talked about in the youth ministry circles of today. I know its awkward to for our students to hear about, but its’ necessary. What you do with your body is an act of worship, and what you do or don’t do determines who you are worshipping with your body.

The world has all kinds of wrong ideas and practices when it comes to your body and mind and your purity. Presenting your bodies as holy and pleasing to the Lord is an act of worship. What you do and don’t do is worship.

If you didn’t know this, or if you have been ignoring this, then repent of your sin and be pure from this point forward.

Thoughts are worship.

Paul says that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This is a spiritual work that happens by the power of the Holy Spirit through the preaching, studying, and reading of God’s Word.

With a renewed mind we are called to think godly.

Philippians 4:8 (CSB), “8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.”

Colossians 3:1–2 (CSB), “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (CSB), “3 For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

We take every thought captive to obey Christ… this means your thoughts are worship, let’s make sure that they are worshiping Jesus.

Lifestyle/Habits are worship

When Paul says not to be conformed to this age he means that don’t follow the lifestyles and habits of the ungodly. Worship goes beyond the moments we share on Sundays and it completely encompasses everything we do in life. Your whole lifestyle, the sum of your habits, is worship.

As Christians we are called to be distinct from the world in the way we go about life. We are patient, kind, merciful, truthful, loving, compassionate, self-controlled, gentle, meek, sure, confident, faithful, and persevering.

What we do on Sunday is meant to be a continuation of what we are doing with the rest of our life. Far too many who attend churches spend their whole week in the mud and grime of the world and then wash it all off for a few hours on Sunday,

God doesn’t call us to turn every moment of our day into a praise service. No, God calls us to use every moment of our day to honor Him and live for Him in ways that reflect Him to one another and the world.

Treasuring is Worship

John Piper said in a sermon on Romans 12:1-2 that “the key to praising Christ is prizing Him.: This boils down what it means to worship with your life. If you truly treasure Christ above all, then you will praise Him with more than your voice, you will praise Him with your life.

Jesus is the Great I AM, and the Great I AM is worthy of worship.