Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Matthew 14:22–33 ESV

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.”

Introduction

We live in a distracting world

A world where we are often prone to panic, confusion, terror, and frustration

A world where we can find ourselves being tossed to and fro, wondering where God is and why He’s not doing what we expect Him to be doing

Then, when He does reveal Himself, some (and only some) step out in faith and find themselves sinking and in need of rescue

Our text today is Matthew 14:22-33

I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of sermons on this passage

A lot happens here, a lot can be misconstrued and misunderstood, but the point of this passage is clear: Keep your eyes on Jesus. // What, though, does this look like?

Textual Walkthrough

1. Jesus dismisses both the crowds and His disciples, telling the disciples to get in a boat and sail across the sea

He dismisses the crowds because they were going to return, take Him by force, and make Him into the Messiah they thought He was (John 6:15) // God will not allow His plans to be interrupted

He sends the disciples directly into a storm

He dismissed them all to go off by Himself to pray

Even Jesus, God-incarnated on earth, often took time by Himself to be in prayer

We ought to do the same

Take a lesson from Jesus: Sometimes you need to dismiss the people and things distracting you from gaining a sense of God’s imminence, and pray in solitude

The disciples are stuck at sea in a storm

It is not an accident that the Lord dispatched them into this storm (He did not forget to check the weather) // Jesus orchestrated the storm for the disciples to struggle

We see this as true because the storm ceased as soon as Jesus climbed into the boat (14:32)

“In the fourth watch” meaning sometime between 3-6am // They had been sailing since probably around 6pm, so they had been on the water between 8-12 hours (feels like an eternity in struggle)

They see Jesus walking on the water in the midst of the storm

14:25 says very clearly “he came to them” // Meaning that Jesus intentionallyappeared to them in this miraculous fashion

The disciples freak out and “were terrified,” assuming Jesus is a ghost (φάντασμα, where we get the English “phantasm”) — a visible spirit like in 1 Samuel 28 where Saul sees the ghost of Samuel

Jesus tells them “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid”

“It is I” (ἐγώ εἰμί – “I am”) foreshadows the worship of Him as God in v. 33

Peter calls out to Jesus and walks on water

“If it is you…” should not be taken as “possibility,” but more in the sense of “since it is you”

No fool would step out of a boat in a storm just to test what could be a mirage, much less an experienced fisherman like Peter

Peter had the trust in Jesus to step out onto the waves // He had no life-preserver or rope tied to him // He trusted that this was Jesus miraculously walking on water as the Lord of nature

Jesus commands him to “Come” (14:29) and Peter listened like they did when they boarded the boat and left the crowds, but he was more obedient than all the others by doing this

Peter sinks and is rescued

When Peter “saw the wind” (14:30), meaning he used his sailing and fishing experience and saw how dangerous it was for him to be out there miraculously walking (even sailing, for that matter), and “he was afraid”

Even those who follow God’s call to go somewhere or do something grow afraid and discouraged // They see the wind around them, all the distracting and depressing stormy waves, and fear wells up in them

They doubt, which in the Greek implies being pulled in too many directions at once // They lose focus, and they begin to sink

Peter cries out to Jesus for help

Peter, as he sinks, cries out to Jesus for rescue

True believers instinctually know to cry out to Jesus for rescue // They know He is able and willing, and when they find themselves in trouble they find these words flying out of their mouths: “Lord, save me!”

A Christian’s instinct is not to trust in anything or anyone than the Lord for rescue // There is a chance that God might ordain for someone other than His own miraculous hand of providence to rescue us, but there is no rescue apart from God’s providence

Peter is rebuked

“O you of little faith” – Faith enough to walk out at the Lord’s command, but not enough faith to keep his eyes set on Jesus

Christians are more often like the disciples who stayed in the boat than Peter. They prefer their own safety zone, the four walls of their vessel where they feel safe even amidst waves

But for those who are bold enough to step out, those are also the same ones who oftenfind themselves sinking when their vision is taken off Jesus // They are also the ones who experience this same rescuing hand and rescuing rebuke: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Only Peter was willing to obey and suffer humiliation like this; such is the way of the boldly faithful in Christ who say with Peter: “Yes, Lord. I will respond to your clear call and move out of the boat.” // It is also those who inevitably receive the rebuke and humbling when our eyes turn from Jesus to other things

The storm stops and Jesus is worshipped

When Jesus and Peter get in the boat, the storm immediately stops because God’s testing and teaching has completed for the time

When we obey God, we often find ourselves being sent into storms.

When we obey God, we often find ourselves remarkably seeing His presence and power

When we obey God even further, we often see His awe-inspiring acts and find ourselves failing and crying out for His rescue, and also experience that rescue

Because of this, Jesus’ disciples worshipped Him and proclaimed the truth: Jesus is the Son of God

So will we, when we have the faith to obey despite all circumstances see and worship Him who is the Son of God

Applications

Mimic Jesus by finding time for solitude in prayer

Fellowship with the Father was important to Jesus, it should be important for us to know how precious and necessary it is

Jesus did this before important decisions, even though He is sovereign

Affirming and choosing the Apostles (Luke 6:12)

Before preaching (Mark 1:35)

And even just in the throes of His public ministry (Luke 6:16)

This is a Christ-like quality we must all have, to set aside our busyness and seek the Lord in prayer

Obey even when it sends you into a storm

We must not be like the prophet Jonah who disobeyed the Lord into a storm, but like the Apostles who obey the Lord and sail right into a storm

Obedience the Lord always results in a better outcome than disobedience

The Israelites obeyed the Lord to and through walls of water into freedom from the Egyptians (Exodus 14) // They grumbled against Moses and were subjected to waiting until the last moment of deliverance from Pharaoh (Exodus 14:11), but were also commanded by Moses: “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13-14).

We must learn to trust when things look bad, and obey the Lord into walking into them

Jesus doesn’t send His disciples into easy journeys, but He is always able to rescue them when they need it most, and knows exactly what sort of rescue they need

Note:the other disciples were also rescued in seeing Peter’s faith, in seeing his failure and Jesus’ rescue, from the storm when it ceased, and in being permitted to worship Jesus rightly because of it all

Do not be afraid

Our world today is full of things which rightly make men fearful, but we are not called to be afraid but to act in a way that glorifies God in all things

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31)

It is senseless to be afraid as long as we fear, revere, and love God // He will show His hand at just the right time, often shocking us and giving us deeper senses of fear, reverence, and love of Him

Note: Putting these first three applications together, we should often seclude ourselves from that which makes us most anxious in this world, acting in loving obedience to the Lord’s commands and law, and courageously trusting the Lord no matter what

Are you prone to being gluttonous on that which makes you angry or fearful in this world? Seclude yourself often in prayer // Not constantly like a hermit, but often enough to walk fearlessly in the Lord’s will

Are you prone to constant distraction? Mindless scrolling through social media or inattentive binging on shows and movies? // Search for a way to isolate yourself in prayer to God, free from those distractions in humble obedience and courage

Transition: Therefore, the culmination of all these applications is found here:

Keep your eyes on Jesus and worship Him

Are you inundated by your struggles? // Retire yourself in prayer, cry out for rescue, and worship Him who is able

Are you anxious and fearful as the storms are crashing around you? // Listen to the Lord anyway, do as He commands, get out of the boat and go where He is calling

Have you been mercifully and shockingly rescued recently? // Proclaim that Jesus is rightly the Son of God, worthy of adoration, and worship Him.

Love and obey Jesus by keeping your eyes on Him, finding your delight in Him and His law lest you perish in your affliction (Psalm 119:92)