The Word of God has been given to us as a means of revealing Jehovah, but it is more than just that. Have you ever visited somewhere new to you and seen a statue of some famous former resident? As you looked at it, you couldn’t find anything but the man’s name. Joe Blow was a resident of this town or he did something important at this site. Wonderful, but what was it that he did, or perhaps more importantly, what does that mean to me? The Bible is not just a statue commemorating Jehovah. As we said this morning – “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, THAT YE MIGHT BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing YE MIGHT HAVE LIFE through his name.” There is a purpose in every chapter in the Bible. While the Bible is about God, it is also about our – your – relationship with the Lord.
So the DISCIPLES were CAUGHT IN A STORM.
As we all know there are many different kinds of storms. There are rain storms, snow storms, blizzards, wind storms, tornados, hurricanes and so forth. There are similar characteristics between most of these storms, but there are also differences. Certainly some are much more severe than others. It appears that the storm which struck on this occasion was a severe westerly wind. John says that “The sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.” None of the accounts suggest that we should picture a great deluge of rain – just wind.
By the way we need to remember that this is not the first storm which attacked these twelve. Back in Matthew 8 the Lord Jesus was being hounded by people wanting His miraculous blessings. “When Jesus saw the great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side of the sea. “And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. “And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.” Was that a rain storm? I can’t find proof of rain in any of the Synoptic gospels. The boat was being swamped by the waves pounding over the bow.
But getting back to my point – don’t storms of different varieties and degrees often hit us. There was that unexpected disease or pain, and all the medical tests and their expenses. Then the furnace quit or the transmission went out on the car, and wow, look at those expenses. And there were problems with the neighbors – somehow they had taken a dislike to us, and were proving it by doing naughty things to our property. Then someone started spreading horrible, unkind and untrue gossip about you. You were on the verge of losing your job or your income. In many places in this country and around the world the storm is quite real – a tornado has wiped away just about everything that you own, or a flood or fire has destroyed your most precious possessions. Job was hit with half a dozen different kinds of storms – all in rapid succession.
Picture yourself in the shoes of Job or in the boat with those disciples.
And keep in mind that they were DOING THE LORD’S BIDDING.
They were exactly where they were supposed to be. That boat was registered to someone on the western side of the Sea of Tiberias – Galilee. Perhaps it belonged to Peter or James, and it was needed for work tomorrow. It couldn’t be left moored next to a spot of wilderness on the opposite side of the lake. And even then, those disciples had the command of Christ to depart. “Straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship and to go before him unto the other side.” More often than “constrained” the Greek word that the Lord used here is translated “compelled.” On the way to Calvary, “they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled (or constrained) to bear (Jesus’) cross.” Jesus compelled His disciples to get back into the ship and start rowing toward the west.
May it never be forgotten that to serve the Lord, sacrificing everything in the process, is no guarantee that you will be protected from life’s storms. Someone might try to say that the storm fell upon the disciples because they were laboring in their own strength – Christ was not with them. I won’t take that perspective in this case, because they were under the Lord’s orders. And then what about that journey across the lake in Matthew 8 – when Christ was physically present. No sir, to be a Christian, to be a servant of God, does not protect anyone from the general problems of life. In fact, extra problems may come upon us precisely because we are children of God. Two examples out of many, are Daniel and Job.
I mentioned this morning that these disciples were STILL IN THE EYE OF THE LORD.
Mark puts it this way – “And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away, he deaprte dinto a mountain to prayer. And when even was come, the ship was in the mist of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea.”
What was it about which the Saviour was praying? No one can know the intimate conversations which took place between the Father and the Son. About what sort of things do you pray when you are in the presence of the Father? Don’t the names of your loved ones most often come to the forefront of your prayers? Was it any different with the Lord Jesus? Probably it was to some degree, but at the same time, Jesus’ disciples were brought up before God. Read John 17 as an example of just that sort of thing. But where WE spend ten or fifteen minutes in prayer, the Lord Jesus spent two or three hours. Do you suppose that during those hours, our Saviour never mentioned His servants out there in the sea? Do you suppose that the omnipotent Christ, who could see through the darkness for miles, was not interceding on behalf of His struggling, suffering people?
Turning this morning’s message 180 degrees, what a blessing it is to know that the Lord has an interest in us. We could and should focus our study on the Lord, here, but my purpose this evening is you and me. We are in our Saviour’s prayers – look at the generalizations which we see in John 17. And never forget that the Lord, in His omniscience, knows everything about you, and He knows the storm in which you are now laboring.
Now we come to one of the sticky parts of the event.
The disciples became AFRAID.
Both Mark and Matthew tell us that when they saw their Saviour, they became afraid. “They cried out for fear” – “phobos” – which is sometimes translated “terror.” As Mark puts it – “They all saw him, and were troubled, and cried out” – they were greatly “agitated.” The way in which both scriptures are worded, it is quite apparent they were not afraid until they saw Christ. Unlike the earlier storm when they were afraid of the storm and of drowning, this time they just kept on rowing and bailing, rowing and bailing, without much doubt that eventually they would get home. But then they saw the Lord Jesus walking on the water and then they became afraid.
On a scale of one to ten how fearful or superstitious are you? Did you know that there are lots of tall buildings in the world which have no 13th floor? Would you go to a meeting on the 13th floor, or would you rent a suite on that floor? What’s the difference between the 13th floor and the floor, thirteen storeys above the ground but which is called the 14th floor? None of you watch sports on television so I’ll just describe a popular series of commercials. Silly people are doing silly things while watching their favorite team. When the team scores while they are doing those silly things, they think that they have contributed to the score. “It is silly only if it doesn’t work.” I knew people who when they spilled a little salt on the table, they took some of it and threw it over their shoulder to prevent bad luck. Do you look under your bed before you lay down at night? Of course not, but you did when you were small, didn’t you. Do you believe in trolls living under bridges? Leprechauns? How about ghosts? Poltergeists? Of course, you are not guilty of fearing any of these things.
But how do you treat people who do believe in such things? I suppose that the answer depends on several factors. We are not surprised when children believe in monsters under the bed or in the closet, but we try our best to bring them out those ideas. When it comes to silly sports superstitions, perhaps we just laugh. Ah, but what about those religious superstitions of the Catholics, Hindus, Mormons and so many others? We realize that some of those superstitious traditions are contributing to the damnation of their souls. Some of those things make us really angry. Some of those things need to be fought with all the might of the Holy Scriptures.
Why did the disciples become afraid when they saw the Lord Jesus? “And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.” The word translated “spirit” in both Matthew and Mark, is not the word that some of you are expecting. It is not “pneuma” the word translated Holy “Spirit” This is “phantasma” or “phantom.” I confess to not being smart enough to know what was in the minds and hearts of those disciples. I have a few books which talk about the culture and traditions of the Jews in Jesus’ day, but none of them deal with this subject. I can’t tell you that Gill knew what he was talking about, but in regard to this verse in Matthew, he said, “They were troubled, saying it is a spirit: a nocturnal apparition, a demon in human form. The Jews, especially the sect of the Pharisees, had a notion, from whom the disciples might have their’s, of spirits, apparitions, and demons, being to be seen in the night; hence that rule.” He quoted some Jewish scholar – “It is forbidden a man to salute his friend in the night, for we are careful, lest “it should be a demon.” They say a great many things of one “Lilith”, that has its name from “the night,” a she demon, that used to appear in the night, with an human face, and carry off young children, and kill them. Some such frightful notions had possessed the minds of the disciples.”
How should we handle the believer who has ideas like this – which are so different from your own? I have to confess that I am not sure exactly how much demonic activity there is in this world. I would guess that there is a lot more than most of us realize. But do demons take on the appearance and deeds which fit into the fears of the really superstitious? Should I condemn some Andrew or James if he believes that a demon tried to approach him one night when he was out fishing on the Sea of Galilee? If you want to laugh at him, or to be angry with him, be my guest, but I’m not going to join you. I simply don’t know enough.
Whether or not the disciples were wrong in believing in phantoms, Jesus was not a phantom. And, by the way, I don’t hear Him rebuking the disciples for what they thought. Was it stupid superstition or did their opinion have substance in fact? There is no evidence either way in this case. And doesn’t that tell us to be slow to judge them?
This afternoon, I am not going to consider Peter and his little venture out onto the water. The subject is a bit to large, and you are already getting drowsy. We will deal with Peter and his faith next week, the Lord willing.
My last point takes us back to THE DISCIPLE’S WORSHIP OF CHRIST.
When Peter and the Lord came back to the ship, the wind ceased. “Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” Mark is not quite as forthright – he says, “And (Jesus) went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.” “Sore amazed” means that they were “very amazed” – they were astounded. And well they should have been, because they had just witnessed a notable miracle – two miracles. The word “wondered” means that they “marveled” and held the Lord in “high admiration.” The disciples were amazed – they wondered, admired and then worshiped Christ, the Son of God.
Have you seen how emergency medical personnel take people’s temperatures now? It used to be that they used that little glass tube, putting it under your tongue, or under your arm, or in some unmentionable place. Then there was the instrument that they put in your ear. Now, they just run some gizmo across your forehead and instantly they know your temperature.
What if there was an instrument that I could run across your heart, and with it I could determine the kind and depth of your faith. We could quickly see who was saved and who was lost – regenerated or still in their sins. We could see if there were church members who had deceived us or deceived themselves in regard to their salvation. But then what a revelation it might be as we examined the condition of our personal faith in the Lord. Were these twelve disciples all true saints of God? Well, actually no; there was one that we know for sure, had not been born again, and whose faith in Christ was corrupt. But what about the eleven? It appears that they all had differing degrees of faith. Look at Peter stepping out onto the water; why weren’t there more with him? Different degrees of faith?
I said that Mark was not quite as flattering about the faith and the worship of the disciples on this occasion. “And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.” If you had experienced the miracle of the loaves and fish, what would that have done to your faith? Would you have been surprised to see the Lord do the impossible at that point? Would you have been able to trust Christ to build a fire on the surface of the waves without matches? Would have been able to believe that he could turn the water into chocolate milk? Again I ask you, how quick are you to condemn the feeble faith of another saint of God? Are you willing to admit the limitations of your own faith? Are you able to sympathize with that other Christian who is suffering under a terrible burden, or in a terrible storm? Are you willing to risk yourself by trying to help that person in his half-faith? “Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief.”
Perhaps the thing to stress is that they all worshiped. They laid aside their earlier fears – or perhaps the Lord laid them aside for them. They came in their various levels and degrees of trust. Even Judas? They bowed their collective knees before Jesus and acknowledged what they already knew to be true – “thou art the Christ the Son of God.”
Theologically, there is one more important point contained here – “They worshiped the Son of God.” Once again, the Son of God is deity – the Son of God is God the Son – equal to the Father. The Son of God is Jehovah – the King – the Creator – our Saviour. “Crown Him with many crowns…...”