Encounter the Truth

Jonathan Griffiths: You have a scan and the doctor says the disease is gone. The results are clear as he or she interprets them, but there's nothing obvious for you to see day to day. It's true when it comes to our healing of heart. There can be those days when we wonder, have I actually received the healing power of Jesus Christ? Is it true? Is it real? Is it mine?

Guest (Male): Welcome to Encounter the Truth with Jonathan Griffiths. Jonathan, probably all of us have wrestled through questions like that. Some of the folks who are wrestling with that today, we have these doubts that creep in and we wonder, is Jesus really mine? How could I find assurance in an answer to a question like that?

Jonathan Griffiths: Well, I would say we need to be careful not to look to our feelings, our emotions, how we sense things are going today in the Christian life—going well or going badly—and use that as some kind of barometer as to the veracity of our faith in Christ.

What we need to look to is the objective invitation of Jesus Christ to repent and to believe, to come to him in faith, to trust in his saving work, and to call upon his name. And we need to believe what the scriptures say, that if we do repent and do believe, do put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, if we do call upon the name of the Lord, that we are a saved people. That's the promise of the word of God, and that's the assurance that we need.

Guest (Male): Well, we're going to continue to look at this truth from the word of God. We're in Matthew 14 today as we continue our message, The Son Who Rescues and Restores. Here is Jonathan.

Jonathan Griffiths: We see a picture here, don't we? A very dramatic one that actually sums up the very heart of Jesus's mission, and it teaches us something profound about who he is and what he is like.

You see, Jesus is the God who saves. Jesus Christ, he is the Lord of salvation. He's not simply a teacher, a purveyor of wise words, a sage guide through the complexities of life. No, he is the God of heaven who makes it his own business to come to us in our helplessness, in our distress, and our wearied anxiety, and to meet us where no one else can meet us.

That's why, of course, Jesus came down from heaven. We human beings were lost upon the sea of this world, lost in sin, burdened by guilt, facing the very judgment of God, unable to help ourselves, unable to save ourselves, perhaps even unable to articulate the nature of our distress and our need, but he came to us. And he reached us where no one else could reach us.

He came into this world by a miracle, even as he came to those disciples by a miracle that day. He, the Great I AM, the eternal God of heaven, entered the womb of a young woman in the person of his son. He came to us as Savior. He lived among us. He taught us truth. He enabled us to know him. And then he went to a Roman cross to pay the price of our sin. Whether we knew it or not, we were in a place of distress and we had no means to help ourselves, and he came to us.

You see, that's who he is and that's what he does. And friends, I highlight that and I emphasize that because there will be some here today, I have no doubt, who are lost. That's your situation. You are buffeted by the waves of life. You look at the disciples and you actually, you feel the emotion of this moment and you resonate with them because you yourself are in a place of fear and distress. That's maybe why you've come today, maybe why you're listening, and you do not know what to do.

You feel today that you are lost upon the sea of this world. You feel that no one can reach you in your distress and no one can find you. And if that's you, and if that is your situation, you need to know this. The God of heaven, the Great I AM, he has come to you. He has come in the person of his son. And he is able to rescue and he is able to help.

He is able to save, not merely from the difficult circumstances of this life, but from the deeper problem that lurks beneath all others—the problem of your broken relationship with God, the problem of your sin and your guilt before him. He is able to cleanse you and he is able to restore you. He is able to offer you forgiveness. He is able to put you on a firm footing before the God of heaven, to give you hope for time and hope for eternity. It is the character of Jesus and it is the mission of Jesus to rescue the needy, to come to us in our distress and to reach us where no one else can reach us.

But the question now is whether you will recognize him and whether you will receive him. Even the disciples, they were confused, weren't they? They cried out in fear, but he spoke those words of comfort. "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." Have you seen, have you recognized that the Jesus who came to us 2,000 years ago, who comes to us now through his word, who meets us today even on this page of Matthew's Gospel, is none other than the God of Israel, the Great I AM, the God of creation, the God who is, the living God who has power to save. Will you take heart? Will you receive him in faith? Will you put aside fear?

Now, following Jesus, we need to be clear about this. Following Jesus doesn't mean that we will never again face hard or fearful circumstances. Of course, the disciples followed Jesus, yet they found themselves in the storm. Once they recognized him, once they saw that it was their Lord coming to them upon the sea, it did not spell the end of their challenges, nor of their fear.

Peter began quite well in this moment, as he sometimes did begin well, verse 28. "And Peter answered him, 'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.' He said, 'Come.' So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me.'"

Peter saw who it was. He understood it was Jesus who had come to him. He recognized the authority of Jesus. He recognized that Jesus had the power to command him to come to him, to walk on water. Jesus gave the command. Peter came. So far, so good. He recognizes the authority of Jesus, he trusts in the power of Jesus, and while his eyes are upon Jesus, Peter is doing just fine. He's doing better than fine, actually. He's walking upon the waves.

That's a tremendous start. That is a wonderful step of faith. Peter, in these moments, he is our faith hero. Here is a man who steps out in risky trust and dependency, while others are huddled there in the boat, exhausted and cowering, we only imagine. Here is the great believer stepping out in faith. Well done, Peter. But then it happens. His eyes begin to divert from the face of the Lord Jesus Christ and he turns to give regard to the fearful circumstances that surround him, and it's trouble, verse 30. "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me.'"

I think we so often expect the Christian life to move forward in an essentially linear way—a purely linear way. I think we expect we're just going to grow steadily in our understanding, in our faith, in our godliness. Each day is going to be a little bit better than the last one. We're going to move forward; we're not going to move backward. I don't know about you, but for me, the reality is so much messier than that.

The reality for us is that it's often two steps forward, one step back. It's sometimes two steps forward, three steps back. The grim truth is that sometimes I can look back six months, a year, five years, and see past evidences of faith and devotion and godliness in my own life and think, I wish I could recapture that now. Because actually, as I think upon it, reflect upon it, I think I've in that area, I think I've actually regressed. I think I've slipped. I wish that the only way was up, but that is not always the case in the Christian life.

It's messy. The Christian life is messy. The chart of Christian growth is sometimes a very, very jagged line, isn't it? And Peter, he is so wonderfully real in this respect. He steps out of the boat, he leads the pack, he makes the bold move of faith. He looks straight in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ and he puts his full trust in him, and I don't know, do you remember a moment like that in your life? A moment of profound trust and devotion, and maybe a concrete step of faith that followed that—a decision to give or to serve or to go, something big.

And then the winds and the waves of your circumstances catch the attention of your eye. And you look over at the fearful reality and you realize there's nothing concrete under my feet. No backup plan, there's nothing in the bank account, nowhere else to go. And you think, what did I just do? Where do I think I'm going? What on earth was I thinking? How do I get back to the boat?

I wonder if you know anything of that experience. I wonder if that's actually exactly where you are today. You know the Lord. You've been following the Lord Jesus down that dusty road of discipleship for some time, just like Peter, you've been serving him, but something has shifted. Some new threat has arisen in your experience, something has unsettled you. Your faith is wavering and suddenly you now feel as though you're sinking.

That was Peter's story at this moment. But for all his frailty of faith, he does do the right thing next. His faith is faltering, no doubt, but he does the one thing he's got to do. He cries out, "Lord, save me."

It's the initial cry of the Christian life, of course. We come to the Lord Jesus with empty hands and say, "Lord, save me. Save me from my sin; save me from the judgment that is to come." That's the initial cry of the Christian life. But I think we learn with Peter to cry out to Jesus as we walk through this life as disciples.

As the waves threaten to overwhelm us, we learn to cry to the Lord Jesus Christ that he might save us from sinking. I'm in this mess and I don't know what to do. Lord, save me. I'm dealing with these kids and they're out of control and I have no strategy, I've got no wisdom for this. Lord, save me. I'm in this financial hole and I don't know what to do. I am drowning. Lord, save me.

I've got this diagnosis and it's bad. I'm not even able to begin to process what's going on here. Lord, save me. I'm battling with this mental health crisis. I'm in a pit of despair. It's all darkness. Lord, save me. My marriage, it's a mess. I don't see a way forward. I don't know if there's any hope. Lord, save me. I've slipped again and I stumbled in sin. I've made a mess of things. I feel wretched about it. Lord, save me. The winds are strong, the waves are high, the sea is deep beneath. Lord, save me.

And what does Jesus say to us in that moment? You had your chance. Your faith should be stronger. Don't be so pathetic; save yourself. No, that's not what he says. And it's not what he does, verse 31, notice it again. "Jesus immediately"—no delay—"immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' And when they got in the boat, the wind ceased."

Now, Peter's problem was a faith problem. Jesus, he makes that clear. He doubted; he had little faith—little faith in the power of Jesus over the forces of nature, over the threatening circumstances. But Jesus, he didn't abandon the disciple whose faith wavered at that moment. He grabbed hold of him. He pulled him into the boat. And it's no coincidence that when Jesus and Peter get back into the boat, the wind ceased. You see, Jesus made it cease. He calmed the wind and the waves. He showed his power, his power over creation, his power as the God of heaven, his power as the Great I AM.

And the disciples, they were moved to respond to him just as they should respond to him, verse 33. "And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'" Peter, he knew Jesus already. The other disciples, they had seen Jesus at work. They had been following him, they had been trusting him, they had been serving him, they had been listening to him, they had been watching his works of power. But there on the lake in those lonely early hours, they came to know him more.

They understood more deeply and more profoundly who it was that was standing before them. It dawned upon them in that day in some more profound way that Jesus truly is the Lord of heaven above, truly the Son of God.

In the midst of the wind and the waves, the fearful circumstances of life, what they needed was to see and learn more deeply, more profoundly, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. They hadn't fully understood. They hadn't fully understood that he was the Son of God, the royal prince of heaven above, who created the world, who made the sea, who commands the winds and the waves. They needed a bigger picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, of his power and his majesty.

And as you and I follow this Jesus, we need to learn, don't we? We need to trust. We need to realize that the Jesus of our personal devotion is indeed the Great I AM. He is the one who spoke into being the seas of this world that even threaten to engulf us. He is the creator of the world in which we dwell. And nothing of this world, nothing within this world, nothing of the circumstances we face—none of it has any power to match his power or to overwhelm him.

And it may be, I don't know, it may be today that you simply need to call out to Jesus afresh with renewed trust, with urgent faith: Lord, save me. And here is the wonder of his power and the glory of his heart. He will reach out his hand once more when you call upon him, and he will help you, and he will keep you, and he will move you to fresh worship in awe and wonder and praise.

Jesus the Son, he rescues the needy, and finally, as we close, he restores the sick. Just notice it with me, verse 34. "And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well."

It's a lovely scene, isn't it? If a little bit chaotic. When sick people gather in the hope of receiving healing, it is always a little chaotic. We actually get a little hint of this, even in the hospital emergency room in our day. There's always an anxious buzz there, isn't there? Too many people trying to access the promise of healing. There's hope, yes, in the room, but also anxiety. There's something of a clamor.

Well, Jesus has landed at Gennesaret. The boat has reached shore, and quickly he is recognized as the now famous teacher and healer. His reputation, it's gone before him, and word goes out to the region. The healer is here. Bring the sick. Don't lose time; get here fast. And whatever else has been said about Jesus, it's been enough to produce confidence, even faith.

The people implored him, we're told, that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. Whatever they knew about Jesus Christ, they knew this much: even the touch of the edge of his clothing would be to access supernatural power to heal. And they weren't wrong. They weren't disappointed. And as many as touched it were made well.

It's a remarkable picture. It's a wonderful scene. Broken bodies being restored, lives marred by illness being made whole once more. And we think of just the variety of the scene—children, adults, injured people, the lame, the diseased, the dying—and they come to Jesus and the simple touch revolutionizes their situation, changes their future. For many, it saves their life. It's a lovely scene. It is beautiful. It's heartwarming. But what does it mean? What does it mean for us today? What do we take from this and how do we apply it?

You see, the Lord Jesus Christ, he's not here physically that you and I might touch his garment and receive immediate healing of body. And anyway, I think we've seen far too many unscrupulous teachers promise freedom from disease through faith. We've heard too many disappointments when that proves a false offer in the near term. We know not to claim the experience of the crowd for ourselves in this way.

And so, if the meaning of this is not immediate freedom this side of heaven from illness and disease, what do we do with this picture? How does it apply? I think it's always helpful, always actually very important, to remember that the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels are always teaching us at least two things. They are always pointing beyond themselves to teach us deeper truth in two ways at least.

They're teaching us, first of all, about the identity and the power of Jesus Christ. You see, we can't look at this incident, nor the previous one on the lake actually, and come away and say Jesus was just a teacher of wise and clever words. No, no. If the touch of the fringe of his garment heals incurable disease, then here is the truth: God has come among us. That's the inescapable conclusion. God has come down to us. Jesus of Nazareth, he is the divine Son of heaven above.

That's why, isn't it, of course, that after the incident on the lake, the people in the boat worshiped Jesus as the Son of God. What else could you do? And so friends, I have to ask, have you recognized him? I mean, have you truly recognized him? Have you reckoned with who Jesus really is? Not simply a teacher of good words or a worker of impressive feats, but God eternal come to us.

The miracles, they always teach us about the identity and power of Jesus. But next, and this is maybe less obvious, but it is so important, they point us to his greatest work of all—his saving work at the cross. All the miracles through the Gospel, they point beyond themselves to the great work that Jesus came down to do when he died upon the cross. Each of the miracles in their own way sheds light on that greater miracle.

And that's certainly the truth here. You see, Jesus's aim and ambition was not simply to heal the physical diseases of a handful of people in Gennesaret in the first century AD. That was not the full scope of his saving work. No, he came down that he might heal the disease of all diseases, the core disease of humanity, our disease of heart—the rotten, cancerous sin that destroys human life and brings death for all eternity. The disease of sin. That's the disease that Jesus came to heal.

And it is the disease which afflicts each one of us. It's the disease of your heart and of my heart which must be cured if we are to live. At the cross of Calvary, Jesus died to address our disease of heart, to provide cleansing through his shed blood, to pay the debt of our guilt through his broken body, paying the price of our sin before God the judge.

And here is the true beauty of the scene by the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Here is the wonder of this moment at Gennesaret. The touch—the mere touch—of Jesus Christ, if we reach out to him in faith, in simplicity, in our own weakness, if we but extend that hand of trust to Jesus, his power of healing will be released.

Friend, have you reached out to Jesus? Reached out in repentance and in faith, in simple trust that he might heal you? Have you done that? If you haven't, let me tell you, you need to do that. If you haven't, let me tell you, you can do that even today. We'd love to help you do that today. But it's such a simple thing—the touch of faith and nothing more.

As we close, let me simply say this for the believer now. If you have reached out to him, if you have done that, you need to know today that you have been healed. You need to be assured today that you have been restored. You know, with some diseases, the healing is such a visible thing; it's so obvious. There's no question that you're better because you can walk again or you can see again.

But with other things, it's less obvious, isn't it? It's an invisible thing to the naked eye. You have a scan and the doctor says the disease is gone. The results are clear as he or she interprets them, but there's nothing obvious for you to see day to day. And it's true when it comes to our healing of heart. There can be those days when we wonder, have I actually received the healing power of Jesus Christ? Is it true? Is it real? Is it mine?

Notice again just those lovely words at the end of verse 36. "And as many"—everyone—"as touched it were made well." That is the promise of the Gospel. You see, that is the power of Jesus. For those who say no to sin and yes to Jesus, who reach out in simple faith, to them power is released. For them, healing is given. And if he has made you well, if he has healed and restored your heart, if you have come to him for that, be assured: you have been healed indeed.

Guest (Male): Jonathan Griffiths with our message, The Son Who Rescues and Restores, part of our series, In the Presence of the King. If you've missed any of the messages in this study of Matthew's Gospel, you can always catch up at our website. It's encounterthetruth.org.

Encounter the Truth is able to be on this station and make the website and the podcast available because of your generosity. And as you give a gift this month, we want to say thank you by sending you a book that Jonathan has chosen. It's called An Anchor for the Soul, written by Paul Mallard.

Jonathan, who is this book written for?

Jonathan Griffiths: Well, this book is for anyone who's walking through a time of trial or difficulty. And I'm so conscious that there will be many listening to the program today who find themselves exactly in that space. And if that is you, if you're walking through the valley of trial, I'd love to get this book into your hands to be an encouragement to you from the scriptures to look to the Lord and find your hope in Jesus during this time.

There will be others who are listening today and who have friends and loved ones who are going through a very difficult season in life. And perhaps you could get hold of this book and give it to that loved one and bring encouragement to them today. I'd love to get it to you.

Guest (Male): Well, we want to send you a copy of this book, An Anchor for the Soul, as our way of saying thank you for your financial support. You can give online at encounterthetruth.org or over the phone. Our number is 1-833-99-TRUTH. That's 1-833-998-7884 or encounterthetruth.org.

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For our producer, Mark Bruner, and our Bible teacher, Jonathan Griffiths, I'm Steve Hiller. Thanks for listening and I hope you'll join us next time.