In the Word

Guest (Male): Hello and welcome to In the Word with Michele Telfer. Thank you for joining us for this in-depth study of God's Word, the Bible. For more of Michele's free resources, visit her website at intheword.com. And now, Michele.

Michele Telfer: Welcome to our fifth lesson in the Miracles of Jesus. Let's pray, shall we? Father God, I ask, as I always do, that you would speak and that I would not get in the way of what you plan to do. Let it all be to the glory of Christ's name alone. It is in Jesus' name we ask. Amen.

Well, I hope you're feeling encouraged by our study on the miracles of Christ so far. I know I am. It's been especially encouraging to see that Jesus never turned away from people who were in need. In fact, he often sought them out, reminding his disciples that this is why he came, not for the whole, but for the broken; not for the righteous, but for the lost; not for the self-satisfied, but for the hurting.

But he also came to teach his disciples, and the miracles that we're going to look at today were specifically about them and for their benefit. There were no crowds present when these miracles happened, just Jesus and the disciples and some stormy winds on the Sea of Galilee. The first miracle occurs fairly early in Jesus' ministry following a day of teaching near the sea.

It's recorded in three of the Gospels: Matthew chapter 8, Mark chapter 4, and Luke 8. We're going to follow Mark's account that begins in Mark 4, verse 35. That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along just as he was in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

The Sea of Galilee is well-known for its fierce storms that seem to come out of nowhere, so what happened that night was really no surprise, but it was very unwelcome. Mark describes the terrifying scene in which large waves were breaking over their craft, frightening even the seasoned fishermen who were on board. Those of us who live in areas where hurricanes, typhoons, or tornadoes occur know just how terrifying these kinds of weather systems can be, and we can easily understand the frantic efforts that must have been going on.

The disciples would have been shouting at each other, straining at the oars, and trying to keep as much water out of the boat as they could. It would have been a very noisy, bumpy ride, and yet, the exhausted Jesus slept peacefully in the back of the boat through it all. There are many times in the Gospels where we're told that Jesus took time to rest, but this is the only place that actually mentions Jesus being asleep. If you're an uneasy sleeper like I am, you may have to marvel at the fact that he could do so in such extreme circumstances.

What a great contrast, though, to the disciples. Finally, in frantic desperation, they awakened him, crying out, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" I think we can see something of ourselves in their panicked response, don't you? Remember, these men had left everything to follow Jesus, and they'd been obedient to his command. He'd told them to cross the lake in the first place. And if we're being honest, I'm sure many of us would look at this scene and see it as being rather unfair.

After all, isn't the Lord supposed to protect those who entrust themselves to him? Isn't he supposed to take care of his own? And I'm also thinking that some of you know what it's like to have followed Jesus only to have things turn out very differently from what you expected. Maybe your particular storm has been raging for some time, and you're weary of straining against the oars and bailing out the water from your boat. Perhaps you've even begun to think that he doesn't care about what you're going through.

But how did Jesus respond to their anxious cries? Mark explains in verse 39: He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down, and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him." It's important to notice that Jesus did not rebuke them for bothering him. He simply spoke to the wind and the waves, and everything became completely calm.

The same could not be said of the disciples' hearts, however. They were perhaps even more terrified by the sudden calm than they had been by the storm. Instead of answering Jesus' question about why they'd been afraid, they whispered among themselves and asked a question of their own: "Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey him?" Though they'd been in his presence and heard his teaching for many days now, they still didn't understand who Jesus really is.

What they did understand was that in showing his authority over the wind and the waves, Christ did something only God himself was able to do. They had to be thinking of the story of Moses that was told at every Passover. They would have remembered how the men of Pharaoh's army pursued God's people until they reached the Red Sea, and that just when there seemed to be no hope of salvation, the sea parted and God's people passed through on dry ground.

And though it was Moses who stretched out his hand over that sea, Exodus 14:21 is clear that it was the Lord who drove back the sea with a strong east wind that night to save his people. The disciples could all recite Psalm 107, verses 29 through 30, which says of the Lord, "He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed." No wonder the miracle Jesus performed that night on the Sea of Galilee terrified them. I mean, could it be that the same God who had been with Moses was now with them and that the wind and waves were still obeying him?

The second miracle on the Sea of Galilee that we're studying occurred later in Jesus' ministry. It's recorded in Matthew 14, Mark 6, and John chapter 6. We'll look at the story in Matthew 14, but I think it's important that we take the time to set the scene and understand what had been going on. The first part of Matthew 14 tells us that Jesus had just learned that his relative, John the Baptist, had been beheaded by Herod, and he tried to withdraw to a quiet place for prayer.

But a large crowd followed him, making that impossible. In spite of his grief, Jesus was filled with compassion for them, and so, with no thought for himself, he healed the sick among them, and at the end of the day, miraculously fed them: 5,000 men plus women and children. Turn with me to Matthew's account of what happened next, after the feeding of the 5,000. We begin in verse 22 of Matthew 14.

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there all alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It is a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

As in the first storm, Jesus was exhausted from a busy day of ministry, but he bore the added weight of deep grief over his cousin John's death. Still longing to spend time alone with his Heavenly Father in prayer, he dismissed the crowd and sent his disciples by boat to Gennesaret, which was about three miles south of Capernaum. While he went to pray, the disciples set out on their journey, but they didn't make much headway.

After hours of rowing against a very strong wind, they'd been pushed a considerable distance from the shore and were probably in the middle of the lake, unsure of exactly where they were. No wonder they were terrified by the sight of a figure walking on the water. If it was a ghost, then they were surely about to die. But sensing their fear, Jesus immediately said to them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." And the effect his words had on them is quite remarkable. Look at verse 28.

"Lord, if it is you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" You know, I love Peter. You can always count on him to be enthusiastic and impulsive, to act first and think afterward.

But his heart was really in the right place. Without even being totally sure that the figure was Jesus, he wanted to follow him, to do what his Lord was doing. At Christ's invitation, he stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus on the water. You know, we often forget that Peter actually did walk on the water. For a few moments, he was like his Lord. He must have been elated. But those baby steps of faith didn't last.

As the storm pressed in upon him, he became more conscious of the strength of the wind and the height of the waves breaking around him. He took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. Notice, though, that as soon as Peter cried out for the Lord to save him, Jesus reached out his hand and caught his flailing disciple. Matthew continues in verse 32 to say, "And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'"

This was the first time the disciples had called Jesus by that title, and it's the first time that we're told that they worshiped him, praising him for who he is. So what can we learn from these two miracles, miracles specifically done for the disciples? Well, first, storms are going to come even when we're doing exactly what the Lord has told us to do and when we're in exactly the place he told us to be.

The truth is, storms are a part of life. Believing in Christ doesn't exempt us from living in a fallen world and the trouble that brings. Jesus himself told us in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble." But he also said that we can take heart, for he has overcome the world. Christ's victory over death and sin really has changed everything. The storms of life do not have the power to destroy us. His presence brings us everything we need in the midst of them.

Listen to the words of the prophet in Isaiah 43, verses 1 through 3: But now, this is what the Lord says, he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Notice, the prophet says "when you pass through," not "if you pass through." There will be storms, but the Lord doesn't abandon us in them. He promises to be with us and carry us through them. We can also learn that the storms aren't sent to defeat us, but rather to teach us and mature us. In fact, James declares in James chapter 1, verses 2 to 4, that we can consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds because we know the testing of our faith produces perseverance.

And we are to let perseverance finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Have you ever wondered why the Lord invited Peter to step out of the boat when he surely already knew exactly what would happen? I think Jesus did so because Peter had some things he needed to learn about himself as well as the Lord. It's entirely possible Peter expected the storm to stop at that point, and when it didn't, both his confidence and his faith began to falter.

The very waves he'd walked on began to overwhelm him, and he couldn't do anything but cry out for help. Though Jesus asked Peter, "Why did you doubt?" I don't believe it was in a harsh or an unkind way. I believe it was a gentle encouragement to humility and self-reflection, much like a loving parent who encourages a child to admit their slip-up and learn from it. It's very interesting to me, however, that when they climbed into the boat and the wind died down, then those who were in the boat worshiped him.

They said, "Truly you are the Son of God." That truth really stuck with Peter, and just two chapters later in Matthew 16, we see him making the same confession upon which Christ said he would build his church: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Peter would become the acknowledged leader among the disciples and the one who later preached on the day of Pentecost when 3,000 people turned to Christ. But he would also be the one who denied Jesus three times.

Peter struggled for most of his life to come to an end of himself and keep his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus so that the Lord could truly use him. I think these early storms were a part of that learning process. In every storm we face, Jesus gives us that same kind of room to grow and learn. He doesn't demand perfection from us, but he's looking for the faith that both steps out in obedience and calls out for help when it weakens.

Storms aren't sent to make us fail; they're sent to help us grow. And what we learn of him in each storm will equip us for what lies ahead of us. Because the truth is, the storms don't always get easier the longer we've walked with him. Did you notice that the second storm was more intense and lasted longer than the first? But that second storm revealed Christ's glory in a greater way than the earlier one did.

It increased their understanding of Jesus' power over creation and their own circumstances. When he approached the disciples walking on the waves and said, "It is I, don't be afraid," he showed that he wasn't disturbed or hindered by the very things that were so frightening to them. When they were overwhelmed, Christ was not. More than that, Jesus was able to save no matter what the conditions.

In a sense, I do think that God used the second storm to answer the question the disciples had asked in the first one when they were left wondering, "Who is this?" Surely these Jewish men had heard Job's words about God from Job chapter 9, verses 8 and 10: He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

After Jesus walked on the water, there was no question in their minds about who he is. He is the Son of God who is worthy of our worship. However, there's one thing I want you to see. Perhaps like me, you've always wondered why Jesus chose to come to them by walking on the water. I mean, why didn't he just calm the storm from the mountain where he was praying? It would have been just as miraculous.

I think it was to show the disciples that the thing they feared the most was the very thing that would bring Christ to them in a way that they had not known before. As I reflect on my own life, I can certainly say that is true. I've encountered many different storms over the years. I endured nine years of infertility before having my own children. I've dealt with cancer and have almost died twice, and on one occasion, I actually had to sign my end-of-life decisions before they would even treat me.

Then I lost the love of my life when my husband died after 35 years of marriage, and I had to move thousands of miles away to start over again from scratch, this time as a widow. I have faced a lot of fear and a lot of unknowns, but in each storm, Christ has come to me in the very things I feared the most. He has shown me more and more of himself and his power, and I'm closer to him now than I ever could have anticipated.

And that is what storms do: they show us who the Lord is. From our perspective, they seem to blow us off course, but they actually bring him to us if we would only look for him and call out to him in our hour of need. When we do, we find that he is the peace that we're longing for. He is the peace in the storms of life. So how do we connect to the Lord of peace when we're caught in the middle of a frightening storm?

How can we reach him when we're panicking and everything seems to be falling apart? Well, Paul answers this question for us when speaking to the church in Philippi, chapter 4, verses 6 to 7. He encourages us: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It isn't always easy to pray when we're afraid and exhausted. Sometimes the best we can do is to stop the anxious thought in its tracks and turn it into a prayer, however weak and helpless it may sound, because Paul tells us that is exactly the path to peace. And in the next two verses, he gives us two more helps. He tells us to be very careful with our thoughts and to keep on doing what we know to be right.

He says in verse 8: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

My friends, don't let the howling winds and the cold spray of the waves rob you of the peace that is yours in Christ. Satan would have you believe that Jesus does not care about what you face, or that you've been blown so far off course that Jesus is unwilling or unable to save you. But neither of these two thoughts is true. The Lord loves you, and he will come to you in the midst of whatever you're facing. But watch your thoughts. Keep on doing what he's told you to do. Cry out to him when you feel weak. And above all, keep your eyes fixed on him.

Let's pray. Father God, we thank you so much that you equip us for what lies ahead. Lord, you use our experiences to guide us for what is yet to be. I thank you so much for these two miracles in which you taught your disciples to trust you, to see you for who you really are. Lord, and I pray that you would put the trials we face in our own lives to good use too. It is in your precious name we pray. Amen and amen. Well, God bless you, and I'll see you next time.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to In the Word with Michele Telfer. Join us next week as we continue our study from God's Word, the Bible. Michele's teachings are available on all major podcast platforms, also on her website at intheword.com, and through the In the Word by Michele Telfer app. Please consider supporting this ministry with a donation through the app or at intheword.com, helping us reach more people with the truth of Jesus Christ.