Overview by Raufu Spagnoletta
Scripture Lesson Text: Matthew 14:22-36
Jesus did not merely claim to be the Son of God but confirmed His deity through His power over death, miraculous works and His exaltation into heaven. “If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him” (John 10:37-38). Scripture bears witness that people responded in one or two ways to Jesus’ claim to deity, faith or rejection. What a man believes about Jesus Christ determines how he relates to Christ and his eternal destiny.
Jesus is in prayer on a mountainside while His disciples are on a ship tossed about on the stormy sea. In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus is walking on the sea to them and the disciples believing He is a ghost, cried out in fear. After Jesus identified Himself, Peter requested that Jesus bid him to walk on the water to Him. Peter walked on the water to Jesus, but became distracted and afraid by the boisterous wind and beginning to sink cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus stretched forth His hand, caught him, and said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
When Jesus and Peter came into the ship, the wind ceased. When the disciples saw Jesus’ power over nature they recognized Him as the Son of God and bowed before Him in worship. This revelation came to the disciples not when Jesus delivered others but when He delivered them. Worship is the believer’s response to Jesus’ self revelation. When they came into the land of Gennesaret, many who were diseased touched the hem of His garment and were made perfectly whole.
Related Scriptures by Janice Hall
Related Scriptures: Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25; Matthew 9:27-31,35
We see in Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus’ disciples follow him in to a boat, and they cross the sea. When a storm arises, the disciples plead for the Lord to save them. Jesus is asleep in the midst of the storm. Jesus reproves them for their little faith and then rebukes and silences the winds. The disciples are amazed at His power.!!
Luke records in 8:22-25, the people’s reaction to Jesus’ message. The people must decide who Jesus is in the face of miraculous salvation from earthly threats. When Jesus calms a storm, over the Sea of Galilee, He rescues the disciples and shows His authority over chaos and nature. When Jesus’ disciples were fearing the loss of life, Jesus was in perfect peace. The threat of the storm had no effect on His calm.
In Matthew 9: 27-31,35, we have yet another story of Jesus’ healing miracles. The following of two blind men follow Jesus in the crowd, crying out “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” They believe Jesus is the Messiah and that He can make them see. Jesus does so, but they disobey His command not to tell anyone. “ And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people”. (vs.35)
Practical Points by Janice Hall
3) We can trust Jesus’ power because He controls all creation.
God gives us greater faith, when we pray for the Lord’s help to live with a trust in His power, to do that which would be otherwise impossible. As we ask God’s help to live with faith, we are able to see His infinite glory, greatness, majesty, and infinite ability. God helps us to pray accordingly, to the King of the universe, that has all authority and power, who is sovereign and rules over all things. We are to put our hope and trust in what God is able to do in His divine power. This allows our hearts to be freed from our own expectations and desires, allowing for God’s greater plan to happen within us and through us.
5) We should always keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”(Hebrews 2:1). This text says it is necessary to give heed to fix our eyes on Jesus. We are called upon to see Jesus, to listen, to consider Jesus , to fix our eyes on Jesus. Keeping his eyes fixed on the Lord, Peter stepped out of the boat and onto the Sea of Galilee, but became overwhelmed , when he looked at the elements. When we keep our eyes fixed on God’s word, it will allow us to be elevated above doubt, worry, conflict, and uncertainties.
