This is a question the disciples asked about Jesus. In Matther 8 Jesus had been on a mountain, and when he comes down there is a great multitude. A leper comes to Him asking for healing and Jesus heals him. As they go into Capernaum there came a centurion, an officer in the Roman army, asking Jesus to heal a servant in his home. Jesus offers to come to his home and the centurion tells Jesus, I am not worthy for you to come to my home, just speak the word and it shall be so. When Jesus heard the centurion’s response, Jesus marveled. Can you imagine that Jesus, the Son of God, part of who we call the Trinity, He marveled at this man. Why? Jesus said He had found no greater faith in all of Israel…this man was a Roman, a Gentile, who recognized Jesus as more than just another preacher man. He recognized something beyond all the others and exhibited great faith. Jesus would continue on to preach that day and perform other miracles.
It was becoming evening and Jesus said to his disciples, it’s time to leave, so they got in the boat to go to the other side of the lake. Jesus in his humanity must have been tired and wore out, as he fell asleep. As he slept, there came a tempest, an extensive current of wind, rushing with great velocity and violence, in so much that the ship was being covered with the waves….and Jesus slept. Some of these disciples were fishermen and understood how to maneuver the boat, they were not novice at this and yet there was nothing they could do. So they turn to the one they have been following, the one who just that day had performed various miracles. As they go to him, can you imagine their conversation? How can he sleep? Why isn’t he up with all this tossing about? Finally, they wake Jesus up and say, Lord, save us or we are going to die. He looks at them and ask, why are you afraid? Oh, ye of little faith. He then turns to the winds and the sea and rebukes them…. what exactly did he say? Can you see the disciples watching Jesus turn to the sea and the winds and say: Stop or Be Still and it ceases immediately and there is a great calm. I can picture the disciples looking at the water, looking at Jesus, looking back at the water with wonder and awe…. with questions, about what they just saw, what just happened. Did Jesus lay back down and go to sleep? I don’t know, but the Bible does tell us that the disciples marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the seas obey him?
If you look at Matthew 14, once again Jesus is healing people, and it becomes evening. The disciples come to Jesus and tell him its late, this is a desert place and that he needs to send the people away so they can go and buy food. Jesus told them there was no need of that, give them food to eat. Now in John 6, Jesus asks a question about where bread can be bought that will feed the crowd. This would start quite the conversation amongst the disciples. Phillip would respond about the amount of money it would take just so everyone could get a morsel of bread. As the disciples continued to discuss the need, the lack of their resources, they see a lad who had 5 barley loaves and 2 fishes…. that is all they have so they present it to Jesus, who says bring them to me. He tells the disciples have all the people sit down. Jesus then takes the loaves, looks up to Heaven, blesses the food, breaks the bread and gives it back to the disciples to feed the crowd of 5,000 men, this is not counting women and children. When it was all said and done and the leftovers were gathered, there were 12 baskets full. Once again, did the disciples look at Jesus in wonder and awe, did they question, who is He?
You know the disciples did not have the complete word of God like we do. One day Jesus showed up and said: I am He; I am the one you have been waiting for, I am the Messiah. But wait, you were born to Joseph and Mary, from Nazareth, you were raised a carpenter’s son. NOW you want us to follow you? The faith it must have taken to follow Jesus then, I truly believe is far more than is required of me. I have the Bible, the complete copy, not just a part, beginning to end. I have not physically seen Jesus, but I do know the Holy Spirit that lives inside of me, how real He is.
After the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus told the disciples to get in the boat and go to the other side, and He would send the multitude away. Often times we see Jesus go off alone and this was no exception. He went off to the mountain to pray, to spend time with the Heavenly Father. As the disciples are in the boat, in the midst of the sea the wind begins to blow, and the waves begin to toss them about. They were rowing and rowing and just not getting anywhere when, they looked out across the water, and they see something. What is it? It scared them, they thought it was a spirit and they cried out in fear. Here they are in a boat, in the middle of the sea, in the middle of a storm and no Jesus. They then hear, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. Now there is a voice to this spirit? Oh, but they recognize the voice and ole Peter says, Lord, if it’s you, let me come to you…. on the water! Jesus said, Come. Did Peter really expect for Jesus to say come? Maybe Peter thought Jesus would say no, I will come to you, maybe Peter thought Jesus would speak to the winds and the waves as before and all would become calm. But all Jesus said is, come.
Peter in that moment had a choice, did he really think about it or did he just say okay, I’m going! As he starts to step out of the boat, can you imagine the other disciples?!? What are you doing? Are you crazy? We don’t KNOW for sure that this is Jesus? But Peter steps out…in faith…. looking at Jesus….Peter is walking on water in the midst of a storm. Can you imagine his reaction, hey guys look I am walking on water! Or is his eyes fixed only on Jesus as he takes the next step? But then something catches his attention, wow, the waves are coming against me, the wind is blowing oh so hard, the storm is getting stronger and as Peter begins to look at all that is going on around him, he beings to sink. As he begins to sink, Peter cries, Lord save me and IMMEDIATELY Jesus stretched forth his hand and grabbed Peter and says, O Peter so little faith, why did you doubt? Jesus takes Peter to the boat and the wind ceased.
It is at this point where we see the disciples worship Jesus saying, it is true, He is the Son of God. After seeing all the miracles, after waking Jesus in a storm and he rebukes the winds and waves and they obey, after they see 5,000 fed with 5 loaves and 2 fishes, now they worship Jesus as the Son of God. Why now? What changed? They have seen the leper cleansed, Peters own mother-in-law healed, those who were sick, he healed those who were blind and now can see, he multiplied food, he made the waves and the winds cease, so what made this time different? Peter. Why did Peter ask his question? Peter knew his mother-in-law was healed by the touch of Jesus. This was personal to Peter. and now, he is asking the questions, if it’s you, let me come to you…on the water. When Peter began to sink, this was personal to all those disciples who walked with Peter, who slept in the same camps as Peter, who often looked to Peter as a leader. They are watching someone they know personally, and they love, and he is going to drown….unless.. The” “unless” happened, Jesus reached out and Peter was saved.
We often hear preaching; we hear the word of God. The Bible teaches us, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Job after all he went through says in chapter 42:5 “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.” We hear but along the way it has to be tested and applied. Peter heard Jesus, he had even seen the healing with his own eyes, but now it was time for testing a time to apply. I believe that when the disciples witnessed what took place, what was happening that could go oh so wrong and how Jesus stepped in, they who had heard but now begin to see with eyes of faith, eyes of understanding, who Jesus truly was and is. Often times it takes a trial, a hardship, a time of brokenness to bring us to the point of applying what we have heard to have eyes that see who Jesus for who He is. Someone worthy of our praise! Who is He too you?
To me, He has become my everything.
Look Up, Keep Serving Jesus, He is Worthy!