The Exposition of Matthew (Matthew 8:23-27)

November 3, 2020

(The Miracles of Jesus)

The Storm – Part I

Questions to be answered from this study

1. Nothing declared God’s great power more than His control over creation.
2. All matter is composed of atoms including the human body. Adams are not joined together. Science lately issued a statement a force keeps everything from flying apart; they did not say what that force is, but the Bible does. What is it?
3. Where did the law of aerodynamics come from without which birds and airplanes could not fly?
4. Why is the earth able to support life when no other known planet in the universe can?
5. Human life on earth could not exist without one particular insect. What is that insect and why is it so crucial to human life?
6. Are you fearful of the storms of life? Why?
7. What are the two kinds of storms we face in life?
8. How are we to overcome fear and anxiety when we face the storms of life?
9. The storms we face in life can be opportunities; In what ways is that true?
10. God has a more excellent plan for us than being healthy, happy, and wealthy as much as we may long for that; what is it?  

Introduction

In this section of the miracles of Jesus, we’re entering into those miracles involving power over the creation. The great miracles of the Bible, showing God’s control over creation, are awe-inspiring. Here are some examples: when Moses parted the Red Sea, the day the sun stood still so Joshua could win a battle with the enemies of God, or when fire from heaven came down and consumed the sacrifice of Elijah, lapping up even the water in the trench.

Nothing declared God’s great power more than His control over creation. Jesus did His share of miracles, proving His power over the creation, including walking on water, feeding the multitude by multiplying a little bread and a few fish, and causing Peter’s nets to be filled with fish, to name just a few.

Our study today is the miracle where Jesus stills the storm at sea; this commences the next section of Jesus’ miracles, His power over the creation. Have you ever thought of the magnitude of the laws that God set in force over His creation? For example, there are10+27 zeros of atoms that make up the human body, more than the known stars of the universe. These are separate atoms not connected, each with its function in the body. For ages, scientists have wondered what held the body together along with all matter made up of atoms. They finally came to this conclusion: “There is thus an active force imposed on the universe, which actively holds the very atoms of the material world together moment by moment, day by day, century by century.” They didn’t mention what that force was. Well, the Bible does: “For in him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together,” Colossians 1:16-17.

I was out sitting in a swing in the yard the other day, watching a hawk glide effortlessly through the air, never even flapping his wings. How was he able to do that? God set in motion the laws of aerodynamics; that is why birds can fly. When the Write Brothers began to try and figure out how to invent the flying machine, they followed the design of a bird. They noticed that a bird’s wings were thicker at the front than at the back, round on top and flat on the bottom; this is the first rule in the law of aerodynamics. Air molecules split at the front of the wing, and because the branch has a more extended surface on top, the molecules speed up to rejoin other molecules at the rear of the wing; this reduces the air pressure at the top of the wing, which provides lift. The average takeoff weight of a 747 jet is 987,000 pounds. It can fly with all that weight because of the law of aerodynamics, which says the air passing over the wing has less pressure, enabling the airplane to fly. Where did the law of aerodynamics come from? It is one of God’s laws.

Ever wonder why the Earth is tilted? The Earth’s tilt is significant. It is ideally positioned so that it gives us the seasons, without which there would be no crops and no food, and on top of that, the seasons are near-perfectly calibrated for life on this Earth; it makes Earth’s atmosphere comfortable for life in most of the world. Its revolutions are also timed to support life on Earth. If the Earth revolved slower, everything would freeze, and if it were faster, everything would burn up. Science has its theory of why the Earth is tilted, but we who believe the Bible know that God positioned it that way so His creation of life could exist and strive. Not all planets are designed the same way. For example, it takes Mercury 176 earth days to make one revolution, and of course, life as we know it could not survive there, but then, God did not create Mercury for life.

Last week I read that they had discovered a murder hornet hive in Washington state and had destroyed it. These hornets kill honey bees, and if they were allowed to strive, they would decimate the honey bee population. God gave honey bees a life-sustaining task. They pollinate crops and plants. Without them, life on Earth could not exist.

In the second miracle of this section, we will see that Jesus also has power over animals and His power in the coming judgment. In the third miracle, we see that Jesus can forgive sins. In all, we see that Jesus is not only the promised Messiah but also God, the creator of all things and has power over all things. Now the first miracle to prove that Jesus had control over the creation:

Matthew 8:23-27, “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”

In our study last week, Jesus calling on His disciple to follow him entered a boat where He addressed the multitude. After He had finished His sermon, He then decided to cross over to the other side to Gergesa, also known as Georgia, or the Country of the Gergesenes. Gergesa is a place on the upper, eastern side of the Sea of Galilee known as the Golan Heights.

When Margaret and I were visiting this area, we saw a 2,000-year-old fishing boat, referred to as the Jesus boat, that had been uncovered and restored over a period of ten years. The boat was then placed in a museum there by the sea of Galilee in the town of Ginnosar, near where the boat was discovered. The boat shows us the size and style of the boat Jesus took that day. They were generally about 30 ft. long and 8′ wide. The bottom was flat, allowing it to maneuver in shallow water near the shore. They were equipped with masks and ores for navigation, and it had a cushioned place for reclining on one end of the boat.

Although the boat could carry 12 to 15, it would have been dangerous to be out in a storm fully loaded; their trip across the northern tip of the sea would take only a couple of hours. We took a similar trip in a much larger motorized boat in around 45 minutes, and we stopped for a brief service midway across. The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake with a depth of up to a hundred feet. It is surrounded by hills, which contribute to violent storms, which can arise without notice. High waves develop quickly and become very dangerous for small fishing boats. When the storm passes, the lake rapidly becomes Smoove again.

According to Mark, Jesus and His disciples were crossing at the end of the day, shortly before dark. At that time of the day, the lake would have already become choppy. So, when the storm suddenly came up, according to all the Synoptic gospels, it was powerful, and probably a storm of this magnitude was pretty rare. Matthew called it a great storm. According to Matthew, the boat was covered by the waves. The boat was beginning to fill with water and was in danger of sinking. They no doubt were trying desperately to steer the boat into the waves and bail the water to keep from sinking.

According to verse 24, ironically, Jesus was asleep in the boat. Jesus was lying on a cushioned bench at one end of the boat, which would have kept Him above the water entering the boat. It might seem strange that Jesus could sleep under these conditions, but the fact is, you can sleep almost anywhere if you are sleepy enough, which I learned when I was in the military. Jesus had labored hard dealing with the multitude, and no doubt was tired. So, while Jesus slept, the disciples were fighting for their lives; this all happened in a matter of minutes, so the disciple decided they needed to awaken Jesus to inform Him they were about to perish.

Mark, in his gospel, said that some accused Jesus of not caring. How presumptuous that was after all the experience they had with Jesus, experiencing how much He cared. As dire as the situation was when Jesus awakened, He was calm. Consider the setting here: the boat is in great danger of sinking, and the disciples were filled with fear. Jesus awakens and accuses them of having little faith, asking them why they were afraid of the storm. It may seem that the disciples had reason to be fearful.

Why would Jesus consider their fears to be unwarranted? He said, “Why are ye fearful?” That is the question we might ask ourselves when we are in the midst of the storms of life: Are my fears warranted? Why am I so fearful? The same answer Jesus gave His disciples is the same answer to our fears. In the second half of His statement, Jesus says, in verse 26, “And he saith unto them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” He says they were men of little faith. The fear drive is God-given for a purpose to protect us from the danger of putting ourselves in a dangerous way for no purpose. However, it is in our power to control fear through faith in God, and that is what the disciple had failed to do, as well as ourselves when storms of life encompass us.

Jesus said that they would cross to the other side. Had they forgotten that, or did they not believe Jesus knew what He was talking about, and it was the truth? Were they still not convinced after they had seen the power of Jesus demonstrated? Jesus was in the boat with them and was not worried. Jesus is in the boat with us today, for He said, “Lo I am with you always,” Matthew 28:20. Why then are we so often afraid when the storms of life are upon us? Is our problem also the same as the disciples on that stormy day nearly 2,000 years ago? Are we also to be included in the statement of Jesus, “O ye of little faith?” I must confess that sometimes I am. May God forgive me.

The Spiritual Application – Part II

Do we have spiritual eyes, or are our eyes focused on the weakness of the flesh? Some of the things that come into our lives are tests of our faith. The disciples were not in danger of being destroyed but at risk of not trusting Christ. Their lack of faith was not trusting Christ to care about them and their safety regardless of their circumstances. The presence of difficulties in our lives does not mean Jesus is uncaring or unwilling to help us. Instead of losing our wits, we should look for the tests’ benefits to grow in faith. We can be at peace in any storm of life when we realize that we are safe in the arms of Jesus, whatever the outcome. Our future eternal glory is secure in Jesus our Lord always in every situation.

Whatever we face in this life, it does not affect our eternal inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven. Anxiety, stress, and worry are how the world reacts to the circumstances of life. Disciples of Christ can rest peacefully in the storms of life when they realize Jesus is at their side and stands ready to help. We must also remember that it may not always be in God’s will to rescue us immediately. He may have a purpose that is beyond our comprehension. Trials are excellent opportunities to grow in faith and to show our dedication. Through our faith, we have already found something more valuable than all over the world. We have found eternal life and have become part of God’s kingdom. All the storms along the way through life are just road bumps on our way to the celestial city God has prepared for those who trust in Him. Remember, this world is not our home; we are just traveling through on our way to our heavenly home.

God equipped us with human emotions. Therefore, when difficult circumstances arrive, we experience emotions. That is normal and to be expected. Jesus expected His disciples to feel something in the face of a trial. It would be abnormal otherwise. At the same time, He expected them to trust in Him in all things. It’s OK to experience some fear; after all, God gave us the fear drive for our protection during times of danger. However, there needs to be a balance; we must also keep in mind that Jesus is with us at all times. We can rely on the promise of Scripture which says, “All things work together for good for those who love God and are called to his purpose.” That does not mean all the things that happen are good; it means in the end God’s plan is for all things to work out for our good. Can you imagine how much our fear and anxiety and worry would be reduced if we truly believed that even part of the time?

There are two kinds of storms in the Bible: There are correcting storms, and there are perfecting storms. When Jonah spent the night in the body of the whale, he was running from the will of God, and God was correcting his course. After being cast upon the beach by the whale, Jonah was ready to do God’s will; this was a correcting storm.

There are also perfecting storms, like the one we have been talking about today. On this occasion, the disciples were in the will of God. Jesus had instructed them to go to the other side of the sea of Galilee. Why then were they in a storm since they were obeying Jesus and were in his will? What was God’s reason for letting them go into this storm? The answer is obvious; He wanted to perfect their faith. God is the master of the sea. He can cause the waves, or He can calm them. Psalm 107, establishes this: “…see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof…Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still…so He bringeth them unto their desired haven,” Psalm 107:23-30 (KJV). That is an Old Testament promise that matches what Jesus did for His disciples.

Robert Browning Hamilton wrote these words:

“I walked a mile with pleasure; she chatted all the way.

But left me none the wiser for all she had to say.

I walked a mile with sorrow; not a word said she.

But oh, the things I learned from sorrow when sorrow walked with me.”

Just because we’re in the will of God does not mean we will always sail smoothly on the sea of life; it does not mean that we’ll never be sick, experience sorrow, have no disappointment. We will indeed have our share of problems. When problems come, rest assured that God’s providence is present and is over it all. We all want to be happy, but that is not our primary purpose for being on this Earth. God wants to enlarge our faith, and sometimes it requires going through distressful times. King David said in Psalm 4:1 (KJV), “Thou hast enlarged [perfected]me when I was in distress.”

One storm was not enough for the disciples of Jesus. Matthew records another in Matthew 14:22-36. This time Jesus compelled His disciples to board a boat and go over the sea to the other side while He remained and went up on the mount to pray. They were caught up in a terrible storm, and when they looked up, Jesus was walking toward them on the sea. John records this incident: “But He saith unto them, ‘It is I; be not afraid.’ Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went,” John 6:20-21 (KJV). 

Jesus brought His disciples safely through the storm at sea. Are you constantly fearful as you experience the storms of life? Andrew Murray said, “God is willing to assume full responsibility for the life totally yielded to Him.” Are you yielded to God? Then why not let Him take responsibility for your life and quit worrying about it. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world,” John 16:33 (KJV). 

Our world is encountering more tribulation as time goes by, and it takes a greater faith to deal with it. Jesus experienced great tribulation during His stay on Earth. He promised us, who believe in Him, that He had overcome the world. He is assuring you and me that we can also. Is that not true? In Psalm 4:1 (KJV), David declares, “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.” 

Don’t expect your life to be filled with comfort, ease, and pleasure. The storms will come; there will be trouble all around. We may wonder why this is all happening. Why has God allowed it? The disciples started their voyage on smooth waters; they were doing what Jesus told them to do, and now they wind up in a terrible storm. However, the storm brought them a new insight into the master they followed. They saw Him in a way they had never seen Him before. When He spoke, and the sea obeyed, and the waves were calmed, they said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” Matt. 8:27.

Through that storm, they recognized Jesus as almighty God, who has power even over even the physical universe, but it was through the storm that they saw His glory. It was through this storm that they finally recognized Jesus for who He was, the almighty God. We need to realize that the storms we face in life are opportunities to grow closer to God and see Him more clearly for who He is.

It sometimes requires an intense experience to see God clearly in all His glory. He has a more excellent plan for us than being healthy, happy, and wealthy. He wants us to grow, to trust Him in everything life throws at us. Sometimes when we pray, the circumstances don’t change, but our view of God does because through it all, He gives us comfort and peace. Sometimes we may be like the little bird hidden in the Clift of the rock resting in peace while the storm rages outside.

Never forget that Jesus Christ is the Lord of the peace who can comfort you through all the storms. Spiritual maturity doesn’t come without effort and sometimes discomfort, trials, and storms. That’s why the Lord brings trials into our lives to stretch the limits of our spiritual maturity and allow us to grow. Sometimes we fail the test and have to be retested. We still have genuine faith, but it’s impotent and immature. As the true disciples of Jesus, we are to align our feelings, experiences, and perception of life with our knowledge of Him and who He is. When we can do this, we can see through with a vision of eternity and not the present world with all its conflicts.

As Paul says: “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,” Col 1:9-12 (KJV).

When we reach this point above in our relationship with God, we can say with Paul: “Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen,” Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV).

If you are struggling to stop worrying about Covid-19, the stock market, your health issues, loss of employment, or any other problems, here are five important takeaways from our study today that will help you in every circumstance in life:

1. Jesus wanted His Disciples to be strong in their faith and trust Him. He not only wanted them to follow Him but also wanted them to trust Him in all situations. We face all sorts of problems in life, some of which we can solve, and in others, we must depend on God. Think about this: What is the worst thing that can happen to you. Well, you may think death is. That being so, where do you go if you are a believer? According to the promises of the Bible, heaven.
2. The disciples of Jesus in New Testament times, usually, had far more problems than you and I today. In today’s Bible study, it was a storm at sea which threatened the disciple’s lives. Other times they were in danger of losing their life at the hands of the Romans because they were Christians. We are not exempt from the storms of life just because we are believers. Being a faithful disciple of Jesus does give peace, even amid those storms. Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” Matthew 11:28.
3. Sometimes, it may seem that Jesus is nowhere near to help you in a time of trouble. Nevertheless, He has promised to be with us always. He is in the boat with us and is there to help.
4. Remember to call on Jesus; prayer is a powerful thing. Remember that verse that says, “Ye have not because ye ask not,” James 4:2 (KJV). The disciples were at the panic stage, but they did call on Jesus. They still had enough faith to believe Jesus could help them.
5. Consider how much God has done for you in the past. The disciples marveled at how Jesus was able to calm the storm, and this would go with them as they grew in faith and their commitment to Jesus. In time they would become men of great faith willing even to lay down their life for Jesus, which each of them did in time except John, and he was exiled to a lonely island, and even then, he penned the Book of revelation as he received it from God. Jesus is alive today, sitting at the right hand of God in heaven, and He is also with each of us who trust in Him. He can calm the storms in your life and bring peace and. Commit yourself to Him and serve Him with all your heart.

To experience the peace of God, we must first have peace with God. Perhaps you have not found God yet in your life experiences. I do not know if George Harrison found God in his lifetime or not. I have no evidence that he did, but he did see the urgency of finding God, for he once said, “Everything else can wait, but finding God cannot wait.” You may desire to find God today, but it is the human tendency to put it off until another day. There may never be another day when the opportunity presents itself like today. That is why the Bible says, “Today is the day of salvation.” If you desire to find God today, I have prepared step-by-step instructions on how you may do so. Just CLICK HERE. I will show you the way. It is so easy. Please don’t put off or turn the opportunity away.