We all have periods in our lives when we feel tensions and stress and we have found ourselves at times battling against a very strong head wind in our lives and some of us have metaphorically stepped out of a boat, attempting to walk on water and wished we hadn’t!
We take comfort today, however, that we are in the care of an extremely powerful Saviour. A Life Saver, who knows our heart, who knows our good intentions and who despite our failings and weaknesses walks with us to steady us and by His mercy save us.
The Sea of Galilee or as the Israelis call it Lake Kinneret is the lowest freshwater lake on the planet lying 210 m below mean sea-level. According to a meteorological research paper published in 1981, the Sea of Galilee has an extraordinary wind system. Arieh Bitan from the Department of Geography, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel explains that the lake develops a breeze which combines with westerly winds forming along the Israeli coast and katabatic air flow caused by rapidly cooling at higher elevation which “plunges’’ down onto the lake. These winds are known at times to reach storm force.
In addition to this daily meteorological event is something known locally as the “Sharqiya.”
In March 1992 a severe storm struck Israel which lasted for three days. A report in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency dated 13 Mar 1992 read:
“Israel has been battered since Tuesday by the Sharqiya, a cold, dry easterly wind that attains hurricane force. The Sharqiya usually lasts from two to 10 days. The most serious damage was suffered by Tiberias and other communities on the shores of Lake Kinneret, where 60-mph winds whipped up 6-foot waves.”
In all probability the disciples were not battling the Sharqiya, but they were rowing against the normal westerly and katabatic winds that swept the lake although they may have been especially strong on that occasion.
Many of the disciples were seasoned fishermen and were well used to the lake and her capricious ways, but that night it would be more than their seamanship which would be tested when Jesus walked out on the water to see how they were getting on! The translation found in the NIV Matt 14:24-25 doesn’t really do justice to this passage. The
Greek is far more detailed. The incident occurs at the 4th watch (between 3-6 am in the morning), several stadia i.e. 2-3 miles out into the lake which at its widest point is 7 miles wide! You might wonder why Jesus would have performed such a stunt? It doesn’t seem to be in line with His character. He was not a showman in fact He even did His best to play down His true identity, so why walk on water? Did it really happen or were the disciples hallucinating?
To answer this I must introduce to you a fearsome ‘creature’ from theological training, “The chaos monster.” Our Old Testament professor Dr Bob Fyall introduced us to this beast which rears its ugly head throughout the Old Testament and over whose head, Jesus proved His divinity to the sea-going disciples by treading on it. The Bible uses monster imagery regularly to depict God’s power over evil and to describe the spiritual forces of evil
that instigate and energize human evil. This is especially clear in Psalm 74:12-13 as Israel looks back to its delivery from slavery in Egypt and the miracle of the Red Sea crossing:
“But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth. It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.”
Again the same event is reflected by the prophet Isaiah:
“Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea?” (Isa 51:9) and again in Psalm 89:8 -10:
“Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them. You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.”
God’s power over this watery foe is repeated at the crossing of the Jordan River reflected in Psalm 114:3 we read:
“The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back.”
Finally the anthropomorphic picture of God physically rescuing a believer in Psalm 18:15 is enacted by Jesus in Matt 14: 31 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.”
By walking on the surface of the water Jesus is giving His disciples a glimpse of His true divinity. By walking on water in stormy weather the disciples would know that the One in which they have placed their trust is none other than the Lord God Almighty Creator of heaven and earth and ruler of the seas and all that lies therein. This was no stunt; it
was a demonstration of divine truth.
I want you to take away three things this morning.
Firstly, no matter what you face, you are never alone. Jesus knew what struggles the disciples were facing, He allowed them to happen in order to fulfil His purposes and teach them to trust in Him, but He joins them in the midst of those troubles and by His power overcomes them. The moment He steps into the boat the strong winds stop and
calm settles onto the situation. Often it is when we take our eyes off Jesus that things go wrong.
Secondly, I also want you to remember that not only does Jesus journey with us when we call out to Him, He saves us from ourselves and the fruits of our own stupidity as well as sin and ultimate death. In the Revelation of St John, amongst the last things to be destroyed are death, Hades, the great serpent and the sea (cff Rev 20-21). We are
saved by an act of faith as Paul reminds us in our New Testament lesson: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10: 9)
Thirdly, we are not only saved from something, but we are also saved to someone. We are saved by and to Jesus. When we save a document on the computer, we do so for a reason. In the army we are expected to label the document in a special way so that others can see it and use it too. You are special to Jesus, each one of you and you
have been saved for a purpose, to reflect His love in a love starved world and to live in accordance to His will. No matter what personal struggle you face Jesus can step IN if you ask Him, but He has stepped ON the waves of chaos, sin and death AND CRUSHED THEM.
Take to heart the words of this song written by the Canadian 70s singer Gene McLellan.
Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who calmed the sea………
Put your hand in the hand of the man
From Galilee (Gene McLellan 1971)
Amen