A miracle is a phenomenal or supernatural event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers, and more often than not cannot be explained by the laws of nature. God never operates contrary to His Word or to the laws of nature which He has established, but He has the prerogative to supersede them.
In three of the four Gospels, the writers record an incident that caused Jesus’ 12 disciples to be astonished and afraid. While crossing the Sea of Galilee, a turbulent storm put them in real peril. Jesus, strangely, was sound asleep. When the disciples awakened Him, He told the storm to stop, and it did.
In the Matthew 8:23-27 account, Jesus and His disciples got into a boat. Being fatigued, Jesus was asleep. It is written that “suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.” His disciples wakened Him and said, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” His words to them were, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” He then got up and “rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” The disciples were in awe, and said to each other, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Jesus asked His men why they were fearful. The word translated fearful means cowardly or intimidated. They were losing their nerve, panicking, or coming unglued, so to speak. Jesus questioned their faith, and then rebuked the winds. The wind and waves immediately became tranquil.
In the account in Mark 4:37-41, Jesus said, “Peace, be still!” The wind ceased and there was a stillness on the water. Then He asked, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” The Gospel of Luke is essentially the same, but Jesus’ question is “Where is your faith?” In each Gospel account, their reaction is the same. “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Jesus spoke to a raging windstorm, and it immediately stopped. He wasn’t afraid or worried about His safety. He knew God’s Word and knew what He was destined to do, how He would ultimately die, and that His life and the lives of His men were not in jeopardy that day on the water. Jesus knew the source of the storm and the adversary’s intent to startle and paralyze with fear. Jesus knew the authority and the power He had and He used it responsibly and with wisdom.
The disciples had already seen many miraculous healings, seen many people set free from demonic oppression, and even seen a man raised from the dead in Nain (Luke 7:11-15). Jesus had given them power and authority to heal sickness and cast out devils (Mark 3:15). There was no reason at this point to be frightened.
Jesus used the reaction of His disciples to challenge them and teach them. Don’t panic. Don’t go to pieces when the wind starts blowing. Fear is counterproductive and fear defeats faith. We know that even faith as small as a mustard seed can literally move mountains when it is focused, not on self, but on God and His mighty ability. This Sunday at South Side we will begin a new series entitled “The Miracles of Jesus.” If you want to grow deeper in your faith this is a great series for faith development. Spiritual growth is something that must be intentional. We begin worship at 10:45 and we have a coffee and fellowship time between 10:30-10:45. We would love to see you there as we begin our journey into the miracles of Jesus!
In Christ,
Barry Pettit
Lead Minister
South Side Church of Christ
www.southsidewch.com
