Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
Matthew 14:22-23 “And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone.”
Jesus has had a long day, for He had preached to a multitude of people….and had fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. In the evening, about three o’clock in the afternoon, He began to send the people away.
Then, in the late evening, about six o’clock, Jesus went up into the mountain, alone, to pray. (This is HIs general course of action, to go to a mountain to pray alone.) Communion with His Father was precious….and He usually did this alone….though often His disciples were close.
He constrained His disciples to go before Him to the other side.
(They were going to the land of the Gennesaret. They had been there before and He had healed a demonic man….and had been asked to leave. But now they would be welcomed, because of the many people who needed to be healed Matthew 14:35-36)
Matthew 14:24 “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.”
How many times have we set out to do the Lord’s Will…and “in the midst” found that everything seems “contrary” to what we have been told to do?
The Sea of Galilee is about seven miles across….so, though they had been rowing (Mark 6:48) for hours, they had only gotten about half-way across.
The disciples must have been extremely tired….and disheartened not to have the Lord with them…
…and about three o’clock in the morning….Jesus came out to them…..walking on the sea!
Matthew 14:25-26 “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.”
Now they are not only exhausted….they are afraid. They saw this figure on the sea, coming closer. Their minds must have been playing tricks on them,….or this was a spirit!
But then Jesus speaks. He does not calm the storm, right away….but walks on it, toward them!
But He speaks….”Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”
And how many times a Word from HIm, puts everything into the right perspective for us.
Three small phrases….
….yet it was not just what He said….but that it was Jesus who said it.
“Be of good cheer”….or “have courage, or boldness”.
Jesus was not telling them to “put on a happy face”….but to muster all the courage they had….for…
….He had come.
“It is I”. The disciples had been with Him for about a year and a half…..and had just seen Him feed five thousand. His Voice, “it is I”, called for them to acknowledge Him as the Messiah, the Christ of God.
“Be not afraid,” He knew their hearts….and that they needed to hear this word from Him.
(My husband went through the Bible and noticed how many times the Lord said “Fear not”. And mentioned that when the Lord said it, there was usually something to fear.
The Lord does not say words to pacify….but to awaken us to the facts that He knows what is going on, and that He is here with us.)
Peter was so awakened….and asked the Lord to “bid” him to come to Him….on the water.
Here is the courage Jesus told them to have…boldness in Him!
So Jesus told him to “come”….and here we need to explain….this Word does not just contain permission….but grace, or the power/ability to do.
For when Jesus gives a command, He gives the grace to do it.
And Peter did walk toward Jesus….on the waves and water….
…till he saw the wind boisterous.
Perhaps Peter thought that when he would start to walk, Jesus would calm the sea for him. Perhaps Peter had his eyes on Jesus till he got smacked in the face with the reality of the storm of wind, still.
Whatever his thought was….when Peter stopped looking at Jesus, and started noticing the velocity of the wind, he became afraid again….and began to sink.
And he cried out….(and here is an marvelous action). Peter cried out to Jesus….putting all his trust in Him.
Matthew 14:31-33 “And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, “Of a truth Thou art the Son of God.”
One commentator says that Jesus pulled Peter back up into a walking position…and they both walked to the boat, and got in…the Lord hanging onto Peter all the way.
We sometimes wonder at the way the Lord taught His disciples. (sometimes I wonder at their unbelief….till I sorrowfully remember my own “little faith”.)
How He challenged them, and let them be tried ….to bring out from their hearts, faith and trust. To bring out from their lives, obedience and love.
And so He does to us. The circumstances He leads us into…..or sends us into…are all to show us….that with HIs Word, He gives grace. That He will come to us, even in the middle of the storm, and will lift us back into our stand with Him.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 