Saturday, January 25, 2025

2025.01.25 Hopewell @Home ▫ Matthew 14:22–36

Read Matthew 14:22–36

Questions from the Scripture text: How do Matthew 14:22Matthew 14:27Matthew 14:31 draw attention to the action involved here? Who compelled whom to do what (Matthew 14:22)? To go where? While He did what? When He had done that, where did He go (Matthew 14:23)? To do what? What time came Who was with Him? Where was the boat (Matthew 14:24)? What was happening to it? Why? When does Jesus go to them (Matthew 14:25)? By what method? Who saw Him (Matthew 14:26)? Doing what? What effect did this have upon them? What did they say? What did they do? How did He respond (Matthew 14:27)? What two things did He command? Why can they? Who answered (Matthew 14:28)? What did he call Him? What did he ask Him to do? How does Jesus respond (Matthew 14:29)? What does Peter do? But what does he see (Matthew 14:30)? How does he respond? Then what does he begin to do? And how does he respond to that? What does Jesus stretch out (Matthew 14:31)? To do what? What does He call him? What does He ask him? What do they do in Matthew 14:32? With what result? Who come and do what in Matthew 14:33? What do they say to Him? What do they finish doing in Matthew 14:34? To where do they come? What do the men of the place do (Matthew 14:35)? How do they respond—whom do they bring? What do they beg of Christ (Matthew 14:36)? What happens?

How does Jesus show Himself to be our God and Savior? Matthew 14:22–36 prepares us for the sermon in the morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these fifteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus displays and declares Himself as God in the flesh, Who joins Himself to us to us to save us.  

Jesus is true Man: still grieving over John. This time, He sends His disciples in the boat without Him (Matthew 14:22), then dismisses the multitudes Himself (Matthew 14:23a), so that He may go up the mountain to pray alone (verse 23b). Though He arrives in the evening, He stays until the fourth watch of the night (3a.m.–6a.m.). How can He pray for so many hours? He has the entire Old Testament to meditate upon and make application of in prayer? How can He do so at the end of such a long day? Fellowship with God is more needful and restorative to Him than sleep. This is a model for us—the righteousness that stands for us with God in our justification, and to which we are being conformed in our sanctification.

Jesus is also true God. He walks on the sea (Matthew 14:25). This is as human as it is divine, since God does not have a body and does not walk. It is as amazing that God would walk at all as it is that a man would walk on water. The disciples are understandably afraid (Matthew 14:26). We can understand how they come to their conclusion, in the midst of the commotion of the storm, and after laboring all night against a contrary wind (Matthew 14:24). But it is not the walking on the water, so much as the calming of the wind, that identified Him to them as God. He doesn’t even rebuke the wind this time (cf. Matthew 8:26). It just recognizes Him, thus further answering the question in Matthew 8:27. They have grown up singing of the One Who stills the raging sea (cf. Psalm 65:7, Psalm 89:9, Psalm 107:29), and reading about how this was one way YHWH proved Himself to be the one true God (cf. John 1:15–16). Now He is standing in their boat (Matthew 14:32).

Jesus is their/our God. He gives wonderful commands like “be of good cheer” and “do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). How sweet it would be to be obedient on these points! And He gives us the best possible grounds upon which to obey: He is Himself—literally, “I AM.” Peter rightly understands that, such is His authority, that one of the most Jesus-like things that He does is to give commands. So, Peter asks Him to command him (Matthew 14:28). 

He also hears and receives prayers. Psalm 65 combines the stilling of the waves (Psalm 65:7) with the hearing of prayers (Psalm 65:2) as evidences of YHWH being the one, true God. Here, Jesus hears the prayer of Peter (“Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:30) and the prayers of the men of Genesaret, who begged in behalf of the sick that they might touch the hem of His garment (Matthew 14:34-36). So, He is God in that He hears prayer, but He is God Who has come near. Near enough to stretch out His hand and catch Peter (Matthew 14:31). Near enough for others to touch the hem of His garment (Matthew 14:36). 

Jesus is God Who has come near enough to be touched, in order that we might be saved (Matthew 14:30) and brought savingly through (more literal than NKJ’s “were made perfectly well” in Matthew 14:36). May He grant to us that our little faith (Matthew 14:31) might be increased, such that we would take Him entirely at His Word—that He is YHWH!

How does your own habit/manner of praying to Jesus reflect your conviction of His true divinity? How does your own habit/discipline of obeying Him do so? In what circumstances do you most need to obey the commands “be of good cheer” and “do not be afraid”? How will you remind yourself that He is “I AM” on an ongoing basis? How will you do so, especially in times of crisis? At what particular times, and in which particular ordinances, has Jesus ordained to bring you near by faith? What use are you making of those times and ordinances?

Sample prayer:  Lord Jesus, we believe; help our unbelief. Grant that we would be of good cheer and not be afraid, because You are, indeed, YHWH! Grant that we would take advantage of those times and ordinances that You have provided, by which we may especially come near to You. And bring us, savingly, all the way through, we ask in Your Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP65A “Praise Awaits You, God” or TPH552 “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”

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