Let us turn once again to God's
Word and the portion that we were reading in the Gospel, in
Matthew chapter 14. I have a long text tonight. I often
feel inclined, as you know, to preach on a verse, maybe two
or three verses, sometimes just part of a verse, but I want to
preach on The number of verses that make up the passage we'll
read again then in Matthew 14 from verse 22 through 33. And you'll see this whole section
is marked in our Bibles as a paragraph. Reading then in Matthew 14 from
verse 22 through 33. In a straight way, 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. But the ship was now in the midst
of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary. 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. But straightway Jesus spake unto
them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said,
Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he
said, Come. And when Peter was come down
out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. that
when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid. And beginning
to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 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. At the end of the paragraph then
it says, Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped
him, saying of a truth, Thou art the Son of God. What we see of course in the
whole passage is a revelation of the deity. of Jesus of Nazareth. That Jesus of Nazareth is the
Christ, the Son of God. It's a revelation of that blessed
truth. Earlier this morning we were
looking at the Psalm, Psalm 34, and I spoke somewhat of that
one who is set before us there as the angel of the Lord. and
it's a theophany, as you know, it's an appearance of God in
human form back in the Old Testament Scriptures. I suppose one of
the most striking appearances that we have, if I remember right,
is recorded there in the book of Judges, I think of that 13th
chapter, where we read of Manoah and his wife, the parents of
of Samson and how the angel of the Lord appears to Manoah's
wife and she comes and says the angel has appeared unto her and
there is promise of course that her son is going to be born Samson
and then later we see how the angel appears also to Manoah
and He asks the angel what his name is, verse 17 of that chapter. What is thy name? That when they
say, Come to pass the birth of the child, we may do thee honor. And the angel of the Lord said
unto him, Why askest thou after my name, seeing it is secret? Literally the margin tells us
the Hebrew word is wonderful. Why askest thou after my name,
seeing it is wonderful? And remember what we read in
Isaiah 9 concerning Christ. Is not that his name? Wonderful,
Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. It's the angel of the Lord. But
then later, verse 22, Manoah says to his wife, Why, we shall
surely die, because we have seen God. So they recognize, or at
least Menelaus is recognizing that this is nothing but a theophany,
an appearance of God. And his wife, though she's not
named, wants remarkable faith. If the Lord were pleased to kill
us, he would not have received the burnt offering and the meat
offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these
things. nor would as at this time have told us such things
as these they are not worthy of the least of all his favours
and all that truth that he was pleased to show them and she
was assured but there we have a theophany and that's what we
were thinking of really this morning a revelation of Jesus
Christ in the in the Old Testament there in Psalm 34 the angel of
the Lord encompass round about them that fear him and delivereth
them well we come to the New Testament and of course this
is no theophany this is God manifest in the flesh this is the great
mystery of godliness this is the result of that miraculous
birth thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name
Jesus that was what was said to Joseph or said to Mary who
was betrothed to Joseph and so it was that holy thing that was
born of Mary was to be called the Son of God it was God's now
manifest in the flesh I know in this chapter we have previous
to the portion that we're looking at this paragraph from verse
22 through 33 previous to that we have a miracle, the miracle
of the feeding of the 5,000 and then after that we have many
miracles they brought to him all that were diseased that they
might only touch the hem of his garment and as many as touched
were made perfectly whole The chapter is full of miracles.
And as we look at this portion here, I want first of all to
observe some three miracles that we have in this section. The
three miracles that the Lord performs. And what are they?
Well, we see Christ walking on the water. We see Christ saving
Peter. And we see Christ as the one
who stills the storm. These three miracles. First of
all, in verses 25 and 26, the Lord is there. It's the fourth
watch of the night. The last watch, really. Just
before the dawning of the day. They say that's the darkest hour
of the night. 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. Here is Christ then walking on the
waters, walking on the sea. And we read that part in Job,
Job chapter 9. And there from verse 4 through
to verse 10, Job speaks somewhat of the attributes of God. He
speaks of God's wisdom and God's justice and God's power. and
among them of course there at the end of verse 8 we read of
that God who treadeth upon the waves of the sea God is able
to tread upon the waves of the sea and then Job goes on at verse
10 to say of this God which doeth great things past finding out
yea and wonders without number and this is the same one that
we see here if we'd have read through to the end of that ninth
chapter we'd have read that verse where Job desires a daisman to
come between us both to come between himself and his God to
lay his hand upon us both well who is that daisman? that is
the Lord Jesus he can put his hand upon God he can put his
hand upon man because he is God and he is man he is the mediator
between men what a wondrous man is this who has all the power
of God and can walk upon the seas and then it goes on doesn't
it to speak of how Peter also comes to Christ walking also
upon the waters verse 28 Peter says, Lord, if it be Thou
bid me to come unto Thee on the water, and He said, Come. And when Peter was come down
out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. You know how remarkable it is?
The Lord only has to say the word, Come. And Peter can come
down out of the ship, and Peter also can walk on the waters.
And I think like this, sometimes is it not true that to us saving
faith seems an impossible thing? Or could I but believe? Then
all would easy be, I would but cannot. Lord relieve, my help
must come from Thee, the hymn by John Newton. Newton knew that,
and I can remember being in that place. Or could I but believe?
I wanted to believe, I couldn't believe. And yet you see all
the Lord has to do is to utter that Gospel word and say to us,
come, come. It is a great Gospel word. The
Spirit and the Bride say come, and let him that heareth say
come, and let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let
him take of the water of life freely. As I'm sure you're aware
that's almost the last or one of the last verses that we have
in our Bibles, there at the end of Revelation 22. Come, come,
come. That is gospel, that is what
the Lord Jesus Christ says to us. So different to what we see
when we come to the Lord of God. There in Exodus 19, in all the
preparations for God coming down upon the mountain, uttering those
10 words, those 10 commandments, all they must set bounds all
around the mountain. People must not come near, lest
they be struck through. But how different is the Gospel?
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, says Christ,
and he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. and there we see the Lord speaking
to Peter and as the Lord issues that gospel word come so Peter
can come and he can do impossible things he can walk upon the water
oh yes he saw the wind boisterous and was afraid and he begins
to sink when his eyes are taken from the Lord but if we will
but look to Jesus that's how we come It's looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith. But what does the Lord
say? Ye will not come to me, that
ye might have life. How culpable we are in all our
sin of unbelief. We will not come. And yet the
Lord issues such a gracious word. Here we see Him then walking
upon the waters and bidding one to come unto Him, even Peter. Well, that's a miracle, Christ
walking on the water. But then, is it not a miracle
the way in which the Lord saves Peter? The Lord saves him. When he saw
the wind boisterous, he was afraid, this is Peter, beginning to sink,
he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched
forth his hand and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of
little faith, Wherefore didst thou doubt? And there's another
word, isn't there, that we do well to take account of? The
Lord says, Come. And when Peter cries out, we're
told immediately. Oh, there's an immediacy in the
way in which the Lord answers the cry of His people. Before
they call, I will answer, He says. While they are yet speaking,
I will hear. Now God is beforehand with us.
He's answering our prayers before we've really begun to properly
utter our prayers. Here is one who is able, and
he's able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. The Lord's ways. How the Lord
will deal with people. We see time and again, of course,
in the Gospel. And sometimes it seems He delays. I know it says here immediately
but sometimes he draws out faith in his people in the next chapter
of course we have the record of that Canaanitish woman in chapter 15 at verse 21 we
are told how he goes into the coast of Tyre and Sidon and behold
a woman of Canaan came out of the same coast cried unto him
saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David. Or she recognizes
him as the Messiah, though she is a Canaanitish woman, and the
Canaanites excluded from the children of God. But she cries,
Thou Son of David, have mercy upon me. my daughter is grievously vexed
with the devil but he answered her not a word he answered her
not a word and the disciples well they they want him to send
her away because she keeps on crying she won't give over but
then he answers and simply says I'm not sent but unto the lost
sheep of the house of Israel how the Lord is dealing with
this woman is being refused it seems but then she comes and
worships him saying Lord help me and even to that the Lord
says it's not me to take the children's bread and to cast
it to dogs he compares it to the dogs oh but this woman this
remarkable woman truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that
fall from their masters Table, she says. O woman, great is thy
faith. You see how the Lord is dealing
with her. Yes, He can answer immediately. He does here with
Peter, immediately. He stretches out His hand and
He saves Peter. And yet, the Lord is a wise Saviour. And so we see Him dealing with
that woman in somewhat different a fashion. But nonetheless, what
remarkable faith. What remarkable faith. or as
she worshipped him we see it again also in another incident
back in chapter 8 the centurion and what does the Lord say concerning
that man I have not found faith or such faith no not in Israel
these who were not of Israel the Lord comes unto his own his
own receive him not that's the Jews but as many as receive him
to them gives He power to become the sons of God. Though the Lord,
you see, He not only is able to walk upon the waters, but
He can save. He can save others. He can save
Peter. Even when Peter is overcome by
the boisterous winds and he's sinking in the waters, immediately
Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him. and says to him,
O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And then, of
course, ultimately we see him as that one who has stilled the
storm. They come into the ship, the
wind ceases. The wind ceases. Then they that
were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou
art the Son of God. or no man can do these miracles
that thou doest except God be with him. He is able to make
the storm a calm. That's what it says in the Psalms,
Psalm 107. He maketh the storm a calm so
that the waves thereof are still then are they glad because they
be quiet. So He bringeth them into their
desired haven. He can quieten all the storms
of our poor lives. And how often times do we feel
ourselves caught up in a storm, as it were. And the Lord has
only to speak the words, be still, and there is a great calm. It's not the only occasion, is
it, that we read of Him as that One who can still the storms.
We have it again in a previous portion back in chapter 8 verse 23 when he was entered
into a ship were told his disciples followed him and behold there
arose a great tempest in the sea in so much that the ship
was covered with the waves but he was asleep and disciples came
to him and awoke him saying Lord save us we perish and he said
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. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is
this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? O what manner of man! What manner
of man is this? Have a truth, O art the Son of
God! He's the God-man. He's the God-man. He is God's manifest in the flesh. Why are all these signs written? Why are all these miracles recorded
throughout the Scriptures? Well, John tells us, doesn't
he, there at the end of chapter 20 in his Gospel. These are written
that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and believing ye might have life through his name. There's the
reason. There's the reason why these
things are written, that we might be brought to this confession,
the confession that these men are making here at the end of
the portion, of a truth how are to the Son of God. Well, having
said a little with regards to the Lord and His miracles, His
manifestation of the truth of his deity that he is God let
us for a while look at the confession of the disciples the confession
of the disciples and it's bound up with their worship isn't it
they worshipped him he doesn't receive he doesn't refuse the
worship If he was but a man he would
clearly have understood that that was altogether inappropriate.
Remember how John was rebuked in the book of the Revelation
when he would worship the angel. There in Revelation 19.10 the
angel says worship God. Here we see how Peter is rebuked. The Lord rebukes Peter, doesn't
he? He said unto him, O thou of little
faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And back in that passage in chapter
8, where again he's walking, or still in the storm, he's in
the boat with them then. Why are ye fearful? He says,
O ye of little faith. They seem to have little faith
and maybe at times that's the case with us. We have little
faith and that little faith manifests itself. We act foolishly. Maybe that was the case with
John there in the Revelation when he would worship the angel.
Sometimes we know not what we're about, what we're doing. when
the Lord is dealing with us. But the wonderful thing is this,
although faith may be weak, but you know, it can still be real. We're not to despise weak faith,
we want real faith, and it's right and proper that we should
desire the assurance of faith, even the full assurance of faith. But thank God, even if our faith
is weak, it can be real. And Peter is amongst these that
we read of at the end, who make this remarkable confession of
a truth, how art the Son of God. Why, hadn't Peter made that confession
on another occasion? In chapter 16, when he asked
the disciples, whom say you that I am, and it's Peter, bald Peter,
impetuous Peter, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God. That's what he said. And the
Lord said, Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonah, flesh and
blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is
in heaven. It's a confession of Christ's
deity. Of a truth awards the Son of God. The Sonship of Christ. His eternal Sonship. Or we see
it again in the miracle of the man born blind in John chapter
9 and they cast him out of the synagogue. He's put out of Israel
as it were. He's excommunicated. And how
gracious, how tender the Lord is as he comes to that man there.
The end of John 9. Jesus heard that they had cast
him out. And when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou
believe on the Son of God? Dost thou believe on the Son
of God? He answered and said, Who is
he, Lord, that I might believe on him? Jesus said unto him,
Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. There
is the evidence of his faith, how he worships the Lord. And it's the same with Peter,
isn't it, in that passage that we have in chapter 16. Thou art
the Christ. the son of the living God. You
know, really, there are four definite articles in that statement. And the great Puritan, divine
Thomas Goodwin, observes the significance of that. There are
four definite articles. Literally, it reads, thou art
the Christ, the son of the God, the living. It's rightly translated,
of course, in our English, because English syntax is going to be
different to the syntax in the Greek, and we wouldn't express
ourselves in that fashion. That's how it is, as it stands
there in the inspired Greek New Testament. The Christ, the Son
of the Gods, the Living, And Goodwin says, so many stars that
call us to behold the eminency of Christ's sonship and generation. Those four articles are so many
stars that call us to behold the eminency of Christ's sonship
and generation. He is the son of the living God. It shows us that the Sonship
of Christ is of the same kind, the same nature, the same substance.
He is of the Living God. He is the Son of the Living God.
He is the Son of the Father in truth and in love. Literally it says there in John
5.18 and he said also that God was
his own father I know it reads like this in our authorised version
he said that God was his father making himself equal with God
but really that little word own is there he said that God was
his own father making himself equal with God oh he is the son
of the father in truth and in love the word made flesh that
dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the
only begotten the only begotten of the father full of grace and
of truth and how the father acknowledges
him or the father owns him as his eternal son at the baptizing
of the Lord when the heavens open the father utters that voice
this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and then it's
echoed again there in the mount of transfiguration he is owned again to be the son
of God this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased hear
ye him oh well we need to hear him He is the eternal Son of
God and the Father acknowledge him as such and we see it in
the Old Testament I know in times past we've looked at those remarkable
words in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten
thee this day this day again that Puritan Thomas Goodwin says,
this day means eternity. And the remarks of Luther, this
day, today, neither implies yesterday or tomorrow, but always a present
time. He has ever been born, he is
eternally begotten. and they worshipped Him, saying
of a truth, Thou art the Son of God. Or do we believe? Do we believe these truths? Whosoever
transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath
not God, he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath the Father
and the Son. Do we have the Father and the
Son, the Eternal Father, the Eternal Son, the Eternal Spirit? and yet this one who is the eternal
son of God is also a man a man who has to live the life
of faith and how we see him here you see
as a man living that life in verse 23 he sends the multitudes
away and he goes up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come
he was there alone he knew what real prayers were as a man this
is the mystery that he is truly God but also he is a real man
and he is touched with all the feeling of our infirmities why? he was tempted even after his
baptizing he's led of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
of satan and he's there 40 days and 40 nights and he resists
all the temptations of course he can say the prince of this
world cometh and doth nothing in me or there is nothing in
that holy man that the Great adversity of souls can take any
advantage of. He finds much in me when he comes
to tempt me, much in my all nature. And he gains the advantage. He
could find nothing in Christ. And yet, oh, the intensity. As
if the devil would take all his artillery and he'd aim it all
at the Lord Jesus Christ. In his temptations, he knew what
sore temptations were. tempted in all points like as
we are yet without sin and you know there is that sense isn't
there in which his whole life all his life was a scene of temptation
he says to the disciples when he comes to the end here are
they which have continued with me in my temptations always resisting Satan And how
does he resist? He spends seasons in prayer. He sends the multitudes away.
He goes up into a mountain to pray. And when the evening was
come, he's there all alone, alone with his God. Oh, what a pattern
he is to us, what real prayer is. And what do I know of prayer
like the Lord's prayers? He was a man of prayer, and yet
he is never anything less than true almighty God. When he makes that confession
there at Caesarea Philippi, Peter, thou art the Christ, the son
of the living God, the Lord goes on, doesn't he, and says to him
upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. You know what that rock is. The
foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is
Jesus Christ the Lord, we're told in Corinthians. It's the
confession. It's not what the Roman church
says. They say it's Peter who is the
rock. Well, Peter isn't the rock. It's
Peter's great confession. It's Christ. and that that Peter said concerning
him, Jesus of Nazareth, thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. And I like this comment that
I came across. The doctrine of Christ and His
eternal Sonship are the prime and essential foundation of the
Church, the basis of all sound doctrine and all saving faith. I came across that quotation,
it's from a Methodist actually, Doubtless an Arminian, but an
evangelical, a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. And
that's what he said, the doctrine of Christ and his eternal sonship
are the prime and essential foundation of the Church, the basis of all
sound doctrine and all saving faith. Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God. and so we have it here the reaction of these men having
witnessed this incident that occurred when the Lord constrained them to get into
the ship and to go before him to the other side and sends the
multitudes away and then goes himself to pray and then appears
to them and performs his miracles Then they that were in the ship
came and worshipped him, saying of a truth, Thou art the Son
of God." Is that our confession? Or can we say that? Do we have
such a knowledge of Jesus Christ? You know, there's not only His
person, is there? There's also His work, of course
there is. And in that passage in chapter 16, where Peter makes
his confession, we're told from that time forth, after Peter
had made the confession. Is it verse 21 of chapter 16? From
that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that
he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders
and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again
the third day. And he said that Peter rebukes
Or be that far from me, Lord. He doesn't want the Lord to die.
And then the Lord turns to Peter, get thee behind me, Satan. That
was a temptation, you see. And this beloved, this favoured
disciple who had just made the great confession is the instrument
of Satan. Get thee behind me, Satan. Thou
art an offence unto me, for thou savourest not the things that
be of God. that those be of men. All we must save are the things
of God. And they all center of course
in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. What do we
think of the Lord Jesus Christ? We all need that saving knowledge
of Him, His person, His work. You know that's the antidote
to all our sins and all our fears. to believe in Him and to believe
that He is able and He is able to save each of us from the uttermost
to the uttermost or to be with those then in the ship they that were in the ship came
and worshipped Him saying of the truth Thou art the Son of
God All the Lord be pleased to bless his word to us. Amen.