February 19, 2016
KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS
Matthew 14:22–36
Adrienne White
Central Truth
Jesus calls us to Himself and desires a relationship with us in which we have unwavering faith in Him.
Key Verse | Matthew 14:29–31
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:29-31)
Matthew 14:22–36
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way 1 14:24 Greek many stadia, a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters from the land, 2 14:24 Some manuscripts was out on the sea beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night 3 14:25 That is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, 4 14:30 Some manuscripts strong wind he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 14:22–36
Here’s the thing—I am Peter. I desperately want Jesus to call me to Himself and bring me to places where I’m solely putting my trust in Him, but as soon as I see that big storm headed my way, I take my eyes off Jesus and start drowning in my own fear and control. Jesus never said life would be easy, and those storms we face can seem pretty scary. I struggle with truly trusting that He has everything under control. I doubt when I should be faithful and try to fix the problem myself when I should hand over the reins to God.
But the beauty of this story is this: When Peter was afraid, "and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me.'" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Jesus doesn’t hesitate. When we cry out to God in our troubles, He doesn’t waste a second to reach out to save us. He desires a relationship with us. "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:30-31). In light of all the miracles Jesus has done, still I doubt like Peter. I’ve seen God work in my life, I’ve seen Him turn it around, but still there are times when I forget that.
However, God works through those times of fear and doubt to bring us closer to Him, too. At the end of the story, we see the disciples really understand who Jesus is. "And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'" (Matthew 14:33) Dr. Constable writes, "Jesus walks on water to deepen His disciples' faith in Him even more." (Notes on Matthew, p. 247 (2015 Edition, soniclight.com)) As God has worked in those stormy times in my life, my relationship with Him has grown deeper as I’ve relied on Him to see me through. I have to remember throughout anything that Jesus saves. No matter how big the storm is, God is always bigger.
Discussion Questions
1. What is the storm that takes your eyes off Jesus? What is the source of your doubt?
2. How can you trust God in those areas of doubt?
3. How is God calling you into a deeper relationship with Him right now? How are you responding?