1/12/09 Matthew 14 Jesus is God’s Son
Mt 14:22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. There are times in our lives that when we are following Jesus it appears that things are not going so well and there is little progress being made. Here Jesus made His disciples get into a boat on the Sea of Galilee to cross to the other side. The reason that Jesus tells His disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side is because there is ministry to be done there. While they are in route they are not making great progress, because of the wind. For the disciples there is another lesson to be learned; increased faith in the Son of God. After Jesus sends the disciples away and then the crowd of more than 5,000, he goes up on a mountain to pray. After being at the Sea of Galilee this past summer, I believe while Jesus was praying, He visually knew exactly where His little band of disciples were on the Sea. Believers today can learn a lesson here that when you are experiencing difficulty and little progress in the Sea of Life, we can know that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us also. The main point of the difficultly and little progress in our lives is often to prepare us for further ministry to others, just as the disciples here. Most people learn when they have been put to a test. The disciples are put to a test out on the sea. When Jesus arrives walking on the water, He invites Peter to get out of the boat and come to Him. After Peter's faith was tested, Peter and Jesus enter the boat and the wind stops. The disciples have learned a great lesson which has increased their faith. Jesus is certainly God’s Son, because he just demonstrated that He has authority over the physical laws and even the circumstances of our lives.
Prayer: Jesus thank you for demonstrating to me that you are certainly God’s Son and that it is through you we are able to come to the Father. Thank you for praying for me while I am not making much progress and having difficulty on the Sea of Life. I humbly request You to increase my faith, so that I may be better prepared to minister to others. Amen.