Jesus Calms The Storm

The Sea of Galilee is only five miles wide and thirteen miles long, but it is known for its sudden storms. The sea is surrounded by mountains with deep ravines. These ravines bring the winds whirling down upon the lake without notice.

The miracle of Jesus calming the sea, as related by Luke in chapter 8, occurred at the end of a long day of ministry, and it was now time to rest. Jesus directed his disciples to sail to the other side of the lake, although they did not know that a storm was brewing. Jesus got in the boat and found a place in the stern of the boat, where he fell fast asleep. The disciples began the journey across the lake in the calm evening hours.

The storm that came to the boat carrying the disciples and Jesus was planned and sent by God. It was the instrument that God would use to teach the disciples a valuable lesson on faith and trust. Without difficulties, we would never grow to be what we should become. Storms are part of the process of spiritual growth both then and now.

Perhaps such a storm is raging in your life. You are in the middle of it now, and it feels like you are about to drown. We have all been there at some point. It may be a family problem, your business, a health problem, or a problem with a child. Whatever the trial, if you ask God to meet you in your distress, he can bring the calm and peace you need. 

The disciples woke him, saying, “Jesus, we’re going to drown!” (Luke 8:24). They were afraid that all of them, including Jesus, would die. They thought that everything, even their hopes for the future, would go in an instant. The irony of the moment is shocking because, despite having been with Jesus for some time, witnessing numerous miracles, listening fervently to his teaching, and even seeing him raise the dead, they thought this was the end.

The storm did not wake Jesus, but his doubting disciples did. Jesus acted immediately: He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm” (Luke 8:24). The wind immediately stopped. It was a sudden calm. The sea was also calmed instantaneously. Then Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?”(Luke 8:25).

The question was a rebuke.  Although their fear was natural and took over, they were embarrassed by their lack of faith. They had seen too much of his power, and they knew he was the Messiah. But in their fear, they had abandoned their faith. How like us. Fear comes, and all the reasons for trust evaporate, even though God has quelled many storms in our lives.  

But now, as they rode the calm sea, their faith returned. So, “In fear and amazement, they asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” (Luke 8:25). What a moment! What an experience to see Jesus speak to the wind and the waves and watch them obey. This same Jesus is with us each day!

Let Justice Roll Like a River

In the book of Amos, God calls His people to do right because they have strayed far from His ways. They have oppressed the poor, taken advantage of the weak, and trampled on the underprivileged. As a consequence, God rejected the people’s worship: “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies… Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.” (Amos 5:21-23). These are strong words, “I hate, I despise ... I cannot stand ... I will not listen,” that express God’s displeasure with his people.

Where there was injustice, God wanted justice. The prophet said, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24). Think of a beautiful mountain stream flowing with rushing cool water. God wants justice and righteousness to be a never-failing stream! Not a creek that rises and falls but an overflowing river.

Jesus is the ultimate demonstration of God’s righteousness. Think of the trap that the Pharisees set for Jesus using a woman caught in adultery. It was the perfect setup. These men seemed never to learn, as they had tried over and over to trap Jesus but without success. They said to Jesus:  “Teacher, this Woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap to have a basis for accusing him (John 8:4-6).

If he said, “Let her go.” Then, he would be showing disrespect against the law of Moses. If he said, “Go ahead and stone her.” Then, he would be guilty of advocating civil disobedience against the Roman Government that prohibited the Jews from carrying out capital punishment. He would also be inconsistent with his present stance of defending the weak. They were dealing with God and didn’t know it. They knew him only as the carpenter from Nazareth who had become a preacher.

I grew up in the wide-open country of the San Joaquin Valley. While hunting, I noticed one of my dogs had just cornered a badger. The badger seemed to be saying, “Go on, doggy and leave me alone. But this dog thought he was the top dog, and there wasn’t an animal alive he couldn’t whip. I called him, but he didn’t listen. I knew the badger could whip the dog with two paws tied behind his back, but he didn’t know that. The dog kept pestering the badger until that badger knocked that dog end over end with one stroke of his mighty paw. The dog spent the rest of the afternoon licking his wounds. Oh, he learned what badgers were that day. And this day, Pharisees are about to know what it’s like to fight with God.

First, Jesus fights with silence. It was maddening for them. This was a clever trap. He is supposed to fall into it. It’s kind of like telling a joke that depends on your hearer falling for the gag but doesn’t. Jesus is not intimidated by these bullies. He is God, and he knows what he is doing. He bends down and begins to write in the dirt. They keep asking, “Come on, Jesus, tell us what you want us to do.” All they get is silence.

Finally, Jesus answered them; when they continued to question him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground John 8:7-8).

How unprepared they were for Jesus’ challenge. He never fell into their trap. He never suggested they follow the law of Moses; neither did he ask for her freedom. Instead, He turned the tables on them and said, “If You want her stoned, then the one that is without sin should cast the first stone.” They couldn’t do that! To do so would invite scrutiny from their comrades. They would love to have cast that stone, but Jesus stopped them in their tracks. And what’s more, he humiliated them! They dropped their stones and left.

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:10-11). With wisdom, audacity and tenderness Jesus had demonstrated the righteousness and justice of God. Jesus asked the woman a penetrating question. “Has no one condemned you?” She answers, “No one.” Then Jesus challenges her to leave her life of sin and find a new life following him.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

We Are Not Alone

I once watched a video of a little bear cub playing by himself. Then suddenly, he hears the growl of a mountain lion. He looks and screams with uncontrollable fear and runs away as fast as he can. But the lion can run faster, and he feels the lion gaining ground. The cub sees a fallen tree extended over a rushing stream, but the tree is high in the air, and the stream is far below. He is reluctant to cross the stream. But he looks back at the lion and realizes he has no choice but to try and cross the stream on the tree. With apprehension, the cub makes its way to the end of the tree but sees it does not reach the other side. The lion follows him. And when it seems he has reached his end, the tree suddenly breaks off, and the cub is swept away by the fierce current below.

The lion follows on the shore, always keeping sight of his next meal. The lion jumps to some rocks in the middle of the stream, where he can wait for this prey to come to him. The cub works to get to the far side but finds the lion has followed him and instantly pounced on him. He is defenseless against such a powerful foe.

Then suddenly, the lion retreats. You wonder what in the world happened? Then, on the shore appears a giant bear standing on two legs, mad enough to tear that lion apart. The cub runs to his mama, and she comforts him.

We have all been chased by the lion, stricken by panic and forced to find a way to escape. We have all been plunged into the water of doubt. We have all been slapped by the enemy who says, “I have you now!” We have all felt that feeling of helplessness! Then we have all heard the roar of our Lord Jesus—and have watched the enemy flee. At first, we were startled and wondered what had just happened, and then we looked, and it was the Lion of Judah who said leave my child alone! We are not alone! He is with us!

 

 

The Rock

 

The nation of Israel journeyed from Egypt to Canaan but often found themselves lacking food and water. On one occasion, they became so thirsty as they trekked through the desert that they became extremely anxious. Eventually, they became infuriated with Moses and demanded he give them water to quench their incredible thirst. The critical point of the story is their inability to maintain self-control in tough times and trust God. God had already provided water when they had none and food when they were hungry. They could have prayed to him and believed he would meet their need again, but they didn’t.

They sinned in three ways making the story relevant because we, too, have trouble trusting God to meet our needs. First, they demanded God’s provision immediately (Ex 17:2). The sin here is demanding God’s provision—not asking for it or waiting for it, but insisting on it. They were telling God that he had to give them what they wanted or else. Secondly, they denied God’s security (Exodus 17:3). They assumed the worse and began to predict a calamitous end for all of them. They quickly concluded that God had abandoned them and left them to die. All this pointed to their lack of trust. It does not follow logic that God would have sent the plagues and opened the Red Sea just to let his people die of thirst. Thirdly, they doubted that God was actually with them (Exodus 17:7). If only they had remembered what God had done for them.

God’s answer was to provide water for the people in the middle of the desert (Ex 17:6). He gave instructions for Moses to strike a rock with his staff, and water would come out. God also promised to stand there before Moses at the rock. This was none other than an Old Testament theophany where Christ appeared in human history before the incarnation took place.

Moses moved toward the rock that God had pointed out. He is invigorated as he sees Christ standing near the rock. The Israelites trail Moses as he leads the thirsty Israelites to the rock. What an inspirational picture—let us lead this thirsty world to the rock, which is Christ Jesus. As Moses got closer to the rock, he could still hear the murmurings of the people behind him. However, his heart pounded with the assurance that God had spoken to him and that He would watch over his word to perform it. With every step, his faith grew stronger—just the sight of the rock inspired him and of the presence of the Lord of Hosts standing there. Moses lifted his rod high in the view of all the Elders of Israel and then struck the rock. Suddenly, as if a giant gate had been opened—water burst forth from that rock. The sight of the life-giving water running in the hot sand was almost more than the mind could grasp. The water gushed out with force and moved throughout the whole assembly of Israel, forming a beautiful flowing stream. I envision laughter and delight as thousands drank and played in that fresh water.

Who Arrested Who?

 

John tells us that Jesus knew what lay ahead of him in the hours before his arrest, trials, and crucifixion. Yet, he never wavered nor chose to escape the painful road ahead. It was a cold spring night when Judas descended Jerusalem with a group of several hundred soldiers and the Jewish leaders to arrest Jesus. The sight must have been terrifying for the disciples as the long line of flaming torches wound its way down from the dark, high walls of the city and up the slopes of Olivet toward the garden where Jesus and his disciples were.

The soldiers would have been fully armed, each carrying a short sword. Jesus’ enemies had carefully chosen the time and place. They wanted to arrest Jesus away from the people, so there would be no riot of the people. No one, not even Judas, recognized Jesus. Jesus spoke to the leaders: “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground (John 18:5-6).

Jesus preempted the mob and went forward to meet the armed crowd. In response to their question, he openly identified himself. Their reaction was involuntary; they immediately fell to the ground. They did not fall down when he asked them what they wanted, but only after he said, “I am he.” The massive crowd of soldiers and Jesus’ enemies tumbled backward to the ground—because they had encountered God. The Roman soldiers knew nothing of Jesus and had no reason to fear him. They did not arrest Jesus. Instead, he captured them with his authority and power. Jesus’ exercised the same power he used when he calmed the seas and healed the sick.

It was dark, but no one recognized Jesus, not even Judas. The scene had to be comical as they all fell together in one fell swoop. What chaos amid the clanging shields and fallen torches!

Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” (John 18:8). Jesus gave the orders! It is as if we waited for the Roman commander to shout back, “I give the orders here.” However, nothing came, only silence as they obeyed Jesus, and the disciples went free.

Jesus was in control even of this arrest and the crucifixion. He was fulfilling God’s plan. Christ was God’s lamb being offered for the sins of the world.

An Eternal Promise

 

Once my family and I were on the way to the Sacramento Airport, my son, Eric, and I was flying to Argentina. As we got close to the airport, we found the freeway closed due to an accident, and traffic was at a standstill. I immediately called the control tower and was directed to detour the traffic. As I exited the freeway, people started following until there was a long line of cars trailing us. However, as the road became narrow, we had to weave in and out of side streets, and many of the followers turned back. Some dropped off only a mile or two before arriving at the airport. I was utterly blind about where we were, but being in contact with the tower directing me to the airport gave me confidence. The same is true of this life. Sometimes God leads us down curvy paths that don’t make sense, but if we are obedient, we later find out he knows what he is doing.

Christ made an incredible pledge to his disciples before he went to the cross. Knowing he was leaving them, he wanted to encourage them with a promise. Here it is: “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known so that the love you have for me may be in them and that I may be in them” (John 17:26).

Jesus made an eternal promise to always make himself known to his disciples. Jesus makes himself available to those who want to know him better. That is like a spiritual GPS that guides us through the complexities of life. Knowing Jesus better should be our number 1 priority in life.

Helping people with OCD (of which we all have some) is all about reminding them about their priorities. They often feel compelled to organize something or put something right. However, I try to remind them that it is more critical for them to put people above their obsession. Give attention to your marriage, spend time with your kids and love your brothers and sisters because, in the end, this is what matters.

We all need to be reminded of our priorities, and our number one priority is to stay close to Jesus. If we do, he will guide us through the power of the Holy Spirit. The world may seem chaotic and hopeless at times, but we are never without hope if we know the creator God.

What a Prayer!

  

Before Jesus left the Upper Room on the night of the Last Supper, he prayed thus: “Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5). We sometimes get a fleeting glance of God’s glory in a beautiful sunset or a beautiful majestic mountain vista; but, really we have no idea what God’s glory looks like in its totality.

Jesus was the explanation of God. We have never seen God; no one has, but all we have to do is look at Jesus, and we will see what the Father looks like having never seen him. In the last hours with his disciples, Christ prayed that he and his Father would be glorified on the cross. It was a request that Jesus would faithfully fulfill his mission. Jesus had already glorified the Father by completing the work the Father gave him, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). But now the ultimate glory would be manifest as God demonstrated his unlimited and unconditional love as he poured his wrath on his beloved son for our sin.

Ultimately, we see God’s love for us in the extravagant cost he paid for our redemption. If Jesus had stopped short of the cross, that would have shown there was a place to which God was not prepared to go for us. The cross demonstrates that there is no limit to God’s love.

 We would not have known this without the cross! God, who created the universe, saw his son hanging on the cross, covered with the disdain of those who put him there. The ugliness of the cross comes from the fact that the world’s sins were placed upon him. 

Jesus prayed this prayer because he was going to war—war against sin—our sin! John the Baptist had prophesied this moment: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).