More Evidence that Jesus is the Messiah (Matthew 8: 23-34)

Introduction.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. In this series working together through the Gospel of Matthew I have suggested that that was one of the main reasons Matthew chose to write his account of the life of Jesus. Matthew’s gospel was written to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the king of Israel and there is no better section in all of the book to demonstrate this than in chapters 8 and 9.

In the preceding chapters, five through to seven, he gave us what people call ‘The Sermon on the Mount, but now in chapters 8 and nine we see Jesus doing a series of miracles. We know by comparing this with other passages of scripture that these miracles are not listed in chronological order which immediately tips us off to the fact that Matthew has another point to make. That point is he wants to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is the Messiah we know that by examining the miracles and seeing how he arranges them and what he says about them. We’ve already noted that there are three groups of miracles and there are three miracles in each group. 

Last time we looked at the first group of three and it consisted of, the healing of the man with leprosy, followed by the healing of a servant and then following a short word about the cost of discipleship, [choosing to follow Jesus] it describes some other miraculous healings as well. Today we’re going to come to the second group of three miracles and I want to ask why Matthew piles up miracle upon miracle for us. What more could we want, those first three miracles already demonstrated that Christ had power over illness and disease, what else is there what more could he possibly want us to know.

Apparently, Matthew thinks that there is more that we could benefit from knowing and he tells us what in these next in this next group of three miracles. We shall now see Jesus calm a storm, casting a demon and the healing of a paralytic man. So, what did these miracles do to help prove that Jesus is the Messiah that the first group of three miracles didn’t do. Remember you can’t study these two chapters bearing in mind Matthew had something to say about discipleship  at the end of the first group and will again at the end of this second group. So, what does all this have to do with us being disciples of Jesus Christ.

To answer some of those questions I’m going to suggest that we go through these three miracles and try to capture the essence of what I think Matthew was trying to tell us. So what I’m going to do over the next 3 episodes is first look at these three miracles, and then look at what Matthew wants us to learn about discipleship from them.

So, with that in mind let’s begin with the first of these three miracles it begins in chapter 8 verse 23 where Matthew says that even the winds and the waves obey Jesus.

Jesus Calms the Storm.

23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marvelled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8: 23-27)

Obviously, this is the miracle of Jesus stilling the storm let’s just look at it very brief obviously there was a storm what you need to know is that this is a storm on the sea of Galilee. The sea of Galilee is not a large body of water it is basically about 9 by 12 miles and these were experienced fishermen. They had fished on the sea many years that’s how they made their living but what you need to know is that the sea of Galilee is surrounded by mountains and particularly on the western side there are gorges in these mountains and when the wind comes blowing through those mountains it compresses and causes great force to hit the lake and a storm can come up very quickly. 

They’re crossing the lake Jesus has just done a lengthy period of teaching and preaching and he’s worked miracles  so he’s no doubt tired which is probably why he goes to sleep. But they’re in the midst of the storm and he is asleep. The disciples come to him and try to wake him saying “Lord save us we’re perishing”. Isn’t that interesting the storm didn’t wake him up but they came and woke him up. Interesting.

I grew up in a house for the first 10 years of my live which although in a rural setting the main Belfast to Dublin railway line ran closely by. Probably less than 100 yards for the edge of our garden. I never remember even noticing it apart I obviously adjusted to the sound of the train goes past every quarter before and quarter after each hour, even at night in bed the last train passed at 6.00 in the morning or 10.45pm Even in bed at night I remember the distant sound of the train going past almost became comforting. But I remember my mum telling me she could sleep through the sound of the trains going past but if one of her babies, if my brother or I they had just made it slightest whisper she would sit up in bed. 

I’ve seen this portrayed in films many times and I always think they miss part of this. God bends his ear toward his children so he can here us when we really need him, despite the cacophony of our everyday lives. So, they turn to the Lord and said you got to do something we are perishing that says to me there are two storms going on here one is on the sea of Galilee and the other is in the souls of the disciples. What I find fascinating is that here are experienced fishermen going to a Carpenter to help them navigate the storm on the sea, but this is because they were growing in their understanding that he was much more than a carpenter. But he said to them why are you so fearful oh you of little faith, so he rebukes them. He probably does this because by this time they’ve already seen him do miracles they ought to know this would have been entirely possible for him to deal with this.

Jesus asks them, why are you afraid, I’m here this is just a storm, why are you afraid, just trust me, then he get up and rebukes the wind. He rebuked the wind as if the storm was just a naughty boy. The text then says, and the sea and the wind calmed down there was great calm on the lake. The disciples then are awestruck saying, how can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him. What was probably was not lost on them was there religious writing contained in what we today call the Old Testament clearly teaches that it is God who calms the seas. That is specifically said in Psalm 107 verse 29 so by doing this miracle Jesus is not only calming them and the sea, but he is also demonstrating that he is the God of the Old Testament who calms the storms. Someone has noted there are two storm dealt with at once in this story, there’s two storms here and in light of the first one wherever Jesus is the storm of life which becomes a calm in the hearts of the fearful disciples and there is the storm on the life.

The presence of Jesus in our lives can calm the most terrible of emotional storms. The tempest can be turned to peace when the cold bleak wind of sorrow blows. There is a calm and a comfort in the presence of Jesus Christ.  God in the flesh so Jesus was there and their storm and fear dissipate alongside the storm on the lake. But while all of that’s true and I would not want to take away from it what I believe what the major point Matthew is trying to make is the fact that Jesus has calmed the sea and that demonstrates that he is God.

In the flow of Matthew chapter 8 this is taking Matthew’s point to a new level in the previous group of three miracles. Jesus had power over disease in the first series of miracles but now he is demonstrating he has power over nature as well. As someone has said Christ is here demonstrating the same authority that he had when he created the world by the word of his mouth, the authority that brought the world into existence can certainly control the elements in nature.  Jesus was demonstrating through this miracle that he is the Lord of creation and that is the point of this miracle. In the final analysis Jesus stills the storm to demonstrate to his disciples that he has power over nature and to teach them that he can deliver them from the storms in their life also. 

One other word before we go to the next. They were already following the Lord, right, would you please make not of the fact that following the Lord doesn’t mean that you don’t encounter storms. They were with him, literally in the same boat, and they encountered a storm. Sometimes we can get the idea that if you’re following the Lord you won’t have any trouble in life. Life my friend is made out of trouble. I often say to people who are telling me about the trouble they are having, “welcome to life”. I think I’ve already said that several times in our Bible studies together these last few years. Have you ever heard me say that that's life, so get used to it. Life is full of trouble, but in this case what Jesus did demonstrates that he is God in the flesh and he can deal with anything and help you deal with anything also.

The Healing of the Demon Possessed Man

There’s a second miracle that begins at verse 28 after which Jesus will get in the boat again and once again leave to go to another region of the Galilee. Let’s read it together.

28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine. 32 And He said to them, “Go.” So, when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea and perished in the water. 33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region. (Matthew 8: 28-34)

So, he got into a boat crossed over and came into the region of the Gergesenes, This is a famous story of Jesus casting out a demon. Maybe I should pause and talk about whether we believe in demons, or even if today we still believe in the devil. 

CS Lewis a famous professor at Oxford after the war, started out an atheist and became a Christian said in 'The Screwtape Letters' there are two equal and opposite errors into which the race can fall about devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence, and the other is to believe and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They, he said are equally pleased by both errors.

You can take one of two extremes when it comes to demon and demonic activity, you can just brush them off as non existent or you can become obsessed with them. The middle ground is to acknowledge that the Bible teaches there is a devil and there are demons and that’s what Jesus is dealing with here. And we shall look at how Jesus deals with them her, but we will do that in the next episode.