More to Know

Mark 6:47-50 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
 
DO you ever think, “I don’t know enough about Jesus.” Be assured, you’re not alone. Even the disciples who walked “in the dust of the rabbi” – a phrase indicating they walked closely to him to hear his every word – had much to learn about Jesus. When it seemed they had seen all Jesus could do, he did even more. He continually revealed his glory to the disciples with purposeful demonstrations of his rule over the laws of nature.   
   Jesus needed to continue to impress upon them he is God. He had chosen the 12 for a very special calling on their lives. They were struggling to believe in him as God’s Son. Not only had they doubted his ability to feed the thousands, it seemed each time an “impossible” issue confronted the 12, they lacked the faith to turn to Jesus and excitedly urge, “What will you do now?” Jesus arranged this challenge on the sea to deepen the disciples’ understanding of his deity.
   Jesus also gave flesh to the Scriptures: Job 9:8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. Yes, this is a poetic image of God’s infinite majesty. And it literally describes what Jesus did in those early morning hours. The Living Word says only God has the power to walk on water. Who is on the water? It is the One who stretches out the heavens. The disciples would need to know and remember these power demonstrations. Soon Jesus would command them to tell a doubting world the LORD God had come to earth to be Savior. He pushed their faith to the limit, so their faith would go beyond their limits. They needed to know that he truly is Lord of heaven and earth (Matthew 11:25b) The apostles’ future work would be most effective when they truly believed Jesus’ words to them in Matthew 19:26 “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
   The illustration for our lives is easy to see. We can often be terrified of things we think we see. Our minds create images of distress and doom as we wonder how we will navigate the dangers straining against us. Jesus wants you to know he is with you. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
   In the years ahead, there would be many days when the apostles would need to recall such moments. They could take courage! because they knew Jesus was walking with them.
   The same is true for you. Jesus clearly has demonstrated he is God. Do you see him?