Luke 8: 22-25
Matthew 14: 22-33
Jesus’ Authority: Part 1

by Gary DeLashmutt

Introduction

We come now to a new section in Luke’s gospel. Luke narrates four events in quick succession which were part of Jesus’ training course for his disciples.

Jesus stills the storm

Read vs 22-23. Since many of these men were experienced fishermen who had spent most of their lives on this lake, this must have been quite a storm!

“Given the Sea of Galilee’s topography, such a storm could descend onto the sea quickly without notice and, at night, could hardly be anticipated. The sea is some seven hundred feet below sea level and is depressed with hills around it. The hills on the east side are particularly steep. Cool air rushing down the ravines and hills around the lake can collide with warm air above the lake and create an instant storm in the confined quarters.”[1]
The boat was being swamped by huge waves, and they were in imminent danger of drowning.

In this situation, Jesus teaches two lessons at once. Read vs 24-25.

He reveals his complete authority over the forces of nature. Jesus did not pray to God—he simply commanded the storm by his own authority to stop. And the Greek is emphatic that the storm did not gradually subside—it stopped completely and immediately. Imagine being in that boat, shouting in panic over the howling wind as the waves poured in—and then a moment later looking out over a placid, quiet lake!
This is why the disciples react the way they do (v. 25b). They are suddenly more afraid of who is inside the boat with them than they were of the storm! Jesus does not answer their question, but there is only one biblical answer. Only God himself has such total control over the forces of nature (read Ps. 107:26-30).
In quick succession, Jesus will press this home by demonstrating his authority over nature (here), demonic forces (8:26-39), physical sickness (8:43-48), and even death (8:49-56). Their teacher is more than a rabbi or prophet—he is the Messiah, God-incarnate!
APPLICATION/GOSPEL: This is very polarizing. The attempts to explain this naturalistically (BARCLAY) are foolish, requiring more faith to believe than the account itself. The Jesus Seminar’s claim that this event is not authentic has no evidence whatever to back it up, and makes the three gospel authors liars. We are confronted with the claim that Jesus is God—a claim that we must either accept or reject.

But there is another lesson here. Jesus can “walk and chew gum at the same time.” This event teaches them something about what is involved in following Jesus.

Following Jesus will not spare us from adversity. Notice that they found themselves in this storm because they obeyed Jesus’ orders. Some people teach that if you follow Jesus/God’s will you will not run into serious adversity. They say that if you encounter adverse circumstances, this proves that you misunderstood his will or violated his will (BUILDING “PROPHETS”). This is a foolish, unbiblical perspective. The disciples found themselves in trouble precisely because they followed Jesus’ will, and he has told we can expect the same thing. We will not be spared the troubles of living in a fallen world (Jn. 16:33 - ACCIDENTS; NATURAL DISASTERS), and we will have additional adversity from God’s enemies (Jn. 15:18-20 - PERSECUTION; SATANIC ATTACK).
But Jesus is present in all such adversity, and he is able to conquer all adversity—if we entrust ourselves to him. They thought he was unconcerned and/or powerless to help, but he was both able and willing to deal with the situation. Sometimes (as in this case), he takes the adversity away. At other times (biblically more often), he does not take it away—but he enables us to endure it victoriously. But he wants us to turn to him in personal trust at these times. His question (v. 25a) focuses them on the importance of this response.
What does it mean to “have faith in Jesus” during adversity? We get more light on this question in the sequel to this event . . . turn to Matt. 14:22.

The sequel (Matt. 14:22-33)

Read vs 22-23. Explain why Jesus made them leave before he dismissed the multitudes (Jn. 6:15). I wonder if the disciples thought “Oh no, here we go again!”

Read vs 24-26. Again, it is the middle of the night. Again, a terrible storm comes upon them without warning. But this time it is worse. Jesus is not with them. Jewish superstition taught that open water was filled with demons. Imagine being in this terrible storm, fighting for your life—and by the light of a lightening bolt seeing a figure walking toward you! They figured it was a spirit coming to finish them off!
NOTE: Barclay’s “explanation”—that the boat was blown close to shore where they saw Jesus walking along the shore[2]—is ridiculous. There would be no moonlight in such a storm. It doesn’t explain Peter walking on the water or Jesus’ subsequent stilling of the storm. This is either deliberate fabrication by an eye-witness (Matthew), or it really happened and was one of the things that convinced Matthew to believe in Jesus as the Lord and go to his death rather than deny it!
Read vs 27-28. Peter recognizes it is Jesus and makes a reasonable request: “Since you have authority over the forces of nature, you also have the authority to enable me to walk on water—how about it?”
Jesus grants this request—read v. 29a. Now note carefully what follows—read vs 29b-30.
Notice the two very different results depending on Peter’s focus. When he focused on Jesus, Jesus didn’t take the storm away—but he enabled Peter to live above its destructive power. But when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the storm, he became overwhelmed by the storm.
This is the key lesson for the disciples and for us. Why is it that some Christians are able to endure adverse circumstances victoriously, while others are overwhelmed by their circumstances? Why are you and I sometimes able to endure adverse circumstances victoriously, while at other times we are overwhelmed by our circumstances? The reason is not the severity of the storm (no necessary correlation), nor that Jesus is accessible in some storms but not in others (Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20)—it is what we focus on!
Explain what “storms” Paul is experiencing (vs 8-9). Read 2 Cor. 4:16-17. How is it that he can experience such constant and terrible pounding—yet be continuously renewed spiritually and view the afflictions as “light and momentary?” He tells us his secret in v. 18 (read).
The word translated “look” is skopeo, from which we get “scope.” It means not merely to glance or casually regard something, but to fix one’s gaze on (NIV: “fix our eyes on”) and concentrate carefully (see also Rom. 16:17; Phil. 3:17).
The secret that unleashes Christ’s power to enable Paul to live above his circumstances is that he refuses to focus on the circumstances (“what is seen;” “temporal”), but instead focuses on “what is not seen” and “eternal”—the Person of Jesus Christ and his promises in God’s Word.
What does it look like to “focus on Jesus?” It has nothing to do with “visualization” or positive thinking. Rather, it involves:
Choosing to recall and believe what he says about this situation in spite of contrary thoughts and feelings (1 Cor. 10:13; Rom. 8:28; 1 Pet. 5:9-10).
Choosing to draw near to Christ and speak to him in this situation in spite of contrary thoughts and feelings (Heb. 4:16).
Choosing to obey his will in this situation in spite of contrary thoughts and feelings (1 Pet. 4:19 - EXAMPLES).
You will find, like Paul did, that this is the “critical variable” when storms break.
EPILOGUE: Peter is a picture of most of us.
We learn to trust Jesus over time and with many stumbles. Through repeated storms, he slowly learned this lesson—and even then only partially.
But notice Jesus’ response when Peter cried out as his nose slipped below the water. Read v. 31.
Isn’t it great that Jesus didn’t castigate him (“Look at you, you unspiritual fool!” “You just suck water for a while . . . ”) or walk away in disgust? Immediately he took hold of him and hauled him into the boat. True, he reminded him of the key lesson (v. 31b), but he did so in the context of grace and help rather than rejection. He is far more willing to help us than we are to let him.
Jesus teaches us to trust him in the context of his grace. When we take our eyes off of Jesus in adverse circumstances and begin to slip under, it seems like a voice is always there to tell us that we’re so unspiritual that Jesus wants nothing to do with us. But this is the voice of Satan, not of Jesus. Jesus is saying, “I am still with you and will still stand by you even when your faith fails. Learn to trust my Word instead of your feelings or circumstances.”
GOSPEL: This is not some mythical story that weak people use to avoid facing reality. Jesus Christ is as alive and accessible to you today as he was to these people 2000 years ago. He wants to get involved in your life and free you from being a slave to your circumstances. Why don't you call out to him and ask him to do this? If you do, he will come in and open you up to a whole new dimension of life—spiritual life with him!

NEXT: Jesus’ authority over demonic forces

Footnotes

[1] Darrell L. Bock, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Luke: Volume 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), p.761.