In Matthew chapter fourteen, Matthew records his description of two major miracles. The first miracle is found in Matthew 14:13-21 (please read). Here Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. What a miracle! Now, look at verse twenty, His twelve disciples picked up twelve baskets full of fragments from the meal. That’s one basket for each of His twelve disciples doubt and unbelief. Notice verse twenty-one, there were 5,000 men plus the women and children. In that case, Jesus could have fed as many as fifteen to twenty thousand people that day! What a miracle! Then in verse twenty-two Jesus immediately told His disciples to get into the boat and go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee without Him. By the time evening had come the boat was in the middle of the sea or approximately three or four miles from shore then the wind picked up and the boat was being tossed by the waves. Verse twenty-five says, “now in the fourth watch of the night (or between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.) Jesus went to them walking on the sea.” How could Jesus walk on the sea with all the waves crashing around? What a miracle! In verse twenty-six the disciples see Jesus on the water but they thought it was a ghost and they screamed in fear. So, what they “saw” caused them to “fear”. Then Jesus spoke to them and told them, “It is I, do not be afraid” or do not fear! Peter then says to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Was Peter still in doubt even though Jesus had just said to them, “It is I”? So, Jesus said “come” and Peter jumped out of the boat and he walked on the water to go to Jesus. Then Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and he saw the waves and felt the wind and he was afraid or fear came crashing into him and he began to sink and cried “Lord, save me!” Notice, when the disciples saw Jesus on the water, they “cried out in fear” and when Peter saw the wind and the waves “he was afraid”. Then in verse thirty-one, “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught Peter and said to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. What a miracle! What a boat full of miracles! Each one of these many miracles are confirmed by the Word, The Word of God! In Matthew 19:26, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”. 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight”. Now, notice this one last thing in Matthew 14:31, “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him”. Jesus saved Peter and the other disciples from a very life-threatening situation! Always remember, even today, “His Hand is stretched out still” to you!
Forever Following Jesus,
Gary Pittman, Sr. Pastor
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