“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

When I give the boys baths, I often lean them back in the tub, resting their head in my hand in order to rinse soap out of their hair. This allows me to get the soap out without getting their faces drenched, because they don’t like having their faces drenched. With each of my three sons we have gone through this faze where I have to gain their trust. They don’t like being leaned back and having to give up control to me. I tell them, “I got you son, I won’t let go, there is nothing to be afraid of.” It took a while, but Anthony and Jack finally got it and even came to like it. Charlie is just learning – never a dull moment with that little man. It is hard for me to understand why they fear, don’t they know that I have them? That I am strong enough and love them enough to care for them? Do you see what I am getting at?

Today I am thinking about a famous story in the Bible that is chock full of meaning for us today. In Matthew 14the disciples are out in a boat in the middle of a lake early in the morning before the sun came up. It was dark and the wind and waves were strong when they looked out and saw a figure walking toward them on the water. They immediately fearful believing it was a ghost of some sort. Upon hearing their cries of fear the figure “immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’” It was Jesus of course. Now let’s stop right there. I want to make a comparison between now and then for you and I. The disciples are seeing something amazing, something that defies reality, or at least their understanding of reality. The miracle of Jesus that I want you and I to focus on is His resurrection (stay with me, it will all make sense in a moment, or at least I hope it will J). For them it was walking on water for us it is defying death! Jesus was dead for 3 days and then walked out of his own grave. 

The story continues in Matthew 14:28 Peter has a question, “‘Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” What a profound moment! Peter is walking on water! He is doing something impossible! The verse, “With Christ all things are possible” takes on a powerful meaning against this backdrop! Let’s get back to our comparison – Jesus Christ walked out of His own grave and just like He invited Peter to walk with Him on the water Jesus invites you and I into His death and resurrection! Jesus invites us into the miracle, asks us to join Him in a new and eternal life that doesn’t begin when you die but rather with the moment you give yourself to Jesus! When you and I gave our lives to Christ we died to the things of this world! Our lives are now hidden with Christ in God Paul tells us in Colossians! We are living now eternally, we will walk right through death, survive death as Jesus did and go on living in a profoundly new existence. 

The story continues in Matthew 14:30, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” In the middle of this miraculous moment Peter sees large waves coming, feels the strong wind and his old human reason that he had relied on his entire life kicked in and he was afraid. What are the waves for you right now? What strong winds are blowing that are causing you to stop looking at Jesus right now? A pandemic? Riots? Financial worries? 

In Matthew 14:31 we read that, “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘you of little faith,’ He said, ‘why did you doubt?’” Think about it, Peter already knew how to overcome the wind and waves! Just look at Jesus! I mean if looking at Jesus could help him walk on water certainly it would get him past some wind and waves? I looked at Charlie in the tub last night and thought, “Son, I hold you all the time! I throw you up and down in the air and you love it! Why do you fear in a bathtub when you are in my hands?” And Jesus is looking at you right now and saying, “You have already been delivered! You are already saved! You are walking in eternal life! What is it exactly that you a