In Matthew 14, we left the disciples in a big storm and Jesus was interceding on their behalf. Matthew 14:25-26 says, “And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear.”
It is about 4 a.m. and because of the storm, they haven’t slept. Before they set sail, they assisted Jesus in feeding 5000 men plus the women and children with them. Even if they just walked around passing out food they walked a lot. They have been in a boat since dinnertime and been battling a storm for most of that time. They’ve got to be worn out.
Some of the disciples are seasoned fishermen and others are not. I am sure the comfort levels registered all over the charts. To top things off, they look up and see someone walking towards them on the water and they freak out. It’s not normal. People don’t just walk on water everyday. What was going on?
Life with Jesus was going on. While things started off bad, Jesus was interceding for them. When things got worse, He came to them. Jesus loves us enough to never leave us alone in times of trouble [Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:5]. Sometimes He is interceding for us and other times He shows up in person. Either way, He is on our side, working on our behalf.
The disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. They couldn’t imagine Jesus or anyone else walking on water. It went against the laws of nature. Jesus created the laws of nature and He has dominion over them. A little thing like the ocean never stopped him before [Exodus 14:21-22]. The disciples witnessed something many of us have yet to learn. Sometimes help comes in a different way than we would expect. What do you do when that happens? Do you recognize it as help? What did the disciples do? Tune in tomorrow. [To be continued…]

P.S. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!