Matthew 14:22, 25-27 (NKJV)Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away…. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
In the Old Testament, God is known as the Great I AM and the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Nobody in the Old Testament has seen God. Their knowledge of God being the God with whom they had a covenant was passed down to them from their forefathers. Nonetheless, those who knew God, like David, Joshua, Caleb, Daniel, and many more, did many great exploits for God. Meanwhile, the twelve disciples got to know God for themselves through their time with Jesus. Similarly, all of us need to know God so we can walk by faith in Him.
Prior to this passage, the disciples had witnessed Jesus heal the sick among the multitudes and feed the five thousand by multiplying five loaves and two fish. Undoubtedly, their faith in God would have increased as far as healing and the provision of food were concerned. However, they still needed to be convinced of who Jesus is regarding the other aspects of their lives.
Jesus came to declare God to us, for we have never seen God with our naked eyes. Even though the disciples knew what Jesus looked like, when they saw Him walking on water, they were so afraid that they thought He was a ghost. Although Jesus is the exact image of the Father and His deity is undeniable, the disciples had to be convinced and be taught. Defying the law of gravity to walk on water is a miracle, and only God is above creation and can defy natural laws. Thus, the disciples were convinced that Jesus is the Son of God after witnessing Jesus walk on water and how He enabled Peter to do so and saved him from drowning. It was a way for Jesus to declare His deity to them.
Matthew 14:33 (NKJV) Then those who were in the boat came and worshipped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
As New Testament believers, we are so privileged to have access to the whole counsel of God’s Word through the Bible, which is a progressive revelation of God. Like the disciples, we need to be convinced in our hearts that Jesus is God. Faith is developed through reading and listening to God’s Word because it helps us know God more deeply and defeat doubts so that we can have faith in God.
Sermon Series: Faith cannot coexist with Doubt
认识上帝，战胜疑惑
马太福音 14:22,25-27 “耶稣随即催门徒上船，先渡到那边去，等他叫众人散开。 夜里四更天，耶稣在海面上走，往门徒那里去。 门徒看见他在海面上走，就惊慌了，说：‘是个鬼怪！’便害怕，喊叫起来。 耶稣连忙对他们说：‘你们放心，是我，不要怕！’ ”
在旧约中，神被称为伟大的“我是”，也是亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的全能神。在旧约中，虽然没有人亲眼见过神，但人们知道，神是与他们立约的神。这种对神的认识，是由祖先传承下来的。然而，那些认识神的人，如大卫、约书亚、迦勒、但以理等，都为神做了许多伟大的事。与此相对，十二门徒通过与耶稣的同行，逐渐认识了神。我们每个人也需要亲自认识神，这样我们才能凭着信心跟随祂。
在这段经文之前，门徒们曾亲眼见证耶稣医治病人，并用五饼二鱼喂饱五千人。毫无疑问，他们在神的医治和供养方面的信心已有所增长。然而，在他们生活的其他方面，他们依然需要更多地认识耶稣是谁。
耶稣来到世上，向我们宣告神的存在，因为我们从未亲眼见过神。尽管门徒们知道耶稣的外貌，但当他们看到耶稣在水面上行走时，他们害怕得以为祂是鬼怪。尽管耶稣是神的真实显现，祂的神性是不可否认的，但门徒们仍然需要亲自经历和学习。耶稣能够违背重力定律，在水面上行走，这是一种神迹，只有神能超越自然法则，支配万物。因此，门徒们在见证耶稣行走在水面上，并且看见祂使彼得在水上行走并救他于溺水。这是耶稣向门徒宣告自己神性的方式。
马太福音 14:33 “在船上的人都拜他，说：‘你真是上帝的儿子了。’“
作为新约的信徒，我们非常幸运，能够通过圣经获得神全部心意的启示，圣经是神逐步启示的见证。像门徒一样，我们也需要在内心深处确信耶稣就是神。信心是通过阅读和聆听神的话语建立的，因为神的话语帮助我们更深地认识祂，战胜怀疑，从而使我们能够信靠神。
讲章系列: 信心不能与怀疑共存
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