New Hope Church

Day 15 – Lenten Devotional

LENTEN DEVOTIONAL – DAY 15 – FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019

Jesus performed miracles of control over nature

Matthew 8:23-27   “When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.  And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep.  And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!”  He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.  The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Some of the most fascinating miracles of Jesus are ones in which He controls nature. There are 9 such miracles in the Bible; Water to wine (John 2:1-11), 1st catch of fish with Peter (Luke 5:1-11), Calms a sea (Mat, Mark & Luke), Feeds 5000 (Mat, Mark, Luke & John), Walks on water (Mat, Mark & John), Feeds 4000 (Mat & Mark), Money in fish (Mat 17:24-27), Tree withered (Mat & Mark), 2nd catch of fish (John 21:1-14).

Each of these signs carry with them corresponding lessons. 
(1) When Jesus turned water into wine He changed the water of purification that the Jews used to “purify” themselves into wine, which at the Last Supper He would use as a sign of His blood shed on the cross to purify us from sin.
(2) After the Lord told Peter to throw his nets out again and the haul of fish that filled his nets, He told Peter that “from now on you will catch men.” (Luke 5:10)
(3) When Jesus calms the sea He teaches us that we should have no fear when He is on board.
(4) The bread and fish feed the 5,000 once, physically, but the Bread of Life feeds forever, spiritually.
(5) When Jesus walks on the water He asks us to join Him in His supernatural work and is ready to lift us up when we fall.
(6) Creating food out of loaves and fishes…Jesus compassion satisfies our hunger.
(7) Out of the mouth of a fish Jesus pays the temple tax, Jesus the very one to whom the temple was built to honor divinely fulfilled His obligation.
(8) Jesus teaches that a withering tree of religiosity bears no fruit and will wither and die.
(9) The last sign of Jesus in John’s gospel (21:1-4) elicits an immediate response from disciples who recognize the sovereign King whose control over His universe is without question.

REFLECT:  The Christ who walked among us defied the laws of nature and shows Himself as supreme over His created universe.

REPENT:  Change your ways. Do you really believe that Jesus is King? King of your heart and King of His universe?  Do you bow to the transcendence and power of God almighty?  Do you recognize the signs of His authority?

RESTORE:  Look deeply at the stars in the heavens, the clouds in the sky, the sun, the moon, and the precious gift of the earth…and KNOW that Jesus is King of it all.  The One who asks you to recognize who He is wants you to get out of the boat and go to Him.

Hebrews 1:2-3  “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Blessings,
Pastor Tom Bellhy