Master, We are Perishing!

Luke 8:22-25

22 One day he [Jesus] got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

Commentary

One of the lies commonly presented about Jesus is that He never claimed to be God. Some suggest that everything about His deity was made up by His disciples after His death in order to justify their allegiance to their Master.

If this is correct, this would have to be the greatest conspiracy theory every concocted upon the entire world.

The truth is the Disciples knowledge and understanding of who Jesus was grew everyday as they followed Him. Notice they are shocked that the Master can calm the storm. Men don’t stand up in boats and speak to the wind as though it is a person that can obey or if they do we assume that they are crazy. But when Jesus speaks the wind obeys and the disciples are amazed. In the KJV the rendering is: “What manner of man is this! He commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

The Jews understood that only God can control nature like that and this is precisely the point. Everything that Jesus did like that was done to prove or demonstrate He was the Son of God—possessing all the power and authority of God His Father.

Muslims are convinced that Jesus was a prophet. Hindus believe that Jesus is one of many, many gods. Many believe that Jesus was a good man and great teacher. Christians believe the truth—Jesus is the God-man the only begotten Son of God. And anything less is a heretical doctrine and those who believe this heresy will spend all eternity perishing because they didn’t acknowledge Jesus as their only Master.

What manner of man are we dealing with in Luke 8—the manner of man who in just a few verses later brings the dead back to life—again just another miracle performed with the express purpose of authenticating that Jesus was and is the Messiah—choose you this day whether or not you will believe the truth and then embrace it with all your heart, mind and soul until absent from the body means present with the Lord!
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