Greetings members and friends and to everyone who is interested in knowing more about God through the study of the scripture text of the bible. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Why Are You Afraid?” and it is based on Matthew 8:23-27.
This event along with several others reported in the gospels of Jesus doing something that defies all known physical laws is one of the things that give people pause when it comes to believing in the New Testament and the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.
In today’s lesson, Jesus is reported to have caused a storm of wind and sea waves to cease and become calm by a rebuke of them including speaking the words for the storm to cease. If this event occurred just like similarly reported events, then Jesus both knew something the rest of us don’t know and tapped something the rest of us don’t know how to tap.
This is what I tell all people who doubt the authenticity of the bible and the gospels for reported events such as these. There is much we don’t know and understand and can’t know and understand about the world in which we find ourselves. Mankind has discovered what appears to be the bases for much of how things works and their causes. Yet there is still so much more we don’t understand or even can understand.
Is there a way to control the weather in a given or any instance? Such a thing may seem remote if not impossible from what we now know and understand. But because we don’t currently see how this can be done, doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
Today, we have the knowledge and means to help the cripple or handicapped to walk, those who are blind or almost blind to see, those who have speech problems to talk and those who can’t hear to hear. While it is not perfect, things continue to improve and get better as more understanding of these things are learned.
We are currently able to predict weather patterns and forecast weather conditions for days, and sometime longer, in advance. Maybe there is a way to not only predict but to influence or even control these patterns now that their formation is being understood.
You see, Jesus’s knowledge and understanding of our world appears to be on a level we still haven’t achieved. He was able to do things then mankind with the aid of science and technology is just beginning to do.
Evidently, the same things can be achieved without any science or technology we are currently aware of. From walking on water, giving sight to the blind, healing all manner of sickness, raising the dead to calming storms at sea, these are all things Jesus is reported to have done.
For us who believe, we do not allow the how this could be done to prevent us from believing. For if this world continues for another 100, 300, 700, 1000 or more years, not only might mankind discover how some of these things could be or were done, but they will have discovered so many other things we currently don’t even know exist or think is possible.
How many people would have thought it possible to transmit live images across the globe, speak to and see others in real time anywhere in the world, transplant hearts and other organs in the body and do and experience so many others things we currently do in the year 1721 three hundred years ago.
If Jesus is our Creator in the flesh, He has insights into our world we don’t have. It’s like those who build complex computers who leave unpublished backdoors and access points that those who use the computers are unaware of. Because our Creator is capable of such things, including creating a universe, we should not fear His ability to preserve our own lives.
Well, be sure to look over the lesson again and come prepared to offer your comments, questions and perspective on the meaning of the lesson. If you can’t attend your own Sunday School class this Sunday, you can join us live and online at 9:00 am at www.fbmbc.org and clicking the online services link.
You can also join us live by dialing 508 924-2890. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section or you can share them on Sunday. So, let’s all have a great lesson and discussion this Sunday and remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
