The Promise

"Now when He (Jesus) got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We are perishing!' But He said to them, 'Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?' Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying 'Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'" Matthew 8:23-27

In this situation, it appears that Jesus rebuked his disciples for their fear of perishing in the storm. After all, the Creator was with them, and they had observed Jesus' miraculous powers many times. But while this may be true, Pastor Dave offered a broader application of that rebuke this morning. Citing D. A. Carson's commentary on this passage, Dave stated that Jesus rebuked His disciples because they failed to see that the Messiah's life could not possibly be lost in the storm. Nothing would keep Jesus from ultimately going to the cross as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of His elect. The plan of redemption could not be thwarted by anything, including a raging storm. So now, on this side of the cross, when we cry out, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" we can rest assured that He is able to save us from eternal death.

"Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgement of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began." Titus 1:1-2