Mt.14:22–34, Take Courage, It Is I. Do Not Be Afraid(Jesus, Our Savior…

Mt.14:22–34, Take Courage, It Is I. Do Not Be Afraid(Jesus, Our Savior)

 There are storms, big and small, in life. In the midst of those storms, the Almighty Jesus walks toward his disciples. They are exhausted, struggling against the waves, alone on the sea without him, and Jesus is nowhere to be seen. Yet, in the depths of the night, in their most desperate moment, Jesus walks across the sea and approaches them. Even in the storms of our lives, the Lord comes to us. What kind of Jesus is this, whom we can rely on to overcome the storms of life with faith? (Jesus approaches his disciples, and they mistake him for a ghost and are afraid. Jesus says to them, "Take heart, it is I, Jesus!" Peter walks on the water at Jesus' invitation, but when he sees the wind, he becomes afraid and begins to sink. Jesus catches him and rebukes him, saying, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Finally, when Jesus boards the boat, the storm ceases, and the disciples confess Jesus as the "Son of God." They reach their destination.)

1. Jesus’ Command and the Disciples’ Ordeal (vv.22–24) : Jesus prays for us even when He seems unseen in the storm.

After the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, the crowd tried to make Jesus king by force. So He dismissed the crowd and went up on a mountain by Himself to pray, while He made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him across the Sea of Galilee.
All night long—more than six hours—the disciples struggled against contrary winds and pounding waves in the middle of the sea. They were obeying Jesus’ command, yet they faced severe hardship. Why does suffering come even when we are trying to obey and live faithfully?
Some suffering comes as a result of our own sin. But in this passage, their suffering was for their benefit. As the psalmist says in Ps.119:67, 71, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word… It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees.” And inBook of Job 23:10, Job confesses, “When He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
Through trials, God refines us like pure gold. As Epistle of James 1:2–4 teaches, trials produce perseverance, and perseverance leads to maturity. Even when Jesus seems absent, He is praying for us and shaping us through the storm.

2. Jesus Walking on the Water (vv. 25–27)
Jesus comes into our storm to save and comfort us.
In the fourth watch of the night (between 3 and 6 a.m.), at the darkest and most desperate hour, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. The disciples were terrified, thinking He was a ghost, and cried out in fear.
Immediately Jesus spoke to them:“Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”
The phrase “It is I” echoes God’s self-revelation in Ex. 3, where God declares His divine name to Moses— “I AM.” Jesus is not merely identifying Himself; He is revealing His divine authority. He is the Creator and Lord over the sea and the wind. The One who made the waves walks upon them.
Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly says, “Do not be afraid.” In Isaiah 41:10, He promises, “Fear not, for I am with you… I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
When the waves of life rise against us— illness, failure, loss, betrayal— Jesus comes to us. He may not remove the storm immediately, but He enters it. And His presence changes everything.

3. Peter Walking on the Water (vv. 28–31)
Jesus is the Savior who rescues us in the midst of the storm.
Peter said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus replied, “Come.”
At Jesus’ word, Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water toward Him. What remarkable faith! Yet when he saw the wind, he became afraid and began to sink. His focus shifted from Jesus to the storm.
As he was sinking, Peter cried out a short but powerful prayer: “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”
Doubt here means a divided heart—being torn between trust in Jesus and fear of the wind. When Peter’s eyes were on Jesus, he walked on water. When his eyes were on the wind, he sank. Jesus’ rebuke is not to condemn but to strengthen. He calls us from little faith to greater faith. In every crisis, He invites us to fix our eyes on Him rather than on the storm.
Conclusion: From Storm to Worship (vv. 32–34)
When Jesus got into the boat, the wind died down. The disciples worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” And they reached their destination.
The storm revealed who Jesus truly is.He is: The One who prays for us. The Lord who comes to us in the darkest hour. The Savior who reaches out and saves The Son of God worthy of worship.
In the storms of life, Jesus still says to us: “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”
May we trust His presence in the night, cry out to Him in our weakness, and worship Him as the Son of God who brings us safely to our destination. Amen.

Mt.15:21ff – “Lord, Give Us Great Faith!”
In Mt.15:21 and following, a Canaanite woman persistently clings to Jesus, pleading for her daughter’s healing: “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” At first, Jesus remains silent. He appears to ignore her and even speaks words that seem harsh. Yet she endures everything. She responds with humility and bold faith: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” “Just give me the crumbs of grace,” she is saying. She refuses to let go of Jesus. Finally, Jesus is moved and declares: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And at that very moment, her daughter was healed. Jesus praises her for her great faith—extraordinary faith. Let us all live with the great wheels of faith.
If you visit Banff in Canada and go to the Columbia Icefield, you will see the massive Ice Explorer (Terra Bus). Its tires are about 2.5 times larger than those of a regular car—about 1.7 meters high. With six enormous tires, it climbs and descends steep glaciers hundreds of meters thick. Our lives also face steep slopes of trials and hardships. How can we move forward? We must replace our small tires with the large tires of great faith—like that snow coach.
(Together)Holy Spirit, replace our small tires with the large tires of great faith. Amen.

4. The Disciples’ Confession and Worship of Jesus (14:32–34)
Jesus, the Son of God, leads our faith to confession and brings us safely to our destination.
When Jesus got into the boat, the wind ceased. A life without Jesus is like an endless storm, but the Lord brings a full stop to the tempest. Those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” After a night of fear, failure, and trembling, they arrive at a powerful conclusion: Jesus is the Son of God—divine and sovereign. Then they cross over and reach the land of Gennesaret. There, many people in need of healing encounter the grace of the Lord.
May we also confess Jesus as Savior and Son of God, so that wounded and broken hearts may meet Him and experience restoration.

Lessons from the Passage
First, we learn the importance of fixing our eyes on Jesus in the midst of fear.The disciples were afraid in the storm, but Jesus said, “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” The same words are spoken to us today. When we look to Jesus and listen to His voice in life’s storms, we can overcome fear.
Second, even when our faith is weak, Jesus holds us fast.Peter began to sink, but Jesus immediately reached out His hand and saved him. Though our faith may falter, Jesus never abandons us. He always reaches out to rescue us.
Third, the storm became the place of confession.The sea, once an object of fear, became the place where they experienced Jesus’ presence. The darkest hour (between 3–6 a.m.) became the very moment they met their Savior.
Fourth, Jesus desires great faith from us.Great faith trusts His words: “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”Let us exchange our small tires for the large tires of faith.

Conclusion
This passage teaches us to trust and depend on Jesus in the storms of life. “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.” These words were not only for the disciples long ago—they are for us today.
Beloved brothers and sisters, what storm are you facing right now? Do you see the Lord in the midst of it? Even when He feels distant, remember that He is praying for you and walking toward you through the waves.
Even if your faith feels small, the Lord delights in your small response and pours out restoring grace to grow it greater. May your life become a journey of walking with Jesus in faith. Amen.

As Ps.107:28–30 says:
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and He brought them to their desired haven.”
Prayer/
Savior God, our Heavenly Father, Thank You for the great comfort and lesson You give us through today’s Word. When we fall into fear in the storms of life, help us remember the hand of Jesus holding us fast. Whenever our faith grows weak, let the words of Jesus—“Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”—be engraved upon our hearts and give us strength to rise again. Lord, cause our faith to grow. Help us always listen to Your voice and live a life that depends fully on You. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.