Who is this man?
This is an image of the famous story of Jesus calming the storm (Mt. 8:23-27). I talked about this story a couple of weeks ago in a sermon and this was the question I focused on as we discussed the issue of fear. I love this image. Here you see Jesus, cast in light, as the disciples man a boat and look at him in awe. They knew Jesus, they’d seen him do miracles, but in the midst of a storm, all that is cast aside as fear sets in. So when Jesus calms the storm, when nature itself obeys his command, they’re left with the question, “What kind of man is this?”
As I mentioned in the sermon, this story is not a simple allegory meant to talk about Jesus calming the storms of your life, but it does point to a truth which remains. “What kind of man is this?”
Well, the truth is that he’s more than a man. He is the Lord of creation and God himself. And while we’re not always fearing storms, and while Jesus isn’t in a boat with us, we do still have the Lord of creation for our God. And so I want you to look at this image a few times. Reflect on it. Pull it into your memory. Then, when your fears arise, when doubts set in, see this picture in your mind. God may not cast your fears aside as quickly as he did the storm, but he is still Lord of creation. He is still in control. And he is still the one who is working things about toward our salvation in the end.
What kind of man is this?
He is your God. The one who loves you and who will be with you through it all.
