I am the LORD Ps 8:1-9; Ex 3:1-14; Rev 1:9-18; Matt 14:22-33

Introduction  https://youtu.be/JugLkqVajsM

This is the first in a series on the “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospels. These testimonies of Jesus are of vital importance because they tell us how Christ saw himself in relation to God the Father. There are two main Old Testament sources for these declarations. The first is the words God spoke to Moses from the midst of the burning bush in commissioning him to return to Egypt to command Pharoah to release Israel. A troubled Moses asks, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am[1].” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Ex 3:13-14). The other use is in Isaiah (42:1-9; 43:1-11), where, in comparison to the many gods of the nations, the Lord declares himself to be, “I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no saviour.” In both contexts God reveals his unsurpassability in order to calm human fears. When this God is on our side nothing can destroy us. Whilst nearly all of Jesus’ “I am” testimonies are in John’s Gospel (John 6:35; 8:12, 58; 10:9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1,5; 18:6) one appears in Matthew 14:27[2]. If our view of Jesus is far too small, I believe that when we complete this series our view of Jesus will be much larger[3].

Translational problems

You will probably not find this particular “I am” statement in Matthew in your Bible. Most will have, “It is I” (CSB; ESV; KJV; NIV; NRSV), a few have “I am here” (NLT; TPT), but a few translations use “I am” (AMPC; DLNT; JUB). I hope to show today that even if the Greek expression ego eimi can be translated as “It is I”, the context demands it be given the full meaning as God’s name.

Power Over the Sea

Context is all important. Christ has just fed the 5,000 (Matt 14:13-21)[4] so his power seems unquestionable. Knowing that the disciples need further testimony Jesus “makes”, literally, “compels” (v.22), his companions to set off in a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee without him, whilst he goes off to pray. Jesus has sent them straight into a headwind so that by the time he comes to them they are exhausted[5]. Does Jesus send us straight into the storms of life and into conflicts with dark powers which are too great for our own strength?? Absolutely! Which means our setting ourselves to pray with the Lord in the secret place[6] is an essential ingredient for overcoming our unbelief.

Isolated in the boat the disciples were literally “tormented by the sea” (Matt 14:24)[7], but now the Lord comes to them “walking on the (same) sea” (Matt 14:25)[8]. This sets us up to grasp what is about to be revealed, because in the Hebrew Bible God alone is the deliverer at sea (Ex 14:10-15:21; Ps 107:23-32; Jon 1:1-16). For the Hebrews who were a land people the sea was a scary place[9]. As I was out praying about these things the other day an example of this sort of distress at sea came up from my life from some years ago[10]. I am quite a weak swimmer, and skin diving off the Ningaloo Reef with our youngest son[11], I suddenly discovered I had lost a flipper. We started to swim back to shore but I became more and more exhausted until in my heart two things were happening, I honestly thought, “I am not going to make it.”, whilst at the same time I was earning praying for divine assistance. This was the sort of state of mind the disciples were in. That Christ is walking on water would have taken the minds of his disciples back to this text in Job about the God “who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8)[12]; or this text about God’s crossing the Red Sea in advance of the people of Israel. “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.” (Ps 77:19). Jesus is coming to this little, weak and beleaguered crew in the boat with all the incomparable power of the saviour God of the old covenant.

I am

Not yet hearing Jesus speak “they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear” (Matt 14:26). Is this level of fear rational or irrational[13]? We (probably) don’t believe in ghosts[14], but we also know, don’t we, that people don’t ordinarily walk on water.[15] In dealing with the realm of physical impossibility this miracle has been explained away by many commentators, but we must never measure Jesus by anything other than himself, even the seemingly unbreakable scientific “laws of nature”.  But when Jesus says, ““Take heart; I am. Do not be afraid.”” (14:27) he uses the language of the “I am” passages in Isaiah (41:13; 43:1-2. Cf. Deut 31:6; Rev 1:18) where the only God, who controls the future, calms troubled and harassed Israel. What happens next leaves us in no doubt that something extraordinary and completely incomprehensible was happening.

Walk with Me

Peter, always the leader in the group[16], and clearly calmed by the voice of the Master, speaks up, ““Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” In asking Jesus to “command” him to come Peter shows deep insight. In the realm of attempting the impossible a human being needs the authority of the commandment of God. Not a mere invitation. v.29 Jesus said, “Come.”, so Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.” (Matt 14:28-29). This miracle within a miracle shows Jesus was pleased with Peter’s faith. Anything that moves us to imitate Jesus and to draw closer to him as the source of the life and power of God is to be commended (1 Cor 11:1).  What happens next is that Peter took his eyes off Jesus and focussed them on the natural circumstances and struck with fear he began to sink but cries out, “Lord save me” (Matt 14:30). He is “immediately” rescued by the hand of the Lord (14:31)[17]

Christ’s gentle rebuke of Peter’s “little faith”[18] wasn’t that he was presumptuous in wanting to walk on water[19], this in itself was an act of faith, but that he didn’t trust that the Lord’s word “Come” would sustain him on the sea just as long as he looked to its Author. Peter had real faith to begin with, but it didn’t survive the crisis of stepping outside the boat into the midst of the gale. If God has spoken to you about something keep believing in his Word and he will never fail you nor forsake you. Sometimes however Christians can take risks which God doesn’t ask them to take in which case we shouldn’t expect the Lord to back us up.[20]

No More Storm

Once Jesus has lifted Peter out of the water and they are back in the boat the storm disappears. The crisis comes to an end because it has fulfilled God’s purpose in revealing Jesus to the disciples. Throughout the Bible, stilling storms is a divine speciality[21]. The saying “This too will pass.” Has come to the fore in recent days in response to the COVID pandemic. Its origin seems to be Persian folklore[22]. It is not biblical because if applied universally not only will evil and pain pass but so too will joy and peace. As Christians we must embrace the reality that “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Rom 8:18). According to God’s promise what will “pass away” is “sorrow and mourning” and what will remain forever is “gladness and joy” (Isa 51:11). When sin, Satan and death have fulfilled their purpose they will be no more (Rev 21:4). Suffering is temporary, but the things of Christ are eternal (2 Cor 4:18).

Worship Jesus

The final response of the disciples in the boat is that they “worshiped him (Jesus), saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (14:33). In a miracle laden story this response of “worship” is hardly surprising. Not only has Jesus told them he is God but has demonstrated properties that divine revelation[23] in scripture already testify are those of God alone. However, shortly afterwards these same disciples will abandon or betray Christ. Why? Because the death of the Son of God seemed incompatible with everything that the incomparable I AM had so far revealed of himself. God is a God of power, deep down people know he is powerful enough to create and sustain the world (Rom 1:20)[24], but is he powerful enough to die on a cross for sinners? Jesus’ closest companions didn’t believe this. Thoughtful Bible readers will recall that their ecstatic words, “Truly you are the Son of God”, reappear at the cross in what is surely the highest confession of Jesus’ identity in the Gospel, “When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”” (Matt 27:54)[25].  This revelation[26], that the one who died is really divine, will soon be completed by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (Matt 28; Acts 13:33-34; Rom 1:4).

Jesus really said “I AM” i.e. “I am God”, to a tiny group of tired and exhausted disciples who now understood that their own unaided power was inadequate to obey the simplest of Christ’s commands[27]. What does all of this mean for us?

Conclusion

Having attended several diocesan events in recent days I am reminded of a story of people trying to achieve things without God! An aged Chinese pastor who had endured much in following the Lord had been visiting the United States. After a while someone asked him what stood out to him about the American Church. “How much you can achieve without God.” he replied. The manifest reality is that not only is this diocese sinking[28] but we will too unless we cry out to the Lord of the Church to save us. Save us, not for our own selfish reasons of survival but for the great goal of God is to reveal to lost sinners that his beloved Son is also the great I AM. This is Christ’s own testimony[29] and it is a testimony embedded in the crises of following Jesus in the what the Bible calls discipleship. Amidst a society which is increasingly embracing darkness and a church that is slowly going under it isn’t enough to be a Christian, the call[30] is to be a disciple of Christ, whatever the cost. It is in this context alone that the revelation “I AM” will surely be heard by us so that we can obey and follow Jesus (Matt 28:18-20). PTL.