“Master, we would see a sign from Thee.” Matthew 12:38
Dear Ones:
One of the most difficult things to have in our day, as in the days of Christ when He walked on this earth, is a true vision of Christ in His greatness. Why is this? Why is it so very difficult to have a truly elevated, and accurately overwhelming vision of the living Christ in His glory? With respect the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, their vision was obscured by their blatant unwillingness to see clearly, and believe Him. In John’s gospel the Lord said: “If any man WILL do His will, he shall KNOW of the teaching, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (Jn. 7:17) The great issue here with respect to seeing clearly, and recognizing the Lord Jesus for what He was, had first to do with the willingness of the heart to be receptive, and then, to be willing to see with the intent of believing. When the Pharisees looked upon the Lord Jesus, they saw just a man, an unlearned and untaught carpenter of Nazareth, whose parents were Mary and Joseph. They did not look beyond His manhood, and consequent limitations, because they did not want to do so. The Lord Jesus Christ, after His baptism, and anointing, for the task of His ministry, became a radical contradiction to most of what the Pharisees stood for, with regard to their interpretation of the Scriptures and true faith. In other words, their vision of who Jesus truly was, was very small, and they were determined to keep it that way. They did not recognize His greatness as the Son of God, even though the Lord would tell them: “Behold, a greater than Solomon (and Jonah) is here.” (Matt. 12:42) They were blinded by unbelief, seeking signs, although the Lord gave to them ample proof of His divinity. What does this picture of the Pharisees have to do with the believer?
The story is told in three of the Gospels about a storm at sea, where the disciples were in a boat, and Jesus was sleeping. During the storm, as the waves begin filling the ship with water, the disciples finally come to the Lord Jesus, woke Him up, and asked Him: “Master, do you not care that we perish?” (Mk. 4:38) It is at this point that Jesus rises, rebukes the wind, and then speaks to the sea: “Peace, be still.” (v.39) The result of His words was that the wind ceased, and there was a “great calm.” The Lord would then address the matter of fear that dominated the hearts of the disciples in the storm. His question to them was: “How is it that you have no faith?” (v.40) What would they respond? Apparently, they had nothing to say, as they were overwhelmed by the Lord’s commanding authority over the wind and the sea. Scripture tells us that they “feared exceedingly,” not because of the storm, but because of the Master who ruled over the storm. They would even express this thought by asking: “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (v.41) What did the Lord Jesus do for these disciples, which resulted in the removal of their fear of the storm? He gave to them a vision of Himself which was greater than the storm, a vision where His power and authority were the dominating factors over the entire scene. By the true vision of His greatness, the Lord would totally eclipse all lesser things, even a storm.
What made the disciples so very different from the Pharisees? The answer lies in the word, “receptivity.” Though the disciple’s knowledge of Christ was reasonably small, they were open, teachable, and receptive to further, and increasing, revelation of Christ. The Pharisees had, for the most part, refused to allow the truth of God in Christ to enter their hearts and minds. They were prisoners of darkness and night, blind leaders of the blind, and yet, clothed in religious garb.
Dear Father, Anoint our eyes to see the Lord Jesus for who He truly is. Strengthen our hearts to believe Him as being ALWAYS greater than any and every storm. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad