Grace For Your Day August 13

While the numbers vary, most scholars believe that Jesus performed over 30 miracles in the Bible. Here is a brief summary of them:

1. Jesus changed water into wine (John 2:1-11).
2. Jesus cured the nobleman's son (John 4:46-47).
3. The great haul of fishes (Luke 5:1-11).
4. Jesus cast out an unclean spirit (Mark 1:23-28).
5. Jesus cured Peter's mother-in-law of a fever (Mark 1:30-31).
6. Jesus healed a leper (Mark 1:40-45).
7. Jesus healed the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-13).
8. Jesus raised the widow's son from the dead (Luke 7:11-18).
9. Jesus stilled the storm (Matthew 8:23-27).
10. Jesus cured two demoniacs (Matthew 8:28-34).
11. Jesus cured the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8).
12. Jesus raised the ruler's daughter from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26).
13. Jesus cured a woman of an issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48).
14. Jesus opened the eyes of two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31).
15. Jesus loosened the tongue of a man who could not speak (Matthew 9:32-33).
16. Jesus healed an invalid man at the pool called Bethesda (John 5:1-9).
17. Jesus restored a withered hand (Matthew 12:10-13).
18. Jesus cured a demon-possessed man (Matthew 12:22).
19. Jesus fed at least five thousand people (Matthew 14:15-21).
20. Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14:22-36).
21. Jesus healed a woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:22-28).
22. Jesus cured a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:31-37).
23. Jesus fed at least four thousand people (Matthew 15:32-39).
24. Jesus opened the eyes of a blind man (Mark 8:22-26).
25. Jesus cured a boy who was plagued by a demon (Matthew 17:14-21).
26. Jesus opened the eyes of a man born blind (John 9:1-38)
27. Jesus cured a woman who had been afflicted for eighteen years (Luke 13:10-17).
28. Jesus cured a man of dropsy (Luke 14:1-4).
29. Jesus cleansed ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19).
30. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-46).
31. Jesus opened the eyes of two blind men (Matthew 20:30-34).
32. Jesus caused the fig tree to wither (Matthew 21:18-22).
33. Jesus restored the ear of the high priest's servant (Luke 22:50-51).
34. Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:5-8).
35. The second great haul of fishes (John 21:1-14).

In our studies in Mark, we are currently coming up to the 20th one in this list and that is the miracle of Jesus walking on water. Mark 6:45-52 says:

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

One thing that strikes you as you read this parable is how simple it is. Jesus takes an object that everyone was familiar with at the time and that is the Sea of Galilee. The disciples fished on the Sea of Galilee. They swam in the Sea of Galilee. Many of them had homes nearby the Sea of Galilee and yet the Lord does something that none of them had ever seen before. He walked on the Sea of Galilee. So the question that Jesus wants them to consider as He performs such a feat is this: Is there anything that Jesus cannot do? The answer is: “No.”

The disciples had still not come to grips with that yet because verse 52 says “they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves.” In other words, Jesus had just fed 5,000 men in the previous passage and they were still “utterly astonished” by what He did here because they did not understand Who He truly was. He is the Son of God and there is no limit to His power. “All authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him” (Matthew 28:18) which is what we are going to talk about this week at Grace Fellowship Church.

This Sunday, we are going to talk about “Jesus Walking on Water.” It is arguably one of the most extraordinary miracles that Jesus ever did because we all have a tendency to doubt the power of Christ. None of is free form the tendency of questioning His majesty. But the good news is that you may start off as a doubter and end up with a heart full of faith if you study this passage. Jesus can open up your heart to His glory in ways that you never thought possible if you will take the time to pour over it.

Please join us as we talk about that on Sunday. The service will begin at 9:30 and it will be recorded and posted on YouTube later for all those who cannot make it in person. May the Lord give you a great week and I look forward to seeing you there.

- Jeremy Cagle