In this sermon, Pastor Babij examines the account of Jesus’ walking on the water and appearing to His disciples during a storm. Pastor Babij explains how this account shows us much about the compassion of Jesus and His intention to reveal His glory to His people.
Auto Transcript
Note: This rough transcript was automatically generated by YouTube’s AI algorithm. We provide it here for your convenience, but know it will surely contain errors as it has not been proofread or edited by a human.
all right let’s take our Bibles this morning and turn to the gospel of Mark the gospel Mark chapter 6 and we’re going to be looking this morning at verse 45.
to verse 52.
okay let’s pray Lord this morning as I come before you as your servant I ask you Lord that you take hold of me that you would speak through me by your spirit that the word of God would come with great clarity and conviction Upon Our Hearts that Lord we would see what needs to be seen here in our text and then we would apply it to our life I ask you Lord that you would help us every day to know more and more and more about you so Lord we are fully informed about your unique character about how you are so different than any other prophet that you are so different than any other human being Lord that you are The God Who Has Come amongst us and you are The God Who speaks from the mountaintops and from The Roots rooftops and declares your truth to your people and I pray that you would do that today and let us get a handle on who you are and I pray this in Christ’s name amen now this next section of scripture should be really taken in tandem with the conclusion of the feeding of the five thousand which I looked at last week we took away from the last message that in the hand of Jesus little as much from five barley loaves and two Salt dried fish a small lunch provided by a young man Jesus took a little and worked wonders with it that desolate lonely place that they took off to get some r r became a place of work but it became a place also of spiritual and physical blessing as as you notice in chapter six look at verse 30 43 and 44 it says and he picked up and they picked up 12 full baskets of the broken pieces and also of the fish and there were five thousand men who ate the loaves that means with women and children according to Matthew 14 the hungry crowd that was fed probably total in excess of 15 000 up to 20 000 people and then when it was all over and the 12 apostles filled the 12 baskets they looked down at it and they were full after everyone had eaten now as I mentioned last time no miracle seemed to have made such an impression on the apostles as this one it is the only miracle that is the feeding of the five thousand which is related in all four of the Gospels also we moved away from the text last week knowing a little bit more about Jesus that he was the one who has compassion on his disciples and others who are seeking him that he is the Good Shepherd who leads his sheep besides into Green Pastures and that he is the bread of life that when God fills us with his food he satisfies our soul so it seems the disciples are moving from one trying test to another each event was to lead the disciples into a Fuller and truer understanding of the unique person of Jesus Christ now this is the lesson for us to go to gain a fuller a deeper a truer understanding of Jesus so that our faith will grow and it will leave us trusting him more and more so I want to look at what the Bible is saying to us this morning about Jesus and so the first thing that we learned about Jesus this morning is found in verse number 45.
it says this this is this is that Jesus protects us even when we don’t know danger is present it says in verse number 45 of chapter 6 of The Gospel of Mark and immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side to bethsaida while he himself was sending the multitude away now if you notice in that passage of scripture if you are looking at it with your own eyes if you are paying attention this morning to God’s word you will see that Jesus made them do something in fact the question would be why did Jesus compel the disciples to get into the boat and leave without him well there’s at least three reasons the first one was to say goodbye to the crowd and release them the second one in verse 46 was to depart and to have some alone time with the father in prayer the third reason was to allow the disciples to get into the boat get on the Sea of Galilee and head to the other side to give him time to do that but specifically the danger Jesus was protecting his disciples from was false Messianic expectations Jesus wanted to keep his disciples from being caught up in the Messianic contagion that has so infiltrated the culture of Israel in that day he didn’t want their understanding of who he was up until this point to be clouded or to be confused in fact we find from the Gospel of John which feeds a little bit and gives us more information that after the crowd was fed and satisfied they wanted to move to make Jesus their King in fact this is what it says in John chapter 6 verse 14 it says when therefore the people saw the sign which he had performed they said this is of Truth The Prophet who has come into the world in verse 15 Jesus therefore perceived that they were intending to come and take him by force and make him King so he withdrew again of course to a mountain to be alone with the father so in a very real way Jesus was protecting them from a false understanding of who he was Jesus was often misunderstood and the reason for this misunderstanding was that Jesus did not fulfill the religious and political expectations concerning the Messiah which of course centered in on his anticipated glorious rule the crowds missed the messiah’s spiritual saving Ministry and his identity as the son of man because Jesus is often misunderstood and his Messianic office is misunderstood and his mission is misunderstood it becomes of course very clear after the resurrection where again it says in the gospel of Mark for even the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many so see the disciples as well as Palestinian Judaism did not understand God’s Messiah Jesus repeatedly taught his disciples because of lack of understanding on their part the Lord’s own conception of the messiahship of Christ was radically different from that which a public use of the term suggested so in summary Jesus insisted upon secrecy and silence was kind of prevalent because he did not want inaccurate or misleading views of himself getting into the hearts and minds of his disciples so he was protecting them in a sense from false teaching this is part of the case here in the context so Jesus must have calmed the crowd down and precluded their nationalistic desires to make him King so the people want it of course to anoint him as their King looking to him to deliver them from the oppression of Rome but it wasn’t time for Jesus to be king on Earth the first time he came was to be a servant to carry on carry out the work of redemption there would be there will be a time where Jesus at a later date will be the king on this Earth and that will be at his second coming so that is the first thing that we learned about Jesus that he is protecting his disciples even when they don’t even know they’re in danger a second thing I want you to notice in verse 46 the second thing that we learn about Jesus is that Jesus prays for us even while we are in the storm in verse 46 and after bidding them farewell he departed to the mountain to pray so Jesus engaged in prayer for some some time approximately about nine hours he was seeking the father’s face he was fellowshipping with the father he was communicating with the father Christ’s intercession with the father for those who believe on him that the Lord would that the father would keep them that he intercedes for us if he saved us he will also keep us and prayers part of the ministry the Lord has even now to intercede before the father on our behalf so he stands between them and harm between his disciples and harm he intercedes for them that they may be delivered from Wrath interceding for the Divine acceptance and for the bestowment of all blessing that they may be kept from the evil and from the evil one in this world and that they may have eternal life bestowed upon them hereafter so Jesus not only is protecting his disciples from false teaching but he is also interceding for them looking out for them in prayer right in the middle when we’re in trouble when we’re in the storm when we’re confused about what’s going on Jesus is praying for us who know Jesus Christ as their lord and savior but there’s a third thing that we are to know about Christ that actually deepens our understanding about who he is and we find that in verse number 47 to 48 that Jesus sees us in the midst of our struggle now if you notice in verse 47 it says this and when it was evening the boat was in the midst of the sea and he was alone on the land so in other words while Jesus was praying for nine hours on the land his disciples were struggling for many hours Against The Storm on the Sea of Galilee they had about nine hours to make the trip across the lake and should have made it by now however because the storm was so strong they had to let down the masts and put in the oars in order to hold the boat straight Against the Wind and keep it from being swamped by the waves they painfully rode for hours only making it into the middle of the lake only about three and a half miles they rode all that time so it must have been it was they were just in one spot pretty much ordering and getting nowhere it says in in the gospel of Matthew but the boat was already many stata away from the land battered by the waves for the wind was contrary see they were at this point tired and they were in distressed they were full of fear and it’s at that very point we see our text comes alive for it says in the word of God that at that point in verse number 48 and seeing them straining at the order oars for the wind was against them about the Fourth Watch of the night it is at this very point that Jesus sees them straining at the oars and has compassion on them now the Fourth Watch of the night of course there were four watches in the night starting from 6 p.m to 6 am 6 p.m to 9 00 PM’s the First Watch 9 pm to midnight is the second watch 12 midnight to 3 A.M is the Third Watch and of course 3 A.M to 6 a.m is the fourth watch so the Bible is being very specific here and he’s saying that Jesus saw them as he was on the Mountaintop praying now and he saw them straining at the oars and at that moment in his prayer he had compassion on them so it was between 9 to 12 hours that had elapsed since Jesus left the disciples Jesus left them at about 6 pm and rejoined them around 3 A.M the Fourth Watch of the night Jesus looked from the mountain side across the lake around 3 A.M in the morning the waves had tested their skills the wind was hard against them making it virtuously impossible to move forward the rowing became laborious and the disciples were at a point of complete exhaustion their strength was gone and their hope had almost vanquished in the sense they were ready to resign to the storm and let the storm do what it had to do it is at that point that Jesus sees them now of course we can make the parallel that it is at those points too that Jesus sees us and that he is praying for us to learn the lessons that we need to learn uh about who he is so we can be what we ought to be now that leads us to a fourth thing that deepens our understanding of the unique person of Jesus and it’s this that Jesus comes to us in order to make himself known and this is where the center of the text is in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 48 if you notice what it says at this very Point Jesus comes to them and says he came to them walking on the sea he came to them walking on the sea so when he saw them he immediately did something about it because he saw the point at which they were and they could not help themselves so Jesus moved through the storm and darkness and the wind howling and the waves swelling high and violently but none of that affected him he was not tossed about he was not soaked by the waves see Jesus literally walked on the top of the water the water well some people of course have interpreted us to say that there was a sandbar that Jesus happened to Nowhere was and walked on it but if you look at really the language it said that he walked on top of the water he was not affected At All by what was going on there the ridiculous things that you of interpretations that come at this particular Point are just outlandish uh if you just follow the text you would have to conclude that that’s exactly what happened that he was definitely Jesus walked on the lake as if it was Solid Ground his power over wind and waves were evident by his inability to be disturbed or stopped by the storm now saying all this I would like to focus your attention on a short phrase at the end of Mark chapter 6 verse 48 look at the end of this verse it says it was the fourth watch and it says he came walking on the sea and he intended to pass by them that’s a very complicated little phrase there and there again have been a myriad of interpretations of what that means but as you consider what’s going on here remember Jesus is teaching his disciples something deeper about who he is they’re in the midst of the storm we know everything that’s going on up until this point and then Jesus it says in the text that he comes up to the boat he he sees them he comes to them but he’s intending to pass by them now what does that mean what’s going on there well I assert to you that Jesus wanted to teach them something theological and he wanted to bring them their mind back to the Old Testament he wanted to bring their mind back to how God did this in the past see in other words we cannot miss this because it directs us to consider more specifically the person of Jesus Christ in other words Jesus has all the father’s Glory all the Divine Perfection and glory of the fathers shines forth in Jesus Christ the Gospel of John says it like this no man has seen God at any time the only begotten of God who is in the bosom of the father he has explained him see in other words Jesus has come to show us the father so in this case Jesus wanted his disciples to have an encounter with the glory of God another passage of scripture in Colossians it says and he is the image of the invisible God whether it says and on he is both that by him all things were created both in the heavens and on Earth visible and invisible whether Thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created by Him and for him so the manifestation that God makes is that he is a God who has worked in creation and in the common Providence but only by Christ for it is by Christ that God made the world for it is by Christ that God created all things for it is by Christ that Jesus has authority over the winds and the waves and In This Storm too and over walking on water and all the elements that are here he’s the one who created them he has authority over them but no person can ever be enlightened to see the glory of God the father but by Jesus Christ It Is by this wonderful encounter on the water that Jesus makes himself known to his disciples and it’s by this little phrase and he intended to pass by them now let’s let’s maybe restart our memory or jog our memory back to the Old Testament and I want you to notice in Exodus chapter 33.
Exodus chapter 33 in verse number 18.
Exodus 33 and verse number 18. remember this is an example here of Moses it says in verse number it says and Moses said I pray you Show Me Your Glory verse number 19 and he says I myself will make all my goodness pass before you there’s that phrase that comes to life here in this passage and it says in in the further it says and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion but he said you cannot see my face no man can see me and live then the Lord said behold there is a place by me and you shall stand there on the rock and it will come about while my glory is passing by that I will put you in the cleft of The Rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by then I will take my hand away and you will see my back but my face shall not be seen so in other words he was only able to see part of the the back part of the glory of God he wasn’t able as a man to look on the face of the father because he would be consumed by his the Brilliance and the brightness of the glory of God God but nonetheless Moses desire desire to see his glory at this point in his life and God was ready to show him that and how did he do it he passed by him and he saw it so see this phrase is connected to when God wants to reveal his glory another passage Elijah is another one who’s something similar happened to him remember Elijah had this bout with false prophets and then he was being dogged because uh the prophets were killed and then he was thought he was the only one left and he ran and he was tired and it says in First Kings chapter 19 verse 9 through 13 this is what happened there in Elijah’s situation it says then in verse number 9 of chapter 19 then he came there to a cave and lodged there and behold the word of the Lord came to him and he said to him what are you doing here Elijah and he says I’ve been very zealous for the Lord the god of hosts the sons of Israel have forsaken your Covenant torn down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword and I alone am left and they seek my life to take it away so he said go forth Elijah stand on the mountain before the Lord and then it says behold the Lord was passing by see God wanted to show Elijah something of himself that Elijah wasn’t seeing before and then it says this at the middle of verse number 11.
it says in a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the Rocks before the Lord but the Lord was not in the Wind and after the wind and earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake and after the earthquake of fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing when Elijah heard it he wrapped his face in his mantel and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave and behold a voice came to him and said what are you doing here Elijah in other words that God wanted to speak to him with his voice so this phrase tells us that Jesus is making his glory manifest to his disciples in the middle of a crisis and storm if we can look at it from the comments of the Book of Job we would see job struggling to see God clearly don’t we struggle sometimes to see God clearly we do don’t we that is not uncommon for us human beings matter of fact it seems like we’re in that place a lot see job answers Bill Dad one of his supposed friends the shuheit and it says this who alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea who makes bear Orion and the Pleiades and the chambers of the South who does great things unfathomable and wondrous Works without number were he to pass by me I would not see him were he to move past me I would not perceive him were he to snatch away who could restrain him who could say to him what are you doing the answer of course is no one but see the struggle for job was that he didn’t see God clearly and he wanted to of course at the end of job we see that he gets a greater understanding of who God is in his sovereignty and what he’s doing see so in other words Jesus makes job’s mysterious God visible and tangible see Jesus puts a faith to God Jesus puts a voice to God Jesus brings those two things together that’s what he does because Jesus the compassionate God is there to rescue help and Advance their knowledge about who he is that is the Good Shepherd who watches over his sheep who reveals himself to his disciples and he displays himself walking on the sea I’m calling it like this the softer light of the glory of God because things weren’t shining Around Jesus on the sea but Jesus was still there passing by them that they would notice who he was the gospel John chapter 1 explains and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we be we beheld what his glory Gloria is the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth see the deity of Jesus Christ burst forth from within him showing forth his glory Jesus glory is not reflected off the father unto him Jesus Glory comes from within him because he is God and in this case he is God in the flesh and this is the the difficulty the disciples are having is to see that Glory nonetheless Jesus still wants to show it to them and what greater Advantage can we who dwell here in these frail bodies desire to have to see the glory of God than to have God to become one of us and come here and dwell amongst us that we may in interact with him and see him and hear him through the course of our lives and communicate with Jesus as we communicate with one another see only that only becomes a reality in Jesus Christ in Jesus becoming man in Jesus becoming the God man Romans tells us for from him and through him and to him are all things to him be glory forever see This this term Glory in the New Testament brings the definition of brightness or Radiance or Splendor and Majesty in the Old Testament the word kabad means weightiness importance significance see when we when we say that we are to glorify God it means that we are to treat him with weight that we are to treat him with importance as more significant than anything or anyone else see this is the thing we humans created in the image of God have not done that’s why it tells us in Roman in Romans 3 for we all have sinned and come short of what the glory of God according to Theologian John Piper he says this means that none of us has trusted and treasured God as we should we have not been satisfied with his greatness nor walked in his ways we haven’t done that so this is what is going on on the sea in this little term here that Jesus was intending to pass by them he was intending to show them a sense of his glory and deepen their understanding of who he was they would never forget this event but let’s look at the immediate response of the disciples after this event took place see the disciples response to the revelation of Jesus Christ was this well let me back up for a minute and say this because we’re looking at what Jesus and who he is that in this last thing Jesus speaks to us with a strong calming voice the voice of God even when we don’t get it even when we are dull of mind see Jesus wants to bring to us the face of God and the voice of God that’s what he wants to do but the the disciples did not see his glory and it becomes evident that the disciples were not ready to receive this manifestation of Jesus Christ at least not at this point the darkness of the night the danger of the storm the disillusionment which which exhausts and often brings caused the disciples to think they were seeing a phantom figure which raised their fears and their suspicions in other words the disciples when they saw Jesus they thought oh no we’re doomed look what it says in our passage in verse number 49 it says but when they saw him walking on the sea they supposed that he was a ghost and cried out for they all saw him and were frightened there was no one there to stronger than the other person to say Hey listen let’s think about this rationally let’s pull ourselves together let’s be a team no the Bible says they all saw him and all thought the same thing that he’s a ghost he’s a phantom we’re in trouble we’re doomed that’s what they thought in other words instead of trusting they were fearing they were trembling the form they all saw the form of a phantom man walking on the water and they were clearly terrified we would be also we’re not any different than disciples but at that very point the point of disillusionment the point of Terror that is when Jesus speaks to them look what it says in verse number 50.
and immediately he spoke to them and said to them take courage it is I do not be afraid see what’s going on here see this is the voice of Jesus this is the good Shepherd’s voice that comes the fears of the Sheep and it surely reminds us of passages of scripture from John the Gospel of John like truly truly I say to you he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep but climbs up some other way he is a thief and a robber but he who enters the door is a Shepherd of the Sheep to him the door keeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he puts forth his own he goes out before them and the Sheep follow him because they know his voice and a stranger they simply will not follow but will flee from him because they do not know know the voice of a stranger so in other words Jesus now comes to them wants to show them his glory they don’t recognize his glory they’re afraid and what does Jesus do condemn them for that no he speaks to them and look at what he speaks to them he says very very assuredly take courage his eye don’t be afraid now if you put your eyes upon what Jesus said to them by way of command it is a command take courage but he says this it is I that is saying there listen it is I not a ghost it is I your own Lord and Master whose voice you know so well stop what you’re doing I’m here now in fact Jesus Takes the name of God here in the Greek is ego I me is ego IMI I ego Amy which is I am of course from the Old Testament that’s God’s self-revelation to Moses right that’s what he’s saying here so he’s connecting himself back to what God did in the Old Testament not not only by passing by but by revealing that he is God his voice the voice that came to Elijah for it says in Exodus then Moses said to God behold I am going to the sons of Israel and I will say to them the god of your fathers has sent me to you now they may say to me what is his name what shall I say to them God said to Moses I am who I am and he says thus you shall say to the sons of Israel I am sent me to you I am has sent me to you see the deity of Jesus bleeds through this encounter the one who calmed the storm is now in the storm with the disciples and it says in verse 51 and he got into the boat with them and the wind stopped and they were greatly astonished so when Jesus came to them and got into the boat their storm became complete calm the wind stopped at the will of Jesus Jesus did not have to be hoisted up into the boat struggling to get in in one action he went up unto them into the boat and so this was a miracle it was a miracle actually this is a miracle had that was a two-fold miracle first of all it was a miracle that included the sense the cessation of the wind immediately but the Gospel of John says something else happened in this miracle that they immediately arrived at their destination as soon as he walked in the boat for it says this in John they were willing therefore to receive him into the boat and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going so this was an incredible miracle now if you read this in Matthew and if you read it in John Jesus and Peter remember got into the boat together however Mark does not mention this part of the narrative Mark’s omission of Matthew and John’s details is evidence that is it’s his intention not to magnify the miracle but to magnify the person of Christ Matthew records the outward expression of the disciples when this happened you know what the their outward expression was you are certainly God’s son but Mark intends to record their inside response in other words what was going on in their thinking and in their mind without them saying anything in other words he is revealing to them their real heart that’s what he is doing he’s revealing to them their real heart the inner effect to bring out fully what was lacking in their heart the heart of the disciples at this time and if you notice in verse 52 it tells us what it is notice you’ll see the meeting here for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves but their heart was hardened there it is Mark’s Focus you mean God just showed you his glory and you haven’t gone past the fish and the lows yet they’re still processing that do you understand that so so what is he saying here well I do want to clarify something this hard-heartedness is not unbelief it’s more the unresponsive the responsiveness of their their little faith all right for example I mean just the contrast unbelief the sin of unbelief is a denial of the gloriousness and excellent Excellency of the person of Christ an unbeliever won’t allow him to be a glorious person it refuses to acknowledge to his being the Son of God or so much as being the person sent from God see they like displaying Jesus as a cheat and as an imposter because unbelief refuses to ascend to the truth of God’s word and it makes Jesus out to be a liar by unbelief Christ is refused and rejected so such a statement of Christ’s Glory will have eternal results for sure such a rejection of Christ’s Glory we’ll have eternal Resort results but the disciples are not rejecting everything they’ve learned up until this point so it is not unbelief what it is is the dullness of mind you ever have a dull mind at heart they didn’t get it yet they were slow learners do you got that you ever see yourself as a slow learner I mean so you may have all the degrees in the world in the world but when it comes to understanding God it’s like trying to shove the ocean in a coffee cup you understand that it doesn’t doesn’t work very well you begin to see the perceptions that I had of God the understanding I had of God can’t even it doesn’t even fill a thimble I know nothing of what I ought to know in a sense this is what’s going on with the disciples disciples should have understood far more than they did and if you notice from our passage the disciples were stuck on feeding the feeding of the five thousand all right they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves but their heart was hardened they had not grasped the significance of the miracle they had not learned the miracle of who Jesus was that was the miracle instead of trusting they were terrifying and they were very very slow to comprehend what they lacked in their heart was the understanding that expects Jesus to act as the Son of God in all things which does not result in mere exciting amazement but in expectant Delight see simply put the disciples were really dull of mine they were not ready to grasp a Fuller and a truer understanding of Jesus and his uniqueness they just weren’t ready for it you know as I was studying and looking at this passage of scripture seeing the incredible things that were going on here and being totally lifted up to the third heaven of course not in reality but you know what I mean figure of speech I I thought that you know what one day I was watching a uh a video on the Moke people some some of people some of you saw that video the moat tribe in Papua New Guinea and they were being taught on a particular day of God being the Creator and by the new and they were being taught by the new tribes missionaries the whole village was in attendance that day and there were reading for the book of Acts oh Lord it is you who made the Heaven and the earth and the Sea and all that is in them and they ended the reading in the book of Acts with verse 31 of chapter 4 where it says and when they had prayed the place where they had gathered together was shaken and they were filled with the spirit of God and they were filled with boldness and all those kind of things and that right at that moment while the missionary was speaking a significant earthquake hit and the missionaries were ready to run and hide and telling the people take cover and they looked up and noticed that the monk people didn’t even run they didn’t Flinch they didn’t act scared they were sitting there smiling and when things were calmed down the missionaries asked the monk people why were you so calm and this is what they said they said based on all that you’ve been teaching us it’s just our God confirming he’s the same god of the New Testament and he’s here just like he was there and the teaching went on but I’m saying that for this reason they grasped something of the glory of God that even the missionaries did not they weren’t afraid they were trusting I want to be like that see faith is not and inevitable result of knowing about Jesus or even being with Jesus we can know a lot of facts about Bible things we can know a lot of theology but that that’s not equal to growing in your understanding of the glory of God in Jesus Christ because if you grow to that point you will never ever ever be the same you cannot go back when you’re understanding deepens of the unique person of Jesus Christ you cannot go back matter of fact it’s very hard for doubts to be in your mind it’s very hard for false teaching to get a hold of you once you begin to grasp that so faith is not something that automatically happens once you become a Believer it’s a personal decision and choice every day it’s a choice to be there when the word of God’s being taught it’s the choice to go home and respond to circumstances based on what you have been taught it’s a choice every day and the Lord wants us to grow in our knowledge of Jesus Christ our faith must be stretched and strengthened it must be we cannot always be the same we have to move forward discipleship is more endangered by the lack of faith amongst God’s people and the hardness of heart than any external dangers like storms and adversity and defeat and anything like that see that’s that has to be removed it was a commentator named Edwards who said in storms adversity and defeat human self-sufficiency is revealed for what it is human insufficiency when the defense of human Pride are breached people sometimes see God’s presence amongst them even if at first it is a it appears troubling and in perhaps terrifying ways just like here in this passage that is what is going on so in other words the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to grow in our knowledge of him he wants to show us his glory he wants us to see in his face the face of the father he wants us to hear in his voice the voice of God and for Saints who receive Jesus Christ the son of God also receives the father the promise for Christians as they behold the glory of Christ even though it is somewhat veiled in his flesh someday will have the full possession and enjoyment of that person that is the brightness of his glory that Christ is in the Saints now as the hope of glory but afterward he will be in them as Glory itself where it says in Revelation and the city has no need of the sun nor the moon to shine in it for the glory of God has illumined it and its lamp is the Lamb in other words the lamb is the glory of God and if we would ever see the glory of God we must go to Christ if we must seek this discovery it must be in Jesus for it is in his face for it is in his word for it is by his spirit that the glory of God is made known to people we must see God’s glory in the Redemption of Christ to which the message of the gospels are heading they’re heading to the cross so in Jesus Christ we see the face of God and we hear the voice of God so I prayed this morning that Jesus continually gives you a growing desire to gain a Fuller and truer understanding of his unique person so that your faith will increase and so that you will be trusting even in the midst of difficult trials and storms instead of being afraid because he comes to us and he says don’t be afraid I am he be encouraged be encouraged I’m here see and so the Lord for his children like the father will never leave us or forsake us he promises that for us and even in death we will have the peace to pass from here into his presence because those are the promises he gives us so I pray when the Lord is growing us that we’re listening when the Lord is showing himself to us that we’re seeing and I pray that we all need to pray Lord take away my hard heart so I don’t just focus in on the problems and the difficulties in the storms and never see who you are while I’m in it you understand that because that’s where we find them when things are good and going good and nice and pleasant we don’t see nothing except our own selfishness being satisfied that’s all I got to say let’s pray Lord thank you because this scripture has really gripped my heart Lord I must admit along with your people that sometime I am dull of mind and heart especially in regard to understanding Who You Are and sometimes Lord even our pride lifts its head and say I’ve been a Christian for a long time I know enough I need I don’t need to know anymore I know about God and salvation and all those things Lord May that never be amongst us may we always be humble in your presence understanding that our knowledge of you is so small and you are so vast and great that we will never stop learning about you even in eternity so I pray Lord that we would humble ourselves gives our give ourselves to you and that Lord when you’re teaching us when you’re showing us who you are we would be all ears and we would be all eyes and that we would receive what you’re teaching us with a humble heart with a teachable spirit and with a spirit that is overwhelmingly thankful for the compassion and the kindness that you show us in protecting us when we don’t even know there’s danger when praying for us in the middle of the storm when seeing us when we’re in the midst of our struggle when coming to us to show us your glory and Lord and when we don’t get it by comforting us with your words saying to us very simple take care courage it is I don’t be afraid and Lord let us grow to the place that we truly are growing in faith and trust in you and giving you the glory and praise because we take your name with weight because you are the most important person that we could have ever come in contact with let us live that way let us let us talk that way let us think that way and Lord use us with the knowledge that you give us to advance the kingdom of God and to bring the Glorious name of Jesus Christ to those who have not yet heard I pray you would also use this to edify disciple and build up the body so the body is strong thank you Lord again for the great Treasures today and I pray you’d bless our time now of worship in the Lord’s table I ask it in your name amen