He Came To Me

The disciples were petrified. They were confused. How could Jesus be all cozy and content while the rest of them were battling to literally keep their heads above water? And someone rushed to Him and shook Him awake and said, “Master, do you not even care that we are getting ready to die?” And calmly, Jesus stood up in that little boat, raised His hands over the waves and said, “Peace, be still.” And immediately, the wind ceased, and the water subsided. The disciples were amazed. The Bible tells us that they were exceedingly afraid. And they said, “Who is this man, that even the wind and waves will obey Him?”

It’s an amazing witness to the power of God. But what does this have to do with our message this morning? Simply this: do you know why Jesus decided to cross that sea? Do you know why Jesus was so bent upon heading into that storm? Where was He so intent on going that He left a great multitude of people who were eager to listen to His teaching? Well, the Bible tells us that they came to the other side of the sea and entered into the country of the Gadarenes.

You see, we could say that Jesus left that huge crowd and headed into that storm for the purpose of teaching His disciples a lesson on faith. And to an extent, we may be right about that. But I happen to believe that Christ’s purpose was a whole lot more than that. I happen to believe that Jesus left that huge multitude of people who were soaking in every word He was saying and took His disciples on a terrifying boat ride because He saw a single individual in the country of the Gadarenes that desperately needed His help. I believe He purposefully left that crowd and went through that storm because He saw a man possessed by demons that was hopeless unless He came to the rescue.

I believe that Jesus leaving those people and crossing that sea was intentional. He didn’t just get into that boat and go where the winds would take Him. He didn’t just up and leave that crowd of people thinking that across that sea may be another crowd of people awaiting his arrival. He left with the purpose of reaching this man that could not possibly come to Him.

The Bible tells us that Jesus and His disciples got out of their boats and immediately a man with an unclean spirit met them. And Jesus meets that man’s need; He casts the demons out of that man, and clothes him, and puts him in his right mind, and sends him home; and then Jesus and His disciples get back into their boats and head back across the sea, back to where they had just come from. I believe Jesus came to that man intentionally. It was no accident. It was not an act of fate or providence. Jesus specifically made His way to that demon-possessed man’s rescue.

I love the story that Jesus tells in Luke chapter 15 about the lost sheep. He tells us about a shepherd who was bringing his sheep into the fold after a long day out searching for good pasture. And each evening as he led his sheep into that walled area he would stand at the gate and take inventory. He knew that 100 sheep should be in his flock and he would count every night to make sure that one was not lost or stolen. And when he would finish his count he would build a fire and heat his supper up and then bed down for the night in that opening his sheep had just passed through, making himself the door of that sheepfold.