"What Kind Of Man Is This?"

“WHAT KIND OF MAN IS THIS?” (Outline)

February 6, 2011 -

Epiphany 5 -

MATTHEW 8:23-27

INTRO: Believers know and believe who Jesus is. By faith we are able to confess that Jesus is true God and true man. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time" (1 TIMOTHY 2:5, 6). Our text today goes a bit deeper in our understanding concerning the God-man Jesus. Our theme is the question that the amazed disciples asked:

“WHAT KIND OF MAN IS THIS?”

I. This is Jesus -- a calmly sleeping person.

II. This is Jesus -- our calming, mighty Savior.

I. THIS IS JESUS -- A CALMLY SLEEPING PERSON

A. Matthew chapters 5-7 contain the words of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Crowds follow Jesus.

1. Jesus continues to teach. Jesus reveals his glory and his mercy in many miracles.

2. Verse 23. Jesus and his disciples take a boat onto the Sea of Galilee to have time alone.

B. Verse 24. The Sea of Galilee is nestled in a valley surrounded by the hills of Galilee.

1. Quite often the cool mountain air would collide with the warm, moist air of the sea.

2. Furious, violent storms were quite common. The waves wash over the boat. Jesus sleeps.

3. This is not a large boat. Jesus is getting wet from the water. Calmly Jesus sleeps.

C. Verse 25. Even the seasoned fishermen in the group are worried about drowning in this storm.

1. Jesus calmly sleeps. This could have been a clue for the disciples about trust, faith.

2. The disciples even have to wake Jesus from his sleep. Such a calm trust was an example.

D. Jesus came in the flesh as the fulfillment of prophecy. For a moment the disciples forgot all they had learned about prophecy fulfilled before their very eyes. The disciples became so concerned about themselves they even thought they might drown. Yet, here was God’s word in the flesh just as He promised long ago. "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel"(ISAIAH 7:14). Immanuel = God with us. Hundreds of years later the angel would come to Mary and Joseph and remind them of God’s promises. They would have a son and would name him Jesus. Jesus = save from sins. The angel also reminded them that their son would be called Immanuel, God with us. Jesus calmly sleeps in the boat trusting his heavenly Father.

E. Why would God come to live on earth to be with us? The simple answer is: sin. Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden. We have inherited this sin. There is more. We continue to sin on our own. Day in and day out our evil thoughts are offensive to our God. Wicked words reveal the sin in our hearts. We are unable to pay for one single sin on our own. God’s plan of salvation was to sacrifice his Son as complete payment for our sins. Man cannot kill God. Jesus had to take on human flesh and blood so that his humanity could be sacrificed. "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!"(PHILIPPIANS 2:8). Crucifixion was not a quick, easy death. Crucifixion took hours of torture to complete. “What kind of man is this?” Jesus dies for all.

F. There was another reason that Jesus left the perfectness of heaven to live in the imperfectness of earth. As a human Jesus was not exempt from anything that all of us face. Jesus was baptized. He went into the wilderness. Satan took the opportunity to tempt Jesus. This would not be the only time that the devil tried to make Jesus sin. But Jesus did not sin. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympa-thize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin"(HEBREWS 4:15). Jesus who now reigns from heaven knows each one of us personally and intimately. Jesus knows the temptations that we face. Jesus helps us in our weakness. “What kind of…?”

“WHAT KIND OF MAN IS THIS?”

This Jesus is a person who pours out his life for our sins, all sins.

II. THIS IS JESUS -- OUR CALMING MIGHTY SAVIOR

A. Jesus and the disciples are in a boat on the sea. The storm comes up. Waves are filling the boat.

1. Verse 25. The disciples do not want to drown. Jesus is still sleeping. They have to wake him.