4TH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you. Amen.

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

We live in a time when many preachers want to preach a Christianity without Christ and many hearts want to hear such a Christianity without Christ. In our day the principle is, therefore, often stated: To know who Christ is according to his person is not so necessary, and to quarrel much about it is the greatest folly. The main thing is to know Christ's very wise teachings, follow his noble example. and keep his holy commandments. If a person would do that, he may keep on believing what he wants to about Christ; one should not disturb him in his faith; for little or nothing depends upon whether he considers Christ divine or human, the Son of God or merely a pious person.

Is this really true? I think that he who has merely a little knowledge sees clearly what those who express such ideas secretly plan. They are not the least bit earnest; undoubtedly, they do not consider it a matter of indifference, whether one believes that Christ is the Son of God or merely another man; rather, they say that this is of no vital importance only because it is their wish that everyone should think little of Christ and hold him to be a mere man as they do.

Therefore, let no one be deceived by this talk which is current today. It simply is not true that nothing depends upon what one thinks of Christ's person rather, everything depends upon it. Even our reason teaches us this. In his teachings Christ promises us that he wants to forgive us our sins, rescue us from God's wrath and displeasure, from death and hell, awaken us from the dead on Judgment Day, in death open heaven to us and make us eternally blessed there. Now should it make no difference whether he, who promises us such things is only a man or the true God and eternal Life?

If someone promised us only a thousand dollars, do we think that it makes not difference whether he is rich or poor, the owner of millions or a beggar? Certainly not. And Christ promises us what the almighty God alone can give, and we are to think that it makes no difference whether Christ is the almighty Son of the Most High or a powerless being as we are?

But this also militates against all Holy Scripture. According to Scripture the doctrine of Christ's person is the first, the most important, the main and fundamental doctrine of all Christianity. The apostles call the preaching of Christ, and especially the preaching of the crucified Christ, Christianity and they declare, "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Cor 3:11. According to the Scriptures a Christianity without Christ is therefore a house built in the air without a foundation, a sun without sunshine, a husk without a kernel, a spring without water.

On this very point Christ's teachings are different from those of all other religions; he himself constitutes the chief content of his teachings. All other religions are doctrinal systems hatched in the human mind, which contain a series of assertions and commandments without bearing any relation to those who invented these systems. In Christ's teachings, however, Christ himself is the shining central point from which everything proceeds, around which everything moves, and to which everything points back.

Christ does not merely say as do other teachers: I show you the true way, I teach the truth, I lead to eternal life, but he says point-blank, "I AM the way, I am the truth, I am the life." Moreover, Christ does not merely say, He who believes in my teaching, or believes in God has eternal life but he says plainly, "He that believeth in me' hath eternal life." Nor does Christ say only Turn to God, but he said frankly, "Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden." Finally, Christ expressly says that it is not enough to know God the Father; he says, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." Jn 17:3. So Christ declares that it is just as necessary to know Christ as it is to know God the Father.

No philosopher has ever spoken like that nor could any ever speak so; they could appeal only to their doctrine, but they could never point to themselves. Only Christ has done that.

What should we, therefore, think of those who say: It is not necessary to know the real Christ as long as one knows his doctrine? They are either people misled by others or are themselves seducers who want to erase Christ from

Christianity in order to wipe out Christianity itself and in its place substitute the ethics of the old heathen which naturally is more comfortably to the flesh.

Oh, if only there would not be so many even in the midst of Christendom who want to know nothing about Christ! At such times it is most necessary for one to try to ground and strengthen himself thä more firmly in his faith in Christ, Let us, therefore, use pur today's Gospel for the purpose of picturing to ourselves most vividly Christ's divine power and glory.

The text. Matthew 8:23-27.

On the basis of this glorious Gospel permit me to speak to you on:

THE DIVINE POWER AND GLORY WHICH CHRIST REVEALED ON THE SEA OF GALILEE

Permit me to direct your attention to

I. How Clearly and Gloriously Christ Revealed it here, and

II. How Friend and Foe Should Use This Revelation.

I.

The story related in our today's Gospel contains such a glorious revelation of Christ that, should a believer read or hear it, it is surprising that he is not inwardly urged to shout loudly for joy, Oh, how great and powerful Jesus Christ is! Happy am I that I have such a Savior! However, it is just as surprising that not every unbeliever, upon hearing our Gospel, is not terrified at himself and, beseeching Christ for mercy, would fall at his feet.

For what do we hear? One day on the shores of the Sea of Galilee Christ had healed many sick people and had preached the saving truth to the people in many parables until evening had come. In order to avoid the continued press of the crowd, Christ entered into a ship to sail across to the opposite shore of the sea. His disciples followed him and many other ships set sail at the same time. Quietly the ships at the start sailed through the dark waves. Exhausted by the miracles performed during the day and the sermons preached, Christ with a pillow under his head immediately laid down to sleep in the rear part of the ship.

What happened? We read in our text, "And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea." V.24a. By the word "behold" should be indicated that the change came quickly and suddenly, contrary to all the expectations of the sailors. And the word "tempest" according to the Greek indicates a shock such as is noticed during an earthquake. When they were out on the sea, there suddenly arose a subterranean convulsion which churned the waters into a most unusual swell; one moment the depths opened as though it wanted to swallow the little ship, the next moment mountains of water towered high which threatened to descend upon the boat. Even that was not enough. According to the report of Luke and Mark a whirlwind or a hurricane also blew, which with a roar descended from the sky to the sea, seized the raging waters like a screw, spun it like a top, and thus dumped wave upon wave into the little ship, so that in a few moments it was covered with waves and completely filled it with water. Luke therefore expressly states, "They were in jeopardy." Lk 8:23.

How terrible the danger must have been we see from the fact that all the disciples now trembled and despaired. There was not a disciple who had not often sailed upon the water; yes, there were several among them who, as we well know, had carried on their trade as fishermen from their youth on and were therefore well acquainted with the dangers and terrors of the sea and were hardened to them. But when all, even a courageous Peter, were seized by fear and terror, we must conclude that now they were living through such a terrible event as they had never lived through in the past. They saw all the elements in rebellion against them; beneath them it seemed as though the quaking depths intended to swallow the sea itself, over them howled the hurricane, and in torrents the water descended upon them; all of man's efforts to fight the dangers were absolutely useless; in addition, it was night. Therefore, the disciples already feared that in the next moment the little ship would be dashed to pieces and sucked down into the shuddering depths.

Yet since the Lord was amongst them, they made their last appeal to him, stepped before the sleeping Savior, awakened him, and cried loudly, "Lord, save us: we perish." And what did Christ do? Awakened from his sleep, he fearlessly looks upon this terrible uproar in nature. First of all he reprimands the despairing disciples and says, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" V. 26 Then he arose, threatened the wind and the sea, and said, "Peace, be still!" and behold, in a second it was absolutely still. Here in Greek a word is used which as much as means that the surface was suddenly as smooth as glass and that a smiling serenity came over the entire region.

When the disciples saw this, we read that they were very much afraid, and "marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds land the sea obey him!" V. 27. From this event the disciples knew that Christ could not possibly be merely a man, but that he rather must be the one whom the whole world must fear, namely, God the Lord himself.

And, my friends, this is the very thing which we must learn even now from this wonderful story. All of you know by experience that man is helpless during a storm at sea. If ever our absolute helplessness becomes clear to us it is at sea. When the storm roars over the heads of those aboard ship, the sail tears, the mast snaps with a loud crack, and the waves and billows sweep along so that they break like huge mountains upon the weak ship and here one depth and there another opens up like the jaws of the abyss, then one sees that man is nothing. What did Christ do in such a situation? Did he also despair? Yes, did he merely exhort his apostles to cry to God and calmly surrender themselves to anything which would come?

No! He calmly rises, threatens the unbridled elements, and whilst at other times the surging waves slowly subside after the wind has been calm for quite some time, at Christ's word not only was the howling storm silent in a second, but in the same second the waves also suddenly disappeared and as smooth as a lawn the sea again reflected a smiling serenity.

Here you see in Christ the same Lord who once parted the waters of the Red Sea, turned them into a wall at the right hand and at the left for the Children of Israel, and prepared a dry path on the bottom of the sea. Here you see in Christ the same Lord who once commanded the Jordan to stand still and pile up like a mountain, so that his servant Joshua could go through with his entire host on dry foot. Here by this deed Christ proved that he spoke the truth when he said of himself, "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth.;" here was fulfilled the prophecy spoken concerning Christ in Psalm 8, "Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet." V. 6.

Storm and sea no man ever tamed; therefore if God's greatness is to be most clearly pictured in Holy Scripture, his power, especially over these very same mighty, untamed elements, is described. That is why in the Book of Job, God for example asks impertinent men, "Who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? When I brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,, and said, Hitherto shalt thou come but no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?" Job 38:8,10,12. We therefore also read in Psalms 98 and 93, "0 Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea; when the waves therefore arise, thou stillest them." Ps 98:8,9. "The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters." Ps 93:3,4.

What did Christ once prove on the Sea of Galilee? He proved that he can do what God has reserved unto himself, that he is a Lord not only of the earth but also of the air and the sea, that even the dumb, dead creatures hear his voice and obey it, that he. is equal to the Creator who "spake, and it was done, who commanded, and it .stood fast;" Ps 33:9; in brief, that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, the Lord of all lords, the true Son of God, and the eternal and almighty God, equally great and glorious with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

II.

There is no doubt about this; permit me therefore in the second place to point to how friend and foe should use this revelation of;divine might and glory.

In the first place, who is Christ's friend? He is Christ's friend who has perceived from God's Law that he is a sinner who cannot save himself, who therefore, oppressed by the burden of his sins, seeks his only refuge in Christ and has accepted him in faith and is now with the disciples prepared to follow Christ and remain with him until death. How should he who is this kind of a friend of Christ apply the revelation of Christ's glory on the Sea of Galilee?

First of all, he is to perceive, very clearly the good, firm, .and unshakable foundation his:faith has in Christ and his Gospel. Oh, you who are a friend of Christ, you see that you do not deceive yourselves when you consider. Christ as the Son of God and his Gospel, as God's Word; Christ has sealed this by the most wonderful miracle. The thrones of all the kings will fall but this King of all kings will not be hurled from the throne of his power and glory. Heaven and earth will pass away but Christ's words will not pass away. All the kingdoms of the world, all the works of men will be destroyed but Christ's Church and Kingdom not even the gates of hell can overcome, for he is almighty. "Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her, and that right early." Ps 45:3-5. Just continue to confess your Savior confidently in words and deeds; you will not nor can you be put to shame.

A friend of Christ should apply this revelation of his glory in another way; he should never despair either in physical or spiritual trouble. You see, because you believe in Christ, he is also constantly with you in grace as with the disciples in the .ship. If storms of tribulation arise, if the little ship of your life begins to falter on the surging seas of this world, if it even begins to sink, covered with the waves, of distress and danger or inner temptation because of your sins, oh be. confident; though it seems as though your Savior is sleeping and is unconcerned about you, when your need is the greatest, Christ's help is the closest. Awaken your Savior and cry to him in firm faith, "Lord,

help me!" He will also rise up in your behalf, and threaten the storm of your misery and the waves of your temptation, give your.. heart and conscience quiet, rest, and peace, and help you gloriously. For Christ can also help when no man can help in the greatest distresses, in the misery of sin, and in the misery of death.

Finally, how should you apply this revelation of Christ's glory who are still his enemies? who either want to knowing nothing about Christ or turn him into merely a pious man, and not want to be saved through him but by your own works? You should recognize from this miracle of Christ what you are doing when you turn Christ into a mere man. After Christ has performed that miracle, have you any reason at all for feeling secure? Perhaps because it seems as though Christ is weak, because he has been silent to all your blasphemies of the past and has let himself be despised by thousands without punishing them? Oh, surely not! Think about how Christ revealed himself during the storm on that sea: First he slept, like a man as we are, but as God he .never slumbered nor slept but watched; finally, however, he arose and as the God-man threatened the unleashed elements and wind and wave were obedient to him. In the same way Christ sleeps even now, and it seems as though he is a human being as you; but know that there will come a day, the terrible day of the destruction of the world when Christ will awaken and place all his foes at his feet as his footstool. Oh, therefore make peace in time with this King of all kings, so that you will not be violently cut down by him as his foe but be forever and ever exalted as his friend to his right hand.

Do not say that it is contrary to your reason to believe that Christ is true God. Look at how he stands in the ship as the Lord of nature and everything is obedient to him; and you do not want to fall down at his feet who is the All-Powerful? Behold, on Judgment Day the hurricane which became silent at Christ's almighty word will open its mouth and testify against you. Woe to you then! This testimony will hurl all your excuses to the ground and condemn your unbelief. And if you do not want to hear Christ's voice now and follow it, well, you will not be compelled to obey him here; but some day in your grave you will have to hear Christ's voice, when it will call you to the resurrection of the Judgment. Oh, therefore, listen to Christ now; now his voice is a voice of grace even for his foes; but there he will say, "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." Lk 19:27.

Now may he, whom all creatures serve, bring all our hearts into subjection by his almighty Word, so that we also may joyfully serve him here, confess and worship him as our God and Savior, joyously trust him in all distress, with his assistance some day happily: cross over the abyss of. death and joyfully arrive at the shores of that blessed world where the storms of distress no longer roar nor the waves of temptation rage but where the eternal, blessed quiet of peace dwells. Amen,