Dear Christian friends:

On January 27, 1962, Astronaut John Glenn, who is now Senator Glenn of Ohio, was sitting in his space capsule on top of a big Mercury rocket at Cape Canaveral, Florida waiting to blast-off and go 100 miles above the earth, orbiting three times and then splashing down into the Pacific Ocean. He had planned to blast-off at 6:30 A.M., but he had to wait until 11:00 A.M. five hours later due to bad weather, poor visibility.

Our space scientists and astronauts are brilliant and they have done many surprising and wonderful things, including landing on the moon and returning safely to earth. But on that gray January morning 41 years ago they could not command the weather to change for the better. They had to wait patiently for nature to take its course. To this day our most brilliant scientists are unable to alter the weather even a little.

However, almost 2000 years ago in a small boat on the Sea of Galilee, in a violent storm, Jesus of Nazareth commanded the wind to cease blowing and it obeyed Him. When His amazed and terrified disciples realized what had happened they asked each other, "Who is this man?" (verse 41) Indeed!


This is a good question, although it has been asked millions of times before. This is a good question, although we all may know the answer already.

These twelve disciples who first asked this question knew the answer, or at least should have known it. After all, this was not the first miracle which Jesus had performed. At the wedding in Cana of Galilee, Jesus had changed several hundred gallons of water into the choicest wine. He had healed the paralytic whom four friends let down before Him through the roof of the house where He was teaching. Not only did He heal the unfortunate man, but He also forgave his sins. In the synagogue Jesus healed a man with a whithered hand and He had just, a few days before this event of our text, cast out demons from those who were bewitched and possessed. His twelve disciples had seen Jesus do these miracles and many more which are not featured in the four Gospels. Really they knew who Jesus was.

We also know who Jesus is. We have heard these accounts of Jesus' miracles over and over again, most of us since we were children in Sunday School. And since our confirmation we have heard these miracle lessons read in the church services Sunday after Sunday, year after year. Who of us here today can honestly say that we don't know who Jesus is?

We, like the twelve disciples know who Jesus is: our problem is that we really don't believe it. This also was the problem of the disciples.

And that is why Jesus here in our text rebukes them saying, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" (verse 40) The disciples knew who Jesus was; they simply did not believe in Him.

This morning Jesus also rebukes you and me. He is asking us: "Why our you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" You have heard the story of my mysterious birth, My inspiring teachings, My wondrous works, My suffering and death, My resurrection and ascension into heaven, My sitting at the right hand of the Father and My coming to judge the living and the dead. How is it that you have no faith? Why are you so fearful?" And we are fearful and unbelieving often in the tragedies, traumas and storms of our lives. Also we are afraid to serve; afraid to give the tithe for His work and joyless in His service. Jesus is asking you this morning: "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"

While Jesus rebukes us for our unbelief, He does not forsake us as we deserve, but is still here to save and to strengthen.

Jesus was there that day in the storm to save His disciples from death and to strengthen their faith, and although they did not deserve this Jesus showed mercy to them and helped them.

Even after this wondrous display of His glory, they continued to doubt and fear again and again. Nevertheless, Jesus hung in there with them and did not forsake them. It was only after His ascension into heaven and His sending the Spirit on Pentecost that they really began to believe.

So Jesus hangs in here with us also, although by our fears and unbelief we deserve that He forsake us and give up on us. Little by little Jesus helps us to grow and mature in our faith as we gather here in church around the Word and the Sacraments. As we experience the traumas and tragedies of our individual lives, Jesus' word is more meaningful and more precious to us.

Jesus provides us with Christian brothers and sisters and with faithful pastors and teachers to save us and to strengthen, although we in no way deserve this grace. Jesus says to us as He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer! Your sins are forgiven to you." He even says it better to us: "Take, eat, this is My body which is given for you: take, drink, all of you, this cup is the new testament in My blood which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus says to us as He said to His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion: "These things I have spoken to you, that you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Like the disciples we know good and well who Jesus is. The real question is: Do we believe? "Lord, I believe; Help Thou mine unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

Amen.