One of the pictures I have as a desktop background on my laptop computer is the International Monument to the Reformation located in Geneva, Switzerland. It is usually referred to as the Reformation Wall. The motto of the 16^th century Protestant Reformation is Post tenbras lux which means “After darkness, Light!”

A reformer, or a reformation, is defined as an improvement, a renovation or a reorganization of something which currently exits. A reformer does not seek to destroy the object of his reform. Rather he seeks to either overhaul or restore order where disorder or error has occurred. The reformers themselves considered their work to be a reformation and not a revolution to the church.

Martin Luther, and those who preceded him as well as those who followed him, were seeking to reform and not destroy the church. They saw abuses by the church which needed to be corrected. Not the least of these issues was the question of the ultimate source of authority within the church: the pope or the Scriptures. God would choose Martin Luther to be the preeminent individual to bring these issues to a head.

Martin was born on November 10, 1483 in the German town of Eisleben to Hans and Margarette Luther. He was named Martin because he was born on St. Martin’s Day. Luther lived in an exciting time.  He was nine years old in 1492 when Columbus discovered America. His parents were German peasants. Luther’s father eventually became a miner in Mansfield and ultimately owned six foundries.

Luther’s childhood was marked by prayer, strict morality, and loyalty to the church and its traditions. It became quickly evident during his childhood that Luther possessed a melancholy personality. He was consumed and driven not only with fits of depression and insecurity, but also with an overwhelming sense of guilt before God because of his sins.

From 1492-1498 he attended school at Mansfield, Magdeburg and Eisenach, where Martin learned Latin. From 1501-1505 he attended the University of Erfurt where he earned his BA in 1502 and his MA in 1505. He was preparing for his doctorate in law. One biographer writes that “young Martin earned both his baccalaureate and master’s degrees in the shortest time allowed by university statutes. He proved so adept at public debates that he earned the nickname The Philosopher.”

Luther was set to be become a lawyer.  His father Hans wanted his son to not only be a lawyer, but also to become a successful lawyer. This would mean that Martin would be able to take care of his parents when they were elderly.

Dr. R.C. Sproul explains that Luther seemed to encounter a crisis every five years. The first of these crises occurred in 1505. It was an event in which Luther’s life would be irrevocably changed.

Soli deo Gloria!

The Protestant Reformation’s enduring legacy, and that of Reformer Martin Luther, centers upon the doctrines of the “solas.” The Reformers believed and taught these five truths and they remain indispensable to the health of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the authentic growth of the church. 

Why? It is because these five tenants did not originate with the Reformers of the Reformation. On the contrary, the Reformers rediscovered truth God had given in Scripture and which had long been buried by the church. Therefore, the “solas” are to be continually studied, embraced, taught, and defended as God’s eternal truth in a fallen, temporal, and worldly culture. 

A brief description of each “sola” is appropriate.  In April 1996, the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals held its first major meeting of evangelical scholars. The Cambridge Declaration, first presented at this meeting, is a call to the evangelical church to turn away from the worldly methods it has come to embrace and to recover the Biblical doctrines of the Reformation. The Cambridge Declaration explains the importance of regaining adherence to the five “solas” of the Reformation. The fine “solas” are as follows:

• Thesis One: Sola Scriptura
  We reaffirm the inerrant Scripture to be the sole source of written divine revelation, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured.
  
  We deny that any creed, council or individual may bind a Christian’s conscience, that the Holy Spirit speaks independently of or contrary to what is set forth in the Bible, or that personal spiritual experience can ever be a vehicle of revelation.

• Thesis Two: Solus Christus
  We reaffirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father.
  
  We deny that the gospel is preached if Christ’s substitutionary work is not declared and faith in Christ and his work is not solicited.

• Thesis Three: Sola Gratia
  We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God’s wrath by his grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life.
  
  We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques, or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerate human nature.

• Thesis Four: Sola Fide
  We reaffirm that justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. In justification Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God’s perfect justice.
  
  We deny that justification rests on any merit to be found in us, or upon the grounds of an infusion of Christ’s righteousness in us, or that an institution claiming to be a church that denies or condemns sola fide can be recognized as a legitimate church.

• Thesis Five: Soli Deo Gloria
  We reaffirm that because salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God’s glory and that we must glorify him always. We must live our entire lives before the face of God, under the authority of God and for his glory alone.
  
  We deny that we can properly glorify God if our worship is confused with entertainment, if we neglect either Law or Gospel in our preaching, or if self-improvement, self-esteem or self-fulfillment is allowed to become alternatives to the Gospel.

As any Christian should realize, the 16^th century Protestant Reformation was anything but a tempest in a teapot. It was a cataclysmic event which shook the then known world, and continues to do so today. May we continue to hold fast to the truths of Scripture, especially the Five Solas.

Be strong and courageous!

Soli deo Gloria!

We are suspending our study from the Gospel of Matthew to conduct a profile on the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther. A profile is a sketch or a summary of an individual’s life or a brief episode in a person’s life. Courage refers to doing what is right, even when facing opposition. It is synonymous with bravery, nerve, valor, or guts.

Periodically, we will take a brief look at particular individuals in Scripture and church history who profile, or illustrate, a courage and conviction to stand for biblical truth. One such individual is Martin Luther. October 31, 2023 marks the 506^th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

Martin Luther is a hero of mine. As many of you know, and for those of you who do not, my family and I attended a Lutheran church in metropolitan Detroit when I was a child. I was baptized as an infant and even confirmed in the Lutheran tradition. When I attended Sunday school as a youth, we not only studied the Scriptures, but also church history; especially the Protestant Reformation in general and Martin Luther in particular.

There are a lot of opinions about Martin Luther, both within the church and also popular culture. In the film, The Bells of St. Mary’s, starring Bing Crosby as Father O’Malley, we witness the following bit of dialogue:

Father Chuck O’Malley: [Sister Mary Benedict calls a boy name Luther to recite material] “Luther? How’d he get in here?” Sister Mary Benedict: “We never knew.”   

Pope Leo X called Luther “a wild boar in the vineyard of the Lord.” Pope Leo also responded to Luther’s writings concerning the Catholic Church’s abuses by saying, “Luther is a drunken German. He will feel different when he is sober.”

Dr. R.C. Sproul comments, “The division of the church that occurred during the Protestant Reformation was not something that the Reformers originally intended to happen. However, when it became clear that the church authorities would be unwilling to submit themselves to the teaching of sacred Scripture, Martin Luther knew that it was necessary to stand against them for the sake of the Gospel.”

Luther was a man that God greatly used. However, even though he was a godly man, we must not forget that as a man, he possessed feet of clay; as we all do. We must always remember Luther’s accomplishments, while at the same time never forgetting his shortcomings. Much like ourselves, he was all too sinfully human, but he met, was saved and was used by an awesome and gracious God.

Pastor Burk Parson explains, “Ultimately, the Word of God was the hero of the Reformation, not Luther. The power was not in Martin Luther or John Calvin or any of the Reformers – the power was the gospel unto salvation for everyone who believes. The fuel and the fire of the Reformation was the Holy Spirit who brought revival and reformation not only in doctrine, but in worship, in the church, in the home, and in the hearts of all those He brought to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ – all for the glory of God to the end that the nations might know, love and proclaim the name of our triune God coram Deo, before His face forever.”

Soli deo Gloria!

³⁴ “And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick ³⁶ and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.” (Matthew 14:34–36 (ESV)

Following Jesus’ miracle of walking on the water, the Lord and His disciples crossed over the now still Sea of Galilee and landed on shore at the town of Gennesaret. Gennesaret was located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee between Capernaum and Magdala. It was where many of Jesus’ healing miracles took place (Mt 14:34; Mk 6:53).

“The topography is generally level, with the land rising slowly as it nears the bordering mountains. The unusually fertile soil is laced with flowing streams and rivers and noted for its productivity. Temperatures ranging from hot to mild allow for a long growing season and abundant crops. The fruits of Gennesaret were so exceptional that the rabbis did not allow them in Jerusalem during feast observances, fearing many would attend only to enjoy their succulence. Rabbis termed this area the Garden of God. During Jesus’ lifetime, the area was considered the garden spot of Palestine. Trees such as the walnut, palm, olive, and fig, which require a wide diversity of growing conditions, all flourished here. Rich harvests of grapes, walnuts, rice, wheat, vegetables, and melons, as well as wild trees and flowers, were common,” states the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.

When Jesus and His disciples arrived at Gennesaret, instead of their original destination Bethsaida, several of the village’s men recognized Jesus. They in turn spread the news that the miracle worker was in the area. Consequently, many people brought the sick to the Lord.

Mark’s Gospel account provides some further insight as to the seriousness of the people’s illnesses. “⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. ⁵⁴ And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him ⁵⁵ and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.” (Mark 6:53–55 ESV)

Whether it was superstition or faith, or perhaps a mixture of both, the people begged Jesus that they be allowed to only touch the fringe of His garment in order to be healed. Matthew records that those who touched the Lord’s garment became well.

“Healing by touching Jesus’ garment recalls the story of the woman with the perpetual issue of blood, and like her, the people in Gennesaret probably had some superstition mixed in with their faith (Mark 5:24b–34). Nevertheless, the power of faith is not found in its purity but in its object, and in trusting Christ the people were healed (6:56). Once again, Jesus met the needs of suffering people when they came to Him for help,” explains one commentator.

“We must take care not to view Jesus merely as a miracle-worker whose purpose is always to restore us physically. Nevertheless, we must believe that Christ can heal us when we seek His face. Of course, He has the sovereign right to determine whom, when, and how He will heal, but make no mistake, Jesus can and often does heal us when we ask Him to do so.”

Matthew concludes the fourteenth chapter of his gospel with this positive account of Jesus’ miraculous power as the eternal God/Man.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁸ “And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:28–33 (ESV)

How strong is your faith? How healthy and undivided is your faith in Jesus Christ; not only as your Savior but also as your Lord.

The New Testament word for faith (πιστος; pistos) means to trust in. commit to, depend upon and honor an object. In a general way, everyone is an individual of faith. The question is, faith in what or who?

Saving faith, justifying faith, sanctifying faith and glorifying faith is a trust in, a commitment to, a dependence upon and a worship and honor of Jesus Christ alone as Savior and Lord. The sinner is to trust, commit, depend and honor Jesus as the Savior of their soul from the penalty of sin. This also applies to Jesus being the Lord and Master of their Christian life.

Today’s text regarding Peter walking on the water vividly illustrates this point.

There is no doubt that Peter is a disciple of Jesus. The question is how strong is his faith in Jesus as his Lord?  

Upon seeing Jesus walking on the water, and understanding that the Lord is not a ghost, Peter asks Jesus to command him to come and walk on the water with Him. Jesus commands Peter to come. Peter proceeds to get out of the boat, walk on water and come to Jesus. As previously noted, the disciples’ boat is likely in the middle of the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 14:24). The water is not shallow.

“Jesus is walking upon the water, approaching their ship tossed far from the shore by a powerful storm, the first time the disciples see Him after this prayer vigil (vv. 25–27). This act is a powerful proof of His deity. In Scripture, Yahweh, the one, true Lord of all, is described as walking upon the water (Ps. 77:16–20; Hab. 3:15). Whether or not Peter has a full-orbed understanding of Christ’s divinity at this point in his life is doubtful, but he does understand the extraordinary authority that Jesus must possess if He can make His path on top of the waves. Such faith prompts Peter to ask for permission from Jesus to step off the boat and join Him upon the sea (Matt. 14:28–29),” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

As long as Peter’s eyes were fixed on Jesus, he was fine even in the midst of extraordinary circumstances. However, when he began to notice the violent wind, and presumably the waves and darkness surrounding him, he began to panic and sink into the deep. He then intensely and continuously screamed, “Lord save me.”

Without hesitation, Jesus immediately extended His hand and took hold of Peter. Jesus then said to Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus’ tone is not harsh but rather instructive. The insufficiency of faith and the uncertainty of life is a toxic combination.  James described a man who doubts as like the waves of the sea driven and tossed by the wind (James 1:6). Such a man is unstable.

“Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus and sinks, but we would miss a vital lesson of this story if we focus only on Christ’s criticism of His disciple’s “little faith” (vv. 30–31). Though mixed with doubt and fear, Peter’s faith is nonetheless true — he does walk on the water. More importantly, the fisherman is not abandoned when he falters; rather, the Savior extends His hand to save him (vv. 32–33),” states Dr. Sproul.

I see myself in the example of Peter. My faith is sometimes insufficient. Doubts often arise in my thinking, emotions and decisions. However, Jesus is always there to extend a loving and corrective hand through His Word. I sense Him saying, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” How about you?

As an epilogue, Matthew concludes the story with these words. And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus again stilled a storm (Matt. 8:23-27). He is Lord of all creation. He rescues those who cry out to Him in distress (Psalm 107:23-32). Rather than simply fear as before, the disciples worship Jesus and confess Him as the Son of God. He is to be the object of their faith.

“Peter’s faith is much like ours, small and incomplete, a mixture of trust and doubt. Nevertheless, God does not wait for us to have perfect faith before He saves us. The mere presence of authentic trust is required, and periods of doubt say nothing about the legitimacy of our faith. No matter the fervor of your trust this day, know that Jesus is a Savior who rescues those who struggle with doubt,” concludes Dr. Sproul.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁵ “And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:25–27 (ESV)

Jesus’ miracles always generated a response. People responded to Jesus with gratitude, praise, wonder and, with respect to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, hatred. Very rarely, if at all, were people ambivalent when Jesus revealed His power, presence and personhood as God in the flesh.

One interesting response to the Lord because of His miracles was fear. The disciples feared Jesus when He stilled the storm (Matt. 8:23-25; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25). The Gadarenes feared Jesus when He cast out the demons (Matt. 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:34-39). It was this reaction that Jesus was mindful of when He approached the disciples in the midst of yet another storm on the Sea of Galilee.  

Following the feeding of the 5,000 men (Matt. 14:13-21), Jesus instructed His disciples to get into a boat and sail to Bethsaida, located on the western shore (Matt. 14:22; Mark 6:45).  He then dismissed the crowd and went into the surrounding mountainside to pray (Matt. 14:23). As evening came, the disciples battled an intense storm that prevented them from safely reaching shore (Matt. 14:24).

It was during the fourth watch, between the hours of 3:00 am – 6:00 am, while they still battled the winds and waves that Jesus approached them by walking on the water. It was once again an occasion that Jesus miraculously revealed His power, person and presence before His disciples.

As in the previously mentioned storm account, the disciples were terrified (ταράσσω; tarasso). In other words, they were greatly disturbed and distressed. This was not so much because of the surrounding storm but rather because of the approaching Lord.  

They screamed out in fear, ““It is a ghost!” Their cry was from the depths of their being. The fear of the dangerous storm gave way to the disciples’ terror at the approaching figure they believed to be an apparition or ghoul.

Sensing their fear, Jesus immediately said to them, ““Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” Jesus continually assured the disciples they had nothing to fear. He commanded them to have courage or to be cheerful because it was Him. He then commanded them to not be afraid.

“Christ’s walking on water was a revelation of His deity. In the Old Testament, only God can control the wind and the sea, and He is even said to walk or trample on the waves in passages such as Job 9:8. By walking on water, Jesus showed that He shares the same abilities as God Himself and is therefore true deity,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“Furthermore, the English phrase “it is I” spoken by Jesus (v. 50) translates the Greek phrase egõ eimi. That is significant because God uses egõ eimi to describe Himself in Exodus 3 (in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible), and the same phrase is used repeatedly by Jesus in John’s gospel (John 6; 8; 9; 10; 11; 14; 15).  

Jesus’ walking on the water was not intended to be entertaining for the disciples. Neither was the feeding of the crowd with two fish and five loaves of bread. Rather, miracles are moments of God’s self-disclosure of His person, power and presence. Have you encountered a miracles recently?

Soli deo Gloria!                                                                                                                            

²² “Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.” (Matthew 14:22–24 (ESV)

Immediately following Jesus’ miracle in feeding over 20,000 people (Matt. 14:13-21), He compelled His disciples get into their boat while He dismissed the crowds. He instructed the twelve to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to the western shore town of Bethsaida (Mark 6:45; Matt. 11:21). The phase He made (ἀναγκάζω; anankazo) could imply that the disciples were reluctant to leave Jesus behind.

Jesus dismissed the crowds. This could have taken some time seeing how many were in attendance and that they also desired to make Him their king (John 6:15-21). Following this, Jesus went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. The entire eastern side of the Sea of Galilee is mountainous containing many slopes and plateaus. This would have been an ideal and isolated location for prayer.

“Being fully aware of the weaknesses of his own disciples, for whom cooperation with the throng in it unholy political planning constituted a real temptation (Matt. 20:20; Acts 1:6), the Lord first of all cause his constant companions to get into a boat and to go ahead of him to the other side,” explains commentator Dr. William Hendricksen.

Today’s text does not tell us when Jesus went up on the mountain to pray. All it does say is that when evening came, Jesus was there alone. Perhaps others had followed Him only to retreat back to their villages with the advent of nightfall. Jesus wanted to be by Himself.

“During his earthly sojourn, Jesus spent much time in prayer. He prayed in lonely places, on a hill, in Gethsemane; in the morning, in the evening, sometimes all night (Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 5:15-16; 6:12; 9:18; 23:41-42; Heb. 5:7),” states Dr. Hendricksen.

Meanwhile, the disciples were still in their boat and a long way from the shore. This was because they encountered rough seas on the lake. The swells continually tormented and stressed the boat, and presumably the disciples. This was because they were sailing against the wind in order to reach shore. Mark recorded that they were making headway painfully (Mark 6:48).

“Normally in traveling across the northern end of the lake they would have been within 1 or 2 miles of shore. But on that occasion, the wind had carried the boat several miles south, closer to the center of the lake (cf. Matt. 14:24),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

As often was the case on the Sea of Galilee, an intense storm was against the disciples (Matt. 8:23-27). However, this time Jesus was not in the boat with the disciples. Mark recorded that Jesus, alone on the shore, saw that the boat was in troubling seas (Mark 6:47).

This scene would set the stage for another revelatory miracle by the Lord. The purpose of which was to show His power, presence and person. He does so today. Do we have the eyes, ears and discernment to notice?

Soli deo Gloria!

Does God still perform miracles today? In other words, does the Lord continue to reveal His person, power and presence in the lives of believers today as He did in Scripture?

Amazingly, there are believers in Christ who insist that that God either does not perform miracles today, or only in a limited capacity. Rather, they articulate an unconscious, Deistic worldview that while God is creator, He is not the sustainer of life; physical or spiritual. The Scriptures teach otherwise (Acts 17:28; Heb. 1:1-3).

We must remember that miracles are not just about an event and a desired outcome. Rather, it is a moment in which God reveals who He is; not only by His providential presence but also by providential circumstances or His purposeful sovereignty.

“A great deal of confusion on the subject of miracles has been caused by a failure to observe that Scripture does not sharply distinguish between God’s constant sovereign providence and his particular acts. Belief in miracles is set in the context of a world-view which regards the whole of creation as continually dependent upon the sustaining activity of God and subject to his sovereign will (cf. Col. 1:16–17). All three aspects of divine activity—wonder, power, significance—are present not only in special acts but also in the whole created order (Rom. 1:20). When the psalmist celebrates the mighty acts of God he moves readily from the creation to the deliverance from Egypt (Ps. 135:6–12),” explains the New Bible Dictionary.

How often have we ignored or at least been unobservant of God’s miraculous works in our lives? Have you considered that the very nature of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone is a miracle? The sinner’s conversion is by a divine act of God in which He raises the spiritually dead to new life in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10). If that is not miraculous, I do not know what is.

“At the wedding in Cana, Jesus turned water into wine. This was not done as a crowd-pleasing stunt, something to while away the minutes between the hors d’oeuvres and the entree. Jesus did it to show who He is and that we should turn to Him. In fact, one of the main words used for miracles in the New Testament is more commonly translated as “sign.” And like any sign, Jesus’ miracle at Cana pointed away from itself. It pointed to the reality that standing right there in front of them, at a wedding reception, was God in the flesh,” states Bible teacher Barry Cooper.  

Take time to observe the events of your life today. How many moments does God choose to reveal Himself: in Scripture, in providential circumstances and by the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Do you recognize these as purposeful, sovereign signs that God is real, He is here and He cares for you?

Perhaps it may be wise to begin keeping a Miracle Journal. Begin recording your thoughts when God illuminates an accurate truth of Scripture to you, or a situation that cannot be explained as a coincidence occurs. You may be amazed that you too believe in miracles.

Soli deo Gloria!