I remember being at summer camp. I decided to go swimming, not realizing you were supposed to know HOW to swim before you got into the water. To this day, it is still a struggle for me to even float on water. How in the world did Jesus walk on water? That shocked a lot of people. People who heard about it and the disciples who saw it firsthand! Everyone was impressed. But why did Jesus decide to go walking on water, especially during a storm? To show them the power of the King.
THEY FORGOT HIS POWER
Jesus wanted to give them relief from the wind: “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them” (Mark 6:45-52). Jesus decided to walk out and tell the wind to “knock it off”. And of course, the wind listened to Him. The Disciples were amazed, but should they have been? Just a few pages back in Mark 4:41, Jesus calmed the wind. Guess the reaction of the disciples: “Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey Him?” How quickly they forgot the power of the King!
BLIND TO HIS POWER
This wasn’t the only reason for Jesus’ surprise performance. Recently, He demonstrated His power: He calmed the wind and the waves, fed at least 5000 people on a hillside without a Wawa in sight, and walked on water with such ease as if He were the Great Wallenda. Did the Disciples get the message? Apparently not, as we read in Mark 6:52: “They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened”. The power of God is revealed through Jesus Christ and in ways unheard of! But what about our day? Do we still see the power of the King alive, active and working?
MEANING OF POWER OF THE KING
So, what do we mean by “the power of the King”? Do we mean authority? How much authority does King Jesus have over our lives? Does the King’s power cover everyone within the Kingdom? Does His power mean He can feed thousands with a few fish and some bread, or He can strut across the lake without a boat in sight? It does. Even though these activities are within His power, there is so much more! Acts 1:8 promises: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in all Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus told the disciples that they would do even greater things than what He did! (Imagine that!)
MIRACLE OF A PRODIGAL
I watched an Elder-Led prayer meeting at a Florida church the other night. At the end of the evening, an Elder by the name of Dan Buckles shared his personal story. Dan discovered he had a son he was unaware of for 20-some years. After some time, he had the opportunity to meet Kristian, his son. Dan tried to build a relationship with him. However, Kristian’s health gravely deteriorated. Dan flew to the hospital to share the Gospel with his son. That night, Kristian rejected the message of salvation. Dan would not be deterred, so he went back the next day and presented the gospel to him one more time. Father Dan told his son he didn’t have much time to spend with him in this life and wanted to spend eternity with him. Kristian responded and gave his life to Christ! During the last hour of his life on this earth, Dan had the privilege of baptizing Kristian in the hospital room, and Kristian lived as a new creation in Christ. That is the power of the King!
WE CAN LIVE WITH HIS POWER
You and I can do great things through Christ if we solely allow God the Holy Spirit to be our strength. We can live with the power of the King!