What Manner of Man Is This?
Matthew 8:27
"The men were amazed, and said, 'What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'"
What manner indeed! While we know that the answer is that He was the Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God (John 3:16), there is more to the correct answer than this. Because the fact is, I know of only one thing that Jesus did because of His unique position as Son of God: that is, die a substitutionary death on the cross. He called attention to His humanness (viz., with terms like calling himself the "son of man") more often than his uniqueness. Why? I believe it is because He was the "first born among many brethren" (Rom.8:29). What I am saying is, I believe that the reason Jesus was able to calm the wind and waves was not because He was operating out of a place of deity (i.e., not because He was the One Who made the wind and waves, as is often insinuated), but out of a place of humanity walking in the authority, through fellowship with the Creator, that we were originally destined for. Jesus didn't just come to earth to show off, and He didn't just come to die: He also came to give us a little glimpse of what it looks like to live as a child of God ("but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God" John 1:12). Why did Jesus say "you of little faith"? Obviously, because they were not operating out of a place of faith at that time; they weren't walking in the authority in God that was their birthright as His children. In other words: it was not lack of available authority that was keeping the disciples from doing the very same thing Jesus did; it was just lack of faith, lack of spiritual maturity. This may seem preposterous to some, and I agree the implications are stunning. But allow me to point out another stunning thing Jesus said:
" Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father." ( John 14:12 NASB)
Created 4 months ago
