He walks in the midst of the lampstands
Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid
One of the most significant moments in the book of Matthew is when Jesus' disciple faces waves of the sea in the dark of night and, more importantly, unexpectedly sees Jesus walking on the water towards them. Everything that happened that night was contrary to human nature—a supernatural experience when the nature of God meets the nature of man. Jesus invited his friends to believe in him. This happened just after Jesus faced opposition, or, in other words, spiritual warfare, as he heard that John the Baptist had been killed. He was not only souranded by religious leaders but also by the corruption of those who were in government. I have frequently wondered what happened that night after Jesus went to the mountain and sent away the disciples. Did Jesus meet John the Baptist? His father comforted him by proclaiming his identity again over him. Jesus was not limited since he was in human flesh; more accurately, he was limited due to the unbelief of the people around him. What was impossible to accomplish with human hands needed to be accomplished with Spirit.
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.
John 3:5-6
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12-13
Jesus further assures that his disciples will be helped by the Holy Spirit, the spirit of the living God, considering that they are unable to take in or understand the words he just spoke to them. What enabled Peter, John, or Jacob to stay awake was their human flesh that could not bear it, for what was taking place in spirit. You may ask me then, Why did Jesus ask them to pray? or why Peter went through what he went through? I believe one of the reasons is to see the fulfillment of what has been declared over Jesus before the foundation of the earth. The love of God manifested through him and became the ultimate sacrifice to win many to the kingdom of our heavenly father by removing the veil that was cast upon our hearts, so we heard but could not hear, or we saw but could not see. Despite all suffering, he chose to receive the punishment that was our right to receive.
What we learn from Peter and other Jesus disciples gives a vivid image of human flesh and also the understanding that we can do nothing without him. We need to learn to rely on him in whatever we do. What Peter could not accomplish through the desire of the human heart would only be accomplished through God’s spirit. And we see that he accomplished what was on in his destiny later, on the day of Pentecost, when they got baptized in his spirit, love, and humility to selflessly follow his master.
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matt 14:31
At the beginning of 2020, the epidemic began to spread over the globe; we were surrounded with upheaval and anarchy. When I was reading Matthew 14:22–34, when Jesus tells his disciple, "Do not be afraid; it is I," I was intentionally thinking about God's voice and his heartbeat. As I heard it, I could feel the oil dripping over my head. Through everything that was happening around the world, I was able to see Jesus walking toward his disciple on the water, just like in the Bible. The words that came out of him gave me comfort: "Do not be afraid; it’s I. I believe that when the real light rises upon the earth's darkness, we will also witness the manifestation of darkness, like wind and waves hitting the shores that exist on Earth. That will reveal what has been hidden. As the Bible says, the judgment begins in God's own house, and we saw an enormous amount of exposure. I'm not saying that God intended for evil to be present. God is light, and in him there is no darkness. However, what is not from God is revealed by the true light. Until what is true is left, everything will be shaken: relationships, love, faith, etc.
Jesus is walking in the midst of his lampstand; he watches not only from above, but he walks in our midst. He will destroy but also rebuild; he is God, and we are not. He is the slain lamb on the throne, the perfect ultimate sacrifice of God, but he is also the lion. He calms the wave and the wind; all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him. He is gentle, but his eyes are full of fire, and yet he chooses to see us through love and compassion, slow to anger. He watches over our souls like a shepherd watching over his flock. He is coming soon for his bride.
