Coffeeville First Baptist Church By Craig Baker, Pastor

By Marie | September 2, 2025 |

Genesis 1:1-5 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”

From that first day, many events in the Bible were marked by whether they occurred during the day or night. If you are like me, you have a habit of just automatically thinking most things in the Bible happened during the day, but we are clearly told that many significant biblical events took place at night. In the night, sins were committed, and kingdoms were lost. In the night some became more than conquerors and others were conquered. In the night, some came to Jesus and some fell away from Him. In the night, God did some of His greatest works and Satan’s achieved some of his greatest deceptions.

These events of the night are filled with instruction, inspiration, and guidance for us all, so this morning we are beginning a series of sermons in which we will consider the Great Nights of the Bible.

The first night we will consider is one of the most well-known of them all and is found in Matthew 14:22. It is a Night of a Terror.

The events of that night took place not longer after Jesus and His apostles received the tragic new that John the Baptist had been murdered, beheaded, for stand up against King Herod’s adulterous relationship with his brother’s wife, Herodias.

As soon as Jesus heard the news of John’s death, He went to an isolated place along the Sea of Galilee.

Not only was John the Baptist family of Jesus, but he was also a friend. A man Jesus always dealt with and spoke of with the highest regard. When Jesus heard John the Baptist had been killed, it appears He pauses for a moment in silent solitude and His friend.

It was a fitting tribute to the man Jesus declared to be the greatest man to have ever been born of a woman, but His retreat was cut short because people heard where He had gone and followed Him on foot. It may have taken them a day or so to find Jesus, but by the time they do the crowd has grown to a multitude of men numbering about 5000 not including the women and children.

Even though the crowd had intruded on what was supposed to be a time of solitude for Jesus, we are told He had compassion on them and healed their sick. It is here that we see Jesus perform the miracle of feeding the 5000 with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

After they had been fed, we’re told in Matthew 14 that Jesus compelled His disciples, apparently against their wishes, to get into the boat by themselves and start across to the other side of the sea, Jesus made the multitude go home. Finally, He could continue His time of peace and solitude, so He made His way up to the top of one of the mountains that rise from the seashore.

As the sun fades on the horizon and its rays are replace by darkness, I can picture Jesus making His way up the mountain. Perhaps pausing now and then to watch the disciples’ boat disappearing into the darkness that was falling across the sea.

When the disciples set out in the boat that evening all was calm and fair. The sea was peaceful. I can imagine a soft breeze blowing across the water and the sound of the waves gently rolling onto shore and stars beginning to appear in the night sky.

But oh, how things can change quickly on this small sea. The Sea of Galilee is one of the most unpredictable seas in all the world. Its geography and weather patterns often creating sudden, violent storms. It can shift from calm and peaceful to stormy with six- to ten-foot waves in a matter of minutes.

As the disciples near the halfway point of their voyage, a storm broke over the sea. What was all calm and peaceful a few moments ago was now chaos and turmoil as they fought to survive the storm.

As the oldest and perhaps most experienced, I can see Peter taking command standing firm in the back of the boat, hands on the rudder, beard soaked with sea spray; glistening with each flash of lightning as he barked commands to the other. Lower the sails, lighten the boat, take hold of the oars, row with all you’ve got.

As the great storm rages on, the boat tosses about up and down like a cork in the high waves. As lightning flashes across the sea, the white caps of the waves breaking over themselves appear like the teeth of an angry sea monster coming to devour them.

The last time they faced such peril Jesus was in the boat with them and calmed the sea with His words causing them more fear for they wondered,“Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Now they would give anything for His presence, to have Him in the boat. If only He had come with them all would be well.

Perhaps they questioned why Jesus had sent them away on their own. Surely, He sees the danger we are in. Why didn’t He do something? After all this is the man who the wind and sea obey.

As the waves crashed against the side of the boat and it was tossed around in the storm, perhaps they felt as though Jesus had forsaken them to this terrible storm. But in the distance from His mountain top vantage point, I imagine in the flashes of lightning, Jesus can see the black speck of their boat as it is tossed to and fro. Mark tells us in his gospel that Jesus saw them straining to row for the wind was against them. But still Jesus waited to come to them.

When the night was almost finished, in the fourth watch, between 3am and 6am, Jesus finally went to His disciples. At that point, they had been battling the storm for hours. No doubt they were soaking wet, mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted. But at first, Jesus’ appearing seemed worse than His delay.

Can you picture the disciples weary and worn from their battle with the storm holding desperately to whatever will give them a firm grasp as the boat is still being tossed about? Rain and waves pound them from all sides.

In my mind, I see dawn just beginning to break when Peter, who is still trying desperately to steer them through the storm, suddenly cries out, “Look!” while pointing into the darkness. By the quiver in his voice the others know it is something terrible that Peter has seen.

Looking out across the waves, they shriek in horror as they cast their eyes on the shadowy figure, silhouetted in the dim light of the horizon, walking across the sea. “It’s a ghost,” they cried.

This must surely be a demon or creature of the sea come to finish them off. There could be no other possible explanation.

What fear they had of perishing in the storm was quickly overshadowed by the sheer terror brought on by this ghostly figure gliding over the waves. They were seasoned fishermen. They could fight against the storm, but what hope did they have against a ghost?

Just when it appeared all hope was lost, how relieved and overjoyed they must have been to hear Jesus saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” But Peter is not convinced, so he says, “Lord if it is You, command me to come to you on the water.” And Jesus tells him, “Come.” And we all know what happened, Peter did the impossible for a moment. He walked on water, but when he took his eyes off Jesus and got focused the raging sea around him and started to sink beneath the waves. Peter cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me,” and Jesus reached out and save him. After rescuing Peter, Jesus got in the boat and immediately the wind ceased. We give Peter a hard time for taking his eyes off Jesus, but how many of us would have even gotten out of the boat?

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