In times past, whenever I heard someone preach on this text, the focus was usually centered on when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink. So consequently the main thrust has in the past been to keep your eyes upon Jesus. But more recently, most of time the focus has been more on how Peter was never supposed to get off the boat in the first place. So the theme has been to stay in the boat. I’m not sure if I’ve changed or the preaching has changed. But either way, as with alot of Jesus’ miracles, the focus often is not on the miracle itself, but the person and the circumstances in which the miracle pertains.
For example, we look at the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. We hear exposition on the pool and the troubling of the water. We hear exposition on the man’s condition. And then we hear about his second encounter with Christ where he’s told to sin no more. But I never hear much about the transition that the man’s lame legs undertook, and the new legs he now has. Perhaps this is inherent of a miracle. What can we say? It’s just so. There is no explanation. They asked the blind man over and over about the miracle maker. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. (John 9:25) Perhaps that is what truly makes a miracle a miracle. I’m not complaining. I’m just making an observation.
So likewise, the miracle of Jesus walking on water usually turns into the miracle of Peter walking on water. It always seems to be about Peter. And preachers will get after preachers for getting after Peter. But for both the focus is still on Peter. So with that in mind, let’s look at the text found in Matthew, Mark, and John.
22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Matthew 14:22-33
45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. 46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. 47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. 48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. 49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: 50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. 51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. 52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Mark 6:45-52
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. 16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. 18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. 19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. 21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
John 6:15-21
Here are just a few observations regarding the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. I’m just going to let my imagination run on this. Beware!
Jesus walked on water after praying alone through the night.
Can it be that Jesus walking on water is a picture of the Christian life, the super-natural, Spirit-filled, miraculous walk of the child of God? If so, I find it significant that it was demonstrated after a long season of prayer alone with the Father. We claim that Jesus lives in our heart. Well, the man Christ Jesus was a man of prayer. Even now, he prays. It is Christ… who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34) We claim that the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. Well, the Holy Spirit is a praying spirit. The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)
The sea is the world and this life that swallows up the dead. But Christ walks above it all. The sea and the power of the sea, with its hurricanes, tsunamis, mansoons, tidal waves, reigns as king of the forces of nature. It has the power to seperate, to swallow, to pillage, to quench, and to drown. But the sea has no power over the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is truly the Master of the Sea.
But not before prayer; not before fellowship with the Father. If any man, woman or child has spent any time above the boisterous waves of the world, above the sea that is full of death, then they will have spent some significant time in prayer alone with God. The bible says And the sea gave up the dead which were in it… (Revelation 20:13) The sea is the largest grave this world has known. It’s a place of death. Nothing that lives on land has the power to live under the sea. Jesus walking on water is a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a picture of his dominion over death; his power to conquer death, hell, and the grave. But what I want to say is that it was not manifested but after a long night alone in prayer with the Father. If we want to walk with Jesus over and upon the sea, it takes a running start. You got to start up into the mountain alone. If you want to walk on water with Jesus, you must first walk with him up the mountain.
Jesus walked on water in the middle of the sea
So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship… (John 6:19) A furlong is a unit of measurement that is approximately an 1/8 of a mile; probably less in biblical times. So, twenty-five to thirty furlongs was most likely anywhere between six and seven miles. Now, the sea of Galilee is 13 miles long by 8 miles wide. So you can see, this pretty much puts the disciples and Jesus smack dab in the middle of the sea.
This reminds me of that day Jesus caused the miraculous draught of fish when he reveals himself to Peter. It didn’t happen at the shore. He told Peter to Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. (Luke 5:4) So we see a pattern emerging. It seems that Jesus works out in the middle of the sea where it’s deep. Can I say this? Christianity is not a shallow thing. David said Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. (Psalm 51:6)
The miraculous life Christ can give you is not found at the edges. It is insufficient to just get your feet wet. Plunge into the deep. I think Baptism may also be a picture of this spiritual reality. It’s got to be all the way in before you come out. I know Baptism is typically used to picture salvation. But I think it helpful to use it also to typify the daily dying and the daily reckoning that must be done. Paul said Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11) The manifestation and power of God in the life of the Christian is best seen in deep water. There is no real test in shallow water. Reckoning takes place in the deep.
A spiritual life is a deep life. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10) We want the blessings of God, and we want to see the miracles of Christ, but we want to play around the shallow water, where it’s safe. No risk. No test. No faith. No depth. The Spirit of God reveals the things of God, the deep things of God, by turning on the lights, Amen? But turning on the lights to reveal something doesn’t do any good unless you are first taken to that something. Ezekiel was carried away in the Spirit. He was taken up in the Spirit. Jesus was led by the Spirit. He was driven by the Spirit. And if he took Jesus out to the deep, he’ll take you out to the deep, if you’ll let him; if you’re willing.
Jesus walked on water in the middle of a storm.
This makes me think the song Meet Me There, which the lyrics say:
On the happy, golden shore, Where the faithful part no more, When the storms of life are o’er, Meet me there;
Fanny Crosby
The storms of life? Jesus said I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) Without storms, there would be no rain. Without rain, there will be no life. Storms bring life. I’ll never forget something brother Joe Arther said. You may be going through the biggest storm of your life, but you may be in the perfect will of God. We go through difficult times; turbulent and boisterous; the roller-coaster of life; the billows roll. But I think that’s life. That’s just living. And I think, whether lost or saved, these storms are designed in order that God may manifest himself to us.
People often ask, If God is so powerful, or if God cares, why does he allow the storms to even occur? I suppose you could ask the same question of Jesus on the Sea of Galilee. Why did he even allow the storm to start, if he was going to make the winds cease anyhow? Here’s a possible answer. Notice in Mark, the bible says For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. (Mark 6:52) Apparently, there was a lesson that they missed when Jesus fed the 5000 with five loaves of barley bread and two small fish. Apparently, something was wrong with their heart. So Jesus sent the storm and appeared before them in the midst of it in order that they may learn of him and soften their hearts.
Maybe, if we are so distraught about the storms of life, we might want to consider the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Consider our hearts. Maybe something is wanting.
Jesus walked on water in the fourth watch of the night.
The fourth watch was between 3 AM and 6 AM. That is when Jesus showed up. That is when Jesus manifested himself. I feel like I don’t have to say anything here. Our imagination is sufficient to get something out of this aspect of the text. The fourth watch was the last watch. Just hold on a little longer. The bible says Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. (Psalm 27:14) When we grow impatient and weary and tired, think of Mary and Lazarus. Think of Jericho. Think of Naaman. Brother Johnny Pope once said God arrives always on time, seldom early. God is much more patient that we are. One of the fruits of the Spirit is long-suffering.
The fourth watch of the night is when sleep feels best. It’s when the world sleeps. It’s when all is quiet and still. It’s when the night is far spent. Mark said this: And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea… (Mark 6:48) It had been a long hard day. They served 5000 men plus women and children. They were tired. And there they were launching out into the deep water rowing and toiling in the waves of the storm through the third watch, and after that is when Jesus showed up. Paul said And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9)
You’ve laboured and toiled all the day long. Don’t stop just because you think you’re done. Don’t stop just because it gets dark. Don’t stop just because you’re tired. Don’t stop just because it’s late. The greatest miracles are yet to come. The night is far spent, the day is at hand… (Romans 13:12) But he that endureth to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 10:22) I’m just saying saved folk stay with the stuff. Saved folk are not fair-weather friends. They didn’t stick around for nothing though. They expect to see Jesus at the fourth watch of the night.
Jesus walking on water looked like a spirit.
What does a spirit looks like if it has no body? How did the Holy Ghost descend at the River Jordan in a bodily form without a body? What does a spirit that is invisible look like? I could only assume that what the disciples saw that night was similar to what we today would look at and think was a spirit or a ghost; something white and translucent; something super-natural. After all, what but super-natural can walk upon the water. My guess is that none of those disciples had ever actually seen a spirit. And what they saw so scared them they they thought they must be looking at a spirit. And I think that anybody that does see a spirit today, if any ever have, will have seen something that they have never seen in all their life.
So I hope that I’m not setting the bar too high, but this is what I see. Launching out into the deep, enduring to the fourth watch, in the tempests, is where we’ll see things that we’ve never seen before. To walk with Jesus upon the sea is to live the super-natural, to do the super-natural, and to see the super-natural. It may be that the super-natural is truly the spiritual. The definition of supernatural is attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. To walk with Jesus is to defy the laws of nature, but to uphold the laws of the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
This is why I think this miracle is a picture of the spirit-filled life. The sea represents the law of sin and death. And to walk above that is to walk according to the law of the Spirit; To walk above that is to have dominion and victory over it. And that can only come by the Spirit of Almighty God. When we walk with Jesus, we also will not appear to be natural to others. What they will see will be the work of the Spirit.
Jesus walking on water demands our worship.
Then after all this, the bible says they were Sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. (Mark 6:51) and They that were in the ship came and worshipped him... (Matthew 14:33) I’ll say one word. God.
Jesus was God. That is why they worshiped him. What they saw that night walking on the water was God. And they knew it. It would be an interesting study to see if there was a change in the disiciples from this time forward. I don ‘t know. But one thing we can conclude from all this is that Jesus wanted them to know who he was. And thus he wants us to know who he is. He revealed who he was in the middle of the sea, in the desert place, upon the mountain, in the temple, by the well, in the garden, and all manner of places.
No matter where you are, Jesus wants you to know who he is. He’ll meet you where you’re at. 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. (Psalm 139:7-8) Apparently, the response the disciples gave after the miracle of the loaves and fishes was not adequate. Their hearts were hardened. But this time, they worshiped him. What was the difference?
Perhaps consider the fact that they had enough money to buy themselves food. So they were never really in danger of not eating. Maybe they were upset because they had to feed 5000 men plus women and children. Maybe they were wroth because Jesus overruled their suggestion to send them away. Whatever it was, they missed it and their hearts were hardened. It took a storm, the fourth watch, a miracle, and a little fear to procure the worshipful heart that Jesus desires. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalm 51:17) This makes me wonder what Jesus prayed up there in the mountain. The disciples’ hearts must have been on the heart of Jesus.
Jesus walking on water proves he is the Son of God.
So when it was all over and they worshiped him they said Of a truth thou art the Son of God. (Matthew 14:33) This was the first time the disciples said this. Up until now, the devil had said three times If thou be the Son of God… (Matthew 4) The legion of devil in the country of the Gergesenes cried out and said What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? (Matthew 8:29) But this time, the disciples named Jesus the Son of God.
The angel that spoke to Mary and told her of the child that she would bare said That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35) Now in the Gospel of John, Nathanael, when he first met Jesus did call him the Son of God. But that was the only other time before this incident out on the sea. This incident at sea was the first incident where the disciples collectively called him the Son of God. Significance? I don’t know.
But I do see one thing. The imparting of spiritual knowledge. When Peter named Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16), Jesus said that Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 16:16) I would say that Satan and his devils belong to the spiritual realm of things. Therefore, they knew fully well who Jesus was. But us earthly beings are natural and need spiritual enlightenment. And thus it came to the disciples upon the water of Galilee as Jesus strode across the waves.
Make no mistake about it. Spiritual knowledge only comes by the miraculous hand of God. The other day I read in the Bible how that Isaiah saw the Lord upon a throne, and the seraphims were above the throne and they cried to each other Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. (Isaiah 6:3) I thought O my! What the angels see that we can’t? The earth? Though we see the sin, the corruption, the death, the war, the hate, all manner of evil, and the works of man. Yet the angels see the glory of the Son of God. I’ll say this: Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:5) I would say that the disciples didn’t just come over the sea that night, but they over came the world.
Concluding Remarks
I read this the other day regarding Jesus’ words regarding Him being the vine and we the branches.
This figure, quite in contrast to that of the Shepherd and the sheep… is addressed to believers… it looks on to conditions that would obtain after Christ’s death, after His resurrection, after His ascension, and after Pentecost. This discourse is, more than any other portion of the Scriptures, the clearest and dearest message to believers in this dispensation. It therefore follows that this figure… is directly applicable to Christians. They are not here said to have been led out of Judaism, nor is there any reference to their former estate…
Lewis Sperry Chafer
And I see the same of this miracle. It’s not a picture of the sinner being saved like the giving sight to a blind man, making the lame man, the healing of the woman with an issue of blood, the healing of Jairus’ daughter, or the raising of the widow’s son in Nain. But instead a picture of the miraculous standing in Christ that God has placed. The defying of the laws of nature is what the law of the Spirit accomplishes. We are not under the law; or under the water. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (Romans 10:4) We walk on a higher plane with our Lord Jesus. Amen.
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