47 And when even was come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. Some scholars would question how early the empty tomb story is. He chides them for not believing what the prophets foretold regarding the Messiah then explains to them all the Biblical verses that pertained to him. And He encourages us not to be scared!In the midst of the storm, when everything seems to be crashing and shattering around us, when we are in the midst of the storm and nothing makes sense, Jesus assures us that Im with you. That is incredible!That gives me a sense of security! We were not present to witness any miracles of timing. (Consider a mother instructing her child to take out the trash: the tone of voice may be sufficient to compel the youngster to do the chore). However, when he saw the tremendous wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink into the water. The walking on the sea episode has specific interpretations within Christian teachings and has been viewed by scholars as important due to its perceived impact on the formation of Christian ecumenical creeds, as discussed below. As Peter later writes to the persecuted church in 1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for . Then they witnessed Jesus walking toward them across the surface of the water, and their fear turned to terror because they believed they were seeing a ghost. Have you ever paused to consider and giggle at the miracle account of Jesus walking on water?Im sure you have.What exactly was the point of that?The fact that he cured people, drove out devils, and fed the hungry is understandable; these are all commendable and logical things for a good teacher and miracle worker to accomplish.The walking on water, though, was a mystery to me.Was it some sort of prank? Matthews tale can give us hope that, no matter how we begin, we will be able to complete our journey with Jesus successfully.When Jesus climbed into the boat, the wind died down.But first, at the direction of Jesus, Peter walked on the water, confirming his authority as the Word of the Living God.This was demonstrated once more when Jesus calmed the storm with nothing more than his word. After witnessing this miracle, the disciples worshiped Jesus, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God.". Matthews narrative goes into greater detail about the scenario than the other two accounts.They had all finished their meals and were satisfied, and the disciples collected twelve baskets full of broken bits that had been left behind.In addition to women and children, there were around 5,000 males who participated in the meal. | Theme by SuperbThemes.Com. After all, they knew the Roman authorities had put Jesus to death, and that His body had been taken down from the cross and sealed in a tomb. 11:13).With identical words, Philip approaches Jesus with the same question (John 6:5).A similar worry is expressed by Moses (Num. 11:1), and they questioned Gods capacity to accomplish what He had promised (John 6:52; see also Ps.78:1920).It is in this way that practically every significant occurrence in the Exodus account is replicated in John 6. means to remain steady or resolute in the face of danger or difficult circumstances in English.In addition, he says, Do not be frightened, which is frequently connected with a heavenly aspect (Dan 10:12, 19, for example).Jesus declares himself by saying, It is I (It is I).This is typically connected with the name of God in the Old Testament.For example, the name of God in Exodus 3:14 is written as in the Septuagint.It is in the context of the Lord walking on the seas in the uagint that Isaiah 43:10-11 is found. As Paul writes in Romans 1:4, Jesus "was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead.". [1], Matthew's account adds that Peter asked Jesus, "if it is you", to tell him, or command him, to come to Jesus on the water (waters). To show His disciples that the very thing they feared, the raging, seething sea, was merely a set of steps for Him to come to them.Often we fear the difficult experiences of life such as illness, loss of loved ones, and financial hardships only to discover that these experiences can bring Jesus closer to us.But we have to ask, why did they not recognize Jesus?The answer is they were not looking for Him. In view of all this, it seems that John wants the reader to see the crossing of the Sea of Galilee as a symbolic fulfillment of the crossing of the Red Sea in the exodus/Passover narrative. For example, in Luke 9, the story of the feeding of the five thousand is told without any mention of Jesus walking on water, which is significant. Not for convenience but as part of his mission. Several hours later in the night, the disciples encountered a storm that frightened them. Often we fear the difficult experiences of life such as illness, loss of loved ones, and financial hardships only to discover that these experiences can bring Jesus closer to us. In our sin and shame, we are all sinking into the darkness. Kenda Deans newbook is called Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church []. When repeating the story of the Exodus, the Old Testament presents God as walking on the Sea, says the author. The details presented differ slightly, but the cornerstone of each is the declaration of who Jesus is. By walking on water in the middle of a furious storm, Jesus demonstrates His power and compassion for His people. Im not sure, but Ill question Him about it one of these days.Because of the massive storm that is occurring all around them, as well as Jesus presence on the lakeshore, Peter responds, If its you, order me to come out on the sea (Matthew 14:28).As a result, Jesus accomplishes just that!Just think about it! It was his way of saying, Dont be frightened. Do not be afraid! The moment they notice Him approaching, they freak out, proclaiming that He is a ghost! Stephanie is passionate about allowing God to use her honest thoughts and confessions to bring gospel application to life. / When all around my soul gives way, / He then is all my hope and stay (My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less by Edward Mote). When Peter called out to Jesus to save him, Matthew 14:31 says Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him. Stand firm and see the Lords salvation that he will accomplish for you today (Ex. The disciples were startled to see Jesus, but he told them not to be afraid. 329 views, 25 likes, 5 loves, 29 comments, 6 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from The Living God Tabernacle -God's Spoken Word Evangelism: 2023-01-22 SUNDAY SERVICE _"IF YOU ARE BORN AGAIN, WHERE IS. It says it ceased. Liberal rationalism here we come. Luke C23 V46, "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.". 14:2022).However, as Gods adversaries sought to pursue them, God sent the same sea that had separated them from the Israelites back over Pharaohs army, destroying them (Ex.15:19).For example, the sea is frequently used to represent immense uncertainty and overwhelming difficulties in the book of Psalms, as in Ps.46:2 and 65:7, respectively. if you wish. [24], Biblical scholar George W. Young dismisses the naturalistic explanations, the traditional and the historical critical perspectives. Comparison in other versions at BibleGateway. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. Moses also doubts Gods ability to provide enough food (Num. His claim is further confirmed by the disciples in Matthew 14:33 where Jesus steps into their boat, and immediately the wind ceased. Merrill Tenney states that the incident is in essence centered on that aspect, rather than their peril or the miracle itself. This is the Apostolic witness, the testimony to Jesus as Lord: John 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. When he had said his goodbyes to them, he climbed up on top of the mountain and prayed.And by the time dusk arrived, the boat was out at sea, leaving him alone on the shore.And he noticed that they were making terrible progress since the wind was working against them.And he arrived to them at the fourth watch of the night, strolling on the sea. [12] David Cook and Craig Evans note that "of little faith" is a somewhat common expression in Matthew (e.g. It is first connected with darkness and chaos (Gen.1:2). So we ask again the question: Well, I am a scientist, someone who certainly takes an evolutionary view of creation, who is skeptical of intelligent design, and yet claims to be an orthodox evangelical Christian let me take a stab at this. "Jesus Walks on Water Bible Story Study Guide." Lord, save me! he cried out in desperation. But as a matter of fact, Jesus is the One who can calm the storms of our lives precisely because He is the One who liberates us from sin, death, and hell. Jesus, according to Matthew, not only fulfills particular prophesies from the Old Testament, but also serves as a living embodiment of the Old Testament in all he says and does, which is more essential than that. John's Gospel specifies that they were five or six kilometers away from their departure point. Jesus said one word, "Come," and Peter took a step out of the boat without sinking (verse 29). In the past, I have seen some theistic evolutionists act, well, kind Daniel also tells us that the chaos of the sea is the origin of the enemies of God (Dan. Is the narrative based on true events?When we read the gospels, the raw truth of the stories is what hits us the most.These are not imaginative fictions, but rather eyewitness testimonies from the time of the events.A further point to consider is that the more ridiculous the narrative, the more probable it is that it is a true account of genuine events, rather than an invention.While its understandable if someone is writing fantasy fiction, we shouldnt be surprised if bizarre events occur. And promising a coming of, and baptizing with, the Holy Spirit ( Acts 1:5, 8 ), Jesus ascended to heaven . Jesus walks on Water. The miraculous feat of Jesus walking on the water, written in three of the Gospels, came right after His wondrous feeding of the 5,000 with only five loaves of bread and two fish ( Matthew 14:17 ). Matthew's and Mark's accounts end at this point, but John mentions that the next day some people from the other side of the sea that looked for Jesus, noted that the disciples left without him, but they didn't know where he went. [4] During the journey on the sea, the disciples were distressed by wind and waves, but saw Jesus walking towards them on the sea. But he assured them, saying, It is I; do not be alarmed. Then they were willing to put him in the boat, and the boat arrived at the shore where they were headed almost immediately (John 6:1621).There are numerous essential elements to note regarding this miracle.First, Matthew informs us that the boat was already a great way from land, buffeted by the waves since the wind was against it. A: In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus met the two women as they walked, but only met the disciples at a mountain in Galilee and from there sent them forth to teach all nations. He walks across the water on sandals while claiming to be the very creator of the sea that He is standing on. All of this has no bearing on my view of the mechanism of creation. As Christians we believe that Jesus was born with a mission and a purpose as the very embodiment of Israels God, our God. He was going to pass them by, according to Marks account, as Jesus was walking on the waves and passing them by. 33:45).And, while He rejects their promise of kingship without the crucifixion (cf.Matt.4:89; Luke 4:57), Jesus does not deny the relationship to Moses that they have made with Him.As a matter of fact, He builds on the comparison by mounting a mountain by himself (John 6:15), just as Moses had done before Him (Ex.19:13). And here in John 6:1621, Jesus stands above the sea as One with authority over it all. The waves saw you, God, and they writhed in convulsions; the very depths were convulsed by your presence.Your arrows flew back and forth across the sky as the clouds poured down rain and thunder from the skies.Despite the wind, your thunder could be heard, and your lightning illuminated the whole planet, causing earthquakes and earthquake-like vibrations.19 Your journey took you across the sea, your way through the vast seas, though no one could see your tracks.Because he exposes himself to be God incarnate, Jesus arrives on the waves, walking on water.To be sure, the tale finishes with the disciples declaring that Jesus is really the Son of God. 11:79). [10], One aspect of the pericope (passage) is how it highlights the relationship between Jesus and his apostles. Please enjoy the archives. After being invited by Jesus to come, Peter got out of his boat and for a brief few moments walked on water (Matthew 14:28-33). 48 And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them: 49 but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw him, and were troubled. In Matthew 14:26-27, the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea and were terrified. Article Images Copyright . 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. [18], In recent scholarship, Bart Ehrman has championed the view that in general, it is impossible to either prove or disprove supernatural events such as miracles using the historical method, for proving them would require belief in a supernatural world not amenable to historical analysis, and disproving them would require historical evidence that is usually hard to come by. Those who believe in Jesus can enjoy peace of mind knowing that he will calm the tumultuous waves of life when they are in his company. By this time, it was dark, and Jesus had not yet arrived to join them.There was a strong wind blowing, and the water became choppy.At about three or three and a half miles into their row, they noticed Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water, and they were frightened. Storms, on the other hand, might rage for days on end with no sign of abating. He said . However, He still could not keep his fear at bay in order to stay afloat. Note, too, that Moses doubts regarding Gods ability to provide meat came after the miraculous provision of manna (Numb. & The Ministry and Life of Christ. In the Gospels, Jesus walks on water in Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52, and John 6:16-21, as well as other places. Here is what that experience looks like: Step one: David was set on high and was flourishing at the hand of Gods bounty (v. 7a). Why Do We Need to Be Crucified with Christ? whether he though Jesus actually walked on the water. Doug Ponder is pastor of teaching and discipleship at Remnant Church in Richmond, Va., and a content editor for the International Mission Board. https://www.learnreligions.com/jesus-walks-on-water-700220 (accessed March 1, 2023). They may intellectually begin to understand that He is the prophesied messiah, but they do not yet know that Jesus will lay aside His divine power in order to die on their behalf (Matthew 27:32-56). Matthew also notes that the disciples called Jesus the Son of God. Once on the boat, they were delighted to have him aboard, and the boat arrived at their destination almost instantly (John 6:14-21).The feeding of the five thousand was a sign, according to John, and he recognized it.He also took notice of what the people had to say about it and how Jesus replied to their comments, which he recorded. [7], In all three accounts, after Jesus got into the ship, the wind ceased and they reached the shore. Despite this, he was able to walk on water like the Son of God!Why?!How? This was the first time Jesus was called the Son of God by the disciples, a statement that, in fact, built on what they had said earlier about Him in Matthew 8:27: What kind of man is this?Even the winds and the waves obey him. Here they answer their own question: Truly you are the Son of God. 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