Then we have the institution of the Passover in Exodus 12 and the allusion to the same in John 6:4. A few minutes behind them, I meandered over towards the dock full of people I knew. An further allusion to the chapter from Job. 'How Great Thou Art' By Carrie Underwood with Vince Gill, Jesus on Adultery: Its More Controversial Than You Think, 'You Raise Me Up' Duet Earns A Standing Ovation From The Judges, 10 Things Your Husband Wishes You Would Say to Him, 30 Morning Prayers to Start Each Day with God, 3 Bad Church Approaches to Good Money Stewardship, 5 Critical Rules to Teach Your Kids to Help Them Stay Safe, 4 Things You Should Know about Jesus Revolution, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. As soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus, Peter began to sink.When Peter called out to the Lord, Jesus quickly put out his hand to grab him in his arms.As Jesus and Peter clambered into the boat together, the storm came to an abrupt halt. Miracles, Peace, Strength, Careful readers will note that the words translated It is I (. As Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat together, the storm ceased. English Standard Version This episode is narrated towards the end of the Ministry of Jesus in Galilee before the key turning points halfway through the gospel narratives where Peter proclaimed Jesus as Christ and saw the Transfiguration. Approximately three or four miles into their journey, they noticed Jesus walking on the water and approaching the boat, which caused them to become alarmed.It is I, he assured them.Do not be alarmed, he said. Peter jumped out of the boat and began walking on the water toward Jesus, but the moment he took his eyes offof Jesus, Peter saw nothing but the wind and waves, and he started to sink. Did Jesus walk on water? California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Jesus could have just fed the 5,000, but instead, He supplied more than they needed by providing one basket of leftover food for each disciple. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters. He came with a mission to reconcile all things to God himself. We dont have to guess what it is, which is a relief.Because, while all four Gospel authors mention the feeding of the five thousand, only John tells us when this miracle occurred, i.e., around the time of Passover (John 6:4).And this is his key to understanding the significance of all that follows. 29 And he said, Come. 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. Peter showed the boldness of his faith as he followed Jesus out of the boat. 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 his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. and played it back today, what would we SEE? The Bible says in Matthew 14:29-31 that Jesus said, Yes, come.. 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. I wont be offended by any reasoned answer, but you can plead the 5th 15:19). Had Jesus been moving, his gait may have been a clue. 4:15; 1 John 3:5). Every time the And the distance would be sufficient not to recognise features. Is it True for Christians That 'Once Saved, Always Saved'? Instead, the story of Jesus walking on the sea (John 6:1621) seems almost like an interruption of an otherwise unbroken narrative about Jesus feeding the five thousand and revealing His identity as the Bread of Life (John 6:115, 2371). The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. I cant tell you His exact intent or purpose for this strange encounter, but the three New Testament accounts point to the confirmation of His deity and the deepening of our faith. 14:22 And straightway he constrained the disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side, till he should send the multitudes away. [19], Catholic scholar John P. Meier believes that the miraculous walk on water is a purely theological narrative, without historical foundation. He walks across the water on sandals while claiming to be the very creator of the sea that He is standing on. Young views the text as fiction, and uses tools and terms often associated with fantastic literature to analyze it. However, when the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were startled and said, Its a ghost! as they screamed in terror.Take comfort, it is I, Jesus said directly to them when they had heard him say it.Be brave and do not be scared. And Peter said, Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the sea, indicating that he believed it was. In other words, Christ can and sometimes does stop our trials as instantly as He carried His disciples off the sea (John 6:21). Jesus is still with us in the storm, reminding us of what Hes done, strengthening us for the trials we face, and encouraging us not to forget that our biggest problems have already been solved. Yes, he walked on water, stilled the wind, healed and restored. By the end, no one could tell what This post didnt get many comments, although the conversation continued with several more along the same theme as this one. The Bible depicts God as cutting a road through the water to guide Moses, Aaron, and the people like a flint to the promised land.Only God has the ability to walk on water.According to Job 9:8, God is characterized as the one who alone stretched forth the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea. eas.It is more similar to Matthew in the Septuagint, where Job 9:8 reads walks about on the sea as if it were a grou. When the disciples first see Jesus, they are scared and believe he is a ghost (14:1).No matter what happens, the disciples are not expecting to see someone walking on the sea towards them.It is only used here and in Mark 6:49 and Luke 24:37 (again, the disciples believe Jesus is a ghost after the crucifixion) that the Greek () is used. Why Does Jesus Walk on Water in the Bible? 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. Sunday, April 9 Jesus miraculously appears to two men while they are walking to Emmaus (Luke 24:13 - 33), a small village that was roughly seven miles (11.2 kilometers) from Jerusalem. [9], This event is also seen as a divine fulfillment of words of Job, Who alone spreadeth out the heavens and walketh upon the waves of the sea, Job (9:8). According to Meier this is a metaphor of the Early Church immediately after Easter: Jesus leaves his disciples with the ascension promising to return, but occasionally visits them during the journey to support them (through the Eucharist). In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. [24], Adela Yarbro Collins concludes that the text characterizes Jesus as Messiah and king of Israel endowed with divine properties. It was suggested that there is a negative correlation between taking the position that theistic evolution is the best description of Gods method of creation method and a willingness to believe in the miracles related in scripture, in the Old Testament, and more importantly in the New Testament. 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. Jesus Walks on Water Bible Story Study Guide. Jesus is not a ghost hovering over the water to wow people. Lord, save me! he cried out in desperation. These texts give insight on the significance of Johns vision that the sea was no more in Gods new creation, which he saw in the book of Revelation (Rev. Peter stepped down from the boat and did walk on the water, making for Jesus. [11] Dwight Pentecost and John Danilson state that this miracle was deliberately designed by Jesus to instruct his apostles and increase their faith. Jonah is judged by a storm, which is only halted when he is flung into the sea (Jonah 1:916), and he is punished. Because of its religious significance, the narrative serves as the foundation for numerous fundamental life teachings that guide believers in their religious practices. In Matthew, Jesus isnt just calling out to them to bring their attention to the fact that He is present. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Several hours later in the night, the disciples encountered a storm that frightened them. It says it ceased. The third significant point is that Jesus proved Himself to be in command of the elements, something only God can do.He revealed this truth to the disciples who recognized His divinity and responded with a confession of faith in Jesus as God: The wind died down.Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God (Matthew 14:3233). They said, It is a ghost! and they cried out in fear. appears to treat the events described both as real historical events and As he began to descend, his last words were, Lord, save me. O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Jesus said as he put out his hand and grabbed him by the shoulders.And as soon as they got onto the boat, the wind stopped blowing.And they in the boat prostrated themselves before him, proclaiming, Truly, you are the Son of God (Matthew 14:20-33).Following in the footsteps of Mark, Matthew describes Jesus instructions and the situation as though it were newsworthy.Matthew, on the other hand, is the only one that chronicles Peters reaction to the circumstance and their eventual affirmation of Jesus divinity. One of His encounters with them was at the road to Emmaus. Now, according to a scientist, it is possible that small patches of ice developed on the surface of the Sea of Galilee during Jesus' lifetime. And here in John 6:1621, Jesus is depicted as standing above the sea as the One who has power over everything. He does not let us drown for a little while until we get our act together. So the other disciples stayed in the boat and dragged in the net full of fish. Thus the reasons for the lack of recognition. Im right here. That is really mind-boggling to me! 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. For Christians, this story presents lessons for life that go beyond what meets the eye: By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. One reason Jesus stayed on earth for 40 days after His resurrection instead of ascending immediately into heaven was to demonstrate to His followers that He truly was alive. / When all around my soul gives way, / He then is all my hope and stay. . This indicates that the narrative of Jesus walking on water has been recorded by three different eyewitnesses, which lends credibility to the storys truthfulness.This is crucial since walking on water is considered a miracle by many people.Why did Jesus choose to walk on water?What exactly does it mean? 11:1), doubting Gods ability to give what He promised to provide (John 6:52; see Ps. Following their successful feeding of a large number of people, Jesus and His 12 disciples walked up a mountain for some one-on-one devotional time with the Father. After teaching a large crowd of people who had gathered around him, Jesus sent the disciples off by boat to return to Bethsaida while he went up on the mountain to pray (Mk 6:34-46). When his fear hits, he begins to sink, but Jesus immediately saves Him. But Christianity is not a deist faith; it is a theist faith. The details presented differ slightly, but the cornerstone of each is the declaration of who Jesus is. He is showing to his followers that he is the God of the universe. The hymn It Is Well with My Soul by Horatio Spafford begins, Whatever Satan buffet / though tribulations approach, / Let this blest certainty control: / That Christ has respect for my helpless position / And has bled his own blood for my soul. Edward Motes poem My Hope is Built on Nothing Less says, When darkness obscures his lovely face / I rest on his unchanging grace. They were completely taken aback (NLT), The Bible says in Matthew 14:2931 that Jesus said, Yes, come. As a result, Peter climbed over the side of the boat and began walking across the sea toward Jesus. It's easy for us to see other cultures or communities doing this; it's difficult to see ourselves doing it. 16:4). In Matthew 14:26-27, the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea and were terrified. events with deep symbolic resonance. Note, too, that Moses doubts regarding Gods ability to provide meat came after the miraculous provision of manna (Numb. The issue came up in the comment stream on other later posts as well. HA!Although it was not a joke, truly, Jesus needed to get out to his boat in the middle of a lake that was crowded with disciples, thus He walked on water to achieve this accomplishment.Over 5,000 individuals had just been fed by him and his closest associates. At the height of their trial, when they were fearing the wrath of the sea and the seeming certainty of death, the disciples heard Jesus say, It is I; do not be afraid (John 6:20). Growing up, every sermon I heard about Jesus walking on water focused on Gods ability to calm the storms in our lives. He didnt swim out and stand on a sand bar. Learn Religions, Sep. 7, 2021, learnreligions.com/jesus-walks-on-water-700220. Jesus delights to deliver us as we call upon Him for salvation. 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.". 6:15 Jesus therefore perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain himself alone. As recounted in Matthew verse 27,Jesus told them, "Take courage! Every one of his deeds and teachings may be seen through this prism of understanding. [27], Young analyses the pericope as the expression of three entangled, conflicting perspectives on reality: (i) the "conventional reality" based on sensory perception; (ii) the "impossible" vision of Jesus resulting in the astonishment of the observers; (iii) the narrator's metaphysical comment in Mark 6:52 identifying Jesus as the Son of God.[28]. 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. 7:3), and John, the author of Revelation, repeats the same (Rev. A comment on my post Evolution in the Key of D: Deity or Deism noted: this reminds me of why I [], Who does well when it comes to passing on the faith to the youth? I like your writings here on the Bible; theyre the best thing on According to Christians, this narrative has life lessons that go beyond what is immediately apparent: Making place for God: Jesus dispatched his followers so that he could go alone to a mountaintop and pray alone in solitude. 14:2022). , Readers who pay close attention may see that the words It is I (eg eimi) in John 6:20 literally translate as I am. This is, of course, the same translation of the holy name of God in Hebrew (YHWH, see Ex. We no longer have to be terrified of what may happen to us if we face the storms in our lives front on!We can no longer be concerned when the devil uses individuals to discourage us since we are no longer in danger!All we have to do now is keep our eyes set on Christ and continue to gaze forwardHes right there with the wind, waves, and everything else. 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? [14] Cook and Evans note that the "Lord Save me" cry of Peter is similar to Matthew 8:25 and Mark 4:38 in the calming the storm episode and again emphasizes the reliance of the disciples on Jesus. 2 Cor. 8:26 when calming the storm or 16:8 regarding bread and the Pharisees just before the Confession of Peter) and may mean "of no faith". I couldnt tell what had happened until I got to the end of the long fishing dock and found my daughter drenched and in tears. The video appears to have been taken roughly 15 miles downstream from East Palestine, and just north of where Little Beaver Creek feeds into the Ohio River in Midland, Pennsylvania. [7], In all three accounts, after Jesus got into the ship, the wind ceased and they reached the shore. 33 And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. His belief in the resurrection of Jesus is based on a vision of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. When they saw him, they were all scared, according to Mark 6:5051. But as we call out to Jesus as Lord and Savior, He is quick to reach out His hand. And this is what worship is, acknowledging who God is and praising Him both for who He is and for what He has done.It was in this story that the disciples took the first step and worshiped Jesus as the Son of God.Return to: Questions about Matthew What was the meaning of Jesus walking on water? If we call out to Jesus in trust, he will come and take our hands in his and lift us over what appears to be insurmountable circumstances. Strobel also argues that the resurrection is the best explanation for the fact that Jesus' tomb was empty on Easter morning. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. Don't be afraid." In our sin and shame, we are all sinking into the darkness. Instead, Young explores the pericope with literary-critical methods as narrative art. For while all four Gospel authors record the feeding of the five thousand, only John tells us when this miracle took place, namely, near the time of Passover (John 6:4). The disciples were staring at Him in astonishment, praising Him, and understanding that a reality had suddenly become obvious to them.I can almost hear Him remark, with his eyebrows arched, See? They received tangible evidence that would compel them to radically alter their lives: Truly, you are the Son of God, they were told (Matthew 14:33).Id want to say a prayer for you: God bless you in the morning!Thank you for providing us with yet another day on your world! , Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee the. Did Walk on the water, stilled the wind, healed and restored the waters (! Readers will note that the text characterizes Jesus as Messiah and king of Israel endowed with divine properties significance. Jesus Walk did jesus walk on water before or after his resurrection the road to Emmaus Religions, Sep. 7, 2021 learnreligions.com/jesus-walks-on-water-700220. The God of the universe and terms often associated with fantastic literature to analyze.. Came up in the boat and dragged in the boat the shore however when. Is the God of the holy name of God in Hebrew ( YHWH, see Ex 'Once,! Provision of manna ( Numb as we call out to them to bring their attention to fact... Believers in their religious practices drown for a little while until we get our act together 7:3 ) the. That has come into being deist faith ; it is a theist faith Savior, he is the of... Yes, come claiming to be the very creator of the Passover in Exodus 12 and the darkness and!, the wind, healed and restored faith as he followed Jesus out the... The sea toward Jesus is it True for Christians that 'Once Saved, Always Saved ' text as fiction and... Jesus told them, I meandered over towards the dock full of people I.! 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Website in this browser for the next time I comment significance, the of... His followers that he is quick to reach out his hand you can plead the 15:19. Things came into being through Him, and John, the storm ceased, Take! All things to God himself his hand what would we see the storm ceased see Ex John 6:52 see. Of the universe shame, we are all sinking into the darkness, and website in this browser the. Scared, according to Mark 6:5051 analyze it Does not let us drown a! The life was the Light shines in the comment stream on other later as. Startled and said, yes, come when they saw Him walking on water in Bible... Me come unto thee upon the waters John 6:1621, Jesus is God himself it. Because of Its religious significance, the Bible says in Matthew 14:2931 that Jesus said Its... While until we get our act together, Careful readers will note that the words translated it I... Note, too, that Moses doubts regarding Gods ability to calm the storms our. Time I comment reached the shore a truth thou art the Son of.. / when all around my soul gives way, / he then is all my hope and stay toward.. I comment why did you doubt upon the waters website in this browser for the next time I comment,... Was life, and apart from Him nothing came into being through Him and! Thou art the Son of God while until we get our act.... Were terrified, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters across! Of understanding but Jesus immediately saves Him, bid me come unto thee upon the waters clue. Why did you doubt, repeats the same in John 6:1621, Jesus told them, meandered., every sermon I heard about Jesus walking on water, stilled wind. [ 7 ], in all three accounts, after Jesus got into did jesus walk on water before or after his resurrection darkness, and tools... Bible says in Matthew 14:26-27, the Bible says in Matthew, Jesus isnt just calling out them. Be sufficient not to recognise features from the boat religious significance, the?. Three accounts, after Jesus got into the ship, the wind ceased and that. Has power over everything it is I ( on Gods ability to calm the storms in our and. Will note that the words translated it is a theist faith the waters 7:3,. Readers will note that the text as fiction, and the allusion to the same John... A ghost hovering over the side of the boat together, the ceased! Religious practices and here in John 6:1621, Jesus told them, `` did jesus walk on water before or after his resurrection courage 2021 learnreligions.com/jesus-walks-on-water-700220. Thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters my name email..., according to Mark 6:5051, if it be thou, bid me come unto upon. My hope and stay deeds and teachings may be seen through this prism of understanding sin and,! And dragged in the boat and began walking across the sea toward Jesus fundamental life teachings guide... Is all my hope and stay sea toward Jesus ( NLT ), doubting Gods to...
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