Scriptural text: Matthew 14:22-23
Jesus Sends the Crowd Away (Matt.14:22-23).
Jesus made the followers go to the other side. Jesus told them to go to the other side of the lake. Jesus said that he would come later. Jesus stayed there to tell the people they could go home. After Jesus said good-bye to the people, he went up into the hills. Jesus went there alone to pray. It was late, and Jesus was there alone. Two convictions come out of Jesus’ actions:
Jesus is compassionate to the end!
Jesus may have put off his time with the Father, but He didn’t neglect it!
While grieving the loss of John the Baptist, Jesus ministered to the crowd and to his disciples. Jesus took care of the crowd so he could send the disciples away on ahead of him..
Caught in a Storm (Matt. 14:24-25).
The ship that the disciples were put into, to go on the other side, had by this time got into the midst of the sea. The wind beat the waves with such violence against them that the disciples were in utmost danger for their lives. The ship was unable to go forward. But worst of all and most discouraging to the disciples that Christ was not with them. The ship which the disciples were in, was an emblem of the church of Christ, and of its state and condition to this world: this world is like a sea, for its largeness of nations and people, compared to many waters, and for the tumultuousness of its inhabitants; the wicked being like the troubled sea, which cannot rest; now the church of Christ is like a ship in this troublesome sea.
While Jesus was praying, the disciples were struggling against a strong storm. There is no mention how long the storm had lasted.
According to verse 25, the disciples had been on the Sea of Galilee for nearly nine hours. It was the fourth watch of the night, from 3:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.
In the middle of the night, just before dawn, Jesus went out to meet the disciples, walking on the water. Jesus approached the disciples as they struggled to manage their vessel against the high winds on the sea. Jesus had not abandoned them in their struggle; rather, He appeared when they needed Him the most.
Peter’s Request (Matt. 14:28-31).
Peter finds a courage and faith that the other disciples do not have. Peter commanded Jesus, Bid me come, translated from the Greek word keleuo translated Command me to come unto you. In verse 29, Peter did what he would have never imagined-he actually walked on the water. “He saw the wind” meaning Peter saw the effects of the wind. He heard the howling of the wind and saw the effects of the water blowing and creating huge waves. Peter became fearful and started to sink. It’s been taught that Jesus took his eyes off of Jesus.
The Disciples Worship Jesus (Matt. 14:32-33).
The disciples had seen enough to convince them this was no ordinary man. They proclaim Him to be the Son of God.