Jesus walks on the water
I was reading a familiar passage of Scripture yesterday. It’s an account of Jesus walking on water on a dark, stormy night. There is more to the story than you might suspect from an initial read.
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:45-52 ESV
In the parallel passage in Matthew, we see Peter step out of the boat and walk on the water. That’s powerful stuff. For this morning, though, I’m going to key in on some key imagery from elsewhere in the Bible that might not be immediately obvious.
Jesus was about to pass them by. Why? He is about to confirm who He is. In Exodus 33, God allows His glory to pass by Moses, although Moses is not permitted to see God’s face. Now, in case you might think I’m reading too much into this passing by, stay with me.
In Job we read,
…who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; Job 9:8-8 ESV
God alone walks on the water. We know Peter tried a few steps but couldn’t sustain it. Jesus walked partway across the Sea of Galilee.
When the disciples panic and think they see a ghost, Jesus calms them by saying. “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” It is I, is only 2 words in Greek (ego eimi), and they are much more powerful and significant than most Bible readers realize. The phrase in English translates as “it is I,” but a more accurate translation can be argued as “I AM,” a direct assertion of His deity.
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:13-14 ESV
Jesus affirms His deity by pointing us back to the Old Testament, by walking on water (a physical miracle) and by using the name God used to introduce Himself to Moses.
Does knowing those things change the meaning of the passage? Not at all, but they do deepen our understanding and appreciation of what was happening that dark and stormy night.
Jesus is God in the flesh. He came to pay the penalty for our sin. He loves us enough to die for us when we were still His enemies. He accepts us by faith.
That’s a bigger miracle than walking on the water. It’s a reason to rejoice.
Kevin
SUMMARY
I share how a familiar account of Jesus walking on water carries far more meaning than we usually notice. Old Testament imagery and the words “I AM” reveal what Jesus was really declaring that stormy night on the Sea of Galilee.
TAKEAWAY
I connect Jesus “passing by” the disciples to God’s glory passing by Moses in Exodus 33.
I show how Job 9:8 makes clear that God alone walks on the water, marking this as no ordinary miracle.
I unpack how “It is I” translates the Greek ego eimi, echoing God’s own name “I AM” from Exodus 3:14.
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IMAGE
William Brassey Hole (1846-1917) – Jesus Walks on the Sea
A c.1905 illustration from The Life of Jesus of Nazareth Portrayed in Colours. Public Domain