What We Can Learn from Jesus Walking on the Water

When was the last time you went swimming or boating? Chances are that you had a great time! But it’s also possible you may have dealt with waves on a windy day, making the water pretty miserable and dangerous. Although humans can swim or be in a boat on the water, we’re not able to walk on the water like Jesus did. 

I’m still working through the Gospel of John and studying John 6. Last week, we discussed the miracle of Christ feeding the 5000, and today, we’ll focus on the next miracle: Jesus walking on the water. 

Jesus walked on the water, and his eyewitnesses, the disciples, shared their stories about this experience. Their accounts of this miracle can be found in the following Gospels: 

• Matthew 14:22-33
• Mark 6:45-52
• John 6:16-21

Each of these gospels shares unique eyewitness accounts from these three disciples. The details shared in each one are slightly different, offering a unique perspective on the same event. When you put all three accounts together, it’s quite an event! 

Many theories delve into the symbolic aspects of this miracle. However, we’ll focus on the significance of this miracle to our daily lives and look at one verse that’s a little challenging to understand. 

The Setting of the Miracle

The miracle of Jesus walking on water came right after a day filled with teaching and healing. Jesus and the disciples were already tired and hungry, searching for a place to rest and eat. However, the crowds saw them and followed them to the mountains on the sea. Despite their exhaustion, Jesus had gut-wrenching compassion on them and sat on the mountain, teaching and healing the multitudes all day into the evening. 

When it was evening, the disciples suggested to Jesus that He send the crowds away. They needed food and drink, but there was nowhere to buy these in the mountains. Jesus told the disciples to feed the people. They found a boy with two small fish and five barley loaves. Jesus took these, blessed them, and handed the food to everyone there. He made enough for everyone to be completely satisfied. No one left there feeling hungry! 

After this, some of the men determined that Jesus was the long-sought Prophet spoken of by Moses. They were determined to make him king. Knowing what the men intended, Jesus left and went further into the mountains, where no one would find him. There, he spent time in prayer with God. 

This is where we begin the story of Jesus walking on water.

The Details of the Miracle 

Matthew and Mark say that Jesus urged the disciples to get into a boat and leave quickly. Some believe this due to the situation's urgency, with men wanting to force Jesus to be king. On the other hand, John says that Jesus had already left for the mountains. He says the disciples decided to get into the boat and head out. 

Does it matter that these details are slightly different? Not really. They’re all saying basically the same thing—the disciples headed out in a boat late in the evening, Jesus had gone into the mountains to pray, and the multitude had been sent away after they were fed. 

As the evening went on, the disciples found themselves in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. By this time, the winds had come up, creating huge waves. The disciples were having trouble rowing the boat in this weather. 

According to Matthew and Mark, the disciples didn’t move very far. By the fourth watch of the night (between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.), it was dark and stormy. Jesus, on the mountain, looked out and saw the disciples toiling without making progress in the boat. So, He decided to go and help them. 

Put yourself in this scene: It’s dark, and the wind is howling, creating huge waves. You’re in a boat trying to get to the other side of the lake, but the wind keeps you from making progress. How scared would you be? The disciples were pretty frightened by this time. But what came next made them terrified. 

The Gospels then tell us that Jesus decides to walk out on the sea to help the disciples. They believe He’s a spirit or ghost when He first appears in the dark. But then, Christ calmly tells them it is He and they should not be afraid. How amazing! 

Matthew then says Peter is filled with faith in this moment and asks Christ to command him to come to Him on the sea. Jesus complies, and Peter starts to walk out to Jesus, but he “sees” the wind and starts to fear. At this point, Peter begins to sink into the water. Jesus then reaches out to save Peter and rebukes him for his unbelief. They then step into the boat and are immediately at the shore. What a miracle! 

But what are we to learn from this astounding event? Before we look at the significance of this miracle, let’s consider one verse that stands out in John 6. 

The Disciples' Hearts Were Hardened

In Mark 6:52 NKJV we read, “For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.” I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve read this passage, each time skimming over this verse. It didn’t seem that important. But this time, the verse stood out to me in a big way. 

If you’ve read about the Exodus in Exodus 5-15, you will have come across verses that say Pharoah’s heart was hardened. In those cases, “hardened” means that the pharaoh opposed Moses and his requests. But what does “hardened” mean in Mark 6:52? 

“Hardened,” in this case, comes from the Greek word “poroo” (Strong’s G4456), which can mean “to petrify, to render stupid or callous, blind, harden.” While the disciples worshipped Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah, they did not have a deep understanding of what this meant. They had just experienced the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Now, Jesus had rescued them from the stormy sea. The disciples could not understand the depth of these miracles—that Christ had authority over not only material things (such as food) but all of nature and even more. 

This verse struck me pretty hard. How often do we worship Christ as the Messiah and Son of God yet fail to understand He has all power and authority over everything? As human beings, we find this challenging to understand. 

The Significance of Jesus Walking on Water

Now, let’s look at the significance of Jesus walking on the water. What does this miracle show us? 

Jesus is the Son of God & the Messiah

This miracle shows us that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah. He has power over all aspects of our lives, from multiplying food to feed 5000 to calming a stormy sea and saving Peter from sinking into the waters. 

When the disciples see Jesus on the water, He says, “It is I” in Matthew 14:27. This phrase translates into the same meaning when God tells Moses His name in Exodus—“I AM.” (Exodus 3:13-15). Jesus is the same God who appeared to Moses and chose the Israelites as His people. 

Not only did the disciples recognize Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 14:33), but we are to do the same. 

Jesus Cares for Us

Jesus could have called for angels to help the disciples; instead, He chose to walk out to help them Himself. He loved the disciples and wanted to help them. He had also cared for the needs of the multitude when He fed the 5000. 

In the same way, Jesus cares for each of us today. Sometimes, we go through hard, challenging times that feel like being on a stormy sea. It can be scary and stressful. But God knows what we need and when we need it. Christ comes to our rescue just at the right moment. 

Why does He make us wait? It may be to grow our faith, but it may also be He is waiting for certain things to align before we can receive His help. We may be like Peter and have doubts and lack faith; however, Jesus still loves us and will come to our aid. 

Just like Jesus stepped into the boat and immediately helped the disciples, He does the same with us. He steps into our situations and problems, helping us in all ways. 

Concluding Thoughts

Jesus walking on the water, right after the miracle of feeding the 5,000, demonstrates who He is. We may be like the disciples and not yet comprehend who Christ is. We can be like Peter, too. But over time, our faith and understanding grow from experiences, prayer, Bible study, and time spent in worship. You can’t help but come to love Him. 

When we call out to the Lord in the storms of life, He will hear us and reach out to save us at the right moment, like He did the disciples amid the stormy seas. Faith is the key--we must keep our eyes on Jesus and not on the wind and storm around us. 

Learn more through our Jesus Walking on Water Bible Study! The paid version of the study is based on the three Gospels that relate to this miracle. You’ll find an outline of what happened and the significance of this miracle, as well as study questions and questions for reflection. You can print out the Bible study or use it for digital Bible study! You can find the Bible study over at our Gumroad shop!

 God bless,

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