Mark 6:45, commentary and pictures

Straightway after the feeding of the multitude Jesus firmly sends His disciples by boat ahead to Bethsaida while He remains behind to dismiss the people, opening the night on the lake when He comes to them walking on the water and brings them safely across. He does this to refuse the honor the fed crowd presses upon Him and to keep the disciples out of it, for they are set on seizing Him by force to make Him an earthly king who will defeat Rome and restore Israel's dominion. The disciples obey reluctantly with murmuring hearts, because their own hope of seeing Him publicly exalted as King is not gratified. Left alone on the voyage they toil through the night against wind and waves until human effort is useless, yet He never loses sight of them but watches with compassion from the shore until their ambition is quelled and they pray for help. Then He appears walking calmly on the boisterous waves, makes Himself known with words that still their fear, quiets the tempest, and turns their despair to joy and faith.

Setting and Command

The command comes straight after the feeding of the multitude, when the people identify Jesus as the prophet foretold by Moses, and it opens the night on the lake in which He sends the disciples across while He dismisses the people and then comes to them walking on the water, reassures them, stills the storm, and brings them to the other side.

Straightway He constrains them, promptly and firmly directing them to get into the ship and go before to the other side to Bethsaida, to the place where He would meet them, while He Himself stays behind to send away the people. He sends the disciples first and then confronts the multitude Himself.

The command is hard to them, and they obey reluctantly with dissatisfied, murmuring hearts. The crowd's enthusiasm has grown around making Him king, and their own hopes have grown with it around exalting Him as King of Israel and having Him publicly honored, and their wish is not gratified.

He speaks to them on this occasion with an authority and firmness never before used toward them. Though they remonstrate against being sent alone and leaving Him on shore, they obey in silence and without further protest. Yet they blame themselves for turning so easily from their purpose and yielding to His command, reasoning that if they had remained and persisted they might have gained their point.

Refusing Earthly Kingship

After the feeding the crowd grew ever more certain that the long-awaited Deliverer was in their midst, yet they looked for earthly prosperity, the defeat of Rome, the deliverance of Judah and Jerusalem, provision for armies, the conquest of other nations, and the restoration of Israel's dominion. That expectation hardened into resolve, until they were thoroughly decided to seize Jesus and force Him to be king.

By ordering the disciples into the boat and remaining Himself to dismiss the people, He decisively took the disciples out of the attempt to give Him an earthly throne and expressed His refusal of that honor. Their departure helped prevent the crowd's attempt to establish an earthly kingship, and His own action stopped their attempt to seize Him. He did so because a movement to make Him king by force would have led to violence and insurrection, hindered His spiritual kingdom, and falsely presented His mission as a temporal kingdom.

Standing before the people with grand dignity, He met them with quiet command and kingly authority in few firm and decisive words. Their advance was stopped, their praise died on their lips, and the tumult was quelled. Even men of strong minds and firm determination submitted without question, like meek, submissive children bowing to a power above all earthly authority.

Storm and Watchful Care

The command sends the disciples alone in their boat toward the farther side, buffeting high running waves that toss them up and down, and that departure sets the scene for the storm and for Jesus' care and deliverance. That command brings them into the crossing during which they face the storm and come to rely on Him as their only hope.

A terrible tempest breaks upon them as they toil through the night against wind and waves to reach the point where He promised to meet them. Their vessels will not obey them, and they are driven hither and thither and off course until human effort is useless and hopeless. They lay down their oars in despair expecting to perish. The journey becomes a severe trial and test of faith.

When the storm arises they regret leaving Him. They wrongly feel that staying with Him would have avoided the peril and prevented the danger. Their discontent over not pursuing their ambition accompanies them into the storm.

Jesus never loses sight of them and has not forgotten them. Though precious to Him and destined to be the light of the world, He watches from the distant shore with compassion and deep concern. His eye pierces the darkness to see their danger and read their thoughts, and like a fond mother watching a child she has corrected in kindness, He will not suffer one of them to perish. He watches until their hearts are subdued, their unholy ambition quelled, and they humbly pray for help, and then help is given.

While tempest and billows threaten and talk with death, Christ whom they left upon the other side appears walking calmly upon the boisterous, white-capped waves. Bewildered by the uselessness of their efforts, their helplessness, and the hopelessness of their case, they mistake Him for a sure sign and precursor of immediate death and cry out in great fear. Instead of heralding death He comes as the messenger of life, announces His presence and tells them not to fear with a voice heard above the roar of the elements, stills the tempest, and at once changes horror and despair to joy, faith and hope. With Him present and with them, all anxiety and dread of death leave them.

The verse therefore calls for obedience to the Source of all power whose law even sea and waves obey, for reliance on Him as the only hope, and for fearless trust in the protection of Him who notices when a sparrow falls. It shows God in majesty holding the winds in His hand and controlling the waters while beholding at one glance the highest heavens and the midst of the sea. Though finite beings are mere specks upon the broad deep waters in His sight, angels are sent from His excellent glory to guard their little boat on the careening waves.