And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
After feeding the multitude He stopped the attempt to make Him king, dismissed the crowd, sent the disciples across the lake, and went alone into the mountain to pray. He withdrew from ceaseless work for others to be alone with His Father in quiet communion. Through the night He prayed for hours with anguish and tears not for Himself but for power to reveal His divine mission and to save lost, suffering humanity from blindness and guilt. Though separated on the distant shore He saw the disciples tossed all night on the raging sea, read their thoughts, and watched over them with tender compassion to correct their desire to exalt Him as an earthly king. When their ambition was quelled and they humbly longed and prayed for help, He came to them walking calmly on the waves and made Himself known as their Deliverer, turning terror into joy and proving His faithful protection over those who obey Him.
Setting After Feeding
The verse belongs to the night on the lake when Jesus walked on the water toward the disciples' storm-tossed boat buffeting the waves and stilled the tempest. It follows the feeding miracle, when the crowd takes the provision of food as assurance that the long-awaited Deliverer has come and attaches earthly hopes to His work. They expect Him to make Judea prosperous and to satisfy their needs, to heal wounded soldiers and feed armies, to defeat Rome and conquer other nations, and to restore Israel's dominion.
He firmly stopped the crowd's attempt to make Him king, dismissed the crowd, and sent the disciples across the lake while He remained apart alone on the shore. The disciples obeyed reluctantly and left dissatisfied because their wish to make Him king had been thwarted. They found it hard to leave Him at what seemed a chance to establish His throne, and later regretted leaving Him when danger came.
He withdrew to a lonely, desolate place on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, going alone into the mountain to pray after sending the disciples away. After reaching the other side He moved a little way from His disciples to be alone in communion with His heavenly Father.
Prayer Alone With God
After sending the people away He went up into the mountain alone to pray, to be alone with God in quiet communion with His Father. His withdrawal from ceaseless activity and from human need was necessary to Him for unbroken communion with His Father. Even a life wholly given to helping others needed that retirement from constant activity. There He prayed for the suffering, sinful, needy people He had served.
He prayed there alone for hours, and His prayer was not for Himself but for others. He asked for power to reveal the divine character of His mission. He asked that Satan might be kept from blinding people's understanding and distorting their judgment.
He spent many hours through the rest of the night in earnest, agonizing prayer with deep anguish and tears. His pleading was not for Himself but for humanity, suffering, sinful, needy and lost without redeeming grace. He pleaded that those He had served might turn from guilt to the light of salvation through redeeming grace.
Watch Over Disciples
He had sent the disciples away to correct their dissatisfied, murmuring desire to exalt Him as King of Israel. Though He remained separated from them on the distant shore, He saw their danger as they were tossed all night on the raging sea, His eye piercing the darkness, reading their thoughts and regrets, understanding their distress. He did not forget them and would not suffer one of them to perish, but watched over them with deep, tender concern and compassion, like a fond mother watching a child she has corrected in kindness.
He waited until their hearts were subdued, their unholy ambition quelled, and they humbly longed for His presence and prayed for help. Help came when they humbled themselves and prayed. Their crossing in obedience to His command was met by a terrible tempest that drove their vessels hither and thither until their efforts were useless and they laid down their oars in despair, expecting to perish. While the tempest and billows talked with death, Christ appeared to them walking calmly upon the boisterous, white-capped waves.
His coming on the waves first increased their terror, for they took Him for a precursor of death. Then He revealed Himself as the messenger of life with the voice, It is I; be not afraid, speaking above the storm and silencing their fear as their Deliverer. His presence instantly changed horror and despair into the joy of faith and hope and removed all anxiety and dread of death. It showed His power that even sea and waves obey, and His faithful protection of those who obey Him.
After feeding the multitude He stopped the attempt to make Him king, dismissed the crowd, sent the disciples across the lake, and went alone into the mountain to pray. He withdrew from ceaseless work for others to be alone with His Father in quiet communion. Through the night He prayed for hours with anguish and tears not for Himself but for power to reveal His divine mission and to save lost, suffering humanity from blindness and guilt. Though separated on the distant shore He saw the disciples tossed all night on the raging sea, read their thoughts, and watched over them with tender compassion to correct their desire to exalt Him as an earthly king. When their ambition was quelled and they humbly longed and prayed for help, He came to them walking calmly on the waves and made Himself known as their Deliverer, turning terror into joy and proving His faithful protection over those who obey Him.
Setting After Feeding
The verse belongs to the night on the lake when Jesus walked on the water toward the disciples' storm-tossed boat buffeting the waves and stilled the tempest. It follows the feeding miracle, when the crowd takes the provision of food as assurance that the long-awaited Deliverer has come and attaches earthly hopes to His work. They expect Him to make Judea prosperous and to satisfy their needs, to heal wounded soldiers and feed armies, to defeat Rome and conquer other nations, and to restore Israel's dominion.
He firmly stopped the crowd's attempt to make Him king, dismissed the crowd, and sent the disciples across the lake while He remained apart alone on the shore. The disciples obeyed reluctantly and left dissatisfied because their wish to make Him king had been thwarted. They found it hard to leave Him at what seemed a chance to establish His throne, and later regretted leaving Him when danger came.
He withdrew to a lonely, desolate place on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, going alone into the mountain to pray after sending the disciples away. After reaching the other side He moved a little way from His disciples to be alone in communion with His heavenly Father.
Prayer Alone With God
After sending the people away He went up into the mountain alone to pray, to be alone with God in quiet communion with His Father. His withdrawal from ceaseless activity and from human need was necessary to Him for unbroken communion with His Father. Even a life wholly given to helping others needed that retirement from constant activity. There He prayed for the suffering, sinful, needy people He had served.
He prayed there alone for hours, and His prayer was not for Himself but for others. He asked for power to reveal the divine character of His mission. He asked that Satan might be kept from blinding people's understanding and distorting their judgment.
He spent many hours through the rest of the night in earnest, agonizing prayer with deep anguish and tears. His pleading was not for Himself but for humanity, suffering, sinful, needy and lost without redeeming grace. He pleaded that those He had served might turn from guilt to the light of salvation through redeeming grace.
Watch Over Disciples
He had sent the disciples away to correct their dissatisfied, murmuring desire to exalt Him as King of Israel. Though He remained separated from them on the distant shore, He saw their danger as they were tossed all night on the raging sea, His eye piercing the darkness, reading their thoughts and regrets, understanding their distress. He did not forget them and would not suffer one of them to perish, but watched over them with deep, tender concern and compassion, like a fond mother watching a child she has corrected in kindness.
He waited until their hearts were subdued, their unholy ambition quelled, and they humbly longed for His presence and prayed for help. Help came when they humbled themselves and prayed. Their crossing in obedience to His command was met by a terrible tempest that drove their vessels hither and thither until their efforts were useless and they laid down their oars in despair, expecting to perish. While the tempest and billows talked with death, Christ appeared to them walking calmly upon the boisterous, white-capped waves.
His coming on the waves first increased their terror, for they took Him for a precursor of death. Then He revealed Himself as the messenger of life with the voice, It is I; be not afraid, speaking above the storm and silencing their fear as their Deliverer. His presence instantly changed horror and despair into the joy of faith and hope and removed all anxiety and dread of death. It showed His power that even sea and waves obey, and His faithful protection of those who obey Him.