And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
Peter joyfully answered Jesus' presence out of eager love and desire to meet Him and walk beside Him on the stormy water by asking to be bidden to come to Him on the water. Although Jesus had already assured the disciples that it was He and told them not to fear, the request showed zealous, impulsive faith mixed with doubt. Jesus granted the request with Come, and that command enabled Peter to walk, for He does not bid him come to perish. While his eyes were fixed on Jesus he left the boat confidently and walked securely toward Him on the stormy sea. When he turned his attention away to the rolling billows, violent wind and waves, fear and doubt overcame him and he began to sink, while those who held the other telling teach that he looked away to see whether his companions admired him, and then pride and trust in self left him vulnerable to fear and sinking.
Feeding Miracle Background
Matthew 14:28 belongs to what happened after Jesus fed the multitude, when He sent the disciples across the lake while He went apart to pray. The disciples were then caught in a violent storm, far from shore and in danger, and their trouble followed their frustrated wish to make Jesus king. The feeding itself took place in the twilight of a spring evening with the vast multitude seated on the grassy plain. They were fed from five barley loaves and two small fishes shared by all, a work only divine power could perform, like God feeding Israel with manna in the desert. That miracle marked Jesus as that prophet that should come into the world whom Moses foretold.
That crowning miracle strengthened conviction that the long-looked-for Deliverer was among the people. Hopes then rose higher that He would make Judea an earthly paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey, and satisfy every desire. The expectation was that He would break the power of the Romans, deliver Judah and Jerusalem, heal soldiers wounded in battle, supply whole armies with food, conquer the nations, and give Israel the long-sought dominion. Peter's adventure on the water was on the night after that feeding, after many hours of fruitless rowing against adverse winds in a furious storm. Christ then appeared walking upon the water, the disciples were afraid, His reassuring words were spoken, and then Peter answered with his request to be bidden to come to Him on the water. The adventure of Peter and its result, with the sudden stilling of the tempest and landing of the boat, was faithfully recounted by the disciples to the wondering crowd that had sought Jesus from Bethsaida to Capernaum and found Him in the synagogue.
Storm and Christ's Approach
The disciples crossed to the farther side in obedience to Christ and were caught in a violent storm far from shore and in danger. Their vessels would not obey them until, driven and exhausted, they laid down their oars in despair and expected to perish. Their trouble followed their frustrated wish to make Jesus king, and in the storm their hearts were humbled, ambition was quelled, and they prayed for help.
In the fourth watch, in their greatest peril, Jesus saw their danger and came to help them. He had watched them all night with tender sympathy and pitying love, to try their faith and prove He had not forgotten them. He came walking calmly upon the boisterous white-capped waves.
Bewildered by useless effort and hopelessness, the disciples mistook His appearance for a sure precursor of immediate death and cried out in great fear. Instead of heralding death He came as the messenger of life, announcing Himself with It is I be not afraid. Above the roaring tempest His voice restored confidence, changing horror and despair at once to joy of faith and hope, so that with the Master present they felt no more anxiety nor dread of death.
The account of Jesus walking on the billows shows His power over wind, water, waves and the elements of nature and His ability to silence their roaring. That mighty work is presented as evidence of His Messiahship as He came to rescue the disciples from danger at sea. This verse stands within that storm when Jesus comes walking on the water, with Peter reaching toward Him, and the storm was stilled before the boat landed.
Peter's Eager Request Granted
Peter's asking to come to Jesus on the water was a joyful response to recognizing His presence, moved by eager love and desire to meet Him and walk beside Him across the stormy sea. He asked Jesus to bid and command and call him to come to Him on the water. Although Jesus had already assured the disciples that it was He and told them not to fear, that asking showed zealous, impulsive faith mixed with doubt. While the disciples as a whole gladly welcomed Jesus into the ship, Peter's request was his reaching out to Him by the living hand of faith to take Him as personal Saviour.
Jesus granted the request with Come, and that command enabled Peter to walk. When He bids Peter come to Him on the water He does not bid him come to perish. Peter confidently left the boat and walked toward Jesus with his eyes fixed on Him. His first steps showed he could walk securely on the stormy sea while his attention and faith were on Christ.
Doubt Sinking and Rescue
As long as Peter kept his eyes fixed on Jesus he walked securely toward him on the stormy sea, but when he turned his attention away and looked down at the rolling billows, the violent wind and waves, and saw little hope, fear and doubt overcame him, he forgot his Lord's power and began to sink. In the telling held by others he looked away after stepping onto the water to see whether his companions admired him, and then the waves frightened him, fear took hold, and he began to sink, showing that pride and loss of trust and trust in self leave him vulnerable amid danger. His confidence faltered when he looked toward the waves and his companions instead of keeping his attention firmly on the Saviour, and steadfastness requires keeping attention on Jesus rather than seeking others' admiration.
The experience was meant to reveal his weakness and his need to depend constantly on Christ, for in storms of temptation he could stand safely only by distrusting his own strength and relying on the Saviour. The very point where he thought himself strong was where he was weak, to teach him his need and prepare him to endure a later test. His looking at the waves instead of keeping his eyes fixed upon the Saviour pictures believers when trouble comes, whose footsteps slide and over whom the proud waters go when they look at danger rather than Christ, warning against letting threatening appearances undermine trust in God's promises.
Recognizing his danger when ready to sink beneath the stormy waves, Peter cried Save Lord or I perish and Help Lord, showing he could seek Christ's saving help when he recognized his danger, and he could likewise have asked Christ to save him from denying his Lord. Jesus immediately reached out, stretched out His hand, took hold of him and lifted and saved him from the water, showing Christ reaches out to save those who call to Him for help and does not call anyone to follow Him and then forsake him, for when He bids come He does not bid come to perish. His lifting up and saving of sinking Peter illustrates the safety of letting go of earthly supports and taking Christ's hand, and that He is present with and able to save those who suffer. Lifting the hand to Christ in appeal in sore need is never in vain, for Jesus responds to every such appeal to relieve distress, make the weak strong, supply every deficiency, pardon through His blood, hold with a firm all-powerful grasp those with only a feeble hold on Him, and keep by God's power through faith unto salvation with His arm around His child.
The same Jesus who stretched out His hand to sinking Peter saves His servant who has labored for souls and given strength to God's cause. In affliction He is present to strengthen and support with His all-powerful arm and compassionate eye, loving and pitying beyond human pity and touched with infirmities, to give triumph, bring out from affliction into health, and show God's salvation to those who wait patiently with good courage in faith. His rescue of Peter in the troubled water shows He is present with and able to save those who suffer.
Faith Lessons for Life
Safety depends on trusting Jesus rather than on self-confidence or on looking at surrounding dangers, for Peter walked securely toward Christ on the water only while his attention and faith were fixed on Him, and he began to sink as soon as he turned away to the rolling billows and saw little hope. Keeping the eye fixed on Jesus in every weakness and trial instead of looking at darkness and troubles is to take Him as personal Saviour by the living hand of faith, and by beholding Him unbelief is exchanged for living faith while the beholder reflects His divine image and grows into His likeness. The eye of faith must stay fixed on Jesus and not turn to self and unworthiness or to surrounding turmoil, confusion, perplexity and boisterous billows. Meditating on the mercy, goodness and excellency of Jesus as Surety and Substitute, the righteous spotless Lamb of God, and hanging the helpless care-troubled soul upon Him as Burden-bearer gives strength and hope, while looking at self brings depression, unbelief and weakness and looking at the billows like trembling Peter brings trembling and sinking, with the remedy when sinking to cry Help, Lord, and trust in Him fully and entirely.
Following Jesus through life's dangers requires keeping attention firmly on the Saviour rather than seeking the admiration of companions, since pride and trust in self give way to doubt and fear while steadfast attention on Jesus enables steadfastness amid danger. Christ's followers may exhaust their own strength and wisdom before trusting the work to Jesus, who answers the cry of faith and accomplishes what seemed impossible. His presence turns despair and fear into faith and hope so that with Him present there is no need to fear even death, as a lesson in trusting and obeying Christ whose power extends even over the sea. The same powerful, gracious Redeemer with infinite power to say to winds and waves peace be still reveals Himself in every like experience to turn sorrow into joy, and He may be trusted in the storm as well as the sunshine.
Peter could walk on the water only while he kept his eyes fixed steadily on Jesus, illustrating that a sinner cannot be saved without continually looking to the uplifted Saviour and accepting by faith the merits of His character and atoning blood that it is his privilege to claim, not by looking to man, trusting to man, or expecting help from man. Safety is in letting go of earthly supports and taking Christ's hand, for cherishing doubts and fears is not safe since they grow by looking upon them and talking of them and become harder to overcome. In darkness and sudden danger the need is to reach up in faith and grasp Christ's hand as the sinking disciple did on the stormy sea, and this grasping of Christ belongs to preparation for eternity that cannot be left to a sickbed because the summons may come without warning. Peter's cry when ready to sink beneath the stormy waves shows he could seek Christ's saving help when he recognized his danger, and he could likewise have asked Christ to save him from denying his Lord.
Peter joyfully answered Jesus' presence out of eager love and desire to meet Him and walk beside Him on the stormy water by asking to be bidden to come to Him on the water. Although Jesus had already assured the disciples that it was He and told them not to fear, the request showed zealous, impulsive faith mixed with doubt. Jesus granted the request with Come, and that command enabled Peter to walk, for He does not bid him come to perish. While his eyes were fixed on Jesus he left the boat confidently and walked securely toward Him on the stormy sea. When he turned his attention away to the rolling billows, violent wind and waves, fear and doubt overcame him and he began to sink, while those who held the other telling teach that he looked away to see whether his companions admired him, and then pride and trust in self left him vulnerable to fear and sinking.
Feeding Miracle Background
Matthew 14:28 belongs to what happened after Jesus fed the multitude, when He sent the disciples across the lake while He went apart to pray. The disciples were then caught in a violent storm, far from shore and in danger, and their trouble followed their frustrated wish to make Jesus king. The feeding itself took place in the twilight of a spring evening with the vast multitude seated on the grassy plain. They were fed from five barley loaves and two small fishes shared by all, a work only divine power could perform, like God feeding Israel with manna in the desert. That miracle marked Jesus as that prophet that should come into the world whom Moses foretold.
That crowning miracle strengthened conviction that the long-looked-for Deliverer was among the people. Hopes then rose higher that He would make Judea an earthly paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey, and satisfy every desire. The expectation was that He would break the power of the Romans, deliver Judah and Jerusalem, heal soldiers wounded in battle, supply whole armies with food, conquer the nations, and give Israel the long-sought dominion. Peter's adventure on the water was on the night after that feeding, after many hours of fruitless rowing against adverse winds in a furious storm. Christ then appeared walking upon the water, the disciples were afraid, His reassuring words were spoken, and then Peter answered with his request to be bidden to come to Him on the water. The adventure of Peter and its result, with the sudden stilling of the tempest and landing of the boat, was faithfully recounted by the disciples to the wondering crowd that had sought Jesus from Bethsaida to Capernaum and found Him in the synagogue.
Storm and Christ's Approach
The disciples crossed to the farther side in obedience to Christ and were caught in a violent storm far from shore and in danger. Their vessels would not obey them until, driven and exhausted, they laid down their oars in despair and expected to perish. Their trouble followed their frustrated wish to make Jesus king, and in the storm their hearts were humbled, ambition was quelled, and they prayed for help.
In the fourth watch, in their greatest peril, Jesus saw their danger and came to help them. He had watched them all night with tender sympathy and pitying love, to try their faith and prove He had not forgotten them. He came walking calmly upon the boisterous white-capped waves.
Bewildered by useless effort and hopelessness, the disciples mistook His appearance for a sure precursor of immediate death and cried out in great fear. Instead of heralding death He came as the messenger of life, announcing Himself with It is I be not afraid. Above the roaring tempest His voice restored confidence, changing horror and despair at once to joy of faith and hope, so that with the Master present they felt no more anxiety nor dread of death.
The account of Jesus walking on the billows shows His power over wind, water, waves and the elements of nature and His ability to silence their roaring. That mighty work is presented as evidence of His Messiahship as He came to rescue the disciples from danger at sea. This verse stands within that storm when Jesus comes walking on the water, with Peter reaching toward Him, and the storm was stilled before the boat landed.
Peter's Eager Request Granted
Peter's asking to come to Jesus on the water was a joyful response to recognizing His presence, moved by eager love and desire to meet Him and walk beside Him across the stormy sea. He asked Jesus to bid and command and call him to come to Him on the water. Although Jesus had already assured the disciples that it was He and told them not to fear, that asking showed zealous, impulsive faith mixed with doubt. While the disciples as a whole gladly welcomed Jesus into the ship, Peter's request was his reaching out to Him by the living hand of faith to take Him as personal Saviour.
Jesus granted the request with Come, and that command enabled Peter to walk. When He bids Peter come to Him on the water He does not bid him come to perish. Peter confidently left the boat and walked toward Jesus with his eyes fixed on Him. His first steps showed he could walk securely on the stormy sea while his attention and faith were on Christ.
Doubt Sinking and Rescue
As long as Peter kept his eyes fixed on Jesus he walked securely toward him on the stormy sea, but when he turned his attention away and looked down at the rolling billows, the violent wind and waves, and saw little hope, fear and doubt overcame him, he forgot his Lord's power and began to sink. In the telling held by others he looked away after stepping onto the water to see whether his companions admired him, and then the waves frightened him, fear took hold, and he began to sink, showing that pride and loss of trust and trust in self leave him vulnerable amid danger. His confidence faltered when he looked toward the waves and his companions instead of keeping his attention firmly on the Saviour, and steadfastness requires keeping attention on Jesus rather than seeking others' admiration.
The experience was meant to reveal his weakness and his need to depend constantly on Christ, for in storms of temptation he could stand safely only by distrusting his own strength and relying on the Saviour. The very point where he thought himself strong was where he was weak, to teach him his need and prepare him to endure a later test. His looking at the waves instead of keeping his eyes fixed upon the Saviour pictures believers when trouble comes, whose footsteps slide and over whom the proud waters go when they look at danger rather than Christ, warning against letting threatening appearances undermine trust in God's promises.
Recognizing his danger when ready to sink beneath the stormy waves, Peter cried Save Lord or I perish and Help Lord, showing he could seek Christ's saving help when he recognized his danger, and he could likewise have asked Christ to save him from denying his Lord. Jesus immediately reached out, stretched out His hand, took hold of him and lifted and saved him from the water, showing Christ reaches out to save those who call to Him for help and does not call anyone to follow Him and then forsake him, for when He bids come He does not bid come to perish. His lifting up and saving of sinking Peter illustrates the safety of letting go of earthly supports and taking Christ's hand, and that He is present with and able to save those who suffer. Lifting the hand to Christ in appeal in sore need is never in vain, for Jesus responds to every such appeal to relieve distress, make the weak strong, supply every deficiency, pardon through His blood, hold with a firm all-powerful grasp those with only a feeble hold on Him, and keep by God's power through faith unto salvation with His arm around His child.
The same Jesus who stretched out His hand to sinking Peter saves His servant who has labored for souls and given strength to God's cause. In affliction He is present to strengthen and support with His all-powerful arm and compassionate eye, loving and pitying beyond human pity and touched with infirmities, to give triumph, bring out from affliction into health, and show God's salvation to those who wait patiently with good courage in faith. His rescue of Peter in the troubled water shows He is present with and able to save those who suffer.
Faith Lessons for Life
Safety depends on trusting Jesus rather than on self-confidence or on looking at surrounding dangers, for Peter walked securely toward Christ on the water only while his attention and faith were fixed on Him, and he began to sink as soon as he turned away to the rolling billows and saw little hope. Keeping the eye fixed on Jesus in every weakness and trial instead of looking at darkness and troubles is to take Him as personal Saviour by the living hand of faith, and by beholding Him unbelief is exchanged for living faith while the beholder reflects His divine image and grows into His likeness. The eye of faith must stay fixed on Jesus and not turn to self and unworthiness or to surrounding turmoil, confusion, perplexity and boisterous billows. Meditating on the mercy, goodness and excellency of Jesus as Surety and Substitute, the righteous spotless Lamb of God, and hanging the helpless care-troubled soul upon Him as Burden-bearer gives strength and hope, while looking at self brings depression, unbelief and weakness and looking at the billows like trembling Peter brings trembling and sinking, with the remedy when sinking to cry Help, Lord, and trust in Him fully and entirely.
Following Jesus through life's dangers requires keeping attention firmly on the Saviour rather than seeking the admiration of companions, since pride and trust in self give way to doubt and fear while steadfast attention on Jesus enables steadfastness amid danger. Christ's followers may exhaust their own strength and wisdom before trusting the work to Jesus, who answers the cry of faith and accomplishes what seemed impossible. His presence turns despair and fear into faith and hope so that with Him present there is no need to fear even death, as a lesson in trusting and obeying Christ whose power extends even over the sea. The same powerful, gracious Redeemer with infinite power to say to winds and waves peace be still reveals Himself in every like experience to turn sorrow into joy, and He may be trusted in the storm as well as the sunshine.
Peter could walk on the water only while he kept his eyes fixed steadily on Jesus, illustrating that a sinner cannot be saved without continually looking to the uplifted Saviour and accepting by faith the merits of His character and atoning blood that it is his privilege to claim, not by looking to man, trusting to man, or expecting help from man. Safety is in letting go of earthly supports and taking Christ's hand, for cherishing doubts and fears is not safe since they grow by looking upon them and talking of them and become harder to overcome. In darkness and sudden danger the need is to reach up in faith and grasp Christ's hand as the sinking disciple did on the stormy sea, and this grasping of Christ belongs to preparation for eternity that cannot be left to a sickbed because the summons may come without warning. Peter's cry when ready to sink beneath the stormy waves shows he could seek Christ's saving help when he recognized his danger, and he could likewise have asked Christ to save him from denying his Lord.