And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
At His word Come Peter left the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus, upheld by Jesus' power as an act of trust in His call. While his eye of faith was fixed steadily upon Jesus he walked securely and safely, for the change afterward was in Peter and not in Jesus or the water. When he turned his eyes from Jesus to the wind and waves and danger he became afraid, his faith gave way and he began to sink, which revealed his weakness where he thought himself strong. When he recognized his danger and cried for help, Jesus immediately reached out and grasped and saved him, and such an appeal in sore need is never in vain. In the same way a sinner can be saved only by beholding Jesus and trusting His atoning merits, and the Christian treads the stormy billows of the world safely only while keeping faith fixed on Christ rather than on self or on threatening appearances around.
Setting After Feeding Multitude
The night of this walking on the water followed the feeding of the vast multitude seated on the grassy plain in the twilight of the spring evening, when all shared food created by divine power from five barley loaves and two small fishes, showing Jesus to be the prophet foretold by Moses. After that miracle the people's hopes rose that Jesus was the long-awaited Deliverer who would bring Israel earthly prosperity, defeat its enemies and restore its dominion. When He refused to be made King of Israel the disciples left Him with dissatisfied hearts and unholy ambition.
In obedience to His command to go to the farther side, the disciples spent many hours, all night, rowing fruitlessly against a furious storm, adverse winds and white-capped billows in a crowded boat. Driven from their course, their vessels would not obey their will, and they were driven hither and thither. Despite their strength and skill their strength was exhausted at the oars until they laid down their oars in despair. They expected to perish and be engulfed.
Jesus Comes On Stormy Sea
From the distant shore His eye pierced the darkness, saw the disciples' danger and read their thoughts, never losing sight of them through the fearful storm and never forgetting them. His watchful eye of tender sympathy and pitying love, tender as a mother watching a suffering child, rested upon them, while angels guarded the small boat. He holds the winds in His hands and controls the waters, and the grandeur of the sea points to God's majesty, and a trial of their faith was necessary until their ambition was quelled and they humbly prayed for help.
In the fourth watch of the night, when they had given up all for lost and despair was taking the place of hope and they believed themselves lost, while tempest and billows talked with death, Christ whom they had left on the other side appeared walking firmly and calmly upon the white-capped billows toward them to help them and would not suffer one of them to perish. A flash of lightning revealed a man stepping upon the water, exercising power over the elements. Bewildered by the uselessness of their efforts, they were seized with unspeakable terror, thought it was a spirit omening their destruction and a sure precursor of immediate death, and cried out in great fear.
They then recognized His form and voice as He advanced, His voice heard above the roar of the elements saying It is I; be not afraid. Instead of heralding death He came as the messenger of life, they cried out supplicating His help, received His reassurance and hailed Him with joy as their Deliverer. The scene quickly changed from the horror of despair to the joy of faith and hope in the presence of the beloved Master, so that His presence turns sorrow into joy and despair into faith and hope, restores confidence that it is Jesus the Master, and removes anxiety and dread and fear of death. The tempest was suddenly stilled and the boat reached land.
The adventure of Peter and its result, with the sudden stilling of the tempest and landing of the boat, was afterward faithfully recounted by the disciples to the wondering crowd that had come from Bethsaida and found Jesus in the synagogue. That earlier deliverance by walking on the water remained in their minds as their hope in danger during a later storm when they were afraid and could no longer save themselves.
Peter Walks Toward Jesus
At the single word Come — command and invitation and bidding in one — Peter came down out of the ship, left the boat and stepped onto the stormy water, and walked on the water to go to Jesus toward Him. At Jesus' command he was able to walk, for Jesus' power made it possible and upheld him, and his stepping out was an act of trust in response to Jesus' call.
Peter's first step came from love for Jesus and desire to be near Him, to meet Him and worship Him, and Jesus granted his request. The incident lays bare his earnest, impulsive character and his mingled faith and unbelief after Jesus had assured the disciples of His presence.
Soon, however, in self-satisfaction and pride Peter glanced back toward his companions in the boat to see whether they admired him, turning his eyes from Jesus to seek their admiration. That pride and unbelief brought doubt and fear.
Faith Fails Then Rescues
While his eye of faith was fixed steadily upon Jesus and he looked unto Him, Peter walked securely and safely on the water, upheld by Christ's power, and apart from that power he would have perished. The change when he began to sink was in Peter himself, not in Jesus or in the water, for the same power that enabled him to walk continued unchanged. At Jesus' command he had been made able to walk toward Him, and his continuing to walk depended on keeping his eyes upon Jesus.
When the boisterous wind and high waves came between him and Jesus, he took his eyes from Jesus and looked at the waves, the troubled billows and the danger, attending to the threatening waves and focusing on the danger. Then he was afraid and fear overwhelmed him, his faith failed and gave way and his footing was lost and he began to sink. Through unbelief and self-exaltation he very nearly lost his life, leaving him subdued and silent with no reason to boast over others, which revealed his weakness and that the point where he thought himself strong was where he was weak.
When he recognized his danger he cried to Jesus for help and lifted his hand to Christ, and such an appeal in sore need is never in vain. Jesus immediately reached out, grasped, lifted and saved him with prompt and all-powerful aid. He holds firmly the soul He died to save even when its own hold feels feeble, showing Him as the one who lifts and saves the sinking disciple, so that it is safe to let go of earthly support and trust Christ, who does not forsake those who follow at His call to come.
The experience was meant to teach Peter to distrust his own strength and depend continually on divine power so he could walk safely amid temptation. That lesson, learned fully, would have helped him stand firm in the later great test. When Jesus warned that he would deny Him he could have asked for the same help that grasped him in the storm, for Christ could save him from his own weakness and help him remain loyal under trial.
Salvation And Daily Trust
Peter could walk on the water toward Jesus only while he kept his eyes fixed steadily upon Him, and in that same way a sinner can be saved only by beholding Jesus. It must be made the life business to behold the uplifted Saviour and by faith to accept the merits of His atoning sacrifice, which it is the privilege to claim. Without that steady look of faith to Jesus the sinner can no more be saved than Peter could walk upon the water without it.
Faith must stay directed to Jesus and not be turned to self, to unworthiness, or to the turmoil, confusion, perplexity and threatening appearances around. To lose sight of Him and fix upon the danger brings fear and makes the footing fail, and the soul sinks into depression, unbelief, weakness and despondency. Faith can hold to God's promises without being ruled by threatening appearances, looking to Jesus with confidence and hope rather than fixing on the danger. It trusts God for sustaining help rather than letting danger and difficulty cause fear or perplexity. Strength and hope come by ceasing to talk and ponder upon self and by meditating on the mercy, goodness and excellency of the character of Jesus as Surety and Substitute, the righteous spotless Lamb of God, and by hanging the helpless care-troubled soul upon Him as the helpful Burden-bearer, trusting Him fully and entirely.
Keeping one's attention fixed on the Saviour enables a Christian to tread the stormy billows of the world and to walk safely through danger. The call to come does not mean He will forsake those who follow at His call, for He calls people to come to Him and is near to help those who rely on Him through weakness and trial. The need is to keep trusting Christ and to rely on Him rather than on self.
Jesus calling Peter across the troubled water and then stretching out His hand to save sinking Peter proves that the compassionate Saviour watches His afflicted servant. He is touched with the feelings of his infirmities, loves him and pities him beyond human pity, and is present with him strengthening and supporting him by His all-powerful arm. His watchful eye of tender sympathy and pitying love, tender as a mother watching a suffering child, watches through the fearful storm and does not forget, for He holds the winds in His hands and controls the waters. Such an appeal in sore need is never in vain, for Jesus responds to every appeal and helps the helpless, holding firmly with prompt and all-powerful aid the soul He died to save even when its own hold feels feeble. He is the powerful, gracious, compassionate Redeemer able with infinite power to calm all tempests and revive all hearts, to be trusted in the storm as well as the sunshine, whose coming turns sorrow into joy and restores confidence that it is Jesus the Master. As He saved Peter He will save His servant who has labored for souls, bringing him out of affliction to health and making him to triumph in His name, so the afflicted should be of good courage and wait patiently a little longer to see the salvation of God.
At His word Come Peter left the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus, upheld by Jesus' power as an act of trust in His call. While his eye of faith was fixed steadily upon Jesus he walked securely and safely, for the change afterward was in Peter and not in Jesus or the water. When he turned his eyes from Jesus to the wind and waves and danger he became afraid, his faith gave way and he began to sink, which revealed his weakness where he thought himself strong. When he recognized his danger and cried for help, Jesus immediately reached out and grasped and saved him, and such an appeal in sore need is never in vain. In the same way a sinner can be saved only by beholding Jesus and trusting His atoning merits, and the Christian treads the stormy billows of the world safely only while keeping faith fixed on Christ rather than on self or on threatening appearances around.
Setting After Feeding Multitude
The night of this walking on the water followed the feeding of the vast multitude seated on the grassy plain in the twilight of the spring evening, when all shared food created by divine power from five barley loaves and two small fishes, showing Jesus to be the prophet foretold by Moses. After that miracle the people's hopes rose that Jesus was the long-awaited Deliverer who would bring Israel earthly prosperity, defeat its enemies and restore its dominion. When He refused to be made King of Israel the disciples left Him with dissatisfied hearts and unholy ambition.
In obedience to His command to go to the farther side, the disciples spent many hours, all night, rowing fruitlessly against a furious storm, adverse winds and white-capped billows in a crowded boat. Driven from their course, their vessels would not obey their will, and they were driven hither and thither. Despite their strength and skill their strength was exhausted at the oars until they laid down their oars in despair. They expected to perish and be engulfed.
Jesus Comes On Stormy Sea
From the distant shore His eye pierced the darkness, saw the disciples' danger and read their thoughts, never losing sight of them through the fearful storm and never forgetting them. His watchful eye of tender sympathy and pitying love, tender as a mother watching a suffering child, rested upon them, while angels guarded the small boat. He holds the winds in His hands and controls the waters, and the grandeur of the sea points to God's majesty, and a trial of their faith was necessary until their ambition was quelled and they humbly prayed for help.
In the fourth watch of the night, when they had given up all for lost and despair was taking the place of hope and they believed themselves lost, while tempest and billows talked with death, Christ whom they had left on the other side appeared walking firmly and calmly upon the white-capped billows toward them to help them and would not suffer one of them to perish. A flash of lightning revealed a man stepping upon the water, exercising power over the elements. Bewildered by the uselessness of their efforts, they were seized with unspeakable terror, thought it was a spirit omening their destruction and a sure precursor of immediate death, and cried out in great fear.
They then recognized His form and voice as He advanced, His voice heard above the roar of the elements saying It is I; be not afraid. Instead of heralding death He came as the messenger of life, they cried out supplicating His help, received His reassurance and hailed Him with joy as their Deliverer. The scene quickly changed from the horror of despair to the joy of faith and hope in the presence of the beloved Master, so that His presence turns sorrow into joy and despair into faith and hope, restores confidence that it is Jesus the Master, and removes anxiety and dread and fear of death. The tempest was suddenly stilled and the boat reached land.
The adventure of Peter and its result, with the sudden stilling of the tempest and landing of the boat, was afterward faithfully recounted by the disciples to the wondering crowd that had come from Bethsaida and found Jesus in the synagogue. That earlier deliverance by walking on the water remained in their minds as their hope in danger during a later storm when they were afraid and could no longer save themselves.
Peter Walks Toward Jesus
At the single word Come — command and invitation and bidding in one — Peter came down out of the ship, left the boat and stepped onto the stormy water, and walked on the water to go to Jesus toward Him. At Jesus' command he was able to walk, for Jesus' power made it possible and upheld him, and his stepping out was an act of trust in response to Jesus' call.
Peter's first step came from love for Jesus and desire to be near Him, to meet Him and worship Him, and Jesus granted his request. The incident lays bare his earnest, impulsive character and his mingled faith and unbelief after Jesus had assured the disciples of His presence.
Soon, however, in self-satisfaction and pride Peter glanced back toward his companions in the boat to see whether they admired him, turning his eyes from Jesus to seek their admiration. That pride and unbelief brought doubt and fear.
Faith Fails Then Rescues
While his eye of faith was fixed steadily upon Jesus and he looked unto Him, Peter walked securely and safely on the water, upheld by Christ's power, and apart from that power he would have perished. The change when he began to sink was in Peter himself, not in Jesus or in the water, for the same power that enabled him to walk continued unchanged. At Jesus' command he had been made able to walk toward Him, and his continuing to walk depended on keeping his eyes upon Jesus.
When the boisterous wind and high waves came between him and Jesus, he took his eyes from Jesus and looked at the waves, the troubled billows and the danger, attending to the threatening waves and focusing on the danger. Then he was afraid and fear overwhelmed him, his faith failed and gave way and his footing was lost and he began to sink. Through unbelief and self-exaltation he very nearly lost his life, leaving him subdued and silent with no reason to boast over others, which revealed his weakness and that the point where he thought himself strong was where he was weak.
When he recognized his danger he cried to Jesus for help and lifted his hand to Christ, and such an appeal in sore need is never in vain. Jesus immediately reached out, grasped, lifted and saved him with prompt and all-powerful aid. He holds firmly the soul He died to save even when its own hold feels feeble, showing Him as the one who lifts and saves the sinking disciple, so that it is safe to let go of earthly support and trust Christ, who does not forsake those who follow at His call to come.
The experience was meant to teach Peter to distrust his own strength and depend continually on divine power so he could walk safely amid temptation. That lesson, learned fully, would have helped him stand firm in the later great test. When Jesus warned that he would deny Him he could have asked for the same help that grasped him in the storm, for Christ could save him from his own weakness and help him remain loyal under trial.
Salvation And Daily Trust
Peter could walk on the water toward Jesus only while he kept his eyes fixed steadily upon Him, and in that same way a sinner can be saved only by beholding Jesus. It must be made the life business to behold the uplifted Saviour and by faith to accept the merits of His atoning sacrifice, which it is the privilege to claim. Without that steady look of faith to Jesus the sinner can no more be saved than Peter could walk upon the water without it.
Faith must stay directed to Jesus and not be turned to self, to unworthiness, or to the turmoil, confusion, perplexity and threatening appearances around. To lose sight of Him and fix upon the danger brings fear and makes the footing fail, and the soul sinks into depression, unbelief, weakness and despondency. Faith can hold to God's promises without being ruled by threatening appearances, looking to Jesus with confidence and hope rather than fixing on the danger. It trusts God for sustaining help rather than letting danger and difficulty cause fear or perplexity. Strength and hope come by ceasing to talk and ponder upon self and by meditating on the mercy, goodness and excellency of the character of Jesus as Surety and Substitute, the righteous spotless Lamb of God, and by hanging the helpless care-troubled soul upon Him as the helpful Burden-bearer, trusting Him fully and entirely.
Keeping one's attention fixed on the Saviour enables a Christian to tread the stormy billows of the world and to walk safely through danger. The call to come does not mean He will forsake those who follow at His call, for He calls people to come to Him and is near to help those who rely on Him through weakness and trial. The need is to keep trusting Christ and to rely on Him rather than on self.
Jesus calling Peter across the troubled water and then stretching out His hand to save sinking Peter proves that the compassionate Saviour watches His afflicted servant. He is touched with the feelings of his infirmities, loves him and pities him beyond human pity, and is present with him strengthening and supporting him by His all-powerful arm. His watchful eye of tender sympathy and pitying love, tender as a mother watching a suffering child, watches through the fearful storm and does not forget, for He holds the winds in His hands and controls the waters. Such an appeal in sore need is never in vain, for Jesus responds to every appeal and helps the helpless, holding firmly with prompt and all-powerful aid the soul He died to save even when its own hold feels feeble. He is the powerful, gracious, compassionate Redeemer able with infinite power to calm all tempests and revive all hearts, to be trusted in the storm as well as the sunshine, whose coming turns sorrow into joy and restores confidence that it is Jesus the Master. As He saved Peter He will save His servant who has labored for souls, bringing him out of affliction to health and making him to triumph in His name, so the afflicted should be of good courage and wait patiently a little longer to see the salvation of God.