Jesus Walks on Water

Mark 6.45-52

In Mark 6.45-52, we'll look at a story, an account in the Bible, that many of us are familiar with, where Jesus walks on the water.

This particular story is found in one other gospel passage, which is Matthew chapter 14 and as ironic as it may seem, it tells a completely different angle. Mark's gospel does over against what Matthew presents. And certainly we're going to try to delve into that today because each and every time we get into the Bible, we know that the Bible is a book about redemption and there's something being told to each and every one of us about why Jesus had to die and resurrect for these things to be true. And so no matter where we find ourselves in the Bible, it is always pointing to and leading us to Jesus. A part of that reality is kind of having what I believe Brian Chapell's wrote—an FCF, a fallen condition focus—meaning we see where we are, fallen in our sin, and a passage will reveal that. And certainly at this one particularly does of the disciples themselves in Mark's gospel, chapter six. So I want to begin to read this and then we're going to kind of dive into it together and move through verses 45 through 52.

Mark writes this through the inspiration of the Holy spirit:

Immediately he made his disciples to get into the boat and to go before him to the other side to Bethsaida while he dismissed the crowd and after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when the evening came, the boat was out on the sea and he was alone on the land and he saw that they were making headway painfully for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking on the sea and he meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and they cried out for, they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, take heart. It is, I do not be afraid. And when he got into the boat with them, the wind ceased and they were utterly astounded for, they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Jesus has been coined a peripatetic teacher.

And what that simply means is that as Jesus lived and as Jesus walked and talked, he would teach. And so particularly for his disciples that they would learn. Now, there's a lot of aspects in our lives as certainly as parents, that we do that towards our children and Jesus is consistent, I think as you read the gospels to teach his disciples this way. And I first heard this coin that way, a peripatetic teacher by RC Sproul.

Mark writes to us here, just as we've seen throughout the previous five chapters and towards as, we work towards the close of this chapter. He uses the word in transition in verse 45 he says immediately. And so what continues with us is this high intensity of what's going on in Jesus's life and in his life with his disciples, because demons are being cast out. Of course he's, he's commanding nature itself just as he does in this passage. And it responds immediately to the voice of its creator who is Jesus. He is casting out and healing people of incurable diseases and even raising those from the dead. And, and Mark will consistently remind us that he's doing these things in villages and towns and cities. And so the size of this of the crowd is we've often noted through pastor Alex his sermons and I, that it begins to grow more and more. There is a whole real pressing issue. And we're on the heels here in verse 45 of the transition where Christ does a miracle with the five loaves and the two fish.

And the text tells us here that he made verse 45 his disciples to get into the boat and to go before him to the other side. While he dismissed the crowd. Now again, in any front, the where you're reading a Bible, the Bible, it's a very important for us to kind of understand what is Jesus telling us about himself? One of the things that I often use with people who are interested in the gospel that are yet to become a Christian is I'll ask them to read the gospel of John and I will ask them to pray two things: 1. Ask God to reveal to you who Jesus is and what the way of salvation is and really when we're walking through the Bible, the Bible is telling us much about Jesus and certainly this particular passage is. We learn here about Jesus humanity because in the busy-ness of everything he does, he's takes the time in sending the disciples before him to go into the mountain to pray because Jesus would certainly in his humanity, grow weary of ministry.

He was a human being that grew tired. He grew hungry. Of course he slept, he ate. He does all the things that you and I did as human beings, of course, because we've been created in the image of God. So Jesus was certainly human and it, and the text tells us that, that he is human because he takes leave of them. He sets the disciples apart and he goes in verse 46 up into the mountain and he prays. There's also that is consistent truth that that Jesus certainly isn't only human though he was totally human or fully human. He is also totally deity. Meaning Jesus is fully, truly God. It is Jesus. As we'll see as we get into this, he is the one that sends them in to the boat and I'll suggest to you that I think he tells us why within the texts, but he sends them into the water. But ultimately one of the clear ways that his deity is revealed is that Jesus is walks on the water, right? I mean he's walking on the water and no one can walk on the water except the one who created the water and the one who created the water of course from John one, we know it was Jesus.

And so you can kind of casually read this, but it kind of will hit ya because he sends them out. And the Bible tells us that he send them into the fourth watch. The fourth watch could be anywhere between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM. And I think what that really is telling us, it's dark. So if you can picture in your mind being out in the boat on the water where it's dark. I mean, I'm not about that. I do not want to get out in the water on and out in the dark. Zach had a friend named Ross who had this boat and Zach went out with him in the water before Zach got, got married, right? He was living at her house. He came to the house and you know, I'm thinking to me, this little paddle boat, this guy gets in a boat, brings out a boat that you know, it's funny, as long as my driveway. And of course they invite me to go. And I'm like, no, I am not getting in that boat with you guys. You're nuts. So you can show the old man how fast the boat can go. You know, there's nothing about, when you think about water or night and those things that are described in scripture about the water, there's you know, there's, there's some spooky about it. Something terrifying about that. And yet nonetheless he sends them, and this is the quickest route. Well, they need to take a boat. Jesus doesn't have to take a boat. He can walk on the water. And so in this side he's exercising his full deity. Okay? He can choose to do that as he wants. Though, oftentimes he lays aside the prerogatives of his deity and just, you know, does what other normal human beings do. He would have had to have gotten the boat, but Jesus not is just any kind of human. He's the God man. And so as he goes out, he tells us, I believe exactly what he intends to do. Look at verse 47 and when even came, the boat was out on the sea and he was alone on the land and he saw that they were making headway painfully for the wind was against them, and it was about the fourth watch of the night. He came to them walking on the sea. Now notice this with me. I think this was very intriguing and I really think that's what this passage is about. He uses a phrase that he doesn't use in Matthew's gospel. He meant to pass by them.

I think in every other certain circumstance, Jesus would have just walked the sea and who just would have went to the other side. But Jesus is about to teach his people, his disciples some more things about who he is and what they are. Verse 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and they cried out for they all saw him and were terrified, but immediately he spoke to them and said, take heart. It is. I do not be afraid. Who is Jesus? You know that that's a very, very important question that every one of us should ask ourselves. Even those of us who have trusted in Jesus, who, who is Jesus? This is a very, very important question. And, and, and Jesus, we know we've already witnessed this. He's, he's been teaching his disciples along the way, and this activity is profoundly growing in leaps and bounds and, and effecting a great deal amount of people in particular the 12 themselves, but also crowds at large. And it all begins back from Mark chapter 14, verse 15 when he announces his ministry that the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God is at hand repent, believe the gospel.

The text is telling us something about Jesus and that Jesus himself is teaching the disciples exactly some things that to make more clear to them. Jesus sends the disciples into the sea. I'm the boat. He is sovereignly looking over their care, but notice what takes place for them. Verse 48, they are making headway painfully for the wind was against them. It's dark. The boat is beginning to tip. These are professionally trained individuals. Several of them, they're fishermen. And I don't want you to pass by this because they're beginning to become, get concerned that they could die.

It's difficult. The boat may toss it is out of their control. That's one emotion is as it begins to get into this. And then of course, as they're going about verse 50, they look out onto the water and they think they see a ghost. At first, they don't recognize it necessarily as being Jesus. And Mark doesn't identify it as that. And we know a few other things that about right, the water. Jesus wasn't with them in the boat right when they headed out. But in previous recent text, he's told us some things. I think about the water. We've witnessed that, that, that the sea obeys the voice of Jesus as its command. But right now Jesus is not with them. But we've also witnessed in the casting out of demons that the disciples had that, that they saw demons going. The hogs in 2000 of those pigs rushed into the sea.

And so they were probably, there was a growing terror that was over overflowing. They begin to fear for their lives. And I think that comes out in verse 54 they all saw him and were terrified. They're terrified. Not so much of Jesus because they don't know exactly what they see. They are terrified that they're going to die. Rightfully so. But then once again, these beautiful words come in, but immediately Jesus senses their tear. Jesus senses their fear. And he says this, he says, take heart. It is. I do not be afraid. So Jesus gets into the boat here and he uses some terminology that would of perk their ears up. Okay? Jesus is not just saying it is I as if he's just any kind of person. He uses the term here in the Greek that says ego, Amy meaning he is the I am. So when you're reading verse 50 when it says take heart, he is saying that the I M is here and because the I am is here, you have no need to be afraid.

Now, you know, all of us can dabble in Christianity and those of us that have been redeemed and we, we can kind of move through life and begin to get forgetful of the one who has saved us. We began to get forgetful and maybe to treat Jesus a little too tritely. I think what's taking place here becomes evident because when verse 51 he gets into the boat with them. The Bible says that the wind ceases and their terror turns to, they are utterly astounded at who he his. But they have understand what he is sad. Jesus has said, I'm not a person that's been sent to you by God. I am the I am, I am y'all way. I am the son of God. I am the Messiah that the old Testament spoke of. I am the Christ. And I think they got that. That's exactly what took place because look what happened for they.

Verse 52 did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Well, let me explain this for just a second. As a Christian, you know, you can have moments come to you in a day. You could be driving, you could be alone in your house, you could be doing whatever. Where we're kind of, Jesus gently shows you to the reality of your sin and it's sobering and it's, and it's devastating. And yet right in the transition of that moment in your mind and in your own heart, he bathes you with the truth of the gospel. But I have forgiven you. I think what takes place here is they recognize they had missed the whole miracle that pastor Alex preached about last week.

They were just doing business as usual. And Jesus ever being the fateful teacher sends them into the boat to put them into a a place where the wind was contrary to them, causes them to think, might, might have fear for their own lives, only to reveal to them, Hey, you don't have to be afraid. I am. And he gains himself into the boat and everything goes still as glass. Jesus is the, I am those disciples, undoubtedly to me. We're echoing back to those words that passed her. Alex read from Jesus is our deliverer. Jesus is our Messiah. He's not just one who has been sent from God. Jesus is the son of God. God has come to dwell with us and that God in Jesus has forgiven me of my sin and they become utterly astounded. What I think is beautiful about this text.

I don't think Jesus says any of these things harshly. I think he comes to them very sweetly. I think they're in real, true fear and then when he reveals himself to them for who he is, very tenderly, it, it comes over them and they get those moments they did like we get when we're driving, when we're home alone, when we're perhaps at work in a cubicle or on a line or wherever. When you're contemplating or even you weren't contemplating, but you begin to think about God and God shows you just the reality of who you are and it works a type of humility, it pours over you because you know the gospel to that lead. God. God doesn't want us to despair in our sin. Part of the conviction and the confronting of sending the gospel is that the gospel gives hope. When Jesus entered into the boat, hope was restored for these guys. They were going to live, they were going to live, and they did.

Jesus passed over with them to the other side. You know what's beautiful for us friends is this. Jesus went into the storms of judgment, the cross on our behalf. Jesus, we need Jesus to save us just as Jesus saved them. We need Jesus to protect us. We need Jesus to keep us elsewhere, not capped. Let's just be honest in every day and in every place, we need Jesus. Now, here's the beautiful thing for you. If you don't know Jesus,

You can have him.

Jesus is your hope. Jesus is the hope of the gospel and you might be thinking, well, pastor Kevin, what do I need to do? Just what the disciples did. Just what we do as disciples. We need to recognize our sin and that without Jesus, we can't save ourselves. We can't protect ourselves and we can't keep ourselves, but Jesus can. Jesus has saved me from my sin. Not because I'm smart, not because I come from a good family, not because I have a certain amount of wealth. Jesus has saved me from my sin because he revealed to me that I'm a center and I'm a center in great need. That's what the disciples sense. They recognize that their hearts were hardened. You know, the only time the word harden is used in the new Testament, it's only talking about unbelievers and yet here it's referring to believers. Church. I think this is very important because Jesus wants us to know we always need the gospel. We are always living inside of the gospel so that we humbly know what Jesus is doing to us who are undeserving. We don't arrive until the day we need Jesus. We need Jesus to reveal to us our sin. We need Jesus to say this. We need Jesus to protect you. We need Jesus to keep us. And when Jesus is in your life, as he stepped into that boat, man, you are kept. You are secure, you are given assurance.

And I want you to know the hope of the gospel can be yours. If you will see Jesus for what he is, you will recognize your sin and you will understand that Jesus died and resurrected so that you can be saved so that you can be protected so that you can be kept.

Friend, come to Jesus.