Jesus Walks on Water (Matthew 14: 22-33)
Without a doubt, Jesus Christ was the most impressive person to ever walk the earth! As humans, we all have the ability to walk on land, but Jesus can walk on water. This episode of the life of Jesus is described in the New Testament, in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 14: 22-33), the Gospel of Mark (Mark 6: 16-21), and the Gospel of John (John 6: 16-21). The disciples of Christ witnessed this miracle so they could attest to the power and might of the Son of God. They also learned the importance of having a strong faith to follow His footsteps. Let’s dive into this story from the Bible, which can help us fully understand how Jesus is Lord.
Jesus Walks on the Water in the Gospel of Matthew
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,
24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
“You of Little Faith…”
The Context of the Story
Jesus had just performed another miracle, known as the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and the crowds were so excited that they wanted to make Him their king by force. However, He sent them away, and asked His disciples to go ahead of Him to the other side of the lake. In all three Gospels where this episode is described, the disciples struggled to maneuver the boat because of the winds. As they struggled, they saw the figure of a man walking on the water. Any one would be scared by this vision: which is exactly what they were. But Jesus reassured them and said: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Today, He reassures us when we face the many hardships of life which can also frighten us.
Peter Walks on the Water
Whether we are pessimistic or optimistic, we can either see this important moment in the life of Peter as a miracle, because he walked on water, or we can focus on the fact that he sank. Peter’s faith allowed him to follow his master on the lake, but doubt made him falter and sink. The Bible tells us that nothing is impossible to God, and with Him, there can be miracles! Even in the midst of hardships, when everything seems uncertain, stay strong in your faith, because Jesus is with you. He reaches out to you, as He did to Peter, and you are invited to take His hand, to be daring, joyful and confident!
