Mark 6:45-52

8. JESUS WALKING ON THE WATER 6:45-52

TEXT 6:45-52

And straightway he constrained his disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side to Bethsaida, while he himself sendeth the multitude away. And after he had taken leave of them, he departed into the mountain to pray. And when even was come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them: but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was an apparition, and cried out: for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he straightway spake with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the boat; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves; for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 6:45-52

300.

If they were at Bethsaida when they landed how is it they now came to Bethsaida as recorded in Mark 6:45?

301.

Why the urgency of Jesus in asking His disciples to go over the sea to Bethsaida?

302.

Was there some special burden on the heart of Jesus that He wanted to be alone with God in prayer? Cf. John 6:15.

303.

Did Jesus know there was to be a storm at sea?

304.

How could He see them in the sea if it was at night?

305.

What is meant by distressed in rowing.

306.

Why say and would have passed by them? (Mark 6:48 b.) What purpose was there in this?

307.

Did the disciples believe in ghosts? Why their fear?

308.

Show how appropriate were the words of Jesus to them.

309.

When and why did the wind cease?

310.

In what manner could it be said their heart was hardened? Mark 6:52?

COMMENT

TIMESpring of A.D. 29.
PLACEThe sea of Galileenear Bethsaida.

PARALLEL ACCOUNTSMatthew 14:22-36; John 6:15-21.

OUTLINE1. Jesus urged His disciples to get into the boat and go before Him to Bethsaida, Mark 6:45. Mark 6:2. Prayer in the mountain, Mark 6:46. Mark 6:3. The boat was in the midst of the seaThe disciples rowing for their lifeJesus came to them walking on the water, Mark 6:47-48. Mark 6:4. They saw Him and were afraid. He calms their fears and the sea, Mark 6:49-51. Mark 6:5. They should have understood His powersbut they did not, Mark 6:52.

ANALYSIS

I.

JESUS URGED HIS DISCIPLES TO GET INTO THE BOAT AND GO BEFORE HIM TO BETHSAIDA, Mark 6:45.

1.

He remained alone.

2.

He sent the multitude away.

II.

PRAYER IN THE MOUNTAIN, Mark 6:46.

1.

Said farewell to disciples.

2.

Alone in prayer.

III.

THE DISCIPLES IN THE MIDST OF THE SEA ROWING FOR THEIR LIFEJESUS CAME TO THEM WALKING ON THE WATER, Mark 6:41; Mark 6:48.

1.

At night.

2.

Came to them three hours before daylight.

3.

Wanted to pass by(so they could see him).

IV.

THEY SAW HIM AND WERE AFRAIDHE CALMS THEIR FEARS AND THE SEA, Mark 6:49-51.

1.

They cried out in fear because they thought He was a ghost.

2.

He comforts them with Be not afraid it is I.

3.

When He stepped into the boat, the wind ceasedastonishment.

V.

THEY SHOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD HIS POWER, BUT THEY DID NOT, Mark 6:52.

1.

The loaves and fishes should have taught them of His power.

2.

Their hearts were dull.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

The effect of this miracle upon the minds of those present was very great, So mighty and wonderful an exhibition of power, reminding them, perhaps, of the feeding of their fathers in the wilderness by Moses, led them to say, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world, We can scarce doubt from the context that they meant the Messiah, for so great was their enthusiasm that they proposed among themselves to take Him by force and make Him king (John 6:14-15). It is said by Pressene; The multitudes are ravished, enthusiastic; now, indeed, they believe that they have found the Messiah after their own heart. Thus, the effect of the miracle was to confirm them in their false Messianic hopes, for they interpreted it as a sign and pledge of the highest temporal prosperity under His rule, who could not only heal the sick of all their diseases, but feed five thousand men with five loaves of barley bread. Hence, He must immediately dismiss them. It appears from Matthew and Mark that He sent away the disciples first, perhaps that the excitement of the multitude might not seize upon them. That they were unwilling to leave Him, and that He was obliged to constrain them to depart, is not strange, if we remember that they knew no way by which He would rejoin them but by a long walk along the shore; and this in the solitude and darkness of the night, for it was evening when they left the place. (compare Matthew 14:15; Matthew 14:23, where both evenings, the early and late, are distinguished.) Aside from their reluctance to leave Him alone at such an hour, there may also have been fear upon their own part of crossing the lake in the night, remembering their great peril from which He had a little while before delivered them (Matthew 8:24) and perhaps also, seeing signs of an approaching storm.

After His disciples had departed, the Lord proceeded to dismiss the multitude, perhaps now more willing to leave Him that they saw His special attendants had gone. So soon as all had left Him, He went up into the mountain alone to praythe second instance mentioned of a night so spent; the first being the night prior to the choice of Apostles (Luke 6:12-13), and both marking important points in His life.

We assume that the place where the people were fed was the southern angle of the plain of Butaiha, where the mountains meet the lake. From this point the Apostles, to reach Capernaum, would pass near Bethsaida at the mouth of the Jordan; and as Jesus proceeding along the shore must necessarily pass through it, we find no difficulty in supposing that they directed their course toward it with the design of stopping there, and taking Him with them into the boat when He should arrive. This is plainly intimated by Mark 6:45, and is wholly consistent with John 6:17. This latter passage is thus translated by Alford. They were making for the other side of the sea in the direction of Capernaum.-' He adds: It would appear as if the disciples were lingering along shore, with the expectation of taking in Jesus; but night had fallen and He had not yet come to them, and the sea began to be stormy. The great wind that blew and the tossing waves made all their efforts to reach Bethsaida useless. Nor could they even make Capernaum. In spite of all their endeavors, they were driven out into the middle of the lake and southerly, down opposite the plain of Gennesaret.

Thomson (ii. 32), referring to this night voyage of the disciples, says: My experience in this region enables me to sympathize with the disciples in their long night's contest with the wind. I spent a night in that Wady Shukaiyif, some three miles up it, to the left of us. The sun had scarcely set, when the wind began to rush down toward the lake, and it continued all night long with constantly increasing violence, so that when we reached the shore next morning, the face of the lake was like a huge boiling caldron. The wind howled down every wady, from the northeast and east, with such fury that no efforts of rowers could have brought a boat to shore at any point along that coast. In a wind like that, the disciples must have been driven quite across to Gennesaret, as we know they were. We subsequently pitched our tents at the shore, and remained for three days and nights exposed to this tremendous wind. No wonder the disciples toiled and rowed hard all night, and how natural their amazement and terror at the sight of Jesus walking on the waves. The whole lake, as we had it, was lashed into fury; the waves repeatedly rolled up to our tent door, tumbling on the ropes with such violence as to carry away the tent pins. The width of the sea opposite the plain of Gennesaret is about six miles, and the disciples, who had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs when Jesus met them, were thus something more than half the way over. As this was about the fourth watch of the night (Mark 6:48), or from 3-6 A.M., the disciples must have been struggling against the wind and waves some eight or ten hours.

The incident respecting Peter's attempt to walk on the water to meet Jesus is mentioned only by Matthew. That after he had been rescued they entered the ship, is expressly said: And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased (Matthew 14:32). In like manner Mark (Mark 6:51): And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased.-'-' But with this John's narrative has been thought by some to be in contradiction (Mark 6:21): Then they willingly received Him into the ship, and immediately the ship, was at the land wither they went (R.V., They were willing therefore to receive Him into the boat). It is said that the disciples willed or desired to take Him into the ship with them, but did not, because the ship immediately came to the shore. Tholuck, however, defends the translation of Beza, they received Him with willingness, which is the same as our English version. John mentions the will only, assuming that every reader would understand that the will was carried into effect (M. and M.) Some deny that the ship came to the shore by miracle, but suppose that it came rapidly in comparison with the earlier part of the voyage, the wind having subsided and the sea become smooth. On the other hand, Luthardt and most rightly regard it as supernatural. (Samuel J. Andrews)

FACT QUESTIONS 6:45-52

339.

What false hopes did the multitude obtain from the feeding of the five thousand?

340.

How account for the reluctance of the disciples to leave Jesus?

341.

Jesus spent a night in prayer once beforewhen?

342.

Read Mark 6:45 and John 6:17 and harmonize them.

343.

How does Thomson help us appreciate the plight of the disciples?

344.

When Jesus came to them on the water how far and how long had they rowed?

345.

Why was the incident of Peter's walking on the water omitted by Mark?

346.

Harmonize the following accounts: Matthew 14:32; Mark 6:51; John 6:21.