Bible Lesson: Miracles Of Jesus-Walking On The Stormy Sea.
Bible Location: The Sea Of Galilee.
Bible Text: Mark 6:35-52 KJV
35 And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto Him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39 And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided He among them all.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
(The above verses repeated here for background, as they have already been covered in ... Miracles Of Jesus-Feeding Of The Five Thousand )
45 And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while He sent away the people.
46 And when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray.
47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land.
48 And He saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49 But when they saw Him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
50 For they all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
51 And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Again...
Mark 6:45-52 NLT
45 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that His disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while He sent the people home.
46 After telling everyone good-bye, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray.
47 Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land.
48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them,
49 but when they saw Him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking He was a ghost.
50 They were all terrified when they saw Him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” He said. “Take courage! I am here!”
51 Then He climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed,
52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.
Mark 6:45,46 KJV
45 And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while He sent away the people.
46 And when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray.
Our Saviour, was a man of prayer, and His habit was that of praying alone.
Matthew 26:39, Mark 1:35, Mark 6:12, 46, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:18, Luke 22:41, John 6:15.
Much may be made of social prayer, but often it is but a display of flesh (Matthew 6:5, Pentecost, of course, being an exception.), one the other hand our Lord reminds us....
Matthew 6:6 KJV
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Our Lord, knew well of strength by prayer.
Isaiah 40:28-31 KJV
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
May we begin every day, with the God of the universe, the one who knows and loves us.
Mark 6:47,48 KJV
47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land.
48 And He saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
For some time the disciples had been rowing their boat, it was now dark, and wind and water had come against them.
Dear friend is that you, amidst an ominous sea, facing all its terrors of sickness, indebtedness, loss of home or job?
There's good news in this story, the disciples, though they did not see the Lord, yet He saw them.
The inky blackness of night and storm, could “not,” hide them from His ever watching view!
Jeremiah 23:23,24 NLT
23 Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time.
24 Can anyone hide from Me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.
Acts 17:27 NLT
“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him—though He is not far from any one of us.
Psalm 34:15 KJV
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry.
Psalm 139:5-12 KJV
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Proverbs 15:3 KJV
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
48 And He saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them:
And He sees our toiling, as well! Yes, we don't have to tell Him about the wind and the waves, He knows all about them.
Matthew 6:8 KJV
"...for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him."
They needed help, but did not trust the Lord for it!
James 4:2 KJV
"...ye have not, because ye ask not."
Matthew 7:7,8 KJV
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
John 14:13,14 KJV
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it.
48 ... and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
The fourth watch of the night was approximately 3-6:00 A.M.
Just when it was the darkest and the coldest, the one who loved them so, came to them.
These stories of the disciples have been recorded so that we might have faith in our own lives.
The disciples were fearful, and in absolute terror. The Saviour was in faith, and endless love.
The disciples had done all they humanly could to stay afloat, besides their frantic rowing they had cast everything over board, into the sea, to lighten the ship, yet to no avail.
The Lord Jesus, unsolicited, came to them, walking upon the sea.
Walking on their sea of calamity, terror and death.
How wonderfully Abraham had said it so many centuries before...
Genesis 18:14 KJV
“Is any thing too hard for the LORD? ...”
And the answer is a resounding no!
Our Lord, that night walked no less than four miles on Galilee to inspire His disciples, to believe!
Yes, not rescue.
What?
We know this from verse …
48 ... and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
“And would have passed by them”
The Saviour had just shown them the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, their hearts should have been full of faith.
Seeing Jesus walking on the boisterous waters, should have told them their God, could surely, do anything!
But they had already thrown the twelve baskets of miracles overboard, and with it any faith they may once have had.
Where fear once reigned, now absolute terror, at the site of what could only be some malevolent spirit walking out on the water amidst storm and waves, but how wrong, they were.
Mark 6:50 KJV
50 For they all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
When the storms come, and they will come for...
Matthew 5:45 KJV
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
May we be a people of faith!
Luke 8:25 KJV
And He said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of Man is this! for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him.
Hebrews 11:6 KJV
But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Mark 6:51,52 KJV
51 And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Our God, is in control not only of the weather, but the universe and everything in it!
I Chronicles 29:12 KJV
Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
Psalm 62:11 KJV
God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
Matthew 28:18 KJV
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.
Romans 1:14 KJV
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Colossians 1:16,17 KJV
16 For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:
17 And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.
52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
It isn't calamities that sink us, its casting our faith overboard, when its needed the most.
Galatians 3:11 KJV
"...The just shall live by faith."
Mark 11:22 KJV
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Psalm 91:1-16 KJV
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my Refuge and my Fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.
3 Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my Refuge, even the Most High, thy Habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because He hath set His love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My salvation.
