Matthew 14:25-30

Mat 14:25 (KJB)
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

The fourth watch of the night would have been between 3 AM and 6 AM. The disciples were already about two miles into their journey when this terrible storm had hit. They were definitely in fear for their lives because of the raging sea. Right in the middle of their test, Jesus comes to them all calm and walking on the sea. (Job 9:8 KJV) Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
Job speaks about God treading upon the sea. The word “treadeth” in Job 9:8 carries with it the meaning of walking. Here is another proof that Jesus is God. Who could walk upon the raging sea unless it is God Himself come down to us? The elements in all their rage could not keep the Son of God from coming to His people and this teaches us that no matter how rough our circumstances are, Jesus will always be there to help His children.

Mat 14:26 (KJB)
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

It seemed they had no problem in believing in ghosts but their real problem was that they thought so little of Jesus. They had seen Him walking on the sea but even after seeing the miracle of the feeding of the thousands, they still had fears and still had trouble in believing that Jesus could intervene. Their reaction was a typical human response in a situation of increased anxiety. Even though it was Jesus coming to them, they had a response of fear like some did in the Old Testament such as Moses in Exodus 3:6. (Exo 3:6 KJV) Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. Then there was Gideon in Judges 6:22-23. (Judg 6:22-23 KJV) And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. {23} And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. The disciples had the same fears until they had understanding of the situation and that God was in control.

Mat 14:27 (KJB)
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

Jesus knew that the disciples were fearing for their lives and now they probably believed that they were going to be attacked by some ghost. Jesus immediately confirms to them that it was really Him. They were probably very tired from the long day of feeding the multitudes and couple that with a situation which could increase anxiety and they had a natural human reaction. Then Jesus tells them to be of good cheer. The key to surviving any dire situation is to know that the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Neh 8:10 KJV) Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. The joy of the Lord allows you to remain calm and deal with the situation at hand in a biblically rational manner. In the Greek, the words “It is I” is “egô eimi” which translates “I am.” (Exo 3:14 KJV) And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Here Jesus is telling them that He is the Great I AM. Another reference to the fact that He is God. Then He tells them not to fear because Jesus will have this situation well in hand.

Mat 14:28 (KJB)
And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

Peter then answers the Lord and wants to confirm that it is really Him. He asks the Lord to bid him to come to Him on the water. The word “bid” in the Greek is in the Imperative Mood making it a command. Once Peter heard the voice of the Lord, it seemed his fear had turned to bravery. For in one moment they were fearing for their lives in a major storm and now Peter requests that Jesus command him to come to him in the water, amid the raging waves. This teaches us that even in times of peril that believers can be brave when walking in the spirit. Peter wanted to go to Jesus but he did not immediately go out of the boat on his own words. Too many Christians get in to trouble when we seek the Lord on something but then instead of waiting for Him to work or answer, we go ahead of Him and lead our lives into shipwreck.

Mat 14:29 (KJB)
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

Jesus then commands Peter to come to Him on the water. You have to admit that Peter did have a brave streak in him. I mean, how many of us would dare to get out of a boat in the middle of a raging storm? Peter was definitely a unique individual. The same Peter that walked on water would be the same Peter that would deny the Lord at His arrest. It shows you that even the bravest of people in this world are fickle. So Peter responds to the command of Jesus and gets out of the boat and starts walking toward Him. The disciples are now learning that Jesus has the power much greater than any storm. He walked on the water and the wind did not even affect Him one bit. He walked on the water and that also defied gravity because His body would have been heavier than the water and would have displaced some and caused Him to sink but that was not the case. This is why it is not difficult for Jesus to descend from Heaven as far as the clouds and rapture His children to glory on the last day.

Mat 14:30 (KJB)
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

While Peter was walking toward Jesus and had his eyes on Him, he was alright and continued to walk above the water. Then Peter made a big mistake and that was when he started looking at the wind and the waves. (Isa 26:3 KJV) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. If Peter would have kept his eyes on Jesus, he would have been able to go all the way to Jesus. This is one of the gravest mistakes that we Christians make. We tend to look at our situation and see how bad it is and then filter God’s strength through those circumstances instead of filtering the situation through the power of God. Once we realize that the power of God is greater than any problem we have, we will start seeing our problems through the eyes of God and not our human eyes which have very limited range and understanding. When we know that God has the power and ability to handle any situation we have, then we will walk above our circumstances just as Peter did at the beginning. The last part of this verse teaches us that we will never be abandoned by God for any reason. Even when we are sinking below our situation, Jesus is right there to help us even if our situation seems to be beyond mending. Prayers need not be elaborate, just faithful and true.

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