BIBLE STUDY: What was the meaning of Jesus walking on water? (Matthew 14:22–36)

The miracle of Jesus walking on the water, recorded in three of the Gospels ( Matthew 14:22–36; Mark 6:45–56; John 6:16–21), came on the heels of His miraculous feeding of the 5,000 with only five loaves of bread and two fish ( Matthew 14:17). But it was the miracle of Jesus walking on the water that, more than any other, convinced Jesus’ disciples that He was indeed the Son of God ( Matthew 14:32–33).

The story unfolds at the Sea of Galilee, which lies in the lower portion of the Jordan Valley in a mountain range that rises to 4,000 feet above sea level. The lake itself is 700 feet below the Mediterranean Sea. One of the more noteworthy aspects of this body of water is that it is greatly susceptible to sudden and extremely violent storms.

These storms are caused by the cold air rushing down from the mountains surrounding it and colliding with the warm, moist air rising off the surface of the water itself.

“When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’

Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading” ( John 6:16–21).

There are several significant points to recognize about this miracle. First, Matthew tells us that “the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake” ( Matthew 14:24–25). Though they were only to travel a short distance, the storm was so violent that, despite all their efforts to control their boat, the storm had driven them nearly four miles out into the very midst of the sea. Being the fourth watch of the night (3:00 AM to 6:00 AM), they had been rowing and straining at their oars for approaching nine hours! They were totally exhausted.

Mark tells us that, when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the lake, they thought He was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw Him and were terrified ( Mark 6:48–50). And this brings us to the second significant point of this miracle.

Jesus always comes to us in the storms of life. This is reminiscent of the words of God to Isaiah: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you” (Isaiah 43:2). The Lord may not come at the time we think He should come, because He knows when we need Him the most.

Jesus had waited until the boat was as far from land as possible, when all their hope was gone. In essence, Jesus was testing the disciples’ faith, and this meant removing every human prop. Why did Jesus walk on the water? To show His disciples that the very thing they feared, the raging, seething sea, was merely a set of steps for Him to come to them. Often we fear the difficult experiences of life such as illness, loss of loved ones, and financial hardships only to discover that these experiences can bring Jesus closer to us.

But we have to ask, why did they not recognize Jesus? The answer is they were not looking for Him. Had they been waiting by faith, they would have known Him instantly. Instead, they jumped to the false conclusion that His appearance was that of a ghost. The point is this: fear and faith cannot live in the same heart, for fear frequently blinds the eyes to the presence of the Lord.

The third significant point is that Jesus proved Himself to be in command of the elements, something only God can do. He revealed this truth to the disciples who recognized His divinity and responded with a confession of faith in Jesus as God: “The wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” ( Matthew 14:32–33). This was the first time Jesus was called the Son of God by the disciples, a statement that, in fact, built on what they had said earlier about Him in Matthew 8:27: “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him.” Here they answer their own question: “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Though they had a long way to go in their spiritual understanding, the disciples were growing in their faith in the Lord. Also, this was the first time the disciples are said to have worshiped Jesus. In Matthew 2:11, the magi from the East worshiped Jesus. Later, a leper is said to have worshiped Jesus ( Matthew 8:2). A synagogue ruler does the same thing in Matthew 9:18. But this is the first time the disciples worshiped Him. It is also important to note that their worship is joined to their confession ( Matthew 14:33).
And this is what worship is, acknowledging who God is and praising Him both for who He is and for what He has done. It was in this story that the disciples took the first step and worshiped Jesus as the Son of God.

BIBLE STUDY: The Power Of “Having Faith In God” (Mark 11:22-24)

BY: —Michael Uzoma Michael—

Jesus said, “have faith in God.” The scene was Jerusalem and the time a few days before His death. In the immediate context, He had (the day before) used a fig tree with “nothing but leaves” to illustrate the barren state of Israel due to unbelief. He cursed that tree, and on the next day Peter commented on the withered tree. “So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘have faith in God’,” (Mark 11:22).

I am convinced, the next two verses in Mark eleven cannot be well understood or authentically applied – if we fail to tie them to these four simple words in verse 22: “have faith in God.” Let’s see how this works.

In the next verse the Lord said: “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says,” (Mark 11:23). Verse 23 is about the power of “faith in God.” A topic is announced in verse 22 (“faith in God”), then something is said about it in verse 23 and 24.

And it will be useful for us to keep in mind, this passage is not about faith in general; it is about “faith in God.” There are people in the world who have faith in the sense of self-confidence. There are people with faith in men (religious leaders, dead and alive).

There are people with faith in various religious systems, human creeds or philosophical methods. Mark 11:22-24 is not about generic faith; it is about “faith in God.”

We must let the Lord’s statement in verse 22 identify and limit the subject.

Verse 23 should not be taken as a blanket promise or command to change terrain. We have no record in the New Testament of an apostle, gifted Christian or believer changing terrain (moving mountains into the sea). Nor do we have any record of a camel literally passing through the eye of a needle. The language is designed to create a visual picture; as we re-create the picture in our minds – we are led to the point. In this case, the picture evokes images of great strength and power, and the point is: Peter and the other disciples would need this kind of faith (as opposed to the unbelief demonstrated by the withered tree). L.A. Stauffer says it well: “Casting mountains into the sea is not a specific objective of the will of God or Christ, but does illustrate vividly and memorably the unlimited power of God when working through men who believe and doubt not (see Jas. 1:5-8). That is all Jesus intended by this instruction”.

There is something in this picture for us to contemplate. We can face and conquer great difficulties by faith in God. The challenges we face in life often seem like huge mountains we cannot climb and cannot cross. Deeply rooted, active faith in God is our strength to confront these mountains and move them out of the way.

This same contextual approach (the connection back to verse 22) ought to be used with verse 24: “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

The only way to spin this verse into a blank check to get anything you ask for, is to ignore the context. Remember, the topic is identified in verse 22: “have faith in God.” I cannot use verse 24 for anything that would not harmonize with faith in God. Using prayer to get anything I want does not harmonize with faith in God (see James 4:3, 1 Jno. 5:14,15). Within the realm of obedient faith in God and dependence upon His will, prayer is effective and yields good results.

When I think, live and pray by faith in God, I do not wither away like the barren fig tree; I grow and produce the fruit of faith, to the glory of God. Jesus said, “have faith in God.” Do you?

“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!”

BIBLE STUDY: What Does “Blessed Are the Meek” Mean? (Matthew 5:5)

BY: Michael Uzoma Michael

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus opens with a series of statements known as the Beatitudes. The third Beatitude is “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

Jesus’ words echo Psalm 37:11, which says, “The meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.” What does it mean that the meek are “blessed”?

First, we must understand what it means to be blessed. The Greek word translated “blessed” in this verse can also be translated “happy.” The idea is that a person will have joy if he or she is meek.

The blessedness is from God’s perspective, not our own. It is a spiritual prosperity, not necessarily an earthly happiness.

Also, we must understand what “meek” means. The Greek word translated “meek” is praeis and refers to mildness, gentleness of spirit, or humility. Other forms of this Greek word are used elsewhere in the New Testament, including James 1:21 and James 3:13.

Meekness is humility toward God and toward others. It is having the right or the power to do something but refraining for the benefit of someone else. Paul urged meekness when he told us “to live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:1–2).

Meekness models the humility of Jesus Christ. As Philippians 2:6–8 says, “[Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death —even death on a cross!” Being “in the very nature God,” Jesus had the right to do whatever He wanted, but, for our sake, He submitted to “death on a cross.” That is the ultimate in meekness.

Meekness was also demonstrated by godly leaders in the Old Testament.

Numbers 12:3 says that Moses “was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (ESV).

Believers are called to share the gospel message in gentleness and meekness.

First Peter 3:15 instructs, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” The KJV translates the word for “gentleness” here as “meekness.”

Someone who knows Christ as personal Savior will be growing in meekness. It may seem counterintuitive, but Jesus’ promise stands—a meek person will be happy or blessed. Living in humility and being willing to forego one’s rights for the benefit of someone else models the attitude of Jesus Christ. Meekness also helps us to more effectively share the gospel message with others. Striving for power and prestige is not the path to blessedness. Meekness is.

SUNDAY EXCLUSIVE: Should Christians go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem?

A pilgrimage is a journey made to a place considered sacred as an act of religious devotion. Muslims are required, if at all possible, to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, Muhammed’s birthplace. This pilgrimage is part of their religious duty as Muslims and a way of helping insure paradise for themselves. Christianity makes no such requirements. In fact, any act performed for the purposes of insuring eternal life for ourselves is wrong—including making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”

Many Christians dream of going to Israel to see the places we read about in Scripture. Visiting Bethlehem, the temple ruins, and the empty tomb can be spiritually impacting. Given the relative ease of modern transportation, such a trip is an attainable goal for many, and thousands of people make the trip to the Holy Land every year. However, some consider their trip to Jerusalem a “pilgrimage,” on par with a Muslim’s trip to Mecca. When we view a visit to Jerusalem that way, we are entering dangerous spiritual territory. When we add to or take away anything from the finished work of Christ in purchasing our salvation, we are guilty of perverting the gospel (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; Titus 3:5). A pilgrimage to Jerusalem will not change one thing about our standing with God (Ephesians 2:8–9).

We should consider several factors when deciding whether or not to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem:

1. Finances. Depending upon where a person lives in the world, the trip itself can be quite costly. Travel expenses, lodging, food, souvenirs, guides, and side excursions add up to quite a bill. If a pilgrimage to Jerusalem would require going into debt or spending money that is needed elsewhere, then such a trip is not a wise decision. Before planning a trip to Jerusalem, a wise Christian should consult the Lord about whether this is the way He wants the money spent.

Could that money be better used to help others know Him?

2. Motive. People have different reasons for desiring to go to Israel.

Unfortunately, many who consider themselves Christians see a pilgrimage to Jerusalem as a way of growing closer to God, rather than by following His instructions to repent, be baptized, and live holy lives ( Matthew 4:17; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 1:15). If the reason for the trip is to better understand Scripture or to delight in seeing and touching the very places where Jesus and the patriarchs walked, then it can be a good experience. But if the purpose is to obtain grace or earn a better standing with God, then priorities need to be adjusted before such a trip can be productive.

3. Spiritual significance of relics. Human beings have a tendency toward idol worship. Unfortunately, many who consider themselves Christians can create idols out of relics thought to be a part of Christian history. Near hysteria occurs when a fragment of Peter’s boat, the skull of a saint, or some such object is supposedly discovered, and millions flock to it for a glimpse or a touch.

Deeming physical objects to possess spiritual power is superstitious and wrong. If we are prone to such idolatry, even for things or places presumed to be connected with Jesus, a pilgrimage to Jerusalem could be little more than an extended episode of idol worship.

Trinkets, rocks, or pieces of wood purported to be part of the cross are often snapped up and given their own shrines where people pay obeisance to them. Certain religions tend to do this more than others, but we can all be prone to idolizing items rather than reserving all our worship for the invisible God. Those who touch objects or visit ruins as a means of growing closer to God may need to reexamine their understanding of salvation before making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (see 2 Corinthians 13:5).

For reasons unknown to us, God chose the tiny nation of Israel through which to bring salvation to the world.

Jerusalem is mentioned throughout Scripture as a place near to the heart of God and a city that plays a big part in His future earthly kingdom (Revelation 3:12; 21:2–3). Those who love Jesus and love His Word naturally have an interest in Israel and especially Jerusalem, so a desire to visit to those places is understandable. If the trip is financially wise, the reasons are sound, and idolatry is not an issue, then planning a trip to Jerusalem can be an exciting adventure.

But it need never be considered a religious pilgrimage.