Peter the foremost of the disciples of Jesus
was the man who walked on water with Jesus. It happened after Jesus performed
the miracle of feeding over 5000 people with two fishes and five loaves of
bread. Matthew 14:13-21
Immediately after the miracle, Jesus
instructed his disciples to get into the boat and get to the other side of the
lake of Gennesaret. He did not follow them but went to a mountain to pray. He
was there all night while the disciples were having it rough on the sea because
there was a great storm raging on the sea.
The disciples were not expecting Jesus, so
when they saw a figure walking toward them around midnight they became
terrified, thinking he was a ghost. Jesus quickly identified himself to them,
and in his characteristic manner assure them “It is I don’t be
afraid.”
The disciples were fascinated seeing
Jesus walking on water. They have seen him command a raging storm
to cease, and the storm obeyed, but now they were seeing him walking on water.
That was too much for them to quickly accept. Peter who was always the first
person to speak out asked him whether he too can join him on the water. Peter
wanted to find out whether that feat was only meant for Jesus or if it is
something that a mortal man can do.
Jesus told him to come, and he came down
from the boat. He discovered that he could stand on water, and he was not
sinking. Peter started to walk toward Jesus, but out of
curiosity, he shifted his attention from Jesus to look around him, then he saw
the wind raging all around them. He became afraid and began to sink.
He quickly realized his mistake and cried
out “Lord save me.” Jesus quickly reached out his hand and
pulled him up, asking him why he doubted. When Jesus climbed into the
boat, the wind ceased. Still trying to recover from the shock of what
they have seen, all the disciples in the boat worshipped him,
relieved that Jesus had saved them from another wind and waves.
How Old
Was Jesus When He Walked On Water
The Bible made us understand that Jesus
started His earthly ministry at the age of 30 and completed it with His death
and resurrection at the age of 33. All the teachings and miracles of Jesus
recorded in the Bible took place within the space of 3 years that He used for
His ministry. The miracle of walking on the sea was one of
these. Not only that, but the Bible also recorded that Peter walking on
water shared out of the miracle while other disciples were watching.
When we look at the number of years Jesus spent
on earth, we can conclude that it was short. But it was fulfilling and
impactful. He was able to accomplish all that He was ordained to do. That was
why He said on the cross before He died. “It is finished.” John
19:30. God wants us to know that it is not the number of years that we spent on
earth that matters. It is what we were able to achieve in those years. More
importantly, it is whether we have accomplished God’s purpose or not.
What Sea
Did Jesus Walked On
Jesus walked on the sea of Galilee.
This body of water was one of the notable places mentioned in the New
Testament. It was among the few places used by Jesus as a base for His earthly
ministry. Jesus traveled on the sea many times, preaching to people.
Strange enough, the Sea of Galilee was also
called Lake Tiberias and Lake Gennesaret as the Bible describes various
activities that Jesus performed that are connected to the sea. Researchers have
found that the sea is the lowest freshwater body on earth, 13 miles in length,
and 8 miles in width. It is being fed by another river famous in the Bible –
River Jordan. Among the cities located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee is
Capernaum, the city Jesus used as a base for his ministry.
What one can see in and around Lake
Gennesaret today has not changed much from what used to be when Jesus walked
along the shore and journeyed on it from one end to another. That cannot be
said about many other places that Jesus lived and visited when He was on earth.
That alone makes the sea one of the few remaining landscapes that hosted Jesus
Christ when He was on earth.
The story of Jesus walking on
water had been told for centuries as recorded in the Bible. But that was not
the only story connected to this sea. Jesus calmed the storm on the sea. Mark
4:35-41. He told Peter to cast his net to catch fish after he fished all night
and caught nothing. Luke 5:1-5. Peter obeyed and got a net-breaking catch. This
was also the place where Jesus called His disciples when He wanted to start His
ministry. Jesus said many parables that are connected with water or rivers. The
sea of Galilee provided the right setting for that.
Did
Peter Walk On Water
As recorded in the book of Matthew 14:22-33.
Jesus walked on water, while His disciples were in a boat. He was not the only
one that did it. Peter got down from the boat and walked on
the same water. That can only mean one thing. In the history of mankind, only
two people had walked on water; Jesus and Peter.
There are lessons that God wants us to learn
from this miracle, especially the part that concerns Peter. The first thing we
can see is that Peter launched out in faith. He trusted in the word of Jesus,
stepped into the water, and started walking on it. Faith is very important in
our walk with God. The Bible says “without faith it is impossible to please
Him.” Hebrews 11:6. Faith is what we need to get whatever we want from God.
Peter must have remembered what happened at the shore of the same lake when
Jesus told him to throw his fishing net into the water to catch fish. Peter
knew what Jesus asked him to do was ridiculous and foolish. He obeyed and got a
miracle. That must have prompted his faith that he too can walk on water like
Jesus.
The second thing we noticed is that Jesus
took his eyes off Jesus. That was a costly mistake because
immediately he did that he started sinking into the water. The Bible admonishes
us to “Look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.”
Hebrews 12:2. Looking into Jesus means having in focus what Jesus has said
about the situation we are going through. That is what can help us hold unto
our faith until our desire is granted. This is of utmost importance because
when you request something from God, you don’t know when the answer will come.
You have to keep waiting until you get the answer to your request.
The third thing we noticed is that Peter
turned his attention to the wind. When he saw the wind, he was afraid and
began to sink. Most of the time, faith and fear determine what we get from God.
When we have faith we get God’s attention, when we have fear, we doubt and lose
our blessings. Meanwhile, what you are seeing determines whether of faith or
fear you would have. When Peter was looking at Jesus He was getting faith. When
he turned to the wind and the raging storm, he got fear and the result was
immediate. We are to turn away from our problems and focus on Jesus. You have
no business looking around. When you do, you will see what Satan has set around
you, and they are usually terrifying.
You must focus on Jesus and He will take
care of the challenges surrounding you. In the story of Jesus walking on water,
it appeared as if Jesus did not have the solution to the wind. But when He
entered the boat the violent wind calmed down all of a sudden.
You will do yourself a lot of good by
learning from what happened to peter. When he realized his mistake, he cried
out in fear to the Lord, and Jesus quickly rescued him. Jesus will not
close His ears to any distress call. God said “ Call
upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.” Jeremiah
33:3. Many of us like to carry unnecessary burdens. Please know that Jesus had
been ordained to take away all our burdens. He is the burden bearer. He can
take care of all problems no matter how critical they may be. You only need to
read those things that were recorded in the Bible concerning Him to know this.
Don’t wait until you start getting afraid and beginning to sink like
Peter before you call on Jesus. He is beside you, call on Him now.