The Gospel of Mark 6:45-52
“And immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the
boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was
sending the crowd away. And after bidding them farewell, He left for the
mountain to pray. And when it was evening, the boat was in the middle of
the sea, and He was alone on the land.
And seeing them
straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch
of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He was intending to pass
by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a
ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified.
But immediately He spoke with them and said to them,
“Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Then He got into the boat with them,
and the wind stopped; and they were utterly amazed, for they had not gained any
insight about the loaves, but their heart was hardened.”
“And when they had crossed over they came
to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the
boat, immediately the people recognized Him, and ran about that whole region
and began to carry here and there on their mats those who were sick, to the
place they heard He was. And wherever He was entering villages, or cities, or
countryside, they were laying the sick in the marketplaces, and pleading with
Him that they might just touch the fringe of His garment; and as many as
touched it were being saved from their sicknesses.”
Picture in your mind for a moment what the feeding of 5000
people must have been like. The back and forth of twelve men to Jesus and the
crowd. That is a daunting task for mere men and yet God provided for the people
who hungered and thirsted like the Israelites in the desert and for the
disciples who served them.
Jesus then commanded His disciples to get into the boat and
go ahead of Him to Bethsaida on the other side of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus then personally
sent the crowd away, filled and satisfied. They wanted to stay with Jesus, but
He dismissed them to go to their home and they went. And after bidding them
farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.
Jesus went to a solitary place to commune with His Father,
He had been working on healing, casting out demons, and feeding thousands and
though He, as a man, felt the weight of this task, He took many opportunities
to pray alone with His Father on the mountain. This “lets us know that secret
prayer is necessary, not only for the bewailing, and confessing, and begging
pardon for…secret sins, (for Christ had no sin), but for (a) freer and more
near communion with God; for although God fills “the whole earth with His glory”,
we shall observe that God, in his more than ordinary communion with his people...”
(Matthew Poole)
When evening came, the boat the disciples were on was in the
middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. It was about 4 A.M. or the
fourth watch of the night, and Jesus came to them walking on the seas and intended
to pass them by. How easily did Jesus walk on the water, can you fathom it? He
started onshore and was intending to pass by the boat in the middle of the sea.
This is amazingly fast to walk unimpeded through the waves and wind as though
the water were solid.
The disciples were straining at the oars, for the wind was
against them, and Jesus just walked right up to them, easily as though nothing
was going to stop Him. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought
that it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified.
You would be terrified, also, I know I would for how many of us have seen
something like this?
This is the power and glory of God on display, for Yahweh
told Moses that He could not look upon God and live. God then put Moses in the
cleft of a mountain and told him that he would see only the backside of Yahweh,
not a physical backside but of God’s glory for Yahweh had covered the cave so
that Moses didn’t see His face. God’s compassion for those He loves is seen in
this, that God, would not permit Moses to die from seeing His face as He passed
by but let him see His glory.
Jesus is God and though He is seen, face to face, and is
only seen as a man, the power He exhibits is so great that it causes the mind
to ponder amazing things. The disciples thought Jesus was an apparition, a
ghost, something otherworldly and it terrified them. Though God is always good
to see such power is frightening. Having compassion on them in their moment of
fear and trial Jesus speaks with them and says “Ego Eimi” I am
He, do not be afraid and take courage.”
“He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and
they were utterly amazed, for they had not gained any insight about the loaves,
but their heart was hardened. The disciples saw this awesome display of God’s
glory in Jesus, the Messiah, and were amazed. But didn’t they recently see
Jesus feed 5000 people? They also saw Him rebuke a storm into stillness after waking
from His sleep. Oh, what little faith they had, that they would not see or
remember what Christ had done, that this one act of power would harden their
hearts.
Are you not amazed? We have accounted to you the many
testimonies of God’s works through His Son, Jesus. Do you not remember them? Is
this message today the one that will open your eyes to whom Jesus is? Or will
it harden your heart more, like the disciples? Have we not shown you the power
of God? Have you not seen it here in this place? What would cause a man to ask
for forgiveness? It’s the work of God and His glory being displayed that all
may worship Him and give the glory, amen!
The boat had crossed over and they came to land at
Gennesaret and docked at the shore, and as they were getting off the boat
people began to recognize Jesus and ran about that whole region and began to
carry here and there on their mats those who were sick, to the place they heard
He was. And wherever He was entering villages, or cities, or countryside, they
were laying the sick in the marketplaces and pleading with Him that they might
just touch the fringe of His garment; and as many as touched it were being
saved from their sicknesses.
Though these people weren’t there to follow Jesus, as is the case of many, they desired to be healed and in as much as they had faith, they were healed. Consider for a moment that little faith that allowed them to be healed. It’s the faith the disciples had, and it was little and now Jesus and His disciples were about to be swamped by many other people. They hadn’t had time to eat; they had been up all night in the storm; and had gotten no sleep.
“But the charity of these people to their sick neighbors
is very commendable and instructive of us Christians as to our duty to do good
to others, as to their bodily wants and necessities, so far as we are able. but
how much greater is that charity, which is shown to people’s souls, inviting
them to Christ that they may be spiritually healed!” (Matthew Poole) And
that is the work we do for Christ Jesus here.
Jesus came to save sinners. Sinners suppress the truth and
hide in their darkness because they love darkness. They are unbelieving, vile,
foolish, rebellious, haters of God who have adopted the ideologies of this
world and the doctrines of men. They have become slaves to their sexual
desires, perverting the flesh and mind, and rebelling against the created order
of God. They are doomed to condemnation and will be judged by Jesus and sent to
Hell where they will burn for eternity in the lake of fire.
However, God so loved His creation, mankind, that He sent
His Son Jesus, who can forgive you of your sins and redeem you because He has
the authority and power. Jesus brings eternal life to all who repent and
believe. For Jesus bore all our sins; He bore all the sins of all who believe
in Him. Jesus was born and lived a perfect life of obedience to God as a man.
Jesus was condemned to be executed and die in the sinner's place. He suffered
the totality of God's wrath upon Himself on the Cross, which every sinner
deserves, so that those who believe in Jesus may have peace with God. Jesus
rose from the dead, conquering death, and lives, and ascended to the right hand
of God the Father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and He is in your
midst with us offering you salvation.
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