P2 Miracles | Walk on the Water

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Walking on Water: Trusting Jesus in Life's Storms

When we examine the miracles of Jesus, we're not talking about tricks, deceptions, or illusions. We're looking at documented accounts where Jesus literally defied the laws of nature to do the impossible. These miracles demand our consideration of who Jesus really was.

If you believe Jesus was merely a good man or great teacher, you must somehow discredit these documented miracles - something no one in human history has been able to do. As Peter told his Jewish audience after Jesus ascended to heaven: "Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know."

The Context of the Water-Walking Miracle
Just before this miracle, Jesus had performed another incredible act - feeding 5,000 men plus women and children with just five loaves and two fish. This public miracle was so compelling that the crowd wanted to make Jesus their king.

Jesus, having no political ambition, did two things:

• He told the crowd to go home
• He instructed his disciples to sail back across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum

This is where our miracle account begins in Matthew 14:22-33.

What Happened When Jesus Walked on Water?
The disciples' journey should have taken only 1-2 hours, but a storm hit, and they struggled all night - between six and nine hours - rowing against fierce winds. In the early morning hours, they saw Jesus walking across the surface of the lake during the storm, which terrified them.

After Jesus calmed them by saying, "Take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid," Peter did something remarkable. He said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." When Jesus said, "Come," Peter actually climbed out of the boat and began walking on water - becoming only the second person in history to do so.
However, when Peter noticed the wind, he became frightened and began to sink. Jesus immediately reached out to save him, then rebuked him: "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Can Storms Be Part of God's Will for Our Lives?
The first important lesson from this account is that the storm the disciples faced was actually Jesus' will for them. They weren't in trouble because they had done something wrong - they were in trouble precisely because they had done exactly what Jesus told them to do.

Sometimes we face storms of our own making through poor choices. But other times, God leads us into storms for His purposes. As Peter would later write in 1 Peter 1:6-7: "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith...may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
If you see someone going through a tough time, be careful about concluding they must have done something wrong. God may have them there because they've done everything right.

How Should We Trust God During Life's Storms?
Notice what Peter didn't say when he saw Jesus walking on water. He didn't say, "Lord, if that's you, would you calm this storm?" Instead, he said, "Lord, if that's you, tell me to come to you on the water."

Peter trusted Jesus while in trouble, not just to get him out of trouble. The authenticity of your faith is best seen not in the good, easy times, but in the hard and scary times. Your testimony is far more compelling when those around you watch you trust God in the valley just as you do on the mountaintop.

This reminds us of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. God didn't deliver them from the fiery furnace - He delivered them in the furnace. Their testimony was so powerful that King Nebuchadnezzar declared, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego...for no other God can save in this way."

Is Faith About Getting What We Want from God?
Peter didn't just jump out of the boat on his own initiative. He said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." He waited for Jesus' command.
True faith is not trusting God for what you want; it's trusting Him for what He wants. Sometimes we jump out of the boat and then ask God to bless us, when we should be making sure we hear from Him before we move.
Peter's faith was founded in what Jesus had said, not in what he wanted.

Why Does How We Finish Matter More Than How We Start?
Despite all Peter did right, he failed to finish well. His first step out of the boat demonstrated incredible faith - putting his life on the line to do something no one had ever done before. Yet he was the only one rebuked by Jesus.
It's not how you start that matters; it's how you finish. At the beginning of a semester, everyone has the same grade, but grades are given at the end. Championship trophies aren't handed out at the start of the season but at the end.
Peter's first step was a huge success, but somewhere between that faith-filled beginning and his destination, he began to waver. He took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the wind and waves instead.

Why Do We Trust God for Big Things But Struggle with Small Things?
Before we criticize Peter too harshly, we often do the same thing. Our first step with Jesus - trusting Him for salvation - requires enormous faith with eternal consequences. Yet after trusting Jesus with the biggest thing in our lives, we sometimes struggle to trust Him with smaller things.
We say, "Jesus, thank you for saving me from my sin. Only you could do that. But when it comes to my finances (or relationships, or career), I've got this." We place our faith in Jesus for the big things but waver on the small, insignificant things.
Life has a way of convincing us that the power that saved us cannot sustain us. But we must trust that the power that saved us can and will sustain us to finish well. Jesus doesn't pay such a high price to save you only to abandon you in the midst of the storm.

Life Application
Every journey with Jesus begins with a first step of faith. Before you can move toward Jesus, you have to get out of your boat - beyond trusting in your source of security, provision, and protection. You must stop trusting yourself and put all your trust in the only One who can fix you spiritually.

This week, consider these questions:

• What "storms" am I facing right now, and could they be part of God's will for my life rather than punishment?
• Am I asking God to remove my difficulties, or am I asking for His power to walk through them?
• In what areas of my life am I trusting myself rather than God?
• Where have I started well in my faith journey but begun to waver by taking my eyes off Jesus?

The challenge is to identify one area where you've been trying to handle things on your own, and deliberately place it in God's hands this week. Remember that the same Jesus who saved you is powerful enough to sustain you through every storm you face.