Jesus Walks on Water

BY Amanda Bible Williams

When Jesus invited His disciples to steal away, sit, and rest for a while, you can imagine how readily they took Him up on the offer. Some passages in Mark’s Gospel make it sound nothing short of chaotic. With so many people coming and going, the disciples didn’t even have time to eat (Mark 6:31). But they’d seen the Son of God in all His glory, healing and saving and bringing dead people back to life. He was who the prophets said He was. They believed! Most of the time.

Sound familiar? The chaos swirls and the demands of the day rise like waves, ready to wipe out all our best intentions. But Jesus says, “Come away. Find the quiet. Rest a while.” The disciples tried, but chaos followed. When Jesus and the Twelve got into boats and sailed off “to a remote place” (v.32), word spread, and there was a crowd waiting for them when they reached the shore.

Jesus, being the compassionate Son of God, got out of the boat and taught the people well into the night, right there at the edge of the shore. The disciples, naturally, got antsy. “Send them away,” they said. “They must be hungry for dinner.” His response? A gentle nudge forward to faith: You’re right. You feed them (vv.34–37). But feed them what? All they had on hand was some fish, a few loaves…and Him (v.8). It’s Me, you guys. Believe.

After that miraculous feast, Jesus sent the disciples ahead again by boat, but chaos still followed—this time in the form of wind and waves. Jesus walked to them, holy feet on top of the water, and they cried out in fear at the sight. But He told them: “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Mark 6:50). It’s Me, you guys. Believe.

This would be the pattern. Wherever Jesus and His disciples went, people rushed through the streets to find Him, hoping just to brush against the robe of the one who could make them well. “And everyone who touched it was healed” (v.56). And the Twelve saw it all. They were standing right there. Still, they struggled to believe. Still, Jesus had to constantly remind them that He was who He said He was. It’s Me, you guys. Believe.

We’ve seen Him too—up close in our lives and in His Word—changing hearts, healing sickness, and bringing hope to the dark. And still, here in the chaos, we struggle to believe. 

But the Son of God stands and calls to us, just as He called to the Twelve. He calls us to come away and rest for awhile, to remember He is who He says He is. Yes, we are weak and weary, but we are invited to stay near the very Son of God. We can rest in the knowledge that He still has the power to feed and calm and heal.

It really is Him, friends. We can believe.