Jesus Walks on Water: Faith, Fear, and Rescue

Psalm 105 opens with King David’s clear instruction: give God thanks, sing to him, give glory to his name, seek the Lord and his strength, and remember his wonderful works. The psalm remembers the exodus, and the exodus says again that God is good always and always God is good. Matthew 14 carries that same truth into the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus comes to his frightened disciples in the middle of storming water.

Jesus has just shown compassion to the five thousand plus women and children, healing and feeding them with the help of the disciples. Jesus now shows that same compassion again by walking toward the boat when the waves are battering it and the wind is against it. The disciples see him on the lake and think he is a ghost, but Jesus speaks right away: “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.” Peter asks for a command, Jesus says, “Come,” and Peter really does step out onto the water toward him.

The wind becomes the turning point for Peter. Peter notices the strong wind, becomes frightened, and begins to sink. Yet Peter’s little faith still knows where to cry: “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reaches out his hand and catches him. Jesus does not wait until Peter has perfect faith. Jesus saves the one who is sinking, then asks, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Jesus getting into the boat shows who he is. The wind ceases, and those in the boat worship him, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” Jesus is the Lord of creation who entered creation in order to set things right. His power over creation was cloaked in weakness, and through the cross and resurrection he became Lord over death and everything that would destroy his people.

The story of the pontoon boat gives that truth flesh and blood. A father reaches down over the railing, grabs the boy who missed the boat, and pulls him up out of dangerous water. Jesus does that in a greater way. When sin, anxiety, or life in general weighs a person down, the Lord still answers through Scripture, prayer, worship, and the church community. Even little faith can cry, “Lord, save me,” and Jesus will pull the sinking one into his loving arms.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God is good in storms Psalm 105 remembers the exodus so the heart will not forget what God has already done. Matthew 14 shows the same God still acting when the boat is far from land and the wind is against it. God’s goodness is not proved by calm water only, but by his presence and power in the storm itself. [29:51]
• 2. Jesus comes toward frightened disciples Jesus does not leave his disciples alone when the waves are battering the boat. His word comes into their fear before their courage returns: “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.” Fear may misread Christ as a ghost, but Christ still names himself clearly to the frightened. [31:22]
• 3. Little faith can still cry Peter’s faith is not fake, but it is fragile. The wind exposes how quickly courage can turn into panic, yet Peter’s cry, “Lord, save me,” still reaches the right Savior. Jesus catches sinking faith before he corrects doubting faith. [32:14]
• 4. Jesus gets into the lifeboat Jesus does more than rescue Peter for a moment. Jesus gets into the boat, and the wind ceases. The Son of God does not save from far away, but enters the place of danger and brings peace with him. [34:32]
• 5. Scripture and prayer steady sinking souls Sin, anxiety, and life in general can feel like going under the water. The Lord still pulls people up through his Word, through prayer, and through life with the church community. Even quiet help from Christ is real help, and even a small cry for mercy is heard.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [29:17] - Psalm 105 Calls for Thanks
• [29:51] - God Is Good Always
• [30:08] - Jesus Walks on Water
• [31:01] - The Disciples in the Storm
• [31:40] - Peter Steps Out of the Boat
• [32:14] - Jesus Catches Sinking Peter
• [33:01] - Compassion in the Storm
• [34:11] - Take Heart, It Is Jesus
• [34:59] - Lord of Creation Enters Creation
• [35:54] - Walk Above Troubled Water
• [36:16] - The Pontoon Boat Rescue
• [38:31] - Lord, Save Me

Bible Reading

Psalm 105:1-5
“Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,” [29:17] [29:20] [29:25] [29:27] [29:29]

Matthew 14:22-33
“Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’ And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” [30:50] [31:00] [31:40] [32:14]

Observation questions

1. In Psalm 105:1-5, what are the specific things God’s people are told to do with their mouths, their hearts, and their memory? [29:33]
2. In Matthew 14, what details show how hard the situation was for the disciples before Jesus spoke to them?
3. What changed for Peter between the moment he stepped out of the boat and the moment he began to sink? [32:14]
4. What happened when Jesus got into the boat, and how did the disciples respond to him afterward? [34:41]

Interpretation questions

1. Psalm 105 connects thanksgiving with remembering God’s past works. Why does remembering what God has done help people trust his goodness in present storms? [29:51]
2. The disciples first mistook Jesus for a ghost, but Jesus answered with, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” What does that reveal about how fear can distort a person’s view, and how Christ meets that fear? [34:05]
3. Peter’s faith was real enough to step out of the boat, yet weak enough to sink when he noticed the wind. What does this passage suggest about the difference between little faith and no faith at all? [34:54]
4. The wind ceased only after Jesus got into the boat, and the disciples worshiped him as the Son of God. What does this scene show about who Jesus is and the kind of salvation he brings? [34:59]

Application questions

1. What is one storm right now—fear, anxiety, sin, uncertainty, grief, or something else—where the heart most needs to hear, “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid”? [31:40]
2. When the wind gets strong in daily life, what usually pulls attention away from Christ? What does “seeing the wind” look like in a real week for you? [32:14]
3. Peter’s prayer was short and urgent: “Lord, save me.” When have you prayed that way before? If that kind of prayer feels hard, what makes it hard to ask for help so simply? [39:26]
4. Jesus reaches out before Peter has perfect faith. How might that truth change the way someone brings weakness, failure, or doubt to the Lord this week? [34:32]
5. God steadies sinking souls through Scripture, prayer, worship, and the church community. Which of those gifts is easiest for you to receive right now, and which one have you been neglecting? [39:11]
6. Remembering God’s wonderful works helps keep the heart steady. What is one past moment where God clearly carried you, and how could remembering it help you face your present situation? [29:29]
7. Jesus does not save from far away; he gets into the boat. Where in life do you need to trust that Christ is not distant from your trouble, but present in it with you? [34:47]