Mark 6:45-56
45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
SUMMARY
He went up on a mountainside to pray: Many times Jesus displayed this pattern of prayer: He prayed (1) alone, (2) in solitary places, (3) for prolonged periods, (4) in the twilight hours, (5) often at crisis points in His ministry (Mark 1:35; 6:46; 14:32-42; Luke 5:16; 6:12; John 17). Jesus, the God-Man, is the Perfect Man, who never sins, and who lives in obedient surrender to the Father and in step with the Holy Spirit. We are to be like Jesus and seek God earnestly when faced with challenges and decisions.
Further, we can draw encouragement that Jesus was likely praying for His disciples, who, at that hour, were going through a night of futility and peril. The Lord ceaselessly intercedes for His holy people; He never forgets us or loses sight of us (Hebrews 7:23-26; John 17:12-19).
He saw the disciples straining: Greek, basanizō. To be tortured, tormented, suffering. A long hard day followed by a restless night. The disciples were overwhelmed at the strong winds blowing across the sea; their great acumen as sailors was failing them. They had soon come to end of themselves. They had gone in swift obedience to do as the Lord told them, and it led them into a dark night filled with danger. The Lord Himself knew and experienced in His earthly life that obedience to God often means suffering and sacrifice (Luke 4:1-2; Mark 14:35-36). We may find ourselves in a “dark night” facing certain doom. It is not an indication of God’s displeasure with us, but it provides an opportunity for us to know Him better and trust Him more (2 Corinthians 1:8-10).
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him
How I proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
O, for grace to trust Him more
“It is I”: The trial of the raging sea was a setup for the glory of God to be revealed and the works of God to be displayed (cf. John 9:1-3). He was passing by His fearful and faithless disciples, but they did not recognize Him. Their ignorance and unbelief showed in that, instead of assuming that their gracious Master, the One who multiplied the loaves, was coming to their aid, they were inclined to believe He was a specter of doom.
Jesus overcome their hardness of heart, instilling calm and courage, by revealing Himself. “It is I,” (literally “I am” [v. 50]). His glory passed by them on the waters, much like it passed before Moses while he was hidden in the cleft of the rock (Exodus 33:22; 34:6). Make no mistake that Mark is identifying Jesus as Yahweh, the God who treads upon and tames the treacherous seas. It is fitting then, as Matthew records, that as Jesus boarded the boat and the wind died down, His disciples worshipped Him, declaring, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33).
Job 9:8-12
8 He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads on the waves of the sea.
9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
10 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
Psalm 77:16-20
16 The waters saw you, God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the heavens resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.