Jesus Walks on Water

 

                                                    Jesus Walks on Water

Taken from:  Mathew 14:22-33,   Mark 6:45-51,      John 6:16-21

Jesus told His disciples to get back into the boat and sail to the other side of the lake, to Capernaum, while He sent the crowd of people home.  After telling the people good-bye, Jesus went up into the hills by Himself to pray to God.  But, while He was there praying night fell.

Now it is late at night, and the disciples had rowed their boat about three or four miles out into the middle of the lake.  And Jesus was alone on land.  Jesus saw that His disciples were in serious trouble, and they were far from land, and a strong wind had blown up, and the sea grew very rough, and they were rowing the boat and struggling against the strong wind and heavy waves there on the lake.

Then about three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.  When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they were terrified.  In their fear, they cried out in terror, "It's a ghost!"  But, Jesus spoke to them at once.  He said, "Don't be afraid!  Take  courage for I  am here!"  Then Peter called out to Jesus,  "Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water."  Then Jesus said, "Then come to me."  

So Peter climbed over the side of the boat and he walked on the water toward Jesus.  But when Peter saw how strong the wind was and how bad the waves were, he became terrified and then he started to sink into the water.  Peter shouted out, "Lord, save me!"  Jesus immediately reached out and He grabbed Peter.  Then Jesus said to Peter, "You have so little faith, why did you doubt me?"

When Jesus and Peter climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.  His disciples were totally amazed.  Then the disciples worshiped Him, and they exclaimed, "You really are the Son of God!"

What is the story saying to us:

Seeking to be alone was an important time for Jesu.  He made room in His busy schedule to be alone with God.  Spending time with God in prayer helps us to grow closer to God, and it helps us to meet life's challenges and problems.  So make some time in your daily life to spend alone with God in prayer.  It will help you to grow spiritually and become more and more like Christ.

When Peter called out to Jesu, "Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water."  Peter wasn't putting Jesus to the test, for that is something we are told not to do.  In Matthew 4:7 Jesus said, "The Scriptures say, you must not test the Lord your God."

Peter was the only one in the boat that showed his faith.  And Peter's faith led him to have a rather unusually show of God's power.  But Peter started to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus and starting thinking about the high waves around him.  His faith begin to get less and less, when he realized what he was doing.  If we focus on difficult things around us without keeping our faith in Jesus to help us, we too, may get worried and start to sink.

To keep our faith when things get difficult, focus on the power of Jesus and turn to Him in prayer, instead of worrying about your problem.  Although we start out with good intentions, sometimes our faith falters, which means gets less and less.  When Peter's faith started to get less, he reached out to Christ, the only one who could help him.  He was afraid, but he still looked to Christ for help.  Remember that Christ is always with us and is the only one who can really help us.

The disciples were afraid, but Jesus being there calmed their fears.  In times of fear and you don't know what to do, it's calming to know that Christ is always with you.  In Matthew 28:20 Jesus tells His disciples, "Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

How is Jesus "with" us?  Jesus was with the disciples physically until He went up into heaven, and then Spiritually through the Holy Spirit.  The disciples were eye witnesses to Jesus' life and teachings, and the Holy Spirit helped the disciples to remember what they saw and heard.  The Holy Spirit can help us in the same way.  As we study the Bible, we can trust the Holy Spirit to plant the truth in our minds, and convince us of God's will, and remind us when we stray from it.

Remember this:  True believers will follow Jesus simply because they know He has the truth and His way is the correct way to live our lives.

Questions:

1.  Jesus told His disciples to get back into the boat and sail to the other side of the lake.  Then Jesus told the people bye and He went up into the hills.  Why did Jesus go up into the hills alone for? ___________________

2.  How many miles was the boat from shore when a strong wind came up?  __________

3.  How did Jesus get to the boat?  _______________________________________________

4.  Why were the disciples terrified when they saw Jesus walking on the water toward their boat?   ______________________________

5.  What did Peter ask Jesus?  ______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

6.  Why did Peter begin to sink? ____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

7.  Jesus reached out His hand and caught Peter.  What did Jesus say to Peter?  _______________

______________________________________________________________________________

8.  What happened to the wind, when they climbed into the boat?  ________________________

9.  Who did the disciples say Jesus was?  ________________________________________

Activity:

Unscramble the words

Boat        Ghost        Jesus        Little Faith        The Son of God        Walks        Water

1.  SUSEJ  ____________

2.  AWKLS  _____________

3.  TAERW  ______________

4.  BTOA  _______________

5.  TSOHG ______________

6.  ILLTTE  HAFIT  _____________________

7.  HTE SNO OF OGD  _______________________________

Answers:

1.  Jesus told His disciples to get back into the boat and sail to the other side of the lake.  Then Jesus told the people bye and He went up into the hills.  Why did Jesus go up into the hills alone for? 

To pray to God

2.  How many miles was the boat from shore when a strong wind came up?   3-4 miles

3.  How did Jesus get to the boat?   He walked on the water

4.  Why were the disciples terrified when they saw Jesus walking on the water toward their boat?   

They though He was a ghost

5.  What did Peter ask Jesus?  Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water

6.  Why did Peter begin to sink?  When he saw what was going on around him, he became terrified

7.  Jesus reached out His hand and caught Peter.  What did Jesus say to Peter?  you have so little faith, why did you doubt me?

8..  What happened to the wind, when they climbed into the boat?  the wind stopped

9.  Who did the disciples say Jesus was?  the Son of God

Unscramble the words

1.  Jesus

2.  Walks

3.  Water

4.  Boat

5.  Ghost

6.  Little Faith

7.  The Son of God