Bible Study series: Matthew 14:22-33. Peter got scared and lost his faith in Jesus. He took his eyes off of him.
A warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn, so let’s learn together. I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:
In the next link to the original chapter, I also comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33
22 Then immediately Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and went ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 When he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was alone there. 24 The boat was already far away, many stadia from the land and was being beaten by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 At the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were startled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” They cried out with terror. 27 And instantly Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be encouraged! It is I! Do not fear!” 28 In reply, Peter said to him, “If it is you, command me to come to you on the water!” 29 And he said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and went to Jesus. 30 But seeing the strong wind and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and took hold of him and said, “You of little faith! Why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got in the boat, the wind calmed down. 33 And they worshipped him in the boat, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God!” (Matt. 14:22-33)
Comments:
This is a remarkable pericope (pronounced puh-RIH-koh-pea) or section of Scripture.
First, let’s handle the historical data. One stadia is 607ft. or 185m. The fourth watch is between 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. The NET says, “When the night was ending,” but that’s only true if the hour was closer to 6:00.
22-23:
“made” could be translated as “compelled.”
Matt. 14:34 and Mark 14:34 say that the boat landed Gennesaret, a small triangular plain on the north shore of the lake (Kinnereth in the OT, 1 Kings 15:20). John 6:17 says they landed in the town of Capernaum. Mark 6:45 says that Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him to the other side to Bethsaida (most likely Bethsaida Julias, just up the coast to the north on the same side of the lake), while he dismissed the crowd. The best solution is: “Jesus sent the disciples off across the lake, with the command to wait for him on the eastern shore near Bethsaida Julias, but not beyond a certain time. The delay in waiting for Jesus would then account for the actual walking on the water not occurring until the fourth watch (v. 25), i.e., after 3:00 a.m.” The disciples were to go on ahead of him until—not while he was free of the crowds, “after which he hoped to join them, after some time along in prayer; they would then cross ‘to the other side.’ Mark 6:45 specifies Bethsaida but has [heōs] plus the indicative [verb mood] …: the disciples were to go ‘to Bethsaida while’ not ‘until’ he sent the crowds away” (Carson, comment on v. 22).
That’s too complicated for this commentary, so let’s have Osborne bottom-line it: “Jesus sent them across but had told them to wait at Bethsaida ‘until’ … he dismissed the crowds and spent some time alone with God. If he was late, they were to leave. This probably occurred and explains why they were still on the sea after 3:00 a.m. (3:00h)” (comment on 14:22).
Postmodern critics can pounce on this seeming inconsistency, so let’s answer them.
My view of Scripture. It’s very high:
‘Total’ Inerrancy and Infallibility or Just Infallibility?
Begin a series on the reliability of the Gospels. Start with the Conclusion which has quick summaries and links back to the other parts:
15. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Conclusion
See this part in the series that puts differences in perspective (a difference ≠ a contradiction):
13. Are There Contradictions in the Gospels?
From the beginning of Jesus’s ministry to his death, burial and resurrection and ascension, the flow of the story is identical.
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
Differences ≠ contradictions, and see the second link for why not and the third link for the coherence or unity of the Gospels, in the big storyline. Celebrate the massive number of similarities in all four Gospels, yes, even John.
Simple addition:
Including data points in one Gospel
+
Omitting data points in another Gospel
________________________________
= Differences ≠ Contradiction
= Differences ≠ Errors
How can there be a contradiction when one Gospel is silent on some minor details which the other Gospel includes? There is no contradiction.
Postmodern critics read these ancient accounts with no subtlety and finesse. They are eager to point out the differences and then proclaim to a “noninformed” world that the Gospels are unreliable, and the younger generation loses their faith. No, the Gospels are reliable. See the postmodern critics for who they are. They belong to the spirit of their age.
Now let’s move on.
Jesus dismissed or sent the crowds away (same Greek verb) because they could not hang out together 24/7, 365. They had to get back to work, and he needed some down time, to pray. He was alone on the mountain. There is no need for a specific location. Some translate it as “hills.” The main point is that he went into seclusion. Not even his disciples were with him—not Peter, James or John, the inner core. He needed to communicate with his Father.
“disciples”:
“pray”: Jesus went by himself to pray. Luke presents Jesus as a regular prayer “warrior” (Luke 5:16; 9:18, 28-29; 11:1). To judge from the sequence of events, Jesus spent a long time to pray privately.
Prayer flows out of confidence before God that he will answer because we no longer have an uncondemned heart (1 John 3:19-24); and we know him so intimately that we find out from him what is his will is and then we pray according to it (1 John 5:14-15); we pray with our Spirit-inspired languages (1 Cor. 14:15-16). Pray!
What Is Biblical Intercession?
Luke 5:16 says he often got alone by himself to pray. The lesson for us is obvious. If the mighty Son of God, who miraculously fed five thousand, plus women and children, and is about to walk on water, must pray, then we should too. No, our prayers won’t guarantee that we’ll walk on water, because God has to will it, but we still need to get our perspective right and our faith built up. Prayer is necessary for that.
24-27:
“lake”: it is most often translated as “sea,” because of the Greek word, but the Shorter Lexicon offers the option of “lake.” And since the body of water in Galilee is a lake, I chose this term. The old traditional title, “The Sea of Galilee,” to modern readers, makes no sense when they see it on an online map; the term is inaccurate.
Blomberg is again open to the idea that something demonic is at work in this storm, because of the word “tormented,” which I translate as “being beaten” (comment on 14:22-24). The storm in 8:23-27 could also have had a satanic source behind it.
Jesus spoke courage into their hearts. “Be courageous!” It could be even translated “Be cheerful!”
In any case, the disciples saw him and cried out with fear and were terrified or troubled. So he had to minister to them and their fear. They thought they had seen a ghost. They were not thinking that they had seen Jesus’s ghost, since they had no reason to believe he was dead. It was just a ghost (or so they wrongly thought). However, there are no ghosts, but their fear got the better of them and warped their beliefs. The disciples had bad theology. It came from pop culture. Beware of pop culture. It is bound by bad thinking, mixed in with Satan’s devices and strategies.
“It is I”: It could more literally be translated as “I am!” This entire passage may refer to this passage in Job: God “alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea … Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him” (Job 9:8, 11, ESV). This is an indirect reference to Christ’s deity. It was a manifestation of the divine presence, a theophany or Christophany of sorts.
“It is I”: it could be translated as “I am.” In light of the divine manifestation of Christ, it is possible that Jesus was referring to Exod. 3:14: “I Am who I Am” (Septuagint, pronounced sep-TOO-ah-gent). On the other hand, it was a common way of saying, “It’s me!” You can decide, based on the context.
Let’s dive into a brief systematic theological discussion.
The Father and the Spirit cooperated with Jesus’s divine nature, so the first and third persons of the Trinity are working together in the Son of God. His entire ministry was about doing what the Father did and in a similar manner.
19 “Jesus then replied and said to them, “I tell you the firm truth: The Son is unable to do anything on his own, unless it is something he sees the Father doing, for the things that he does—the Son also does those things in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows to him everything that he himself is doing” … (John 5:19-20).
“Unable” should not be over-interpreted, but simply means that in his ministry, the Father empowers him. So in those two verses, the Father and Son cooperate to do the works–the miracles. And the Father anointed the Son with the Spirit. Thus, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit performed the works or miracles in the Gospels. It is the Trinity working together who inaugurated the kingdom of God and confirmed it by the signs and wonders. We too, by the Father’s will, and in the name of Jesus, through the power of the Spirit can do the works of God. Peter walked on the water, by the working of the Trinity.
So all of his prayers and commands were done by the Father’s will.
So now we have another factor: our faith. Yet, caution must be shown here. It is mainly by the will of the Father. Don’t presume you know it at all times and in minute detail. If you believe that you do, then you can take a step of faith, but if you sink, then you did not hear from your Father; you heard your own wishful thinking inside your head. Peter was clear about it because Jesus gave him permission, and Jesus did and said only what the Father told him (John 14:10). His “communication lines” were perfectly clear and perfectly open. Yours are not.
I heard a story about a missionary in West Africa, back in the 1930s. He was called to penetrate the dark jungles and took a team with him. It rained and rained for a long time. The rivers were swollen. They got to the main one before they reached their target group. It was getting dark. What now? The Spirit spoke to him to pitch their tents and go to sleep. They woke up the next morning and realized that everything had been moved to the farther side of the river! This was done by the will of the Father.
Was their faith involved? They were being faithful—a word related to faith—by going on their journey into the jungle in the first place. So their faith sustained them throughout their entire mission and indirectly by being miraculously transported across the river at night—all their supplies, too. When you follow the will of your Father, which requires you to surrender to him, then he will gladly work miracles.
What Are Signs and Wonders and Miracles?
The LORD controls the water:
2 Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.
3 The seas have lifted up, Lord,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the Lord on high is mighty. (Ps. 93:2-4, NIV)
Then what about Peter who walked on water? He was not Yahweh. No, he was not Yahweh, but he was sustained by having faith in Yahweh incarnate. Call Peter a secondary witness to Yahweh’s unique strength.
28-32:
Finally, let’s discuss Peter’s courage. It is easy to see why he would be a foundation stone—next to the chief cornerstone (Jesus)—for the earliest Jesus Movement and the church. It is remarkable that he would blurt out this request. Realistically, and setting aside your hero status in your own mind, your self-conceived legendary status, would you really ask to walk on water like this in contrary winds and waves beating up your boat? Few of us would. It is now easy to see why he was the lead apostle in the book of Acts, until Acts 15, when Paul became Luke’s main character. Peter was courageous and bold. He was at first inconsistent, but when the power of the Spirit came on him at Pentecost and subsequent times, he was consistently strong and sure-footed.
“Disciples were expected to imitate their masters, and Jesus is training disciples who will not simply regurgitate his oral teachings but who will have the faith to demonstrate God’s authority in practice as well (see especially 17:19-20; 21:20-22)” (Keener, p. 407). Then Keener reminds us that the priests in Joshua time stepped out in faith (Josh 3:8, 13, 15-17).
So Peter walked on the water by the will of the Father through his Son Jesus and by his faith. He lost his miracle-working faith when he looked at the surroundings. Be careful not to allow your circumstances to tear down your faith and make you doubt.
Jesus used an interesting verb for doubt: BDAG is considered by many to be the authoritative lexicon of the Greek NT, and it defines the verb as follows: “to be uncertain, to have second thoughts about a matter.” (1) “To have doubts concerning something, doubt, waver”; (2) “To be uncertain about taking a particular course of action, hesitate in doubt.” The di prefix comes from dis, which means double or twice (Liddell and Scott).
So Peter began to be afraid because he looked around him at his circumstances and his mind went both towards Jesus and his circumstances. He became doubleminded. And Jas. 1:8 says a doubleminded man is unstable in all his ways. Peter became unstable while he was walking on the water. When he kept his eyes on Jesus and was walking towards him, he was experiencing the miracle. But when he took his eyes off of his Lord, he began to sink. He became unstable.
Peter’s cry “save me!” mirrors the cry in 8:25 (“Lord, save us; we’re about to die!”). It looks a lot like Ps. 69:2-3, 15-16: “I sink in deep mire, where there is not foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. … Let not the flood sweep over me or the deep swallow me up … Answer me Lord, for your steadfast love is good, according to your abundant mercy turn to me” (ESV).
When you hear a bad doctor’s report or the police call you and tell you your son has been arrested, trust God and keep your eyes on Jesus. Don’t become doubleminded. Mark 9:24: “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” That’s the basic prayer. You need to move on from there to Mark 11:24: Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Hold on! Ask God for faith! And then ask God in faith. Always keep your eyes on your loving Father.
33:
Blomberg comments on the disciples’ different reactions in the parallel account in Mark’s Gospel and the one here:
Thus far their Christology is based solely on Jesus’ mighty acts, scarcely the ideal basis for faith (cf. John 20:29). Mark 6:52, while jarringly different from Matthew’s conclusion and reflecting Mark’s emphasis on the disciples’ lack of understanding, is thus not contradictory. Followers of Jesus in fact regularly experience a combination of faith and doubt. For now, however, Matthew wants to focus on the positive side of the disciples’ response and on the proper answer to the question of who Jesus is. (comment on 14:32-33)
“Son of God”: Jesus was the Son of the Father eternally, before creation. The Son has no beginning. He and the Father always were, together. The relationship is portrayed in this Father-Son way so we can understand who God is more clearly. Now he relates to us as his sons and daughters. On our repentance and salvation and union with Christ, we are brought into his eternal family.
6. Titles of Jesus: The Son of God
When Did Jesus “Become” the Son of God?
4. Do I Really Know Jesus? He Took the Form of a Servant (Jesus did not lose one divine attribute when he was incarnated).
Let’s move quickly through systematic theology on the Trinity. The Father in his role as the Father guides the whole of creation and the plan of the ages. The Son carries out the plan, notably by being born as a man, humbling himself, taking on the form of a servant (Phil. 3:7-8). He humbled himself so deeply and thoroughly that he died a death on the cross, the instrument of the death penalty.
However, the Father and Son are equal in their essence or nature. The Father is fully God and the Son is fully God, in their essence. Phil. 2:6: Jesus did not regard equality with God as something to hold on to, but he surrendered the environment of heaven and took the form of a servant.
Boiled down:
Function or role: the Father is over the Son in his incarnation and the redemptive plan
In their essence or essential nature: Father and Son are equal.
The Trinity: What Are the Basics?
The Trinity: Why Would God Seem So Complicated?
The Trinity: What Does He Mean to Me?
No question about it. Jesus accepted worship. He did not act like an angel and turn away the worship. “Don’t worship me! Only God receives worship!” Instead, he accepted it. Now for a little word study. It is the verb proskuneō (pronounced pros-koo-neh-oh), and it literally means “kiss toward” (kun– means to “fall” or “kneel,” and yes, “kiss” in the sense of honoring, and pros means “towards,” among other things). Further, it can mean, depending on the context, “(fall down and) worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully.” The Bible shows that people do those things to humans (Matt. 18:26; Acts 10:25; Rev. 3:9); to God (Matt. 4:10; John 4:20, 23; 12:20; Acts 24:11; 1 Cor. 14:25; Heb. 11:21; Rev. 4:10; 14:7; 19:4); to idols (Acts. 7:43); to the devil and Satanic beings (Matt. 4:9; Luke 4:7; Rev. 9:20; 13:4; 14:9, 11); to Christ (Matt. 2:2, 8, 11; 8:2; 9:18: 14:33; 20:20; 15:25; 28:9, 17; Mark 5:6; 15:19; Luke 24:52).
Welcoming people respectfully is appropriate. However, the only appropriate beings to whom worships belongs and is due are God and Christ, not humans or devils or idols.
Bible Basics about Praise and Worship
GrowApp for Matt. 14:22-33
1. Read Jas. 1:5-8. When you pray for wisdom (or anything else), are you doubleminded, or do you ask with single-minded faith? How do you build your faith?
RELATED
9. Authoritative Testimony in Matthew’s Gospel
1. Church Fathers and Matthew’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES AND MORE
To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom. You will also find a “Summary and Conclusion” for discipleship.
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 