Page 27 - Back to Bethlehem 2-5-19

twelve, twelve to three and three to six. Don’t read that “la, la,
la”. What that means practically is that these disciples are tired.

They were awake all day with the feeding of the five thousand.
They left around sunset and they are in the third watch of the
night. That means that they had been rowing for about nine
hours and they aren’t even half way home. Think spiritually.
Have you ever tried to obey God and worn yourself out and you
aren’t even half way home? Try to get that picture; the night is
dark and long, the Master is absent, the sea is boisterous, the
men are tired and they aren’t even half way obeying the Lord.
It’s impossible without a miracle to obey the Lord.

That’s the background. Let me set it up so we can get the
principle. There are three ways to relate to Jesus. Keep in mind
that we are talking about faith. I’m going to describe three
scenes and in each scene the disciples don’t move. Jesus moves
but the disciples don’t move. In the first scene, Jesus is on a
mountain praying and the disciples are on a stormy sea. Mark
6:46&47, “And after bidding them farewell, He departed to the
mountain to pray. And when it was evening, the boat was in
the midst of the sea, and He was alone on the land.”

In the second scene Jesus is walking on the water and He’s
going to go past them. Mark 6:48, “And seeing them straining
at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth
watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and
He intended to pass by them.” So, the disciples are on the sea
and Jesus is on the mountain. The disciples are on the stormy
sea and Jesus is walking by.

Here’s the third scene, Mark 6:51, “And He got into the boat
with them, and the wind stopped; and they were greatly
astonished…” He’s on the mountain, He’s on the sea and He’s
in the boat. At this point Matthew talks about Peter walking on
the water. But we aren’t going to look at that part. That was
just teaching the lessons of the loaves again.