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side, while He sent the multitudes away.” He made them get
into the boat. He forced them. That’s the word. Maybe they
said, “We’ll help you clean up.” He said, “Get in the boat.”
Maybe they said, “We’ll wait for You.” He said, “GET IN THE
BOAT!” And it was with such a force, that they had no choice.
They had to get into the boat.

Mark 6:45 teaches the same thing. “And immediately He made
His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other
side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the multitude
away.” Here was the command, “You go in the boat and I’ll
meet you at the other side. I’m going to meet you at Bethsaida.”
Now, these were fishermen. They may have made that trip
many times. It would be easy to obey the Lord. That’s not
difficult to go to the other side. But they were in a test; He will
send a storm.

John 6:18, “And the sea began to be stirred up because a strong
wind was blowing.” I’m going to let the Bible describe how
terrible this storm was. It said that a strong wind was blowing.
Matthew 14:24, “But the boat was already many stadia away
from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was
contrary.” They are being battered by the waves. Don’t
confuse this storm with the storm when Jesus fell asleep in the
boat. Those are two different storms. When He fell asleep in
the boat it was a matter of life and death. Their lives are not in
danger in this storm. This has to do with their sanity. This is
not about surviving. It’s about overcoming.

John 6:19, “When therefore they had rowed about three or four
miles, they beheld Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near
to the boat; and they were frightened.” They had already rowed
about three or four miles. Scholars tell us that they had to go
seven miles. They are about half way. Matthew 14:25, “And
in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on
the sea.” It was the fourth watch of the night. They divided
their night into four different time periods; six to nine, nine to