Page 26 - Fundamentals Ebook

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 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.