SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 14:25-36
During the fourth watch, Jesus walked on the lake to his disciples. They thought he was a ghost and were afraid. Jesus identified himself and said don’t be afraid. Peter then asked Jesus to tell him to come to him, which Jesus did. He walked towards Jesus but was afraid again. Peter then began to sink. He asked Jesus to save him, which he did. Jesus told Peter he had little faith in him. They all got in the boat, the wind died down, and they worshipped Jesus, believing he was the Son of God.
They landed at Gennesaret. The people recognized Jesus, and they spread word. All the sick came and begged to be healed by touching the edge of his cloak. And so they were healed.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 15, Day 5: Matthew 14:25-36
12) They thought he was a ghost and were afraid. Jesus tells them to take courage and not be afraid. Jesus always wants to comfort us and meet our needs.
13a) He has faith and then it wanes. That’s like all of our faith and very human. It’s imperfect, and that’s okay.
b) I have peace when I rely on God. When I rely on myself, I have doubts.
14a) It revealed he was indeed the Son of God, that he had power over all the earth and its elements, and that he was there for them.
b) Jesus proved nothing was impossible for him, from feeding multitudes with very little to calming seas and walking on water. The disciples probably had no doubt whatsoever who Jesus was, which was important before Jesus died.
15) Many. Lately, with this last move. My job. Hard to see the purpose though.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 15, Day 5: Matthew 14:25-36
I love the whole idea of walking on water. I want to be able to do that and maybe that’s why Peter asked Jesus to call him — he thought it would be cool, too.
Great read here!
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 15, Day 5: Matthew 14:25-36
The fourth watch was between 3 and 6 am. Mark (Mark 6:47-52) reveals that the disciples had been struggling against the waves all night.
Jesus could have just appeared in the boat, but he came to them in a way to grow their faith. Everything God does is for us.
Jesus takes us to places we’ve never been, and then he’s there to help us.
We have no idea Peter’s motivation for wanting to walk on water, but the disciples could do miracles, too,(Matthew 10:1) and Peter may just have wanted to try it.
When fear creeps in, we begin to sink.
Peter knew Jesus was there and cried out to him, as we all should.
We should examine why we doubt Jesus, so we can grow in faith.
Fun Fact: This is one of the first times Jesus is openly acknowledged as the Son of God and that the disciples worshipped him as such.
John tells us (John 6:21) that the boat was immediately whisked to shore after Jesus and Peter stepped in. Gennesaret was a region, not a town on the western side of the Sea of Galilee just south of Capernaum.
God uses physical objects, such as Jesus’s hem, hankerchiefs (Acts 19:11-12), and even a shadow (Acts 5:15), to heal. God offers man mercy by providing physical items we can believe in.
Our Takeaways
- Doubting God is human nature
- Coming back to God is the key
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