In Mark 6:45-52, Jesus appears to his disciples by walking on water. This is a famous miracle of Jesus, but why did he do it? What was its purpose? Such questions aren’t irrelevant. Presumably, Jesus could have appeared to the disciples in a number of ways – but he chose to walk on water. What was the significance of this miracle?
For context, the disciples were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee traveling to Bethsaida. This was at the command of Jesus, but he stayed behind to pray on a mountain (6:45-46). When evening came, Jesus could see that the disciples were having a hard time. Verse 48 says, “They were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them.”
The disciples are caught in a storm, and this is when Jesus appears to them on the water. When they see him, they think he’s a ghost! They cry out in fear; they are terrified (6:48-49). But Jesus immediately speaks words of comfort: “Take heart. It is I, do not be afraid” (6:50). When he enters the boat, the wind ceases and the disciples are greatly amazed (6:51). By this miracle, Jesus comes to the disciples’ rescue and he displays his divine power. But its placement in Mark 6 gives us an even deeper meaning.
The preceding story in Mark 6 is the feeding of the 5,000. There, Jesus shows himself to be the true king of Israel in contrast to the wicked Herod. Herod kills God’s people and serves their flesh as symbolic food (6:27-28); Jesus nourishes God’s people with food that actually nourishes – bread and fish (6:41). By walking on water, Jesus shows himself to be king not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles.
In the Bible, the sea often represents Gentile nations. Isaiah 17:12 says, “The thunder of many peoples, they thunder like the thundering of the sea! The roar of nations, they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!” Later, Isaiah 60:5 says “The abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.” These verses provide a comparison between the “nations” and the “sea.” Symbolically, if the Israelites are people of the land (Genesis 15:18-21), everyone else is the sea.
This symbolism is significant when Jesus walks on water. In the Bible, walking is a form of taking possession. When God promises the land of Canaan to Abraham, he tells him to walk it: “Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you” (Genesis 13:17). Now we see Jesus walking the length and breadth of the sea as a prophetic gesture of the nations being his inheritance.
Walking or “trampling” are also symbols of rule. Psalm 110 and 1 Corinthians 15 speak of the Messiah making his enemies his footstool. If something is under your foot, you have victory over it. Mark is showing us that Jesus is the messianic king, ruler of Israel and the nations.
If Jesus is king over Jew and Gentile, land and sea – that means he is king over you. He is king over the storms in your life. Do you ever feel like the wind is against you? What ghosts are haunting you? If you’re terrified, good! Because that’s where Jesus meets you. He says, “Take heart. It is I, do not be afraid.” Take refuge in those words; throw your cares on him. And when he enters the boat, he will give you peace.
Very good thoughts/exegesis on an often misapplied passage; causing us to think in terms of Mark’s picture of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.