Jesus Wanted to Pass by Them

How well do you know Jesus Christ?

It’s a hard question to answer, isn’t it? Part of the reason it’s difficult is because there are different ways of knowing him. It’s possible to know a lot of facts about him, but quite a different thing to know him, to feel close to him, like a close friend or loved one. To know intimately his love, his power, his strength, his compassion - that is another thing.

It’s one thing to see a picture of Half-Dome, it’s another to climb it, look down on the valley below you, feel the breeze as you stand at the edge of the sheer granite cliff. It’s one thing to watch a video of someone sky-dive. It’s another to feel the parachute catch you.

It’s one thing to know about Jesus, it’s quite another to know him. To know his love, to know his power, to know his strength, to know his compassion, to know his glory.

We need to know his glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

The great question before the church, before each and every Christian, in fact, before every single person in the world is this: do you know Jesus Christ?

There are many people who know about Jesus. They like him. They’re interested in him. But they’re not in awe of him, they aren’t amazed at him.

Our souls need to behold the glory of the Lord. This is what we need. Not to know him as a good moral teacher, as a spiritual guru or a revolutionary. But as the glorious God he is.

The previous chapters of Mark are all about revealing the glory of Jesus. Starting after his parables in chapter 4, Jesus starts revealing his divine power to his disciples so as to help them understand who he is. The end of ch 4 he calms a raging storm. Ch 5 he casts out an army of demons. After he heals an incurably sick woman and then raises a girl from the dead. We looked a couple weeks ago at the monumental miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, and now this morning, we encounter another event: Jesus walks on water.

Jesus walks on water. This is one of those Bible stories that all of us know what it’s about, but few of us know what it’s about, if you know what I mean. And I want to put it out there again, at the beginning of this message, that this section is meant to help you truly know Jesus.

Read text (Mark 6:45-56)

So let’s set the scene. Remember, this event is taking place immediately after Jesus and the disciples miraculously fed the massive crowd of thousands of people. And if you recall verse 35 it was growing late in the day, and that was why they fed them. After this miracle, the crowds are pressing upon him, according to John 6 because they want to make him king, so he handles the situation by sending the disciples away into the boat and then dismissing the crowds (v 45).

So it’s the end of a busy day and Jesus, after sending everyone away withdraws to pray. So the disciples are rowing on the lake. And Jesus, in solitude, goes up the mountain and is praying.

Verse 47: “And when evening came” - evening is the period between late afternoon and darkness. So it’s not the dark of night yet, but it’s that dusky, hazy, twilight. Now as he’s praying, he looks out in verse 48: “And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them.”

Consider it. Early Mark 6 they’re sent out on a preaching tour. They preach from place to place. Those who receive them are invited in to stay, those who don’t they move on. All of this would have been an exhausting tour. They get back, and in verse 30 they’re relaying what happened to Jesus and he invites them to get away and rest, but that rest is interrupted by the massive crowds, and Jesus shows them compassion and they feed them. So they didn’t get the rest. And then, in a sort of sudden and surprising move, Jesus sends them on ahead, straight into some headwinds, and says, “Go to the other side.” And I wonder if there was confusion,

That phrase, “making headway painfully” is a strong word indicating an incredible strain on the disciples. It’s actually a word translated “torture” or “torment” in other places. Remember when Jesus approached the demon in Mark 1 and the demon begged Jesus not to torment him?

So these men are exhausted physically. They’re exhausted emotionally. They’re trying to follow Jesus and he sends them away. They’re confused. The wind is blowing. They’re wet. The muscles are drained - feeling like rubber - This has got to be a low point for them.

Now look at the end of verse 48: “And about the fourth watch of the night, he came to them.” The Romans divided the night into 4 watches. The first watch: 6-9pm, 2nd: 9pm-midnight; 3rd watch: midnight-3am, 4th watch: 3am-6am.

You have to notice the time stamps on this passage. Verse 47 says when evening came, they were on the sea. Other translations say “the middle of the sea.” This is the Sea of Galilee which is actually a lake. But it was about 4 miles wide. So the middle of the sea is about 2 miles in. Now that’s in the afternoon. They’re trying to make headway but it’s torment to go an inch.

So when did Jesus see them making headway painfully? According to verse 47, evening. That’s at the beginning of the first watch. When does Jesus go to them? 4th watch. In other words, Jesus saw them struggling around 6-7pm, and let them struggle all through the night until somewhere between 3-6am. That’s around 9 hours of sleepless, agonizing, torment. Jesus sent them into this confusing, difficult, agonizing painful, exhausting, experience.

# 1 First point: Jesus sent them into suffering.

Church, mark this: sometimes it’s very hard to follow Jesus. If disciples would have ignored Jesus, they could have found a bed to sleep in that night. They obeyed, and it was painful.

Sometimes we think, “This can’t be God’s will, because it’s too hard.” I’ve heard people say, “This marriage can’t be God’s will for my life, it’s too hard.” Or “Staying pure can’t be God’s will for my life, it’s too hard.” They think that Jesus would never lead them into difficult situations.

But he will. Clearly, he will. As C.S. Lewis says, “He’s not a tame lion.” He is interested in something far more profound, deeper, and vastly more important than your immediate comfort. And he will take you through dark, tormenting, exhausting, sleepless nights to get you there.

You see, there are aspects about God you will never understand until you are brought low - lower than you think. There are views of God you can only see from the valley. There are sights only visible in darkness. Ask godly seasons saints about the deepest and most profound lessons they’ve learned in life, and they will speak of dark nights and deep pain.

He will ask more of you than you think you can give.

This is the context for one of the most incredible miracles in the New Testament.

# 2 Now, let’s see Jesus Shows them His Glory.

Second half of verse 48: “And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.” There’s no apology, no explanation. He doesn’t say, “I know this might sound unbelievable, but here’s what happened.” He simply records it. He came walking on water.

So after letting them struggle for around 9 hours, finally, he comes.

Now, there are some people who love Jesus, but don’t really believe in his supernatural miracles. They believe them to be myths. Legends. Some of these people became scholars and when they studied this passage, they tried to peel away the myth and discover what really happened. Some have said that there were conveniently located stones, just underneath the water, and Jesus used them to come out to where the boat was. Others postulate a sandbar. Still others say that it was a foggy night, and they actually weren’t far from the shore, and Jesus came and stood on the shoreline and it frightened them.

None of these explanations deal with the facts. That is not what Mark recorded. He says that Jesus walked on the sea. Now why is Jesus doing this? Why didn’t he just stop the wind from the shore? Why does he walk on the sea?

First, there are passages in the Old Testament that, in order to describe the might and power and authority of God, describe him as one who walks the seas. Job 9:8 God “stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea.” Psalm 93:4 he is “Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea.”

And here comes Jesus demonstrating that he walks the seas. He is mightier than the waves. He is doing the very thing only God can do.

But I think the key to this whole section is found in the most confusing statement. Look at the very end of verse 48: “He meant to pass by them.”

What? Wait a second. What’s going on here? He meant to just pass by? “Oh hey guys! Struggling in the headwinds, eh? Welp, see ya later.” But it just doesn’t make sense!

This is incredible when you see what Mark is saying here. That phrase, “to pass by” is a phrase used in the Old Testament to describe God revealing himself to human beings.

Let’s learn a theological word: “Theophany.” It’s two greek words put together: “theos” meaning God, and “phanaien” which means appearance. It is a visual appearance of the invisible God. There are times in Scripture where our God, who is invisible, makes himself visible in some way. The burning bush in Exodus 3 is a theophany. The pillar of fire that led the Israelites in the wilderness is a theophany. When Isaiah saw God on his throne in Isaiah 6, it was a theophany.

God, invisible to our natural eyes, at times reveals himself to us in ways we can see.

Turn to Exodus 33:18. Moses is discouraged at the sinfulness of Israel, his people.

1 Kings 19:11 is similar - Elijah is discouraged - he thinks he’s the only faithful Israelite left. And God meets him on a mountain, and the text says, “He passed him by.”

Here, in this text, we get Jesus walking on water, something that only the creator God can do, and then we see why: because he wanted to “pass by them.” What Mark is saying is that Jesus wanted to give them a vision of his glory and power and might and majesty. In other words, he wanted to show them that he, in fact, is the creator, God incarnate, passing before them.

So the suffering of his disciples provoked in the heart of Christ a desire to pass by them and reveal more of his glory. Hear this: the gift Jesus wants to give them is not a calm lake - at least not initially - but something greater - a more awesome and accurate picture of his glory!

I mentioned earlier that there’s a false Christianity that doesn’t really know Christ. They have vague ideas about him, and they like him, but they don’t know him. And if you worship a puny Christ, you’ll be a puny Christian. This is J.I. Packer’s whole reason for writing Knowing God. He writes, The conviction behind the book is that ignorance of God-- ignorance both of his ways and of the practice of communion with him-- lies at the root of much of the church’s weakness today…” and that “Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.”

What Jesus is revealing to his disciples is this: I am God. I walk the waters because I created them. I uphold the universe by the word of my power. All things were made through me and for me. I am God, the center of the universe, the point of creation.

Do you believe that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ?

Jesus is revealing himself to be Creator God.

So many people serve a flimsy, weightless Jesus, and therefore they have become flimsy and weightless. And when a church loses its view of the greatness of God, it tries to motivate people with entertainment and light shows and endless strings of jokes and stories, it tries to figure out new ways to amuse their congregants, it gets absorbed in trivia - and thus becomes trivial.

Think of what we’re being shown here: when the disciples are at their lowest, when they’re despairing, when they’re exhausted, when they’re wiped, Jesus does not calm the storm. Instead, he wants to pass them by, to give them a theophany, a vision of his divinity, his majesty, his greatness. Why? Because without a view of the glory of God we flounder.

If you are living without a clear idea of the glory of Jesus Christ, ask, beg, and plead with God to reveal his glory to you. Ponder his Word, meditate his truth, until your soul is humbled and filled with awe at the mighty, majestic, incredible glory of Jesus.

Verse 49: “but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified.” They see what’s happening and they don’t have a category for it. Their only explanation is that there’s a ghost. The Greek word for ghost is “phantasma” - where we get phantom from. It was actually common belief in those days that water spirit haunted lakes, and initially, this is what they think.

There’s a terror that they experience. Terror is beyond fear. Terror is when there’s an immediate existential threat, outside of our capacity to understand or control. They are terrified.

They are experiencing a theophany, God manifesting his glory and power, and they are terrified.

If you’re familiar with Scripture, it’s consistent, isn’t it? Isaiah sees God and he falls on his face and curses himself. John sees God in Revelation 1 and he falls down like a dead man. There’s no flippancy in the presence of God.

Now real quick, look at the end of 51: “And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”

They would not have been so surprised if they had understood the feeding miracle. They didn’t get it. After the feeding miracle, their hearts were hardened. They didn’t grasp what the miracle was meant to show. Jesus was saying, “I am God Almighty, I am creator! I am Lord!” Missed it.

And that’s why they’re astounded on the boat. They didn’t have a category to put Jesus in.

# 3 Jesus speaks words of comfort. Now look at what Jesus does: “Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I, Do not be afraid.” Jesus, perfectly wise, speaks the perfect words for the moment: three statements.

Take heart. It’s the idea of filling one's heart with courage. Face the terror with confidence.Do not be afraid. This is the other side of the coin. Banish fear. Instead, be filled with courage.

Why? How? Here we are, on a lake. In the middle of the night. Exhausted from straining at the oars, exhausted from a sleepless night, exhausted from relentless ministry. Confused and perplexed - and then now - terrified by a phantom approaching us on the sea. I have every right to be without heart and given over to fear!

But what’s the declaration he makes in the middle that is the foundation for both: “It is I.”

In Greek: “Ego Eimi.” These words are an emphatic way of saying, “I am” - which, again, if you’re familiar with the Old Testament, is the name God revealed himself to have. “I AM THAT I AM.” You see, up to this point, Jesus’ actions have been to show that he is God. And now, here, it is explicit in his words. “I am.” I AM I AM.

The name I AM means he is self-existent, eternal, objective, unchanging. Ages and ages past, he existed as the almighty, infinite God. Eons and eons from now, he will still be alive, ruling with perfect enthusiasm and glorious might. He will never fade. He will never die. He will reign forever. All the redeemed will enjoy him forever.

All the potshots taken at him will fall like BBs into the ocean and he will continue on in his happy existence for all eternity.

Pause and think with me for a moment. The God of the heavens, the God of galaxies, the God of angelic realms, has come, in the flesh, and he walks on water, and he gets into the boat with these poor disciples, and he tells them: “Don’t be afraid.”

How is it possible to not be afraid? By knowing who he is. “It is I.” By knowing that it is Jesus, who himself is God, who is by his very nature compassionate, by his nature merciful, and who is infinitely powerful, and infinitely good. To know him is to be set free of fears.

In the midst of their agony, he wanted to pass them by and show his glory. This is called grace.

He didn’t stop at the boat. The one who here reveals himself to be Lord God Almighty, Infinite Creator, ineffably glorious, went to the cross to take upon himself our sins, to bear our guilt, to suffer and die in our place, to be buried. Why? So that he could conquer sin and death in his resurrection, and offer himself to you as the Savior.

If you’re not a Christian, or if you’re profess to be a Christian, but don’t really know Christ, these events: the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus passing by his disciples on the water - are meant to present to you the reality that Jesus is your creator, deserving of your wholehearted worship and devotion. You are a great sinner, you are in great guilt, you are in great need, and he is a great savior, he is the only savior, and he is sovereign over all things, and he calls you to trust him - his life, death, and resurrection - for salvation. Will you trust him? If you will not, all that is reserved for you is the same terror the disciples felt on the boat, except eternal, unending, and without relief.

So in 53-56 they moor the boat at Gennesaret and get out, and the people, “ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wheverer he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many touched it were made well.”

Everywhere he goes he spills out mercy and grace and generosity. These people don’t know him, they don’t truly know him, and they are healed. They don’t truly know him, and they are running to him.

Church, Don’t run from him. Run to him. Lay everything at his feet. Lay it all before him. He is God. He is the one who walks the seas. He is the Great I AM. And he is healer. Lord. Savior.

Do you know him? Do you know his glory? Do you know his power? Do you know that he is God? Do you know that he is I AM? Do you know that he is compassionate? Do you know that he is the Savior? Do you know that you can run to him?