Mark 6:45-52 NIV

[45] “Immediately, Jesus  made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida while he dismissed the crowd. [46] After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. [47] Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. [48] He saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn, he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, [49] but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, [50] because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately, he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” [51] Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, [52] for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.”

For the disciples, life with Jesus was an adventure on steroids! What would He do next? No matter what happened, no matter what fix they got into, Jesus had a miracle.

The disciples were battling a storm on the lake. Jesus was on the shore, watching them struggle. So, what did He do? He hitched up His robe and set off across the water to go them. Just like that!

There’s more to this story than a seemingly simple miracle. Mark wove into this event a few words that open up a window into the meaning of Jesus’ actions.

According to Mark, Jesus did something that made no sense in the context of the story unless we read it in its broader use in Scripture.

“He was about TO PASS BY them…” Why would Jesus have done that if He had wanted to help them?

Now, let’s examine these words in other contexts…

Moses…

Exodus 33:18-19 NIV

[18] “Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” [19] And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness TO PASS IN FRONT OF YOU, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 

Exodus 34:5-6 NIV

[5] “Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. [6] And HE PASSED IN FRONT of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…”

Elijah…

1 Kings 19:9, 11-12 NIV

[9] “There, he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”…

[11] The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for THE LORD IS ABOUT TO PASS BY.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind , there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. [12] After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

So, what was that all about? The expression “pass by” hints at something big…some revelation of God’s character, in Moses’ case, or God’s ways in Elijah’s case that is much more than God simply crossing in front of these men. 

To Moses, God revealed His “chesed”, His covenant love,  so that Moses could appeal to His mercy to forgive Israel’s sin and reinstate them as His covenant people. 

To Elijah, God revealed His ways, not in raw natural power but in the power of His whispered word. He instructed Elijah to go back and carry out His commands as part of His plans through which He would work out His purposes for Israel. 

So, what did Jesus want to reveal to His disciples when He PASSED BY them?

Let’s look at their reaction. 

Mark 6:49-50, 52 NIV

[49]…”but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, [50] because they all saw him and were terrified…

[52] … They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.”

…and His words, “It is I!” or rather, ’I AM!” Jesus, what are you saying!…A revelation of His true identity, the “I AM!”

How terrible for the disciples! They missed the whole point of Jesus’ revelation because of their unbelief! Despite the miracle of the multipled loaves, they had no expectation that Jesus would save them because He was Yahweh, I AM. They had not yet learned to entrust themselves to Him as God in every detail of their lives.

They didn’t see the familiar figure of Jesus. They saw a ghost! What were they expecting?

This story speaks a loud message to us. When we are in trouble and we ask for help, what do we expect? A ghost? Does Jesus answer us with a  phantom answer or with the real thing? Is He really God or not?

Let’s give Jesus credit for who He really is to us!

Matthew 7:9-11 NIV

[9] “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Jesus is looking for real faith, not “situational” faith or “conditional” faith…not the faith that suits our circumstances but the faith that recognises “I AM” in everything.