Jesus walked on water in Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52 and John 6:16-21. In the fourth watch of the night He came "walking on the sea" (Matthew 14:25) and said, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid" (Matthew 14:27). Peter walked toward Him, began to sink and cried, "Lord, save me" (Matthew 14:30).
Jesus walking on the water is one of the best-known miracles in the Bible, told by Matthew, Mark and John right after the feeding of the five thousand. It is a story about a storm, a tired and frightened crew, a Savior who comes in the dark and a disciple who steps out in faith. These twelve King James verses follow the story in Matthew 14, then add details from Mark and John and an Old Testament verse that explains why the disciples worshipped. For God's power over the waters, see water; for keeping your eyes on Jesus, see distraction.
Matthew 14: Jesus comes walking on the sea
1. Matthew 14:23
"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."
Before the miracle, Jesus went up a mountain alone to pray. The disciples were in the storm while He was praying, a reminder that He intercedes for His people even when they cannot see Him (Hebrews 7:25).
2. Matthew 14:25
"And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea."
The fourth watch of the night was roughly 3 to 6 in the morning. The disciples had rowed against the wind for hours, and Jesus came at the darkest, most tired point.
3. Matthew 14:26
"And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear."
Exhausted and afraid, the disciples thought Jesus was a spirit, a ghost. Fear can make even Jesus look like a threat at first. See fear.
4. Matthew 14:27
"But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."
Jesus spoke straightway: Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. In the Greek, it is I can also be read as I am, echoing the name God gave Himself at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14).
Peter steps out, sinks and is saved
5. Matthew 14:29
"And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus."
Jesus answered Peter with one word: Come. Peter is the only person besides Jesus who is said to have walked on water, and he did it by stepping out on Jesus' word.
6. Matthew 14:30
"But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me."
When Peter looked at the wind, fear took over and he began to sink. His three-word prayer, Lord, save me, is one of the shortest and most honest prayers in the Bible.
7. Matthew 14:31
"And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
Jesus caught him immediately. He named Peter's little faith, but He did not let him sink. Doubt is not the end of the story when Jesus is near. See doubt.
8. Matthew 14:33
"Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God."
When Jesus came into the ship, the wind ceased (Matthew 14:32), and the disciples worshipped Him as the Son of God. The miracle was about who Jesus is, not only what He can do. See Jesus is God.
Mark, John and the God who treads the waves
9. Mark 6:48
"And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them."
Mark adds that Jesus saw them toiling in rowing. He sees our struggle before He steps in. Mark also says He would have passed by them, an echo of God passing by Moses (Exodus 33:22).
10. Mark 6:52
"For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened."
Mark explains why the disciples were so amazed: they had not understood the miracle of the loaves. The same Jesus who fed five thousand could handle a storm. See God providing.
11. John 6:21
"Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went."
John adds that when they willingly received Jesus into the ship, they were immediately at the land. When Jesus comes aboard, the journey ends where He intends.
12. Job 9:8
"Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea."
Job said God alone treads upon the waves of the sea. The disciples knew the Scriptures, so when Jesus walked on the waves, they saw Him doing what only God does.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, You come to me in the storm and say, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. When the wind is loud and I begin to sink, catch me as You caught Peter. Help me keep my eyes on You, step out when You say come, and worship You as the Son of God. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
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Frequently asked questions
Where in the Bible does Jesus walk on water?
Three Gospels tell the story: Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52 and John 6:16-21. Only Matthew includes Peter walking on the water. Luke does not record the event; he moves from the feeding of the five thousand straight to Peter's confession (Luke 9:17-20).
What is the lesson of Jesus walking on water?
The main lesson is who Jesus is: the disciples confessed, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God" (Matthew 14:33). A second lesson is faith: Peter walked while he looked to Jesus and sank when he looked at the wind. Jesus is present in our storms and able to save. See everything happens for a reason for trusting Him in hard times.
Why did Peter sink?
Matthew says "when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid" (Matthew 14:30). Peter's eyes moved from Jesus to the storm. Jesus asked, "wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:31), not to shame him but to call him back to trust. See faith.
How do I teach Jesus walking on water to kids?
Read Matthew 14:22-33 aloud, act out the boat and the waves, and let children call out Peter's prayer, Lord, save me. Ask what Peter was looking at when he began to sink. Then pick one verse, such as Matthew 14:27, to memorize together. Our Bible verses for kids and free coloring pages sample can help.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about water · Bible verses about distraction · Bible verses about faith · Bible verses about fear · Bible verses about doubt · Everything happens for a reason Bible verses · Bible verses about God providing
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