Let’s return to the scene when Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water.
To refresh your memory, the disciples were rowing across the Lake of Galilee to their destination on the other side, a distance of maybe 6 or 7 miles. Normally they could have covered this distance in 2 or 3 hours. But strong winds had blown up and turned against them, and ten or twelve hours later (!) they’re still out in the middle of the lake straining at the oars.
Now here comes Jesus walking on the water. And Mark adds this interesting comment: He intended to pass by them.
Does this strike you as odd? Jesus was clearly aware of the difficulty they were in. We’re told He had seen them straining at the oars and making very little progress against the wind and waves. And here He comes now walking on the water, intending to come near enough to them so that they could see Him, but intending to pass by them.
What could possibly be His reason for this?
I think these Old Testament Scriptures shed some light:
- Job 9:8 states that God alone “treads on the waves of the sea.”
- In Exodus 33:18-23 Moses asks God to show him His glory. The Lord responds, “I will cause all My goodness to pass before you.” And although no one can see God’s face and live, God “passes by” and shows Moses His back.
- In 1 Kings 19:10-12 the dejected prophet Elijah is on the mountain pouring out his frustrations to God. The LORD replies, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Ah, now we see it! Right before the disciples’ eyes, Jesus does what only God can do–He walks on the water! And by “intending to pass by them,” Jesus echoes those occasions in Scripture when God revealed Himself to His people by “passing by” them. He’s giving His disciples a front row seat to behold His divinity. He’s revealing to them that He Himself is God!
The disciples were astounded, of course, at Jesus walking on the water and calming the wind. But it was probably sometime later when they came across those Old Testament Scriptures and realized the full import of what Jesus was doing that night by walking on the water and intending to pass by them. I imagine they fell to their knees all over again and worshiped Him as God.
Friends, this account was written down so that we, also, may behold Jesus walking on the water and “passing by,” both of which were clear claims to divinity. Oh that He would take our breath away with the realization that He is God! For nothing could be more fitting than for us to fall to our knees before Him in worship.