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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 14:22 - 14:27
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_14:22-27
22Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Mat_14:22 "Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat" Why Jesus forced the disciples into the boat is unspecified. It could have involved
1. the inappropriate actions of the crowd (cf. Mar_6:15)
2. another example of His supernatural power to build the disciples'faith (cf. Mar_6:45-51; Joh_6:15-21)
▣ "while He sent the crowds away" They had become excited over this miraculous feeding and attempted to make Him king (cf. Joh_6:15). This was exactly the temptation of the evil one in Mat_4:1-4 regarding the turning of the stones to bread. It was for this very reason that Jesus needed to get away, pray and speak with the Father about His further ministry. There was great confusion among the people concerning His healings and, here, of the feeding of the multitude.
Mat_14:23 "He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray" This was His original intent back in Mat_14:13. The Gospels repeatedly record Jesus getting alone to pray. If He, being God Incarnate, needed this, how much more do we?
Mat_14:24 "the boat was already a long distance from the land" Mar_6:47 says the boat was in the middle of the lake.
Mat_14:25
NASB, NKJV,
NJB " in the fourth watch of the night"
NRSV " early in the morning"
TEV "between three and six o'clock in the morning"
This was a technical term to designate the fourth Roman watch of the night, which was 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. (cf. Mar_13:35). Originally the Jews had only three watches during the night (cf. Jdg_7:19; Lam_2:19), but during the Roman period they adopted this fourfold division. Notice that Jesus had been in prayer for most of the night.
▣ "He came to them, walking on the sea" Because the waves and the wind were up, He must have come in and out of sight as the waves lifted up the boat. Here again Jesus showed His power over nature. We learn from the other Gospels that Jesus meant to simply walk past them but, because of their fright, He had to get in the boat with them.
Mat_14:26 "it is a ghost" This is exactly what they would say in the Upper Room in Luk_24:37. They were terrified. Jesus' first words to them were "Stop being afraid" (present imperative with the negative particle. These words of encouragement are repeated often (cf. Mat_14:27; Mat_17:7; Mat_28:19; Mar_6:50; Luk_5:10; Luk_12:32; Joh_6:20; Rev_1:17).
Mat_14:27 Jesus spoke to His disciples two commands.
1. NASB, "take courage"
NKJV, "be of good cheer"
NRSV, "take heart"
TEV, NJB, "courage"
This is a present active imperative. Jesus spoke these words often to
a. a paralytic, Mat_9:2
b. hemorrhagic woman, Mat_9:22
c. the disciples in a boat, Mat_14:27; Mar_6:50
d. a blind man, Mar_10:49
e. the disciples in the upper room, Joh_16:33
f. Paul, Act_23:11
2. " Do not be afraid" - This is a present middle/passive deponent imperative. Jesus spoke these words to
a. disciples in a boat, Mat_14:27; Mar_6:50; Joh_6:20
b. Peter after his great catch of fish, Luk_5:10
c. disciples while teaching them, Luk_12:32
d. at transfiguration, Mat_17:7
e. women at the tomb, Mat_28:10
f. Paul at Corinth, Act_18:9
g. Paul at sea, Act_27:24
h. John on Patmos, Rev_1:17
These same words were spoken by angels to
1. Zacharias, Luk_1:13
2. Mary, Luk_1:30
3. shepherds, Luk_2:10
4. women at the tomb, Mat_28:5