Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus

 "Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”" (Matt. 14:22-33)

WE see after the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus made His disciples to get into a “boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away” (Matt. 14:22). The Greek word for “made” here is “anagkazo” which means “to necessitate” and can be translated as to “compel” or “constrain.” So Jesus compelled the disciples to get into a boat and go before Him while He drove the multitudes away. Why did Jesus compel the disciples to get into a boat? It was most likely because He wanted them to go through this trial of faith in order to strengthen their faith and trust in Him. We see in verse 23 how Jesus went up to pray on the mountain in the evening by Himself while His disciples were in the boat in the middle of the sea. What were Jesus doing there alone and what was He praying for? Jesus was most likely praying for His disciples, in their time of trial that their faith would not fail. Remember how Jesus told Peter before he denied Him saying:  “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail…” (Luke 22:31-32). In the same way Jesus prays for us during our time of trial and testing. He “ever lives to make intercession for us” (Heb. 7:25). 

In the fourth watch of the night (3 AM to sunrise), Jesus came to His disciples walking on the sea while His disciples were on the boat during a storm. In the same way, Jesus comes to us during the storms of life to comfort and strengthen us and often He comes to us at the last watch – during the time of severe and intense trial and testing. The disciples did not recognize Jesus but thought He was a ghost and cried out for fear. But Jesus assured them saying:  “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (Matt. 14:27). Peter still doubted and told Jesus:  “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (Matt. 14:28). So Jesus invited Peter to come to Him. At first Peter was safely walking on the water going towards Jesus. But when He took His eyes off Jesus and looked around him and saw how the wind was boisterous, he was afraid and “beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matt. 14:30). In the same way when we are going through the storms of life and take our eyes off Christ and look at our circumstances, we become afraid and disheartened. So Jesus stretched out His hand with love and lifted Peter and gently rebuked his little faith. After Jesus and Peter got into the boat, the wind ceased. So we see how Christ has power over the wind and sea and He has power to calm the storms in our lives. Then the disciples came to Jesus and worship Him saying:  “Truly You are the Son of God” (Matt. 14:33). When we see the hand of God rescuing us and delivering us, it most often causes us to worship and praise the God of Heaven and Earth. So remember during your storms of life to keep your eyes on Jesus and do not be discouraged by your outward circumstances and Christ will calm your wind and sea and will sustain you by His peace “which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7).

Peter Sarkis

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free! 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.