Walking on Water - The Gospels - Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, and he said come. And when Peter
was come down out of the ship, he walked on
the water to go to Jesus. Matthew fourteen twenty nine.
Multiply whatever touches my hand, Lord, as I give to

(00:20):
serve the lives of others, like the little boy in
Matthew fourteen and John six one through ten. I thank you, Jesus,
because you can take little in my hand and make
it grand. As I continually step out in faith, meet
me at the place of my obedience. Then take whatever

(00:41):
gifting and ability I have and reproduce it and replicate
it in such a way that thousands and millions of
your children can be blessed. But don't stop with that miracle.
As I continue to listen to your word, allow me
to walk on and over situations in my life that

(01:04):
should cause me to sink. I declare that my focus
will remain steadfast on you, Jesus. I declare that I
will not lose sight of who it is that has
called me out into the deep waters of purpose. I
decree that I am a water walker filled with the

(01:27):
anointing to multiply everything that touches my life, and I
am not afraid to speak this truth over my life
in Jesus' name. Amen, Thanks for making prayer a priority
in your life to hear the Bible come to life.

(01:48):
Stay tuned for The Bible in a Year, brought to
you by Bible in a Year dot.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Com Walking on Water.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
In our last story, we learned about the brutal beheading
of John the Baptist. The man who spent his entire
life paving a way for the Son of God was executed. However,
his death would not be the end for him. He
would be embraced by God the Father into the gates
of Heaven. Now we learn about the providing power of
Jesus through the feeding of five thousand people. Then we

(02:29):
learn about Jesus's power over nature itself. As one of
the disciples attempts to join Jesus in faith, he finds
himself failing as inspired by the Gospels.

Speaker 4 (02:42):
Hello, and welcome to today's podcast, The Bible in a Year.
This is Jack Graham. In our previous episode, we heard
how King Herod's wife Herodius, conspired to have John the
Baptist beheaded simply for her enjoyment and to silence the
man who had preached repentance and announce the coming of
Jesus the Messiah. As his ministry came to an end,

(03:05):
the earthly ministry of Jesus continued to grow, with more
and more people following not only to hear him teach,
but also to experience hope and healing. Today we'll learn
how Jesus miraculously feats a crowd of people, using what
little is available to provide abundantly more than anyone could
have imagined. Then we'll hear how Jesus amazed and astounded

(03:28):
his disciples by displaying miraculous control over the very laws
of the natural world. Let's listen now to the reading
of God's word.

Speaker 3 (03:39):
Jesus chreked across the shores of the Sea of Galilee
for miles. He traveled beside the shores, listening to the
bustling crowd behind him. His popularity had grown, and now
it was nearly impossible for him to take a stroll
without thousands of people at his back. Jesus peered at
a small hill beside the shore and began to walk

(04:00):
up it. As he reached the top, he turned around
to see five thousand faces.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
Peering up at him.

Speaker 3 (04:07):
Their eyes beamed with joyful expectation. His disciples sat down
beside him and watched the crowd get comfortable. Jesus taught
them about the kingdom of heaven. He spoke about the
will of God as one who had complete authority. The
crowd was captivated by his words. However, the sun was
high in the sky and they had walked many miles.

(04:29):
Jesus had sensed that the crowd was growing hungry for
more than just the word of God. Jesus turned to
Philip and asked, is there anywhere nearby to buy bread
for these people? Jesus asked this question with a purpose.
He knew the answer, but wanted Philip to behold what
was about to take place. Two hundred dinari would not

(04:49):
even be able to feed these people, Jesus. Philip responded,
even if we had enough money, no baker would have
this much bread. All at once, Andrew chimed in and said,
I know there is a boy who brought his own food,
but he only has five loaves and two fish. It
really isn't enough to feed anybody. Jesus stood to his

(05:10):
feet and put his arms around his disciples. He laughed
and said, well, we will see if it is enough,
go and have all the people sit down. So, while
the people sat down on the grassy hill beside the shore,
the boy with the five loaves and two fishes brought
his food to Jesus. He gave them up, not sure
if it would even feed two grown men, let alone

(05:32):
five thousand people. Nevertheless, the boy wanted to be a
part of what Jesus was doing, so he sacrificed what
little he had. As it turns out, it would be enough.
Jesus split the loaves and fishes into twelve baskets and
rose them in the air. He blessed them and thanked
the Lord for his abundant provision. Then he gave the

(05:53):
baskets to his disciples and had them walk around the crowd,
dispersing the food. To their amazement, the baskets were filled
to the brim with loaves and fishes. They did not
see the baskets filled. They did not see anybody put
more food in. It was a simple yet powerful miracle.
So the entire crowd was full with a wonderful meal,

(06:14):
and there was still plenty left over for the disciples
to eat. After the crowd had eaten, mumbles of Jesus's
power became a mighty roar. People erupted in praise at
his humble might, so they called for him to be
made king over Israel. If they could make him king,
perhaps all hunger would be eradicated, perhaps all suffering and

(06:34):
sickness would be gone. They wanted Jesus to rule over them,
and they were willing to take him by force to
make it happen. The crowd stirred, and some of the
men shouted for them to take Jesus, to force him
on the throne. Jesus, perceiving the threat before it became violent,
took his disciples and loaded them into a boat. He
sent them away to go to the other side of

(06:56):
the sea and assured them he would meet them there.
The disciple launched off and raised their sail. As they
were sailing away, they could see Jesus on the shore,
walking up a small mountain to be alone with God.
The sun was setting, and Jesus sat alone with God.
He spoke tenderly to his father and was refreshed in

(07:16):
his presence. Miles away, the wind was picking up. In
the middle of the sea. Waves began to crash against
the side of the disciples boat. The setting sun shed
light on the chopping waves as the disciples desperately held
on to the sides. As the disciples were being tossed
by the wind, one of them could see a figure

(07:36):
in the distance. It stood above the waves as if
it was shifting ground. What is that, they shouted. All
of them shifted to the side of the boat. Is
it a ghost? They asked. The figure walked closer to them,
and their hearts beat fast with fear. As dusk broke
into night, the figure was close enough to see it

(07:57):
was Jesus walking above the breakers and the waves. Take heart,
Jesus shouted, it is I. Do not be afraid. The
men could barely believe their own eyes. They had seen
Jesus calm the storms before, but now he walked upon
it like steady earth. Peter's eyes began to well up
with tears, and his heart fluttered in his chest. Lord,

(08:20):
he said, if it is truly you, command me to
come out to you and walk on the water. Jesus
extended his hand and smiled.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
Come then, he said.

Speaker 3 (08:31):
So. Peter approached the side of the boat. It was
still rocking from the waves below. He stuck out one
leg towards the water and felt it steady underneath him.
So he brought his other leg overboard and saw that
the waters did not consume him. The disciples gasped and
tears fell down Peter's eyes as he looked at Jesus.

(08:52):
Like an infant taking his first steps, Peter walked towards
Jesus on the choppy waters. He could see his Lord
smiling as he took each step. Peter's heart could not
be more filled with joy. He looked at Jesus as
a son to his father. However, when the wind brushed
up against his hair, it forced him to look around.

(09:12):
He could see the crashing waves and strong winds around him.
He looked down at the dark, consuming water below him.
As Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he felt himself
beginning to sink. Peter felt the support of his feet
give way as he dropped into the black abyss. He
gasped for air, but was then buried underneath a wave.

(09:33):
Peter was terrified. He went from complete awe to utter
panic as the waves crashed over his head. Peter cried
out to Jesus. In his hysteria, he was able to speak.
One of the most powerful prayers ever spoken, a prayer
that would echo in eternity, a prayer so simple yet
so filled with meaning, that if anyone spoke it, they

(09:54):
would be forever embraced by the loving arms of the Father.
As Peter was surrounded by way and gasping for air,
he looked up and shouted, Jesus, save me. Peter was
hit by another wave and felt himself sinking deeper into
the dark belly of the sea. His mind began to
fog and his strength failed. Then two arms reached down

(10:18):
and grabbed Peter from the depths. He emerged out of
the water in the arms of Jesus. The Lord walked
Peter back into the boat, and the waves subsided. Peter
lay on his back, catching his breath. All the disciples
looked at Jesus. The winds calmed, and the sea was
as still as glass. The stars shone brightly above them,

(10:39):
illuminating Jesus's face. They looked up to him and said, truly,
you are the Son of God.

Speaker 4 (10:54):
In today's scripture, Jesus and his disciples are on a hillside,
but they are not all. A multitude of people have
followed them across the countryside to this remote spot where
Jesus had retreated after he'd heard of the death of
John the Baptist. For hours, Jesus taught them, pouring out wisdom,

(11:15):
God's word, truth, straight from the heart of God. Just
imagine how captivating it must have been to listen to
Jesus speak, each word so full of meaning and depth.
He spoke like no one before him, and the Bible
says the common people hurt him gladly. The people hung
onto his every word, even if they couldn't fully understand

(11:38):
all that it meant. At times, as the day drew on,
the time came when people would have been retiring to
their homes for a supper a bite to eat. But
they were all far away from home, and it seems
that there had been no mention of a potluck dinner,
so nobody brought food, well, almost nobody. The disciples went
to Jesus to ask him to send the away so

(12:00):
they could eat, but Jesus assured them they didn't need
to be sent away. Hungry. He then asked Philip a
question that was meant to test the disciples. He asked,
where can we find bread to give to all these people?
How can we feed this crowd. Ever, the pragmatic Philip said,
there's not enough food here to feed the whole multitude,

(12:24):
even if they all just had a single bite. We
don't have enough money, we don't have enough resources to
feed this crowd. Once again we see people operating with
a mindset of scarcity. But Jesus was about to show
them that the operative word for God is abundance. That
God can do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or think. Andrew,

(12:48):
Peter's brother then brought a glimmer of hope and faith.
There was a boy, just a small boy, with five
loaves of barley and two fish. But how would that
feed more than five thousand people? Then in Matthew fourteen
eighteen we read Jesus replied, he said, bring them here

(13:08):
to me. Isn't that what God says to each of us.
Take your little, take you're not enough, and give it
to Jesus. Then watch what God can do as he
performs miracles in our lives. Jesus took what the boy brought,
and he had the people sit down. He gave thanks,

(13:29):
He blessed it a reminder that we are always to
thank God, even for the little that we may have
as well as a lot. And then he began to
break the bread and handed it to the disciples to
give the food to the crowd. Not a person went
hungry that day. In fact, they were all filled. In fact,
there were twelve baskets full of food left over, one

(13:51):
for each of the disciples. When the crowd saw what
Jesus had done, they were amazed. Of course, they had
just seen the supernatural, but they failed to get the
real message of the miracle, and Jesus knew this. They
wanted to take him by force and make him king,
a political messiah. But this wasn't God's plan, and it

(14:12):
wasn't the kind of kingdom that he was bringing. They
wanted an earthly kingdom, they wanted a military messiah. They
wanted comfort. But Jesus was bringing a promise of the future,
a heavenly kingdom, and a spiritual freedom that comes when
we know the grace and the glory of God. So

(14:32):
Jesus moved quickly and dismissed the crowds, sending them home
and ushering his disciples into the boats while he retreated
to pray and seek strength and comfort from his father
in heaven. So Jesus sent his disciples into the boats
and to the other side. But as evening fell, the
waves on the water grew and tossed the boat around

(14:53):
the sea was churning, and Jesus was not with them.
There was no one to speak to the wind and
the waves, just them, And even though they were professional fishermen,
some of them, they could not handle this storm, and
the disciples knew they were going under. As the disciples
looked across the waters to the shore in fear, they
saw a figure coming their way. Defying the laws of nature,

(15:17):
this one glided across the water. They were terrified, thinking
it was a ghost. But then Jesus identified himself as
the Great I Am and the one who could calm
the storms without and calm the storms within. He said,
do not be afraid. Peter. Ever, the bold one replied
that if it was Jesus, to call out to him

(15:39):
so he could also walk on the water. Jesus told
him to come, and as Peter stepped out of the boat,
a step few of us would have dared to take.
When he took that risk, he of course, was amazing himself.
His feet did not sink, but traveled as if it
were on firm ground. God had parted the waters from
Moses and Joshua and the Israelites, but now Jesus was

(16:02):
demonstrating that dry land wasn't even needed. At his command,
the raging seas could become a well worn path, steady
and sure. Because Jesus is the master of the waves
and sea, all is well. As Peter's gaze stayed on Christ,
but then he shifted his eyes saw the dangers he perceived,
and began to believe they were more powerful, and he

(16:24):
began to seek. Notice that Jesus didn't tell him to
turn back and run to the boat. When Peter cried
for help, Jesus came to the rescue. He held him
and helped him and reassured him, and then no doubt,
carried him back to the boat in a place of safety.
When we trust God and step out in faith and
take bold risk at his commands, we also will see

(16:48):
miracles in our lives. And if we fail, know that
Jesus is there to save us and carry us home.
He is our loving Savior, the Christ of every crisis.
Give your life to him, just as the boy gave
the fish and the bread to Jesus. Give what you
have to him, and just as Jesus walked on the water,
reminding us that everything over our heads is under his feet,

(17:12):
put your life in his hands, because he will never
leave you or forsake you. Dear God, we know that
you are more than able to do abundantly more than
we could ever ask, think or imagine. Thank you that
you provide for our need, and that you call us
then to step out in faith, to trust you and
to believe in you. May we never take our eyes

(17:34):
off of you. We think of the old Gospel song.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into his wonderful face,
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in
the light of his glory and grace. Thank you, Lord
for being the Christ of every crisis in our lives
and in the lives of our family, our friends, and

(17:56):
people all around us who need you and who will
call upon you. Thank You for being our help and
our salvation, the one who can deliver us and save
us from every circumstances life. Thank You for being our helper,
our savior, our deliverer. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Thank you for listening to today's Bible. In a year podcast.

(18:19):
I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download the
pray dot Com app and make prayer a priority in
your life, just like over twenty million people have done
to this date. If you enjoy this podcast, share it
with someone you know and love, because by sharing this
message of the Word of God, you can make an
eternal difference in someone's life. And I want to encourage

(18:42):
you to go to Jack Graham dot org. That's me.
At Jack Graham dot org, we have resources available to you.

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Walking on Water - The Gospels

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Jack Graham

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