Matthew 14:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

NIV: "Lord, if it’s you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

NASB: Peter responded and said to Him, 'Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.'

CSB: "Lord, if it’s you," Peter answered him, "command me to come to you on the water."

NLT: Then Peter called to him, 'Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.'

KJV: And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

NKJV: And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

Peter, Matthew, and the other disciples are in a boat working their way very slowly across the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22). A strong wind against them has created rough seas and forced them to row well into the night (Matthew 14:24). Their exhaustion turns to terror when they see a figure emerging from the darkness, on foot somehow, and approaching their boat by walking on waves (Matthew 14:25–26). Finally, Jesus says that it is Him and tells them not to be afraid (Matthew 14:27).

Peter's response is dramatic and would have been totally unexpected from any other person. Given Peter's impulsive nature, though, it's very much in his nature. He calls out to the figure on the water, asking that if it really is Jesus, He would command Peter to come to Him on the water. He seems to be testing the figure's identity by asking Him to let Peter walk on water, too.

While this seems like an odd way to establish that the person is really Jesus, it's not as bizarre as it may sound. Some scholars suggest that Peter's real meaning was not "if," as in "should it happen to be true," but as in "since it's you, let me come to you on the water." It helps to remember that Peter and the other disciples had already been sent out and had performed some of the same miracles that Jesus had done (Matthew 10:1).

Thanks to some combination of fear, faith, and impulse, Peter is willing to attempt to walk on water, himself, so long as he knows it's Christ giving him the command.

Matthew 14:22–33 contains the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. Immediately after feeding thousands of people from a single small portion, Jesus goes up to a mountain to pray. The disciples spend a long night rowing against a strong wind. Jesus walks across the lake to meet them. Peter walks on the water with Jesus briefly before becoming afraid of the wind and waves and beginning to sink. Jesus saves Peter and asks why he doubted. The wind stops when Jesus gets in the boat, and the disciples worship Him as the Son of God.

Matthew 14 begins with a backstory about the arrest and execution of John the Baptist by Herod the tetrarch, the Jewish ruler of the region. Jesus and the disciples take a boat to a desolate place only to find crowds waiting. Jesus heals many and then feeds as many as twenty thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Later, the disciples row against a strong wind until Jesus walks on the water to meet them and calm the wind. Peter walks on water briefly and then doubts and begins to sink. The disciples worship Jesus. On the other side of the lake, Jesus continues to heal the sick.

Matthew 13 included more of Jesus' parables and an unfortunate incident where His own hometown rejected His ministry. Chapter 14 begins with news that Herod the tetrarch—the man who killed John the Baptist—is aware of Jesus' fame and power. Jesus and the disciples intend to withdraw to somewhere desolate, but a crowd is waiting for them. Jesus heals people, miraculously feeds thousands, and walks on water. When they reach the other side, Jesus heals more people. Chapter 15 sees Jesus once again debating with His critics and performing more healings.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.