Mar 6:45-52 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Mark 6:45-52: 6:45-52 This story is a manifestation of Jesus’ glory to the disciples (6:48-50 ). It is also a rescue story (6:47-48 , 51 ) and a story about the disciples’ lack of understanding (6:51-52 ). Summary for Mark 6:45-46: 6:45-46 The disciples proceeded to Bethsaida , the home of Peter and Andrew (John 1:44 ), while Jesus dismissed the crowd and went apart to pray . Jesus was a man of prayer (Mark 1:35 ) and urged his disciples to pray (see 14:38 ).

Summary for Mark 6:45-52: 6:45-52 ^a This story is a manifestation of Jesus’ glory to the disciples (6:48-50 ^b). It is also a rescue story (6:47-48 ^c, 51 ^d) and a story about the disciples’ lack of understanding (6:51-52 ^e).
Summary for Mark 6:45-46: 6:45-46 ^f The disciples proceeded to Bethsaida, the home of Peter and Andrew (John 1:44 ^g), while Jesus dismissed the crowd and went apart to pray. Jesus was a man of prayer (Mark 1:35 ^h) and urged his disciples to pray (see 14:38 ⁱ).
6:48 ^j It was about three o’clock in the morning (literally about the fourth watch of the night, which began at 3:00 am): This was a Roman designation of time (Jews reckoned only three watches), which supports the view that Mark wrote for Christians in Rome.

• Mark does not explain how Jesus saw his disciples’ plight late at night in the middle of the lake (cp. John 6:19 ^k), as it is not important to the story.

• Jesus came toward them, walking on the water: It appears that Jesus’ purpose was to rescue the disciples from the storm. However, Mark then states that Jesus intended to go past them. Numerous attempts have been made to explain this, but the best explanation is that “to go past them” speaks of a divine manifestation (cp. Exod 33:18–34:6 ^l; 1 Kgs 19:11-13 ^m): Jesus apparently sought to show his divine glory to the disciples. This understanding is supported by the disciples’ fear, a response often associated with theophany.

• Many have tried to rationalize the miracle of Jesus’ walking on the sea, but Mark, Matthew, and John clearly understood this as a miracle, beyond natural explanation. If Jesus is in fact the Son of God, there is no need to find another explanation.
Summary for Mark 6:49-50: 6:49-50 ⁿ The disciples’ terror is understandable—humans cannot walk on water, so they concluded that they were seeing a ghost. As in many divine manifestations, the Lord gave a word of assurance: Don’t be afraid and Take courage! The reason is, I am here! It was not a ghost but Jesus—their friend, Savior, and Lord.

• I am here!: Because Jesus’ walking on the sea and stilling the storm were miraculous, Mark’s original readers would have understood the exclamation I am as a parallel to God’s self-description in the Old Testament (Exod 3:14 ^o; Deut 32:39 ^p; Isa 41:4 ^q; 43:10-13 ^r) and thus as a reference to Jesus’ divinity.
6:51 ^s Jesus’ entrance into the boat calmed the storm.

• totally amazed: They were reverential and awed at the greatness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (cp. 2:12 ^t; 5:24 ^u; Matt 14:33 ^v).
6:52 ^w The account ends with a comment about the disciples’ dullness. It was not from lack of opportunity to believe in Jesus—they had witnessed the miracle of the loaves and many other miracles—but because their hearts were too hard, usually a quality of Jesus’ opponents (e.g., 3:5 ^x; see also 8:17 ^y, 21 ^z; 9:32 ^aa). Later their hearts would be softened, and they would understand (Luke 24:44-49 ^ab; John 12:16 ^ac; 13:7 ^ad).