The story of Peter walking on water is found in Matthew 14:22-33. This intriguing account offers several valuable lessons that are applicable to believers today.
1. Keep your eyes on Jesus, not your circumstances.
After feeding the five thousand, Jesus sent the disciples ahead of him by boat while he went to pray alone. As the disciples were crossing the sea, a strong wind arose and the waves grew very rough (Matthew 14:22-24). In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to the disciples walking on the sea. Understandably frightened, the disciples cried out, thinking he was a ghost. But Jesus spoke to calm their fears, saying “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:25-27).
When Peter heard Jesus’ voice, he wanted to go to him. Peter said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). Jesus invited Peter to come, so Peter climbed out of the boat and began walking on the water toward Jesus. But when Peter saw the strong wind, he became frightened. As he focused on the waves and difficult circumstances around him, Peter began to sink. “Lord, save me!” he cried out to Jesus (Matthew 14:29-30).
This account reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus, not our dire or perplexing circumstances (Hebrews 12:2). When we focus on the storms of life, we can easily become overwhelmed and start to sink spiritually and emotionally. But when we keep our sight set on Christ and walk in obedience to his voice, we can rise above tumultuous circumstances through his power and strength.
2. Jesus is ever-present to save us when we falter and call out to him in faith.
As soon as Peter took his eyes off Jesus and became distracted by his environment, he began to sink. Peter immediately knew where to turn. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30). Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Then Jesus gently rebuked him saying, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31).
Jesus was right there with Peter through it all. Even when Peter’s faith faltered, Jesus did not abandon him. This reveals Jesus’ mercy, grace and care for his followers when they waver in faith. No matter what we face, if we call on Jesus, he has promised to always be with us (Matthew 28:20). He reaches out to save us and does not leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). We can boldly come to him for help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
3. Recognize Christ’s divine power and worship him.
After Jesus caught Peter, it says, “And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” (Matthew 14:32-33).
The wind immediately stopped when Jesus and Peter got into the boat. This caused the disciples to worship Jesus in awe of his divine power. They proclaimed he truly is the Son of God. This account is one of many instances in the gospels that reveals Jesus’ authority over nature and his divine identity. Only God has the power to control the winds and the waves (Psalm 89:9, Psalm 107:25-29). The disciples’ response should remind us to recognize and worship Jesus for who he is. Though he came humbly as a man, Jesus is eternally glorious as the Son of God (John 1:1, 14).
4. Jesus can enable us to do the impossible if we walk by faith in obedience to him.
From a human perspective, walking on water is impossible. But Jesus enabled Peter to do the impossible by the power of faith in Christ. As long as Peter kept his eyes fixed on Jesus and responded in obedience to Christ’s invitation, he walked on water just as Jesus did. But the moment Peter took his eyes off Jesus and gave in to fearful doubt, he began to sink.
This reveals a truth that without faith in Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5). But with Christ, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37). If we fix our eyes on Jesus and walk in obedience to him, he will do mighty things through our lives by the power of his Spirit (John 14:12). He calls us to live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). As we walk closely with him in faith and obedience, he will do more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
5. Jesus deserves our greatest devotion, not anything else we may idolize.
Peter’s desire to go to Jesus, even if it meant getting out of the boat and walking on water, shows his devotion to the Lord. However, the moment Peter took his eyes off Jesus and became distracted by his surroundings, he began to sink.
This demonstrates that we can easily lose focus on Christ when we allow other priorities, pursuits or worries to consume our attention and devotion. Jesus deserves our highest worship, allegiance and devotion. He alone is worthy. We must be careful not to idolize anything or anyone above Christ. Jesus said that whoever loves anything or anyone more than him is not worthy of him (Matthew 10:37). Our relationship with Christ must be supreme. He is to have first place in our hearts and lives (Colossians 1:18).
6. Trust Christ’s plan and timing, which are perfect.
After feeding the five thousand, Jesus purposefully sent the disciples on ahead of him across the sea (Matthew 14:22). He knew they would encounter this stormy situation. But he had reasons and purposes for orchestrating events in this timing and order. Jesus intentionally waited until the fourth watch of the night, in the darkest hours before dawn, before coming to them walking on the water through the storm.
God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). We may not understand all the specifics of why Jesus allowed this circumstance. But we can trust his purposes are good, his timing is perfect, and he works all things for our good according to his wise plan (Romans 8:28). What the disciples perceived as trouble, Jesus was using to demonstrate his glory and power.
7. Jesus has authority over nature, wind and waves.
This account highlights Jesus’ divine authority and identity as the Son of God. The wind and waves are subject to him. When Jesus got into the boat with Peter, it says “the wind ceased” (Matthew 14:32). On another occasion, Jesus also exhibited his authority by commanding the wind and waves to be still when a great storm arose while he was with the disciples on a boat (Mark 4:35-41). Only God has power over the wind and sea (Psalm 65:5-7, Psalm 89:8-9). Jesus demonstrated that same divine authority over nature, revealing he is God.
8. God is with us through life’s storms.
Storms will inevitably arise during our lives on earth. But this passage demonstrates that God does not leave his children alone to endure the storms. Jesus came to the disciples in the midst of the strong winds and waves in the fourth watch of the night – the darkest, loneliest hours before daybreak. Not only was Jesus aware of the disciples’ situation, he came to them and had authority over their circumstance.
This reveals that God sees, knows and cares about whatever storms we face. We are never alone because he promises to be with us always (Psalm 23:4, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Isaiah 43:1-3). He will sustain us and bring us through to the other side. He is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). We need not fear.
9. Jesus, though God, came humbly as a man to rescue sinners.
Jesus demonstrated his awesome divine power by walking on water across the sea. Yet he came humbly as a man born in a manger, lived in poverty, and suffered in weakness (Philippians 2:6-8). Why? For the supreme purpose of dying on the cross to save sinners (John 3:16-17, Mark 10:45). Though Jesus is fully God, possessing all glory and power, he took the form of a servant for our salvation. His humility reveals his amazing love. This mighty King willingly laid down his life to redeem those who had rebelled against him.
As the Son of God, Jesus could have called down legions of angels at any time to rescue him from going to the cross (Matthew 26:53). Yet he willingly gave his life to rescue multitudes of people bound in the domain of darkness, people like you and me. Jesus said he came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). His death and resurrection provide the only way of salvation for sinners (Acts 4:12).
10. Jesus extends the same salvation to all who call upon him.
Peter began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus. But the moment he cried out to the Lord to save him, Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught Peter. This reveals Jesus’ compassion and power to save all who call out to him in faith, regardless of their ethnicity, background, social status or past sins. The same Jesus who caught Peter is able to save eternally all who come to God through him (Hebrews 7:25).
By God’s grace, we can all experience Jesus’ outstretched hand of salvation. He invites “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). There is no sin too great for God to forgive. The instant we repent and believe in Jesus, we pass from death to life (John 5:24). Jesus sacrificed himself to bear the punishment we deserve, bridging the gap between sinful humanity and a holy God. He alone provides the way of salvation.
11. Progress in the Christian life is not always linear. There are ups and downs.
Peter boldly stepped out in faith to walk on water at Jesus’ invitation. But shortly thereafter, his faith wavered. This exemplifies how our growth as believers is not always a continuous upward ascent. There are mountaintop victories of faith, as well as times we falter in doubt and fear. Thankfully our stumbles are not the end. Like Peter, we can call out to Jesus. And he is faithful to catch us, forgive us, and help us grow further in resilient faith through it all. Progress happens in a “two steps forward, one step back” rhythm. But Jesus gives grace for both the victories and the stumbles along the way.
12. Jesus looks at our faith and sees potential that we may overlook in ourselves.
Imagine if, before this incident, the disciples were assessing who among them would be most likely to walk on water. Peter probably would not have made the top of that list. He was a fisherman – not exactly training for miraculous feats.
Yet when Jesus gave the invitation, Peter alone had the faith to say, “Command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus saw potential in Peter that Peter may not have seen in himself up to that point. And sure enough, Peter did walk on water, if only for a few moments.
This shows that God sees greater capacity for courage and faith in us than we may perceive in ourselves. Jesus’ call often leads us to step out of the boat in ways we feel unqualified for. But if we obey his call, he will strengthen us to do greater works than we imagined possible. Where we see weakness, he sees strength. The key is keeping our eyes fixed on him, not ourselves.
13. Jesus uses both triumphs and failures to build our faith.
Peter actually walked on water! That was a great faith triumph. But shortly thereafter he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. That seemed like a failure. However, Jesus used both experiences to build Peter’s faith over time.
The mountaintop moments of victory spur us onward. But the stumbles deepen our roots in humility and dependence on Christ. Through it all, Jesus transforms imperfect faith into resilient faith. With him, genuine failures can become growth opportunities – stepping stones on the path of discipleship. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). Both the victories and failures require faith in Jesus.
14. Jesus remains worthy of worship even when our faith falters.
Right after Peter began to sink, Jesus caught him and rebuked him gently for his little faith. One might think Peter would feel too ashamed at that point to worship Jesus anymore. After all, he had basically failed the faith test right after boldly proclaiming he could walk on water.
But rather than being deterred from worship after his faith faltered, it says Peter actually worshipped Jesus MORE. “And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” (Matt 14:32-33). Even in the midst of our stumbles, Jesus remains infinitely worthy of worship.
15. Fear and faith cannot occupy your heart at the same time.
When Peter fixed His eyes on Jesus, he walked on water just fine. But the instant fear entered his heart as he focused on the wind and waves, his faith faltered and he began to sink. Fear and faith cannot coexist.
Walking by faith often means doing things that feel risky or impossible in human terms. That is why courage is so closely tied to faith. We have to block out fear in order to step out in faith (Joshua 1:9). When afraid, we can call out to Jesus like Peter did. He commands us to not be afraid but rather have faith. His perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).