Inductive Bible Study – Matthew 14:22–33 (KJV)
Passage:
Matthew 14:22–33 KJV
22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Observing the Passage
It’s always important to read scripture in its full context. That helps us observe carefully and interpret correctly.
What happened before this moment?
Jesus had just performed many miracles, including healing the sick and feeding over 5,000 people (that number doesn’t even include the women and children!). The disciples witnessed all of this.
Now Jesus sends His disciples ahead of Him by boat while He goes up into the mountain alone to pray.
In verse 24, we learn the boat is in the middle of the sea and being tossed around because "the wind was contrary."
Jesus Comes to Them
We can gather a few key observations:
- Jesus comes to His disciples walking on the water while they’re in the middle of the stormy sea.
- The disciples are terrified, thinking they are seeing a spirit.
- But Jesus immediately comforts them:
Verse 27: "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."
This isn’t the only time Jesus tells people not to fear. Here's a quick chart of other moments when He speaks peace:
|
Scripture |
Jesus’ Words |
Context |
|
Matthew 14:27 |
“Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” |
Jesus walks on water in a storm |
|
Matthew 17:7 |
“Arise, and be not afraid.” |
After the Transfiguration |
|
Matthew 28:10 |
“Be not afraid: go tell my brethren...” |
After His resurrection |
|
Mark 5:36 |
“Be not afraid, only believe.” |
To Jairus, whose daughter had just died |
|
Luke 5:10 |
“Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” |
After the miraculous catch of fish |
|
Luke 8:50 |
“Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.” |
Again, to Jairus |
|
John 6:20 |
“It is I; be not afraid.” |
Jesus walks on water |
|
John 14:27 |
“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” |
Jesus comforts His disciples before His crucifixion |
From these verses, we learn that faith in Jesus should replace our fear.
Peter's Step of Faith
In verse 28, Peter says:
"Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water."
Why does Peter test Jesus like this? It seems he’s expressing faith—“If it’s really you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Peter believes that Jesus has the power to make that happen.
Jesus replies:
Verse 29: "Come."
And Peter does it. He walks on water toward Jesus.
Fear Creeps In
But then, Peter notices the storm:
Verse 30: "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid..."
He becomes afraid and begins to sink. Many people say Peter “took his eyes off Jesus,” but the passage doesn’t actually say that. In fact, Peter never saw Jesus clearly in the first place—he had to ask, “if it be thou…”
Peter’s faith, not his sight, is what made him step out of the boat.
What is faith?
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV):
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Peter lets fear replace the faith in his heart, and he begins to sink. But immediately, he cries out:
"Lord, save me!"
That’s powerful. He didn’t try to swim back. He didn’t try to fix it himself. He cried out to the Lord.
Jesus Is Always Near
Verse 31 tells us:
"And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him..."
Jesus didn’t delay. He didn’t shame Peter or let him struggle. He was right there. That’s consistent with the heart of God throughout scripture:
Deuteronomy 31:6:
"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not... for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
Hebrews 13:5-6:
"…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
God is always near. If we feel distant, it’s not because He left—it’s because we did.
Jesus’ Gentle Rebuke
Jesus says to Peter:
"O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
Let’s break that down:
- "O thou of little faith" – Jesus doesn’t say Peter has no faith. The Greek word used is oligopistos, meaning “trusting too little.”
This phrase is used in multiple places:
|
Scripture |
Phrase |
Context |
|
Matthew 6:30 |
"O ye of little faith" |
Don’t worry about provision |
|
Matthew 8:26 |
"Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" |
Disciples panic in a storm |
|
Matthew 14:31 |
"O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" |
Peter sinks |
|
Matthew 16:8 |
"O ye of little faith..." |
Disciples misunderstand Jesus |
|
Luke 12:28 |
"O ye of little faith" |
Don’t worry about clothing |
This is a tender rebuke, not a harsh one.
- "Wherefore didst thou doubt?"
The word “wherefore” comes from the Greek eis, which translates to “continually.” Some translations say, “why,” but that’s slightly different. This question could be read as:
“Do you continually doubt?”
And the word doubt in the dictionary means: to call into question the truth of. Truth of what? We need to think back to what Peter is doubting. He is doubting Jesus’ power.
So Jesus could be asking:
“Do you continually question the truth of my power?” or “Who I am?”
That question hit my heart. Does it hit yours?
They Worship Him
Verse 33 says:
"Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God."
They are finally convinced. This miracle revealed the truth of who He is.
Application: How Should I Respond?
Now that we’ve studied the context, made observations, and explored key words, how do we apply this passage to our lives?
Ask yourself:
- Am I stepping out in faith when Jesus calls—or staying in the boat?
- Do I continually doubt the Lord, even after He’s proven Himself faithful?
- When I start to sink, do I cry out to Him—or try to fix it myself?
- Is there something I’m not trusting the Lord with?
- Do I believe He is near, even when I feel alone?
Personal Response
Here are a few ways to respond:
- Ask the Lord to grow your faith. Spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word.
- Commit this scripture to memory. Ask Him to bring it to mind in moments of doubt.
- Guard your heart from distractions. Peter was distracted by the storm. We can be distracted by storms—or just everyday life. Ask God to help you prioritize Him above all.
I pray this scripture has ministered to your heart as it has to mine. Thank you for spending time in God’s Word with me today.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Until next time—bye.