The Storm of Revelation

See other articles in the series.

By Dr. Jim Sibley
CMJ USA

A growing number of New Testament scholars recognize the importance of the Jewish context of the Gospel of Mark. ¹ Mark presents Jesus as the Prophet like Moses, who inaugurates a new Exodus—an exodus from slavery to sin to redemption through faith in him. ² This is seen throughout Mark but especially in Mark 6:45–52, the episode of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee.  

Jesus and his disciples had left Capernaum for a deserted place (v. 32), yet it was a place where there were “villages round about” (v. 36). Jesus miraculously fed the 5,000, and as the day comes to a close, Jesus sent the disciples to “ cross over ” to Bethsaida by boat (v. 45), while he climbs a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee to pray. There are different reconstructions of their movements based on these clues, but it is possible that the deserted area was between Magdala and Gennesaret on the northwestern shore.   

The Sea of Galilee is only about four miles wide, so even though it was at night, with the light of the full moon and with his vantage point, he could see that they were not making any progress for the wind was against them. By the time he saw that they were in trouble, it was probably around midnight.   

The Greek literally reads, “He wanted to pass by them.” ³ The verb “pass by” should be taken in the sense of “pass before them.” What Mark described was a revelation by Jesus of his deity. In Exodus 33:19–34:7, Moses asks God to show him his glory, and God responds by hiding Moses in a cleft of the rock as he caused his glory to “pass by.” Four times in this passage the same verb is used (Heb., עבר , avar ), and it is only used here of the L ord who passes by. In these passages, the Lord passes by to reveal himself as a gracious and compassionate Savior. ⁴

Whereas God revealed Himself to Moses as he passed by, on this occasion, Jesus revealed himself to his disciples as the Prophet like Moses, as the L ord God Himself. God told Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” ( Exod 3:14), and Jesus literally said to the disciples, “Take courage, I AM.” ⁵ He is greater than Moses. He is the God who revealed himself to Moses.  

But the disciples did not understand. John Sailhamer comments, “Once again, Jesus’ miracle seems to go beyond that of the events of Israel in the desert. As is the case of the desert narratives in the Pentateuch, Mark’s conclusion here highlights the unbelief and hardness of heart of the disciples: ‘They had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened’ (6:52).” ⁶ The passive here suggests that the Lord may have prevented them from understanding at that time, even as the eyes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:16 “were kept from recognizing him”. In this, they were very much like their forebears who accompanied Moses in the Exodus from Egypt.  

Jim Sibley is on the CMJ USA board and has been involved in Jewish ministry for many years. He is the North America Coordinator for the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism and Research Professor for Israel College of the Bible. He and his wife, Kathy, have two married daughters and six grandchildren.