For teachers of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Matthew 14:22-33 for March 1, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this preview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

???DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“Can you share a time when you were in storm — either at home, on a boat, or maybe in an airplane — and it made you very uncomfortable or even fearful?”

(I was on a long flight on a mission trip one time, and we had the worst turbulence that I had ever experienced. It was so violent I didn’t see how the plane held up through it with no problems. I was glad I was prayed up and ready to go!)

You/your group can share your own experiences like that, and then you can transition to the lesson: Today we are going to see how Jesus’ disciples had an experience like that, and what that experience teaches us about faith and our walk with the Lord.

CONTEXT:

We are continuing our study in the Book of Matthew for a second quarter, which begins today will take us through the end of May. 

Last time in Matthew 13 we talked about the parables of the Kingdom that Jesus taught from just offshore in the boat on the Sea of Galilee, specifically the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (Wheat & the tares). When Jesus had finished teaching those parables, the end of Chapter 13 says He went back to (literally) “His own region” but was rejected by His own people as He taught in the synagogue. (+x John 1:11 “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him …”). 

Then Matthew 14 opens with the story of how Herod had killed John the Baptist, and how Jesus tried to go away by Himself for a while afterwards, but the crowds found Him, and He had compassion for them, and fed the 5000 with the 5 loaves and 2 fish. This brings us to :22 and our passage for today, Matthew 14:22-33.

OUTLINE:

I.   The Circumstances that Require Faith (:22-26)

II.  The Step of Faith (:27-29)

III. The Test of Faith (:30-33)

TEXT:  Matthew 14:22-33

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT REQUIRE FAITH (:22-26)

:22 “Immediately He [a]made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the [e]fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.” 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.

Verses 22 & 23 are kind of an “introduction” to this first point, giving us the context, though there are also some good points here:

— :22 says “Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side …”. Remember this “immediately” is right after He had fed the 5000. So He’d sent the disciples away ahead of Him.

— Then :23 says He went up to the mountain to pray alone. It’s amazing how Jesus did that after ministering all day — and remember He was initially trying to “get away” for a bit after He’d heard that John had been killed. But Jesus knew He needed time with the Father — that was His “rest.” Many of us “rest” in front of the tv set, or with ice cream, and so on. Jesus rested and recharged by spending time with the Father. More of us need to learn that lesson for sure!

After that “scene-setter,” then in :24-26 we see the elements that tested the disciples’ faith. You might have your group look at those verses and have them share what they see (or you can just point these out): 

??? What all “fearful” elements do we see in these verses???

Answers should include: 

— :24 “the boat was already a long distance from the land” — the Greek is literally “many stadia” — “stadia” is where we get the word “stadium” from: it’s a racecourse length, about 600 Greek feet or 1/8 Roman mile. And it says it was “many” of those 1/8 miles — so at this point the land was a good ways off. There can be something fearful about that, can’t there? When you see the shore disappear, and there’s nothing but sea around you; that can be an intimidating experience! 

— But not only was it far from the shore, their boat was also “battered by the waves,” :24 says. “Battered” is a Greek word that literally means “tortured”! Their ship was being “tortured” by the waves! (which means that THEY were being “tortured” too! Think of how you have felt in those storms you’ve experienced: on the boat, plane, hurricane, etc. 

ILLUSTRATION
In 2005 Hurricane Rita hit the Lake Charles area while I was pastoring there. Most of us evacuated ahead of the storm, but one the ladies in our church stayed, as her father was sick. She said when the hurricane hit, it felt as though the whole house was about to shake apart any second, and it went on all night like that! Every moment, hour after hour, she thought, this could be the end! Later she told us, “NEVER AGAIN!” That must be something like how the disciples felt that night in the storm on the sea — just constant dread, hour after hour! 

— Another element, :24 says “the wind was contrary.” “Contrary” is “enantios,” “against, contrary, opposed.” When the wind is with you, it can be a great thing; but when the wind is against you, it can be a fearful enemy!

— Then :25 says it was “the fourth watch of the night” The Jews had adopted the Roman system of four night watches: 1) evening, 2) midnight, 3) cock crow, and 4) morning (+x Mark 13:35). This was the 4th and last watch of the night, from 3:00-6:00 a.m., so it was LATE — almost day! They had been up all night, and we all know what it’s like to be kept up all night by some concern. Sometimes things seem better in the morning, but late at night, they always seem worse!

— And then as bad as all that was, :26 says when Jesus came walking to them, they thought He was a ghost, and now they are terrified, and they cried out in fear! 

So they had all these elements against them, the text tells us: far away from land, battered by the waves, the wind against them, it was late at night — and they thought they saw a ghost! It was like one thing just piled upon another! It was in these circumstances that their faith in Jesus was tested.

???DISCUSSION/APPLICATION QUESTION???
“What are some of the circumstances that call for faith from US today?”

(You/your class can think of many that you/loved ones have experienced — and maybe some they are going through right now:  financial circumstances; physical illnesses/trials; marriage and family difficulties; children/grandchildren in trouble; issues at work; problems in ministry — there are kinds of circumstances that require us to have faith, just like the disciples were.)

II. THE STEP OF FAITH (:27-29)

:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”

After the disciples cried out because they thought Jesus was a ghost, He spoke to encourage them: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 

It is very interesting how many times in the Gospels Jesus tells His disciples not to be afraid!

As a GROUP ACTIVITY you might have different group members read some of the times Jesus told His disciples not to be afraid, such as:

— Matthew 10:31 “Do not fear, you are more valuable than many sparrows”

— Matthew 17:7 “And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”

— Luke 5:10 “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men”

— Matthew 28:10 “Then Jesus *said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

— Luke 8:49-50 ““Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” 50 But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” 

— Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”

— Revelation 1:17 “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,”

— Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer.”

Do we get the message? Jesus does not want us to be afraid! Over and over He commanded us not to fear/be afraid. 

You might ask your group:  “What are some of the things that WE are afraid of/tempted to be afraid of, today?” Tell them to think of this personally: what are YOU, personally, fearing right now?
Then ask them: “What would Jesus’ word to YOU, about YOUR situation, be?”

(Of course, what Jesus would tell us is the same thing He told Peter, and the disciples, and the women at the resurrection, and John when he saw Him in Revelation, and all of these instances: He would tell us “DO NOT BE AFRAID!” Take that home today as “the word of the Lord” for YOU today! 

Thus reassured by Jesus, Peter then asks Jesus, If it really is You, command me to come to you on the water. And :29 says He said, “Come”! 

This shows us that Jesus is pleased when we want to take steps of faith like Peter did here. He wants us to trust Him; He wants us to believe that He can do something. He wants us to take steps of faith that only He can bless. This should challenge us today: “What steps of faith am I taking today, that might be pleasing to the Lord?” Remember Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him.” If that is so (and it is!) What steps of faith is God seeing ME take today, that please Him? Am I showing my faith in Him in any practical way? 

— Am I tithing or giving by faith?

— Am I believing God for something big in prayer?

— Am I taking some bold step in mission or ministry? 

What step of faith is God seeing in ME today, that would please Him?

To show some examples of such faith, you might ask your group this ???DISCUSSION/APPLICATION QUESTION

“Can you share a time when you took what was for you a big step of faith?”

You/your group can share your own experiences of taking steps of faith as God led you. 

(In 2018 the First Baptist Angleton search committee said they would fly Cheryl & I to Angleton to look over the church field before we go in view of a call to pastor there. I told them that I did not need to see the area first. Now, I would not say that faith is typically my greatest “gift,” but I did have an unusual assurance in this particular case that I didn’t need to see the place in order to go. God had spoken to me that morning in Hebrews 11 that by faith Abraham “went out, not knowing where he was going.” And He just gave me the faith to be assured that I didn’t need to see it. You might say that was a big step of faith. (That’s not typical of me unfortunately; I wish I were a person who always showed great faith, but that is what God led me to do in that particular situation.)

Then remind your class: it pleases God when we take steps of faith for Him, just like Peter did here. 

III. THE TEST OF FAITH (:30-33)

:30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Peter stepping out on the water in that storm to meet Jesus would have been a great “testimony of faith,” wouldn’t it? (Just give the invitation right there!) Except that was not the end of the story. His faith — which WAS indeed a great step of faith, no doubt! — got tested when he saw the wind.

And that’s a good reminder to us, too, isn’t it? Just because we’ve taken a step of faith, does NOT mean that our trials and temptations are over. It just means there’s more to come. In fact, we often get tested right after victories, and steps of faith.

Think of some kinds of “victories” that our faith gets tested after:

— After a person gets saved, the enemy always brings some trials to try to get them to back off the decision they made.

— After a “spiritual high” we often get tested with the “day to day” routines/temptations. For example: this often happens when youth get back from Falls Creek/youth camp: they’ve been on a “spiritual high,” but now the realities “day to day life” hit them. Are you going to stay committed like you said you would at camp? The same kind of thing can happen after big church “victories”: calling a new pastor, moving into a new facility, starting an exciting new ministry, and so on — that victory doesn’t mean the trials and tests are over. Watch out; you can be sure: some new tests of faith are on the way. That’s just how life is, as we see here. Peter took a great step of faith; it was a victory — but then that victorious faith got tested!

— Marriage can be the same way. What a blessing marriage is; and it is a step of faith too, isn’t it? But then the “every day routine” can test our faith in marriage: marriage is not all “happily ever after.” We get tested in the day-to-day routines of married life, as all of us who have been married for any length of time know!

— Our kids can be the same way. Cheryl & I often joked about how we hardly had time to celebrate one of our four kids’ victories, when on the way home we heard from another of our kids who had a big problem! 

You/your group can think of other examples. But the bottom line reality is, even after great victories and bold steps of faith, our faith gets tested. So don’t be surprised when that happens!

The key of course, for us is to KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS. In this text Peter was walking to Jesus initially, wasn’t he? He was walking on water; it was amazing!  But then :30 says “seeing the wind …”. Peter took his eyes off Jesus and started looking at the dangers around him. So a good lesson for us here is: KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS when our faith is tested.

You might also cross-reference Hebrews 12:1-2 at this point. Right after the great “Hall of Faith” chapter, those verses encourage us:

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the [b]author and perfecter of faith …”. 

When our faith is tested: FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS!

Here are 2-3 illustrations you can use here; you may not want to use all of them, but use what the Lords leads you to:

ILLUSTRATION:

“When we went out with a Coast Guard patrol boat into a wild sea off the Oregon coast, a crew member said, “The boat’s designed to roll 360 degrees. Keep your lifeline hooked and watch the Chief. If the Chief keeps his cigar in his mouth, don’t worry. If he spits out his cigar, take a deep breath, because we’re about to roll.” (Charles Kuralt, A Life on the Road, p. 140)

But his point was, keep your eyes on the Chief, the Captain — and for us, the Lord, in our “storms.” 

ILLUSTRATION

I still remember the Sunday early in 1998 when Cheryl told me on the way to church that she was expecting what would be our “surprise” baby — our son Michael — and I was shocked. We had not planned this pregnancy, and I knew that our insurance didn’t have any maternity coverage! As it turned out, I was preaching on THIS PASSAGE in Matthew 14 that morning! I was stunned — but as I preached this scripture that morning — a message on faith and trusting the Lord — I realized that God was speaking to ME through the message that day, and that I needed to have faith and trust Him. And this passage did give me a great deal of peace that day. And as it turned out, God DID provide everything we needed and totally took care of the birth of that child.

ILLUSTRATION

Olivier Messiaen (“Messy-ahn”) was a French composer. Serving in the French Army, he was captured by the Germans during World War II and was held in a POW camp in what is now southwest Poland, where he performed concerts to encourage the other prisoners — many of whom were going to their deaths. He experienced what it was to live by faith in that concentration camp:  Patrick Kavanaugh, in his book, Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers, wrote:  

“Concerning the need for faith, he quoted the story of Jesus calling Peter to walk toward him on the water, then he added, ‘That’s how it is for all of us every day. We must constantly strive afresh not to doubt and not to drown. We must direct our gaze towards life hereafter and try to forget about this life.’”  (p. 198)

And of course the great thing is, even though Peter stumbled (or “sank”!) in this test of his faith, Jesus was there to grab him when he fell. Verse 31 says: “Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him …”. That’s our comfort. Even when we fail in our steps and tests of faith, Jesus is there to catch us! 

It reminds me of the old Rich Mullins verse: 

“If I stand, let me stand on the promise, that You will pull me through; 

and if I fall, let me fall on the grace that first brought me to You.” 

When we do “fall” in our faith, or “sink,” as the story here is, even then Jesus is alwasy there to catch us, like a Father who catches His child who is trying to walk/jump/swim.

That also reminds me of one of my favorite verses: II Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” When we fail in our steps of faith, He never fails. He is always faithful to catch us! 

Then :32-33 closes this segment, saying: “When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’”

So just a couple things here to close:

1) it says when Jesus & Peter got into the boat, the wind stopped. If you use your imagination, you can hear it stop, can’t you? It’s just what Psalm 107:29-30 says of God’s deliverance for “those who down to the sea in ships,” who were caught in the storm:  “He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad because they were quiet …”. After all the tumult and noise of the storm; now it was quiet. As it says here, “the wind stopped.”

 That’s one thing about storms/tests of faith. They don’t last forever. They typically last only a brief time, and then that “storm” is over. Some of your members may need to be encouraged by that this Sunday morning: that “storm” you’re in won’t last forever. Take heart! Remember: this episode here in Matthew 14 came in the LAST watch of the night. Morning was about to break; the storm is about to be over — and it may be for some of you too!

2) And then notice what the end result of all this is: when it was all said and done, what did they do? “Those who were in the boat worshiped Him.” 

In fact this is the purpose for many of the trials the Lord allows into our lives: they allow us to see His power and comfort and deliverance, so we get to know Him better, and worship Him in a deeper way than we ever did before. Psalm 50:15 says “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.” The disciples did just that: after what they saw and experienced in the Sea of Galilee that night, they worshiped Jesus, and they said “Certainly You are God’s Son.” Let’s pray that our study of Matthew 14 this week will cause our members to so draw near to God in their trials, that just like the disciples here, they learn to worship Him more deeply, and get to know Him more intimately. 

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