Matthew 14:22 – Why Jesus Urged His Disciples to…

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Matthew 14:22

(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.

Mark 6:45

(45) And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

John 6:15

(15) When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
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Jesus forces the disciples to go without Him (Matthew 14:22; Mark 6:45; John 6:15). The text contains a strong sense of urgency, especially in the word “made,” which implies “compelled,” and “immediately” amplifies it. Only John tells why He urged His disciples to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee: to get them away from the crowd, which was so excited by the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 that they would have taken Him by force to make Him king (John 6:15). The crowd, on the verge of revolution against the Roman government, put the disciples in grave danger.

They did not fully understand that Christ’s work as Savior of the world did not involve conquering governments at that time, so they were susceptible to the crowd’s influence in wanting to make Him king. This influence may be why they were unwilling to leave Him at what they may have thought was His crowning moment. In their growing admiration of Jesus, the disciples were likely reluctant to be separated from Him even for a moment, yet He sent them away. The storm, then, had the effect of saving them from strong ambitions, and they would later realize that the stormy night, along with the earlier exciting day, had worked together for their good (Romans 8:28).

— Martin G. Collins

To learn more, see:
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Walking on the Water (Part One)