This miracle followed the feeding of the 5,000 by just a few hours. Both miracles were important parts of Jesus' discipleship training program for the Twelve.
6:45 The feeding of the 5,000 evidently happened on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee south of Bethsaida Julius. This town stood immediately east of the place where the Jordan River empties into the lake on its northern coast. Some of the town may have been on the western side of the Jordan.168Evidently Jesus sent His disciples to this town by boat. Mark could speak of it as on "the other side"(NASB) because they had to cross some water to get there. It was evidently not on the far western side as opposed to the eastern side.169"The boat"was the one they had used to travel in earlier that day (v. 32).
6:46 This is the second of the three crises that moved Jesus to pray that Mark recorded (cf. 1:35; 14:32-36). Evidently the desire of the multitudes to take Jesus by force to make Him king drove Him to pray (Gr. proseuchomai, cf. John 6:15). This was another temptation to secure Israel's leadership without the Cross. References to Jesus praying always show His humanity and His dependence on His Father. The mountain contrasts with the shore where Jesus left the disciples.
6:47-48 The disciples had evidently reached Bethsaida Julius, but Jesus had not yet come to them (John 6:17). The disciples had then turned their boat toward Capernaum (cf. John 6:17). It would have been easy for Jesus to see the disciples since they would have been only a few miles from where He was praying. Perhaps the moon illuminated the lake. They were in the middle of the lake in the sense that they were well out into it, not close to the coastline. The fourth watch of the night by Roman reckoning, which Mark followed, would have been between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m. Jesus intended to pass beside the disciples to reassure them (cf. Exod. 33:19, 22; 1 Kings 19:11; Mark 6:50). Even though Jesus had been praying He had not forgotten or forsaken His disciples. He was probably praying for them.
6:49-50 Mark noted that all the disciples saw Jesus, and they all thought He was a phantom (Gr. phantasma). Jesus told them to take courage and to stop fearing (cf. Isa. 41:10, 13-14; 43:1; 44:2). Some interpreters believe "It is I"indicates a theophany (cf. Exod. 3:14; Isa. 41:4; 43:10; 51:12; 52:6). Undoubtedly the clause at least indicates self-identification.
". . . Jesus' walking on the water (6:45-52) connotes that Jesus treads where only God can walk [Job 9:8; cf. Ps. 77:19; Isa. 43:16] and designates Jesus by the same expression (ego eime[I am]) that is used for God's self-disclosure to Moses (Exod 3:14 LXX)."170
6:51 Mark omitted the record of Peter walking on the water (Matt. 14:28-31). This seems unusual if Peter influenced Mark's writing. Perhaps Peter "was reluctant to picture himself in such a unique and spectacular incident."171
Another miracle happened (cf. 4:35-41). The wind died down as soon as Jesus stepped into the boat. This astonished (Gr. existanto, cf. 2:12; 5:42) the disciples further.
6:52 Here is the reason the disciples reacted as they did in this series of miracles. Mark alone recorded it, probably as a result of Peter's preaching. The disciples had not learned from the feeding of the 5,000 that Jesus was God. Their collective mind was not open to this possibility.
Jesus returned to Galilee from the predominantly Gentile area where He had been recently.
6:53 Gennesaret was the name of a town and the name of a plain on which the town stood. The region was the northwest coast of the lake. It was so prominent because of its agricultural richness that another name for the Sea of Galilee was the Sea of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1).172It was an area of dense population.
6:54-56 These verses summarize Jesus' ministry in many towns on many days before His next withdrawal to Phoenicia. Mark stressed the immense popularity of Jesus and His generous healing of multitudes of sick people. "Cured"(v. 56) is literally "saved"(Gr. sozo) The sick experienced deliverance from their infirmities and restoration to physical soundness. That is the salvation in view.
