But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”

                                                                                                                Mark 6:49-50

The disciples are in a boat and they were straining to make any progress because it was quite windy. Jesus was not with them, having stayed behind to pray. Seeing their difficulty, He begins to move toward them, walking on the water. I find it interesting that scripture tells us that Jesus had intended “to pass by them.” But His plans changed when He addressed their cries. The disciples, not knowing it was Jesus rather thinking it was a ghost, allowed their natural, human tendencies to invade their emotions. They were terrified. They had seen Him feed five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish, but scripture tells us that they had yet to fully gain insight from that experience because their hearts were hardened. So Jesus spoke to them saying, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid.” He got into the boat with them and the wind calmed down.

There are three parts to Jesus’ response to the disciples. The first is the command to “take courage.” This phrase can be translated, “be of good cheer.” Knowing Jesus allows us to be courageous because we know that we are never alone. There are several passages throughout scripture in which God instructs His people to be courageous.

(Moses to the people of Israel) Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”

                                                                                                             Deuteronomy 31:6

(God to Joshua) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

                                                                                                                       Joshua 1:9

(David in the Psalm) The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

                                                                                                            Psalm 27:1

(Jesus to His disciples) Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 

                                                                                                                         John 14:27

(Paul to the church) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

                                                                                                         Ephesians 6:10

When Jesus is on the scene, we can take courage! The reason for this comes in the next statement. What is translated as Jesus saying, “it is I”, appears in the text as “I AM.” This is how God identified Himself when Moses inquired as to what he was to say when asked who sent him. Consider the following:

Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 

                                                                                                                 Exodus 3:13-14

To know Jesus is to know God and when we know God, we can take courage!

Finally, Jesus tells the disciples to not be afraid. Consider the following:

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

                                                                                                                     Isaiah 41:10 

As Christians, having been redeemed through the cross, we can claim this passage over our own lives, Knowing Jesus means knowing the great “I AM.” When we know God we can be assured that He will never leave us nor forsake us. These truths are what allow us to take courage!