Matthew 14:33 Commentary and Bible Study

This amazing encounter has brought a new realisation to the disciples. It is one they should have had before, Mark has told us, for they should have reflected on the significance of all of the miracles they had seen, and particularly the most recent one, the feeding of the five thousand, but they had failed to do so. Like us they were slow to understand. Now however, they all come and are compelled to express their new found awe for Christ by worshipping him. They bow down before a man, because they believe him to be the Son of God incarnate in their midst. Not only are we slow to understand, but we forget. There would come further interactions with Christ, where the disciples would again revert to behaviour that was completely inappropriate if he was truly the Son of God. The awe that they felt for him at this moment would wax and wane, but there had been a significant advance in their appreciation of him, and worship was the only proper response to this.They had been terrified at what they thought was a spirit. They had seen one of their number walk on the water and go to Christ on the water and be rescued by him. They had received them both back into the boat and the wind which threatened the boat had instantly ceased in a way that made the connection between these two things impossible to deny. Christ was a wonder to them, and if they thought that they knew him, they had to reassess and see him as far greater than they imagined – as the Son of God.