The Theological Depth of Mark’s Gospel Account of Jesus Walking on the Water
Most Christians know the story of Jesus walking on the water. It is usually understood as a miracle demonstrating Christ's power over nature while rescuing His frightened disciples from a storm. Yet hidden within Mark's account is a single sentence that has puzzled readers for centuries:
"He was about to pass by them." (Mark 6:48)
At first glance, the statement seems almost bizarre. Why would Jesus appear to be walking past the very disciples who were struggling against the wind and waves? Was He simply intending to ignore them? Was Mark describing an awkward detail that serves no purpose?
Far from being an incidental remark, many biblical scholars regard this as one of the most profound theological statements in the entire Gospel of Mark.
The key lies in the biblical expression "to pass by." In the Old Testament, this language is closely associated with moments when God reveals His divine glory to chosen individuals. These are not ordinary encounters but theophanies: manifestations of God's presence.
The first great example occurs in Exodus 33. After Moses asks to see God's glory, the Lord tells him:
"I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you."
God then places Moses in the cleft of a rock while His glory "passes by." Moses does not merely receive help from God; he is granted a revelation of God's divine nature.
A similar event occurs centuries later with the prophet Elijah. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah stands on Mount Horeb as the Lord tells him:
"The Lord is about to pass by."
What follows is another dramatic revelation of God's presence: not in the wind, earthquake or fire, but in the still, small voice.
Against this Old Testament background, Mark's wording suddenly takes on extraordinary significance. Jesus is not simply approaching the disciples through the storm. His intention to "pass by" echoes these great moments when God revealed Himself to Moses and Elijah. The miracle is therefore not merely an act of rescue but an act of divine self-revelation.
Mark reinforces this interpretation in another subtle way. Throughout the Old Testament, mastery over the sea belongs uniquely to God. Job declares that God alone "treads on the waves of the sea" (Job 9:8). The sea represented chaos, danger and forces beyond human control. By calmly walking upon the waters, Jesus performs an action that Scripture attributes to God Himself.
The story reaches its climax when the terrified disciples mistake Jesus for a ghost. He immediately reassures them:
"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
The Greek expression translated "It is I" is egō eimi: literally, "I am." In ordinary conversation, these words can simply mean "It is me." Yet many biblical scholars believe Mark deliberately invites readers to hear an echo of God's self-revelation in the Old Testament. Combined with Jesus walking upon the sea and His intention to "pass by" the disciples, the language forms a remarkable pattern pointing beyond a mere miracle toward Jesus' divine identity.
Perhaps the most striking part of the account comes immediately afterwards. Mark writes:
"They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened."
This seemingly odd conclusion connects the walking on the water with the previous miracle of feeding the five thousand. The disciples had witnessed astonishing displays of divine power, yet they still failed to grasp who Jesus truly was. Their problem was not simply fear during a storm but spiritual blindness. They had seen the miracles without fully understanding the One who performed them.
This illustrates one of Mark's central themes. Again and again, people witness Jesus' extraordinary works while failing to recognise His identity. The miracles are never merely displays of supernatural power. They are signs pointing to the deeper truth that God Himself has entered history in the person of Jesus Christ.
Seen in this light, the phrase "He was about to pass by them" is no longer an odd detail. It is one of Mark's most subtle and profound theological clues. Like Moses on Sinai and Elijah on Horeb, the disciples were being given a revelation of God's presence. They simply did not yet understand what they were seeing.
Sometimes the deepest truths of Scripture are hidden in a single sentence that most readers pass over without a second thought. Mark's brief remark is one such sentence. What first appears to be a puzzling narrative detail turns out to be a profound declaration of who Jesus really is: a declaration woven into the Gospel with remarkable literary and theological skill.
