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Humble Hero
Jesus now spoke with an authority He had never before revealed
toward them. In silence they turned toward the lake.
Jesus now commanded the crowd to disperse, and His manner
was so decisive that they did not dare disobey. In the very act of
coming to seize Him, their steps were halted. The kingly bearing of
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Jesus and His few quiet words of command frustrated their plans.
They recognized in Him a power greater than all earthly authority,
and without question they submitted.
Left alone, Jesus “went up on a mountain by Himself to pray.”
For hours He prayed for power to reveal to the people the divine
character of His mission, so that Satan would not blind their under-
standing and twist their judgment. He knew that His days on earth
were nearly ended, and that few would receive Him. His disciples
were to be severely tried, their longcherished hopes disappointed.
Instead of seeing Him exalted to the throne of David, they were to
witness His crucifixion. This would indeed be His true coronation,
but they did not understand this, and without the Holy Spirit, the
faith of the disciples would fail. Jesus poured out His requests to
God for them with bitter agony and tears.
The disciples had not immediately set out in the boat from land,
hoping that Jesus would come. But as darkness was fast gathering,
they “got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.”
They complained because Jesus had not permitted them to proclaim
Him King. They blamed themselves; if they had been more persis-
tent, they might have accomplished their purpose.
Unbelief was taking possession of their minds and hearts. Love
of honor had blinded them. They were eager to see Jesus exalted
as they thought He should be. Were they always to be thought of
as followers of a false prophet? Why did not Jesus, who possessed
such power, reveal Himself in His true character and make their
lives less painful? Why had He not saved John the Baptist from a
violent death? The disciples reasoned this way until they brought
great spiritual darkness on themselves. They questioned, “Could
Jesus be an impostor, as the Pharisees claimed?”