The One who once said, “Come,” now powerfully says, “Go.”

The wind was strong. The waves were higher than they should have been. The boat pitched and groaned under the strain. And there—impossibly—was not a ghost, but Jesus, walking on the water.

Peter, ever eager, tossed out an idea into the wind: “Lord, if it’s you, . . . tell me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28).

And Jesus gave the order: “Come.”

That was all Peter needed. Not a life jacket. Not a better plan. Not a calmer sea. Just the voice of Jesus. If it was Jesus calling, then even the impossible became possible. For a few astonishing steps, Peter walked where no human being could walk—because Jesus had said, “Come.”

That scene on the water is not just a miracle story. It is a picture of our Christian life and witness. Everything depends on who is speaking. When Jesus says come, water becomes a walkway. When Jesus says go, disciples become witnesses to the ends of the earth.

From “Come” to “Go”

After his resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples, giving “many convincing proofs that he was alive” (Acts 1:3). He ate with them. He showed them his hands and side. He opened the Scriptures and explained the kingdom of God. Again and again, he anchored their faith in his living presence.

Only then did he give the promise on the day of his ascension: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The One who had once said, “Come,” now powerfully said, “Go.”

The connection matters. Peter could step onto the water because he knew who was calling him. The apostles could step into a hostile world because they knew who was sending them. The mission of the church begins with Jesus.

The ascended Lord reigns

When Jesus ascended, he was not retreating. His ascension assures us that he now reigns with all authority. As Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 1, Christ is seated at God’s right hand, far above all rule and authority, and all things are placed under his feet for the benefit of the church.

That changes everything. We are not sent out by a teacher who left us with inspiring ideas. We are sent out by a Lord who rules history itself with his own powerful voice. The waves may look threatening—cultural resistance, personal fear, shrinking church attendance, social hostility—but the One who commands us stands above them.

Peter’s steps on the water were never about Peter’s balance. They were about Jesus’ authority over the sea. Our witness is not about our natural courage. It is about Jesus’ authority over the world and our connection to his Word.

Power for the impossible

Still, Jesus did not send his disciples out alone. At his ascension, he also promised, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8). Again, notice the order. Power first. Witness second.

Ten days later, at Pentecost, the promise was fulfilled. The Spirit came with the sound of a rushing wind. Tongues of fire rested on the believers. They began speaking in languages they had never learned, declaring the wonders of God.

Peter, who once denied his association with Jesus and trembled before a servant girl, now stood before crowds and proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Christ. The sound and the fire were significant, but the greater miracle was this: hearts pierced, sins forgiven, faith created.

What changed? Not Peter’s personality. Not the cultural climate. The same world that crucified Jesus was still there.

What changed was this: The risen and ascended Lord had poured out his Spirit. Just as Peter could not walk on water unless Jesus said, “Come,” the church cannot carry out its mission unless Jesus supplies his Spirit. Pentecost is the proof that he does. Jesus’ disciples received a special outpouring of the Spirit on that particular day for a particular purpose: to speak the gospel in other languages. We can be just as sure of the Spirit’s power at work wherever we share his good news.

When we see the waves

If we are honest, we have to admit that we often live in the moment when Peter began to sink. We hear Christ’s command to go, but then we see the waves. We think about awkward conversations and strained relationships. We worry about saying the wrong thing. We tell ourselves we are not equipped.

Sometimes we simply grow comfortable. The mission feels distant. Outreach becomes a program instead of a calling. And beneath it all may be a deeper issue: Have we lost sight of who is speaking?

Peter’s fear did not begin with the size of the waves. It began when he shifted his eyes away from Jesus. The problem was not the storm. It was the momentary loss of focus.

So also with us. When the mission feels impossible, it may reveal that we are measuring the waves instead of concentrating our attention on Jesus and his voice.

We repent of our silence. We confess our fear. We acknowledge that we have often doubted not just ourselves but the power of the One who sends us.

The hand that holds us

When Peter cried, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him.

Just as Peter could not walk on water unless Jesus said, “Come,” the church cannot carry out its mission unless Jesus supplies his Spirit.

That is the heart of the gospel to you. Before Jesus ever said, “Go,” he said, “It is finished.” He lived the perfect life we failed to live. He died for our sins. He rose in victory. He ascended in triumph. His command to witness flows from his completed work. It is all a grace to us.

We are witnesses because we have been rescued. The same hand that caught Peter holds us.

Our mission today

What does this mean for us now?

It means that sharing the gospel may feel, in some sense, like stepping out of the boat. It is not natural. It is not comfortable. It is not something we can manufacture by willpower alone.

But we do not step out because the sea looks calm. We step out because Jesus is who he is and does what he does. He says, “Go,” and he blesses us with the Spirit just as he promised.

The Holy Spirit continues to work through the gospel. When Scripture is read in a living room, the Spirit is active. When a child is baptized, the Spirit is at work. When a member explains to a friend why Christ’s death matters, the Spirit is moving. We may not see tongues of fire, but we have something just as powerful: sinners forgiven, believers strengthened, hope planted where there was none.

As we explore practical ways to share our faith within congregations, neighborhoods, and communities, we do so as confident witnesses, focused on Jesus and relying on his promises.

That’s my Jesus. And he says, “Go.”

Author: Daniel Bondow
Volume 113, Number 05
Issue: May 2026