“But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 14:27 Mean?
The disciples are terrified on the sea at night when they see Jesus walking on the water—they think it's a ghost. Jesus immediately speaks: three statements in rapid succession. "Be of good cheer" (tharseite, take courage). "It is I" (ego eimi, I AM—the divine self-identification). "Be not afraid" (mē phobeisthe, stop being afraid). Courage, identity, and peace—delivered in a single sentence.
The phrase "it is I" in Greek is ego eimi—the same words used for God's self-revelation throughout John's Gospel and echoing the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14. Jesus' identification isn't just "it's me, your friend Jesus." It's "I AM"—the divine name spoken over the water in the dark. The disciples' fear was based on misidentification: they thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus corrects it: you're seeing God.
The sequence—courage, identity, no fear—is the order of transformation. First, take courage (choose bravery). Then, recognize who's speaking (I AM). Then, the fear dissolves (stop being afraid). The courage comes before the recognition. You have to be brave enough to look at what's walking toward you before you can recognize who it is.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What are you afraid of that might actually be Jesus approaching in a form you don't recognize?
- 2.If Jesus speaks 'I AM' into your darkness, how does knowing His identity change your fear?
- 3.The disciples feared their rescuer. Have you ever been afraid of something God was doing because you didn't recognize it as Him?
- 4.What does it look like to 'be of good cheer' before you fully understand what's happening—to choose courage before clarity arrives?
Devotional
"Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." Three phrases. Spoken into terror, in the dark, over water, to people who think they're seeing a ghost. Courage. Identity. Peace. In that order.
The disciples were afraid of Jesus. They thought He was something dangerous—a phantom, a ghost, a threat on the water. The thing they feared was actually the thing that could save them. They were terrified of their rescuer because they didn't recognize Him. And Jesus' first words aren't "calm down" or "stop overreacting." They're: take courage. I AM. Stop being afraid.
The ego eimi—I AM—is the key. It's the divine name. Jesus doesn't just say "it's me" in a casual, reassuring way. He speaks the name of God into the darkness over the water. I AM. The same words God spoke to Moses from the burning bush are now spoken from the surface of the sea in the middle of the night. The disciples' fear dissolves not because the circumstances changed but because the identity of the figure walking toward them was revealed.
If something is walking toward you in the dark—something you can't identify, something that terrifies you, something you've been interpreting as a threat—consider the possibility that it's Jesus. Not every scary thing is a ghost. Sometimes the thing you're most afraid of is the presence of God arriving in a form you didn't expect. Be of good cheer. It is I. Be not afraid.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture