Significance of The Boat

The Boat played an important part in the life and ministry of Jesus. It was mentioned many times in the Gospels, from the calling of the disciples to the days before He ascended back to Heaven. Its first mention in the New Testament was when Jesus taught from the boat.

Teaching from The Boat

Jesus began His ministry in Galilee. When the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, He saw two boats and asked for one of them to be put out a little from the land so He could sit down in it and teach the multitude from the boat. After Jesus had stopped speaking, He instructed and blessed these experienced fishermen with a great number of fish even though they had toiled all night and caught nothing. Reference: Luke 5:1-7.

In another account, when a great multitude were following Jesus because of what they heard the many things He was doing, He told His disciples that a small boat be kept ready for Him so He could teach and minister healing and deliverance. While He had withdrawn from the Pharisees and their conspirators, Jesus felt compassion for the large crowd and the boat allowed them to see and hear Him. Reference: Mark 3:7-12.

Yet another time, Jesus sat in a boat and spoke many things in parables to the great multitudes. Reference Matthew 13:1-3.

Crossing the Sea

The Boat was an important mode of transportation for Jesus, carrying the Word of God to many places with signs and wonders following. He had also performed His miracle of calming the strong winds and storm while crossing the lake with His disciples. Reference: Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-39, Luke 8:22-24.

In another crossing, Jesus sent His disciples in the boat to go ahead of Him to the other side while he dismissed the multitudes. After that, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. Later that night, He went to His disciples walking on the water. Reference: Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52, John 6:16-21.

The Boat brought Jesus and His twelve disciples to many places where the gospel was preached, the sick healed, lepers cleansed and the dead raised. 

Communion, Restoration and the Commission

Jesus appeared to His disciples after He rose from the dead. He showed Himself to some of them the third time at sea of Galilee where He stood at the shore in the morning. He called out to them to “cast the net on the right side of the boat” and they caught the multitude of fish. Reference: John 21:7-8.

After they came ashore with the net full of large fish, He had already a fire of coals with fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish and invited them for breakfast. He took the bread and gave it to the disciples, and likewise the fish. Reference: John 21:9-13.

The Boat mentioned in the final chapter of John’s gospel has its significance in the restoration of the disciple who had denied Jesus three times. He re-commissioned that disciple to join the others in the three-fold calling to tend, care for, and provide spiritual food for God’s children.

The Boatman

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus taught from the boat and from it, the fishermen caught a great number of fish. His disciples were then called to be fisher of men.  The boat carried the Word of God to many places, witnessing miracles onboard, on the waters and at the locations where He taught and preached.

After He was raised, it played a part to affirm the great commission. When the disciples went fishing, they caught nothing until Jesus directed them to catch the multitude of large fish. He had commissioned them not only to lead men to the Salvation in Christ, but also to grow them from spirit babies to the fullest in spiritual maturity.

The Boatman desires therefore to prepare and helm the vessel(s) from which the Word of God is taught and preached, carrying the spiritual nourishment to wherever the Word reaches, and prayerfully, help bring the Gospel to those who need to hear it and enable the children of God in certain measure of spiritual growth and maturity.