John 6:14-21
Jesus Walks on Water
After the miracle of the feeding of five
thousand, the crowd wanted to make Jesus their king by force! So, Jesus
withdrew to the mountains by himself. Why did Jesus react this way?
When evening came, the disciples of Jesus got
into a boat to sail for Capernaum. The crossing of the sea or lake, signifies
the unique experience of crossing toward a higher realm of spiritual maturity.
This is a “Journey Narrative” of faith.
What will happen along this journey? Who will
survive? Who will drown?
The Scripture says, “It was now dark and
Jesus had not yet come to them.” (v.18)
Indeed, in life we often experience moments
where Jesus seem to be absent and a fearful darkness envelop us.
As we read this passage, we become anxious
for the disciples. Can they overcome the obstacles as they sail through the
night? Will their “crossing” be successful? Likewise, we are also mindful of
our own lives. How would we fare when we lose our sense of direction and faced
with difficulties?
We will survive!
John describes Jesus as the light of the
world. Since Jesus was absent, indicated by the phrase “Jesus had not yet come
to them,” darkness permeated the atmosphere. A strong wind was blowing and the
sea was rough (v. 18).
The disciples were filled with self-doubt and
overwhelmed by dark forces. Yet they must learn to cross this trying ordeal so
that they can grow in maturity.
Are you ready to cross the sea like the
disciples?
Unfolding the Identity and Authority of Jesus
Human nature prompts us to seek prosperity
and stability. But that is unrealistic and illusory. In life we often
experience sudden storms which are unpredicted and unavoidable. We pass through
difficult moments, often involuntarily, of overcast weather, enveloped in
darkness.
Amidst the difficult moments we may also
react in the same manner as the disciples – terrified. We may ask, “Where is the presence of the
Lord? Does he really care for me and will he preserve me? Why do I need to go
through these difficulties and misfortunes? Will I finally make it to shore?”
Right at this critical juncture Jesus
appeared! He was walking on the sea. He was walking towards his disciples. He
was getting close to their boats.
The disciples and the readers of the Bible
are witnesses to the spectacular scene of Jesus riding on the stormy waters. What
Jesus said to the disciples next is full of significance. “I am; do not be
afraid.” Or, in Greek, Ἐγώ εἰμι· μὴ φοβεῖσθε (v.20).
By saying this, Jesus was unfolding his divine authority, which belongs
to God alone, to his disciples. We find similar utterances in the Old Testament
when God appeared to human beings. For example:
Gen. 15:1 – After these things the word of
the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield….”
Gen 26:24 – And the LORD appeared to him the
same night and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I
am with you….”
Gen 46:3 – Then he said, "I am God, the
God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt….”
Isaiah 41:13-14 –Fear not, I am the one who
helps you.
Isaiah 43:1 –Fear not, for I have redeemed
you; I have called you by name, you are mine….
There are also various descriptions of God
controlling the rough waters. We find these in:
Genesis 2:2, “The earth was without form and
void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was
hovering over the face of the waters.”
Exodus 14:21-22, “Then Moses stretched out
his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind
all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the
people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being
a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”
Job 9:8, “God alone stretched out the heavens
and trampled the waves of the sea.”
Job 38:16, “Have you entered into the springs
of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep?”
Psalms 29:3, “The voice of the LORD is over
the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters.”
Psalms 65:7, “who stills the roaring of the
seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.”
Psalms 77:19, “Your way was through the sea,
your path through the great waters; yet your foot prints were unseen.
Psalms 89:9, “You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, you still them.”
Psalms 93:3-4, “The floods have lifted up, O
LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.
Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea,
the LORD on high is mighty!”
Isaiah 43:1-2, “But now thus says the LORD,
he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you. O Israel: Fear not, for I have
redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through
the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not
overwhelm you; when you walk though fire you shall not be burned, and he flame
shall not consume you.”
Furthermore, in Exodus 3:14, God said to
Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” and “I AM has sent you.”
In John, Jesus declared, “I am the bread,” “I
am the light,” “I am the gate,” “I am the good shepherd,” “I am the
resurrection and the life,” “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and “I am
the true vine.”
As Jesus walked on the waters, he said to his
disciples, “I AM; Do not be afraid.” This serves as a self-revelation of
himself as one who, like the Father, has divine authority and power.
Unlike the ordinary crowd, the disciples have
the privilege to witness the power and the identity of Jesus. The ordinary
crowd remain unclear of who Jesus was after the miracle of the five loaves and
two fish. They do not know his identity and mission. That is why they wanted to
make him their king by force (v. 15).
Jesus’ crossing of the stormy sea elevated
the disciples and the readers of Scripture to a better understanding of him,
his power and his identity, and of his timely comfort and rescue of his people.
So, brothers and sisters, should we not then,
as followers of Christ, embark on such “crossings” in our various phases of
life? Where are you today? Are you
growing to know the Lord more and more each day and allowing Christ to reveal
himself to you through the crossing of your present “stormy sea”?
Take Me Deeper through Crossing Over
In our encounters with stormy waters, as
God’s people, we should be open to the possibility of a deeper life, that is, a
keener sense of awareness of the presence of Jesus, a greater knowledge of
God’s will, and a more willing heart to allow him to work in our lives.
Just as God sent a storm to teach and to
recover Jonah, he also sends storms into our lives to shape the spiritual life
and mould the character of his people. Subsequently, our faith toward God and
our relationship with him will “cross” to higher grounds.
Perhaps you are in a certain difficult
situation right now. Do not be discouraged. Do not give in to murmuring.
Instead, let’s ready ourselves to face the various storms of life.
In our darkest moments, Jesus will appear
with glory and power. He says to you, “Do not be afraid. You and I will cross
the stormy seas together. Very soon, we will reach the destination.”
Today, although you may have put in your very
best, you may still have failed in many ways. Perhaps you are being bombarded
with attacks, criticisms, and misunderstandings from other people.
Undoubtedly, such frustrating setbacks do
occur in our lives. But we must not let these cause us to be perturbed and
persuade us to give up. We serve a faithful God who is bound to his promises.
We have every reason to expect a life journey
that is filled with challenges. But as we “cross” those challenges, we
experience God’s faithfulness. We get a glimpse of his glory and power. We
enter deeper into the presence of God. We ride the waves each day from strength
to strength.
What then shall we do now?
We Must Take Jesus On Board
Scriptures testify that, “Then the disciples
were glad to take Jesus into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land
to which they were going” (v. 21).
The crossing through the stormy sea ended
when the disciples finally reached their destination.
The combined forces of darkness, strong wind,
and rough sea intersect to hinder our crossing. But when we have Jesus in our
boat, we need not fear that we would not sail through safely.
“Taking Jesus into the boat” implies that we
let Jesus be the Lord of our boats. We cannot seek the power and the anointing
of God without also accepting the Lordship of Christ in our “faith journey.”
This means that we need to walk with the Lord daily. We need to be constantly
submissive to the Word of God. We need to allow God’s will to be accomplished
in our lives. We need to serve God wholeheartedly.
Dear brothers and sisters, what is your “boat”
and where is your destination?
Your “boat” could be in the form of your
various undertakings. This may include your family, career, relationships with
loved ones, education, health, and even ministry.
Perhaps you have already planned where to go
and have started your journey. But in due time, invariably, the stormy waters
will come your way. The forces of evil want to ruin you and demolish your boat.
Darkness seeks to confuse your sense of direction and the storm wants to drown
you in the sea.
Let’s trust in the Lord and let him be the
Lord of our boats. We cannot rely on our own seamanship to navigate the boat
through the storms of life for, even if we are the most experienced of sea
dogs, we will eventually lose our direction and drown.
We also cannot rely on the boat for even the
Titanic cannot survive the iceberg.
Let’s
examine ourselves today:
Are you ignoring the Lordship of Christ in
your life? Are you refusing to take him to be the Lord of your boat?
Perhaps you have been going your own way for
a long time now. You may be relying on your own strength and deluding
yourselves into believing that your “boats” are unsinkable. You, as captain of
your own boat, feel invincible. So you run away from God’s presence and refuse
to submit to God’s will and direction. You choose to not abide by the Word of
God.
Conversely, your boat may have taken a
beating lately. You have lost your direction in life and you are overwhelmed by
the storms. Are your “boats” damaged from the elements? Are you sinking? Is the
storm you are encountering – the darkness, the wind, and the waves –so
terrifying that you are completely bewildered and disillusioned?
Now, Jesus is walking on the waters. He is
approaching towards you. He is saying to you, “Fear not; I AM!” Take Jesus into
your boats right now as Lord and as Saviour!
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