Don't be Afraid
John is unique. Unlike any other gospel. John is new, different. Different stories, different teachings, different characters. Events occur mostly in Judea not Galilee, no parables at all - but sermon like conversations. Written 60 years or more after the resurrection, the author is working hard to correct false teaching that had begun to spread, gnosticism in the earliest stages was questioning the physical being of Jesus, making Him out to be a spirit. John will have none of that. Jesus is fully human AND fully God.
You'll find no stories about Satan, demons or exorcisms, no Sermon on the Mount, and no predictions of end times or apocalyptic teachings. In fact, almost no story in John clearly aligns with any of the gospel stories in Matt. Mark or Luke, but here in the 6th chapter we find TWO. Last week we heard about the lone miracle recorded in every gospel. Feeding 5000 with a few loaves and fishes. One child called it the story where everybody just loafs and fishes, at least that's what the people wanted to do. This week we will examine the miracle of Jesus walking on water.
Whatever we do, we must not mix this story with the passages in the other gospels of Jesus coming to His disciples during a storm.
Forget Jesus sleeping on the boat, then awaking to calm the sea - as in Luke
Forget Peter asking Jesus to tell him to come - as in Matthew 14
Forget Jesus taking a midnight stroll, about to pass by, they thought Him a ghost - as in Mark 6
No. This story must be seen in relationship to Passover Feast, just like last week.
Just like last week, John sees a connection between this miracle, and the Passover. But what is it?
That's a big part of our job - and it was much more obvious to John's audience than to us today.
Recap a bit - Read JN 6: 14
After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself -
The story begins with Jesus going on a retreat - to the mountains, and the disciples doing a little retreating themselves, to the thing they knew best - their boats - they were after all, fishermen.
Why all this retreating? Jesus needed to maintain His focus, keep the main thing the main thing.
People's idea of what they want or need in a king - heal me, feed me now liberate me!
5000 men good start to any army.
Ironically, people were not mistaken about who He was, but only in why He was there
Jesus success so great that they wanted to crown Him
Ever been that successful - ( I have had people wanting to crown me)
Don't just retreat during the tough times, do it during the greatest successes
Show the Video Clip
The setting is the Sea of Galilee - more a lake really. The Hebrew name may originate from the
JN 6: 16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.Hebrew word kinnor ("harp" or "lyre") - which the lake's shape resembles. It is 13 miles long, and 8 miles wide - only covering 64 square miles. At 600 feet below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world after the Dead Sea. Lake not very wide at that point - perhaps 4-5 miles at most
Who's idea was it to get into the boat and go across the lake?
The disciples.
Ever make a decision and shortly afterwards, begin to question your sanity?
I love storms - the sound of mighty winds - edge of danger
Unless of course - I am in a vulnerable spot
Like the time at youth camp sailing across a reservoir during a mighty thunderstorm
I was not a fisherman - nor was I a sailor - I was terrified - but thrilled
Rowing in the dark with wild waves breaking over the sides against the wind for hours, maybe this wasn't such a great idea. 3-4 miles - means they are nearly to shore
You wont go far without experiencing a storm
Why storms - storms are God's idea
Then they spot an unbelievable sight Jesus, though unseen, was with them in the storm
This was no small squall they were caught in. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills, especially on the north, and down the east side, with mountains behind them. Deep valleys are cut through the hills and mighty winds flow through them. Throughout the day, the air at water level is heated and it rises swiftly, and cold air from the mountains and hills flows down through these cuts to turn Galilee into a boiling cauldron. They had been rowing against this wind for several hours and still had only gone a few miles.
But while they were struggling on the lake, Jesus was praying up in the hills.
Jesus came to rescue them from the storm - and to bring them to the destination
It is I - I AM literally - ego eimi - only story in the Synoptics that Jesus declares His identity with God - Moses in the burning bush, but in John it is all over the place
I AM - God's own presence coming to the disciples
Ray Stedman - It is I, do not be afraid." It is as if Jesus says, "The very things that oppose you, the boisterous sea, the buffeting winds, I already have under my feet. I am in control of these events, therefore there is no need to fear"
We don't need a king, we need God's presence
Why at night? Light and dark all the same to God
Gen. 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
God didn't say that the darkness was bad and the light was good, they both together were good
1KI 8:12 Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;
PS 139:12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
ISA 45:7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.
No mention of the wind ending, but only of a sudden landing. It doesn't even say Jesus got in the boat, but they were willing to take Him in.
Immediately the boat reached shore - then what?
Read John 6:22-24
John 6:22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
The crowd got in boats in search of Jesus
Do the math, 1 boat - Jesus not in that boat when it left
They got in boats in search of Jesus too.
Next Step
Wrong next step, don't make him Lord to fill your desires
Why do we have storms, rough sailing?
In the dark times, in the middle of the storm, Jesus is there
During storms - stuff - muck in the bottom gets stirred up, clouding the water, the view, but Jesus brings clarity - healing. You could say Jesus stirs things up so He can clean things up!
In the times of struggle, even going where you were told to go, doing what you were instructed to do, even in the middle of challenge and trial, Jesus is there. Let Him be Lord - King - by His rules!
I would rather go through my storms with Jesus than by myself
I would rather go through storms with each of you than alone
I would rather go through your storms than to leave you to go through them alone
