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At first, I was stumped by a couple aspects of this miracle in John 6:16-24. It’s a short account, and compared to what we’ve gotten used to with John, it’s pretty sparse in detail. Jesus’ disciples are out on the water, doing all they can to row their boat to the other side of the sea in the midst of a huge storm. Jesus comes to them walking on the water, and they are afraid. He says: “It is I, don’t be afraid.” They welcome him into the boat, and immediately their boat is at the shore.
I was stumped first about the point of the miracle. Normally, in a miracle, Jesus does something for someone. He gives them food or drink, he gives them health, he gives them sight, he even gives them life. But here, he doesn’t seem to be doing anything for anyone. So why did he walk on water? I was stumped by that.
I was also stumped about why the disciples were afraid. I mean, sure, this was out of the ordinary, but they were with Jesus. They knew that Jesus wasn’t with them and was intending to catch up with them. They had seen him do so many miracles already, and we don’t see them being afraid at those times. And by this time, they had already seen Jesus calm a storm on this very sea with just his voice.
So what is this miracle about? Jesus wanted his disciples to see him walking on what was troubling them, calmly, authoritatively, definitively. And Jesus wants us to SEE him doing this- walking on the wind and the waves. Walking on, trampling over, stomping on whatever the winds and waves of our lives are. He wants us to see that he has already walked into the storm of sin, and has trampled it- calmly, authoritatively, definitively.
I pray that you see this. My pastor’s heart longs for you to see that today. Because when you see that Jesus has walked all over your sin, that’s when the wind and the waves around you are going to be nothing to you. When you see the power of Jesus to walk on the wind and the waves- when you see his power to save that is so outside your own, that’s when the storm starts to look like a light Portland drizzle. That’s when instead of worrying about the storm, you start to worship in the storm. You worship your Lord, the one who tramples your uncertainties, and everything that troubles you and frightens you.
John 6:16-24
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 about three or four miles,[a] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 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.
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.
