Walking on the Water (A Sign of Power)
Walking on the Water (A Sign of Power): How should Christians deal with fear, anxiety, and worry? When Jesus walked on the water and calmed the storm, it was a sign of Jesus’ power over creation. In this broken world, there are many real reasons for fear — but if Jesus is our creator, his power should calm our fears. Why? Because he is God and he is good, and we, too, can put our hope and trust in his unfailing love. Recorded on Oct 1, 2023, on John 6:16-24 by Pastor David Parks.
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Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.
Sermon Transcript
All year, we’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re continuing in John 6 and another one of the most famous signs/miracles of Jesus’ ministry, that is, Jesus walking on the water. If you missed any of the sermons from this series so far, you can always go back and watch or listen online. But today, in the fifth of the seven miraculous signs in John’s gospel, we have a sign of power. We have a sign of the sovereign power of Jesus, the Creator, and the Lord over of all creation. This is a huge teaching. But of all the implications of this, in our story, this sign of the power of Jesus is directly connected to fear. Now, I know that some of us really struggle with fear, but everyone has fears/anxieties/worries. Maybe you have fear that comes up when you think about your kids/health/career/future. In this broken world, there are many real reasons for fear; there are many things to be afraid of. But as followers of Jesus, how do we face our fears? If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 6:16. Let’s consider the incredible story of Jesus walking on the water.
John 6:16-18 (NIV), “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.” Let’s pause here. So, last week, we considered the sign of provision in the feeding of the five thousand. And in three of the four gospels, the authors place the story of Jesus walking on the water the night of the miracle of feeding the five thousand. And what a day! So that same day, when evening came, Jesus put his disciples in a boat and had them set off ahead of him. Matthew and Mark both say that Jesus “went up on a mountainside to pray.” After such an incredibly fruitful but exhausting day of ministry, Jesus needed some alone time with his Father in prayer. That’s what recharged him. Now, John doesn’t mention this detail here, but the intimacy of Jesus’ relationship with his Father is certainly a theme that runs throughout John’s gospel. So late in the day, the disciples started rowing the few miles to the town of Capernaum at the north end of the Sea of Galilee. Basically, they were headed back to their home base. Capernaum was where Peter and his wife had a house and where Jesus spent a lot of his time during his public ministry. In fact, you can see the ruins of Peter’s house to this day. Anyways, as they were going home after a very long day of ministry, things were not going well. A strong wind was blowing, and the waters grew rough, and now it was dark. The fact that John mentions the darkness and that the disciples weren’t with Jesus is probably not an accident. Darkness is often a metaphor for a lack of faith. But even for seasoned fishermen, this was a potentially deadly situation. If their boat went down, there was no emergency beacon, no GPS locator, no Coast Guard or Navy coming to their aid. Depending on how far they are from shore, they very easily might drown. There are many situations we might face in life we’d call storms metaphorically, but they were in a literal storm. What would they do?
John 6:19–21 (NIV), “19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, 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.” Let’s pause one more time. So the disciples went into this situation tired. They’d been up all day, helping Jesus minister to thousands of people. And now, they’d been rowing for hours in the dark and through the storm, and they had only traveled three or four miles. They were sent out on a mission by Jesus, but they couldn’t seem to accomplish it on their own. Later, Jesus will say, apart from me, you can do nothing. But in his timing, Jesus came to them, and they saw him approaching the boat, walking on the water. John (in a kind of understated way) says they were frightened. I bet! Can you imagine seeing a man approaching in the dark, in the blowing wind and the raging sea? Mark is a little more descriptive of their emotional state, saying, “When they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out because they all saw him and were terrified.” (Mk 6:49-50a). These are grown men, blue-collar men (fishermen), who are terrified, and rightly so! You and I would’ve been afraid, too. But Jesus comes to them in their struggle against the wind and the waves. He is not afraid. He comes to them in their fear and he speaks, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Literally, he says, “I am; don’t be afraid.” Now, it’s not a bad translation in the NIV, saying “It is I;” as that is what the Greek can mean. But I believe there’s more going on here. Back when we started working through John’s gospel, I said that this book is like an art gallery with various wings organized under certain themes that all reveal different aspects of the person and work of Jesus. And one of the wings would be the seven signs of Jesus, which we’ve seen five so far. Another one of the wings of the gallery would be the “I am” statements of Jesus. And just like the signs, there are seven metaphorical “I am” statements, as well. “I am the bread of life” (which we’ll consider next week) or “I am the Good Shepherd.” Each of these “I am” statements teaches us something about Jesus. But there are a few other non-metaphorical “I am” statements in John, including our passage for today. Well, why is it significant for Jesus to say, “I am”? The reason is rooted in the Hebrew Bible or the OT of our Bibles. 1,500 years before the time of Jesus, during the calling of Moses by God from within the burning bush, Moses asked God what his name was and what he should call him. God responds in Exodus 3:14–15, saying, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.” So, the personal name of God, which is Yahweh, comes from the phrase “I am” in Hebrew. So, it has to be on purpose that John has this thread running through his gospel where Jesus identifies himself using a series of “I am” statements. For Jewish men and women steeped in the stories of the Exodus, this was a clear but radical statement that Jesus was not just a good teacher or prophet; he is so much more than this. John is saying that Jesus claimed to be the I AM, he was Yahweh, he was the one who called to Moses from the burning bush, he was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And he had come in the flesh. He was God-with-us. “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God…[but] the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:1, 14). We’ll consider more of this “I am” thread next week with Jesus’ statement, “I am the bread of life.” But today, as if we needed more evidence that Jesus claimed to be God, there’s also an OT theme of the Lord being the master or ultimate authority over the sea. Job says that “[God] alone stretches out the heavens and [listen to this] treads on the waves of the sea…He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.” (Job 9:8-10). This is what Yahweh God does. Or listen to the Psalmist in Psalm 107. Psalm 107 emphasizes God’s sovereign power over creation and his ability to save people because of his unfailing love. Let’s read just a section of it today. Psalm 107:23–30 (NIV), “23 Some [people] went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. 24 They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. 25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. 26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. 27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. 29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.” I believe John had this psalm in mind when, many years later, as an old man, he thought back to that scary, stormy night. When the disciples realized it was Jesus, their friend, “they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.” Jesus had treaded on the waves of the sea; he had stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. And the disciples were glad as Jesus guided them home. What a difference it is to have Jesus in your boat. He brings them calm, peace, joy, life, and gladness. He brings them home. But how does he do this? He does this by being the divine Word made flesh; he does this by being the eternal Son of the Father; he does this by being the great I AM; he does this by being God.
John 6:22–24 (NIV), “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.” This is God’s word. So this final section flows right into our passage for next week as the people question how Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake without a boat. Good question! But the end of our passage today emphasizes that this wasn’t a parable about Jesus being able to calm our fears in the midst of a metaphorical storm. Jesus really did walk on the water; he really did calm the storm. There were twelve eyewitnesses to what he did, and then many more who saw him first on the one side of the lake and then again in Capernaum without another explanation for how he got there.
But what does this mean for us today? How do we apply this teaching to our lives? Well, do you ever struggle with fear, anxiety, or worry? Join the club. Fear is a universal condition in a world full of sin and death. But nevertheless, there are many things that might help us to have courage in the face of our fears or to find peace in the storm. Having other friends in the boat certainly helps. The disciples weren’t rowing alone. The more isolated you are, the more power fear tends to have. Having the wisdom of experience certainly helps. These men weren’t rookies out on the water. At least 4-5 of them were experienced fishermen who ran their own fishing business. I’m sure they knew a few things about navigating a boat in the middle of a storm. That wisdom and their perspective would’ve been very helpful. If we’re talking about a metaphorical storm, not the storm the disciples faced that day, then talking with a counselor certainly helps. The disciples weren’t really at liberty to take advantage of this point. But talking through your fears in order to examine the thoughts behind your feelings is a vital practice because not everything you feel is true! Fear can be made so much worse by thinking or believing something that is false. In certain situations, medication can help, exercise can help, and other practices can help. But just as the disciples did that night, today, we have two choices to make when it comes to Jesus. And the result of these choices will have a direct (and I believe the biggest) impact on calming our fears. The first choice is this: are you willing to accept Jesus into your boat? When the disciples didn’t realize it was Jesus, they were afraid of him in addition to the fear of the storm. They thought he was a ghost. But then they realized it was him. That’s when Peter asks Jesus to walk on the water, too, as Matthew’s gospel records. It worked for about 5 seconds until Peter took his eyes off Jesus, but either way, when they recognized him, they invited him in. Will you do that? When you’re in the storm when your fight-or-flight system is activated, will you invite him in? Will you pray to him? Will you trust in him? Will you bring his light and his truth into your darkness? Or not? He doesn’t force himself on us. He stands at the door and knocks. All you have to do is let him in. The second choice is this: do you believe what John is saying and what the signs of Jesus are showing, that Jesus is the Creator God, who has come into his creation? Do you believe these things really happened? That he turned water into wine and healed the official’s son, and he restored the man at Bethesda, and he fed the five thousand, and that he walked on water? Eventually, we will see that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, and he was buried, but on the third day, he rose again from the dead and is alive today as the King, the Lord of all creation. If you do believe these signs to be true, then this has everything to do with our fear. Of course, we won’t experience the exact same situation the disciples faced all those years ago. Our circumstances will be different. But, perhaps we might experience similar fears to how they felt that night. Fears made worse by exhaustion, lack of progress, and the darkness. Fears made worse by difficult/hopeless circumstances. Fears for our safety/future/loved ones. Fear of death. The truth is this: in this broken world, there are many real reasons for fear; there are many things to be afraid of. As followers of Jesus, how do we face our fears? Well, if Jesus is our creator, then he has power/authority over every inch of the whole of the universe. And his power should calm our fears, for he is God, and he is good, and we, too, can put our hope and trust in his unfailing love. He will calm the storm, he will bring us home, and we will be glad. Let me close with this, from Psalm 89:8–9 (NIV), “8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. 9 You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.” And, friends, if he did it then, he can do it again. Let us pray.