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, 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.

In the last 2 sessions, we journeyed with Jesus on the Boat, and encountered a sudden storm, and witnessed how Jesus commanded the wind and the waves to be still.

In this session and the next, we are going to the next big miracle of Jesus walking on water.   We sail with the disciples as they struggle against the waves, and witness a great unprecedented miracle.

（Picture from the Internet）

The miracle is on the same lake, the Sea of Galilee.  It is about 21km long and 13km wide, and its deepest parts are about 43m deep.  Because it is in a valley, it is common to experience sudden storms, gust of strong winds that will churn up the waves.

This miracle is recorded in three gospels, and John tends to give more details. 

Here the author tells us that the disciples were about 5 or 6 kilometres out at sea, and were struggling against the wind and waves, when Jesus walked out to them.

There a few miracles to note from this miracle here.

First, Jesus walked on water.

What did this action of Jesus walking on water bring to mind?

It will bring us back to Genesis 1:2 where the spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  The disciples who were Jews, knew this creation narrative very well.  They knew it was God who created the world in the beginning.  Jesus had hinted to the people many times, that he existed from the beginning.  The gospel of John begins by introducing Jesus as the word of God, that became flesh. That Jesus in essence is God.  Here we have a non-verbal proclamation and revelation from Jesus, that he created the world, and that he is God.

Looking at the imagery of the Sea in Genesis, to mean evil and chaos, Jesus’ act also portrayed that all evil and chaos is at his feet.

As we reflect on the word of God, we see that God has revealed himself to us as a Holy Trinity.  God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit.

Father God is transcendent.  Jesus is the human form of God, or God’s direct interface to us.  And the Holy Spirit has been given to us, mortal beings.  That we have a frail body, but what Jesus had done, we too can do through the Holy Spirit, as we become part of the Body of Christ.  We have seen how Jesus had given his disciples authority, and they were going about preaching, healing and casting out evil spirits.  As they proclaim the kingdom of God, bondages by the evil spirit is broken.

Luke 4:18-19

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

This was the kingdom of God that Jesus came to proclaim and bring.

It was a promise by God made to his people in Isaiah 61:1-2 and Isaiah 58:6.

As the Jews waited for their Messiah, Jesus came with this claim in the word of God.

Second, Jesus moved ‘unnaturally’.

Here we see Jesus, although human outwardly, walking on water, which is against our understanding of nature.  In the account in Matthew 14, the disciples thought that he must be a ghost!

Before this incident, Jesus had fed the multitudes, and knew that they wanted to make him king by force.

（Picture from the Internet）

Let us look at the passage before this in

John 6:1-15

¹Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. ⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages^[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

⁸ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹ “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

¹² When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, 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.

Naturally, Jesus the Messiah, is the king of the Jews.  Yet, it was not to be in this natural form.

God has a higher plan.  One that comes from the spiritual realm.

God has a greater plan. One that Jesus will be king of the world.

We also see him move with great ease and speed, as the disciples had a huge head-start and were then struggling against the wind and the waves, but Jesus could quickly catch up with them.

Jesus’ kingdom was not what people of the world will think of.  It is unnatural as it is different from what they conceive.

Today we see Jesus king in many nations, but he is not here in person, running a physical government.

No, he is king where ever people receive him as king of their lives. 

What then about the governments on earth? 

Jesus’ rebuke in Matthew 21:43 gives us a clue.

Where the kingdom of God is, the peoples will be blessed.

When they stopped having Jesus as king in their lives and policies, the kingdom of God will be taken away.  Blessings will be gone.

“The kingdom of God will be given to a people who will produce its fruit.”

Any people who are willing, who perseveres to produce the fruit of the kingdom of God, will receive its blessings and be under an open heaven of supernatural blessings.

Leviticus 18, tells us the sure path to losing our land.

Ezekiel 18, gives us a good idea of what the fruit of the kingdom is like, and also warns us that God’s covenant will always depend on our response to Him.

Third, Jesus teleported them.

It was evident that Jesus saw them having trouble crossing the lake and had gone to help them.

After he joins them in the boat, immediately, they have reached their destination.

Later on in scripture, Acts 8:39-40 records a teleportation by a deacon of the church.

My friend, Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to help us in our work for the kingdom of God on earth.  When we stir up our spiritual gifts, and learn to work with the Holy Spirit, he is able to help us in unnatural ways. 

When we follow Jesus and move in the spiritual realm, we will not be going against wind and waves of the earthly realm.  We can reach our destination instantly. 

We serve Creator God, the maker of heaven and earth.

What is impossible in Him?

Many a times, God trains our patience and let us go through a long route to build up patience, perseverance and character.

But let us not forget, that our God can also expedite things. Sometimes our miracle is just around the corner.  Sometimes, we forget that God can change his timing, and make something happen right away.  This is the mighty God we serve.

Jesus may also be back sooner than we think.

Are you prepared?

Dear friends, who is Jesus?

Will you follow him?