❖ Video
❖ Audio (Message)
We Meet Jesus In The Storm
(John 6:16-21)
Mari Ikeda
Today we continue with the Gospel of John, and today we will read 6:16-21. This is another famous passage, like the previous one, which records the miracle of Jesus walking on the water during the storm and catching up with the disciples in their boat. While the previous miracle of the feeding of the crowd of 5,000, which we read last time, is recorded in all four Gospels, today’s passage is recorded in three Gospels other than Luke. And since all three Gospels record the previous passage and today’s passage consecutively, it is likely that the two events actually happened in succession. It is a short passage, so let’s read it through in its entirety first.
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.
As you may have noticed, this record of John is very short and less informative than the records of Matthew and Mark. For reference, let’s read Mark 6:45-52.
(Mark 6)
45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. 47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
Matthew’s account adds to this record of Mark, inserting the episode of Peter’s attempt to walk on water. Also, as a matter of detail, the information about where the group was headed and where they eventually arrived differs slightly from each other. John says the group was going to Capernaum and arrived at Capernaum, Mark says they were initially going to Bethsaida but eventually arrived at Gennesaret, and Matthew does not specify where they were going but says they arrived at Gennesaret. We don’t know which is the truth. But we can assume that no one deliberately bend the truth, and that each of them handed down a slightly different tradition.
This was a long introduction, but now let’s talk about what we can learn by comparing John’s record with that of Matthew and Mark.
A. What we can learn by comparison with the other Gospels
(See also Matthew 14 & Mark 6)
1. Additional information
First, there are four additional pieces of information that can be gained from the records of Matthew and Mark.
The first is that the disciples were leaving Jesus on land to cross the lake on their own, not because they were acting on their own, but because Jesus commanded them to do so. Jesus sent the disciples ahead while he himself went to dismiss the crowd and to pray alone.
However, according to Matthew and Mark, when Jesus saw his disciples struggling to row against the headwind on the lake, he came to them. This is the second additional piece of information. Jesus let the disciples go ahead of him, but he did not leave them alone in their trouble.
We also find in Matthew and Mark that the disciples were afraid when they saw Jesus coming walking on the water because they thought he was a ghost. The disciples could not believe that a person could walk on water, and in their anxiety about the boat being caught in the waves in the darkness, they could not recognize Jesus as Jesus, which only deepened their fear. This is the third additional information.
And the fourth and final piece of additional information is that the storm calmed down as Jesus got into the boat. There is no mention of the storm being calmed in John’s record, but I think it is safe to assume that the fact that the boat, which had previously been stuck in the middle of the lake, soon reached its destination was because the storm had calmed. Jesus calmed the storm.
These four pieces of information are what we can get from Matthew and Mark’s writings. Although they are not in John’s account, I think it is safe to say that they are additional information that are consistent with John’s account.
2. Unique emphasis of John’s Gospel
However, on the other hand, if we compare the accounts of the three Gospels, we can also see that the they have distinctly different emphases. What is clearly different among the three Gospels is their respective concluding remarks.
…and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. (John)
(The disciples) were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. (Mark)
Then (the disciples) worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew)
Mark emphasizes the disciples’ lack of understanding, while Matthew emphasizes their faith, which is the opposite conclusion. And John differs from both, emphasizing the fact that the boat has arrived at the destination. I think this is because John is not focusing on the attitude of the disciples in this passage, but on the question of who Jesus is. What John wanted to emphasize is that Jesus is the one who can always take us to our destination.
Now, I would like to consider in a little more detail what this passage teaches us, though it overlaps with what I have already mentioned.
B. Our journey with Jesus
1. He sends us off.
First, let’s talk about the fact that Jesus commanded his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side of the lake, while he himself remained on land. This means that Jesus commanded the disciples to go ahead by themselves in his absence. However, one thing we should remember here is that nearly half of the disciples were fishermen, and this lake was their home lake, so this command of Jesus must not have been so difficult for them. Jesus was not making an unreasonable request of them.
I believe that this command of Jesus is the same as the words of benediction we always hear at the end of our Sunday services. Jesus sends us off to our respective places. In other words, we are sent out into our weekday routines, away from church on Sundays, into the midst of people who do not know Jesus. We are sent out ahead of Jesus to family, friends, co-workers, clients, patients, and all sorts of people. We feel we must go on our own, without Jesus, among those people. It may not be difficult at first, in our daily lives, as the disciples were sent out to their home lake.
But eventually night comes, dark clouds roll in, and the wind begins to blow. We are caught up in circumstances beyond our control, and like a boat caught in a big wave, our hearts can be shaken and filled with anxiety and fear. We may be betrayed by someone we trusted, or forced to part ways with someone we love. It may be that we unexpectedly find ourselves ill or a loved one falls ill. Or it may not be a sudden event, but something that slowly drives us to the edge. Little by little, our relationships with others break down, or we have to give up on our dreams. We may despair of the irreparable mistakes we have made.
2. He walks on the water and comes to us.
We feel divided from Jesus in the midst of such difficulties. We may think that there is a storm-ravaged lake between us and Jesus and that He cannot see us and there is nothing he can do about it. Or we may be so tossed about by the storm in front of us that we forget all about Jesus.
But Jesus is the one who walks on water through the storm to come to us. Jesus is watching over us long after He has sent us away, and when we encounter difficulties, He comes to our side without any obstacles. Even when a storm is brewing in our hearts and we doubt that Jesus has forgotten us, or we don’t even have time to ask for help, he will come to us. The fact that Jesus walked on water through the storm means that no matter how great our doubts and fears are, they are not an obstacle that prevents Him from loving us. In other words, no matter how unbelieving and weak we are, Jesus will not stop loving us that way. Rather, it is when we are weak that He teaches us about Himself so that we can understand. It is uncommon for a person to walk on water, but Jesus did it because His love for us is uncommonly great.
However, we may be frightened at first when Jesus comes to us, thinking that he is a ghost. Unless we hear Jesus himself speak to us, “It is I, do not be afraid,” our hearts may remain clouded. Only when we recognize the person of Jesus can our hearts feel secure.
3. He calms the storm.
Moreover, it is important to note here that Jesus did not come because the storm calmed down, but the storm calmed down because Jesus came. Jesus sends us on a journey, but He does not tell us to calm the storm by ourselves, nor does He tell us to somehow get through the storm by ourselves. He does not tell us to just sit tight until the storm subsides, either. Instead, He comes to us in the midst of the storm and calms it.
And what is even more important to note here is that strictly speaking, Jesus did not calm the storm. Mark records it as follows.
Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.
Similarly, Matthew records as follows.
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
In John’s record, as I mentioned earlier, the record of the calming of the storm itself is omitted. In other words, in all three Gospels, Jesus does not actively command, “Calm down, storm.” There is a similar statement in another passage, but that is different in content from today’s passage and should be ignored here. Jesus did not calm the storm; the storm was calmed because Jesus came.
I think this shows that Jesus’ being with us results in the storm calming down. In other words, if we are with Jesus, the storm ceases to be a storm. When we meet Jesus in the midst of the storm, we are no longer in the storm. Even if the specific situation of difficulty we are facing does not change, if we have the confidence that Jesus is with us, that difficulty will turn into hope. We can remain hopeful in any situation because we can be sure that God will never abandon us and will always be with us.
4. He will always take us to our destination.
And the last thing we need to confirm today is that Jesus will always take us to our destination, as I mentioned a little earlier. It is not by the strength of our faith or our willpower. Just like a storm calms down, if we are with Jesus, we will always arrive at our destination by His power.
However, that destination is a place that Jesus has set, not a place that we have selfishly chosen. Jesus shows each of us where to go, what to do, and who to meet. It is different for each person at different times, and there is no one way. Some may go to Capernaum and be led to Capernaum, others may go to Bethsaida and be led to Gennesaret. There is always no single right answer, and there are no detours or shortcuts in the journey with Jesus.
But we all ultimately arrive at the same place. The place where we will live with God forever, the Kingdom of God. It is not a place where we can enter as a reward for doing good things, but simply a place where we will be led beyond this earthly life with God. It doesn’t matter if you are weak or wrong. Jesus comes beside us, walking on the water, in the midst of the storm. Please, welcome Jesus into your boat.
(Prayer) Lord Jesus, we thank you for the grace of not losing hope in any situation. But how often people are depriving others of the hope to live in the conflicts and wars that are taking place all over the world. Please help the reconciliation between Palestine and Israel. Please stop the attacks on both sides. Please help the leaders of the countries that support both sides to make the right decisions not to intensify the attacks. We think of the weight of our sins and the greatness of the forgiveness of our sins that you gave your life to teach us. Please help us to be the ones who truly bring hope to despair. We pray in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Summary
As we walk through life with Jesus, we sometimes feel like we are sent ahead of Him and have to move forward on our own without Him. But we have all been sent out by Jesus, and He is always watching over us. When unexpected hardships come and storm our hearts, Jesus comes to us in the midst of the storm. Even when our hearts are full of anxiety and fear and we doubt Jesus, He will let us know that He is near in a way that we can understand. And He will always be with us to the end and take us to our destination.
For Discussion
- Tell about a time when your heart was in a stormy state. How did Jesus help you in that state?
- What is the destination we are aiming for with Jesus?