He Walks On Water - John 6:16-24

All throughout the Gospel of John, we are reminded time and time again that John's purpose is to let us know who exactly is Jesus. We see who he is in his encounters with people like Nicodemus, the Woman at the Well, and the invalid at the pool of Bethesda. We are introduced to his purpose, his person, and his compassion. But more than anything we are reminded throughout this Gospel that Jesus is God. Whereas the Gospel of Mark focuses on Jesus' humanity, the Gospel of John focuses on his divinity.

Read John 6:16-24

What an encounter with Jesus! The disciples are rowing across the Sea of Galilee and in the middle of a storm, they see a man walking on water. Can you imagine what was going through their heads when they saw him? I imagine they were saying something like..."G-g-g-ggggggghost???" Perhaps one of the disciples peed in their pants out of fear. Sometimes our English translations don't do justice to the scene. If I had to guess, the disciples were terrified! But what does Jesus do? He calls out to them even when he's not yet in the boat. In the midst of their fear, Jesus reaches out to them and says "It is I; do not be afraid." In the midst of this divine encounter, which the disciples clearly do not understand, Jesus' presence is enough to calm the storm, both the one in their minds and the one they were in. This is the Jesus that John is encouraging us to get to know. He's the Son of God who has the power to walk on water. Who else can make that claim? And yet he's also the one who knows and cares for his disciples. He loves them enough to reassure them in the midst of the storm. They might have gotten caught up in their circumstance and missed who Jesus was because all they could see was the storm. But Jesus is right there, calling out to them to know him.

Re-read John 6:16-24

Is the Jesus you know the same Jesus that the disciples encountered? He's the Son of God! Let's not down play the fact that he did something incredible in walking on water. But at the same time, he's the one who calls out to his disciples to calm their fears and remind them of his presence. Spend some time reflecting on who Jesus is to you. He walks on water. He calms the storm. He calls to you.