Jesus Walking on the Water
Introduction
I read a little story about a drunk man who stumbled upon a baptism service that was taking place down by a river one Sunday afternoon. The drunk proceeded to walk out into the water, and he stood next to the old country preacher. The preacher noticed the old drunk and said, “Mister, are you ready to find Jesus?”
The drunk looked back and said, “Yes, Preacher: I sure am.” So the minister dunked the fellow under the water and pulls him right back up. “Have you found Jesus?” the preacher asks. “No, I didn't!” said the drunk. The preacher then dunks him under for quite a bit longer, brings him up, and says, “Now, brother, have you found Jesus?” “No, I haven’t, Reverend.”
The preacher took him down into the water again, and this time he held him under for at least 30 seconds. He brought him out of the water, and said in exasperation, “Man, have you found Jesus yet?”
The old drunk took a gulp of air, wiped his eyes, and said to the preacher, “Are you sure this is where he fell in?”
The account that we‘re focusing upon today from John 6 sort of leads me to believe that Jesus COULDN‘T fall INTO the water.
Over the past few weeks, we have been looking at the miracles in John‘s Gospel. There are seven signs (or miracles with a message) that are highlighted in the fourth gospel, and they include…
The Changing Water Into Wine At Cana John 2:1-11
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power To Change Us
The Healing Of The Nobleman’s Son John 4:46-54
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power To Heal Us No Matter How Far Away We Are
The Healing Of The Man At The Pool Of Bethesda John 5:1-16
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power To Cause Us To Walk
The Feeding Of The 5,000 John 6:1-13
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power To Feed Us And Bring Us Into Fellowship
Jesus Walking On Water John 6:16-21 (Also in Matt. 14 & Mark 6)
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power Over Our Storms
The Healing Of The Man Born Blind John 9:1-7
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power To Give Us Vision
The Raising Of Lazarus John 11:1-44
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Even Has The Power Over Death
Today, we‘re looking at The Miracle Of Jesus Walking On The Water. The critics and skeptics have tried to explain away the miracle of Jesus walking on the water by suggesting that He was actually just walking along the shoreline, or perhaps He was walking on a section that was iced over. If He were on the shore, how did He step into the boat since they were “in the midst of the sea” (Mark 6:47)? Further, this account takes place right after the feeding of the multitude, which was in the springtime just before Passover, when the grass was thick and green. How could there have been ice thick enough, and going out 3 or 4 miles into the Sea of Galilee, that would have provided an uninterrupted path and be unaffected by a turbulent sea?
In the midnight maelstrom, the Master moved from the mountain, and magnified the miraculous to His miserable men.
Wendell Loveless said, “Jesus Christ is no security against life‘s storms, but He is perfect security in life‘s storms.”
(From “The Complete Gathered Gold”)
As we look today at this miraculous account in John 6…
I. We Are Shown The Particulars Of The Situation Here
(John 6:15–17)
A. Notice The Departure
(John 6:15) When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
John MacArthur explained the setting of this account saying…
The crowd‘s statement, made immediately after Jesus had healed their sick and filled their stomachs (vs. 14), revealed what the people were really looking for in a messiah. They wanted an earthly deliverer, one who would meet all their physical needs—and food and health were at the top of the list—as well as freeing them from the hated yoke of Roman oppression. Thus they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king. With Him as their provider, they would never want for food, and would have the potential to be healed of every illness. They could march to Jerusalem, overthrow the Romans, and establish the ultimate social welfare state. Jesus, however, refused to be forcibly made king on their selfish (and unrepentant) terms. Therefore, He sent the disciples away by boat (Matt. 14:22; Mark 6:45), dispersed the crowd (Matt. 14:23; Mark 6:45-46), and withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.
Matthew Henry said…
When they were in that storm (in Matthew 8:23) Jesus was with them; but now their beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone. The absence of Christ is the great aggravation of the troubles of Christians.
B. Notice The Disciples
(John 6:16) And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
These were Jesus’ followers; His pupils, His students. Yet, they were subjected to the storm. Our position in Christ is no exemption from storms and difficulties.
C. Notice The Destination
(John 6:17) And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
Capernaum means the comfortable village. This was their destination; a place of comfort, a place of rest. But here upon the troubled sea, this place of comfort seemed like an impossible dream.
D. Notice The Darkness
(John 6:17) And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
Again, Matthew Henry said…
It was now dark; this made the storm the more dangerous and uncomfortable. Sometimes the people of God are in trouble, and cannot see their way out; in the dark concerning the cause of their trouble, concerning the design and tendency of it, and what the issue will be.
The Pulpit Commentary says…
Darkness had already come on, 12 and Jesus had not yet come to them. This thrilling touch in John‘s narrative makes it more than evident that the beloved disciple was on board. He had been expecting the Master to make his appearance in some form. He had looked long and eagerly to that point on the mountainside whither he knew that Jesus had retired. The dreary and disappointed expectation, the long and weary waiting, left an indelible impression. Their natural course towards Capernaum would have been almost parallel with the shore of the lake; but it was dark and tempestuous, they could not steer. And the sea was being roused from its slumber by reason of a high wind which was blowing. If the wind came from the north, it would drift them out into the darkness and the middle of the lake, which is there, at its widest, about five miles broad
II. We Are Shown The Problem Of The Storm Here
(John 6:18–19)
A. Notice The Turbulence That Is Mentioned
(John 6:18) And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
arose – Greek 1326. diegeiro, dee-eg-i'-ro; from G1223 and G1453; to wake fully, i.e. arouse (lit. or fig.):--arise, awake, raise, stir up.
blew – Greek 4154. pneo, pneh'-o; a prim. word; to breathe hard, i.e. breeze:--blow.
John MacArthur explained this situation, saying…
The Sea of Galilee lies nearly 700 feet below sea level in the Jordan Rift, while the surrounding hills rise abruptly to about 2,000 feet above sea level. The sharp drop of nearly 3,000 feet from the tops of the hills to the surface of the lake creates ideal conditions for the sudden, violent storms for which the Sea of Galilee is notorious (cf. Matt. 8:23-27). The cooler air rushes down the slopes and strikes the surface of the lake with great force, churning the water into whitecaps and creating dangerous conditions for small boats.
As they sailed across the lake toward Capernaum, the disciples found themselves caught in one of those sudden squalls. John recalled that the sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. The wind was so powerful that it blew the disciples’ little boat off course, pushing it “a long distance from the land” (Matt. 14:24) toward “the middle of the sea” (Mark 6:47). Despite being “battered by the waves” (Matt. 14:24), the disciples continued “straining at the oars” (Mark 6:48), desperately trying to reach the safety of the western shore. (Even if their boat had been equipped with a sail, it would have done the disciples little good, since they were heading into the wind [Matt. 14:24].) But their progress was painfully slow. The disciples had left for Capernaum sometime between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. (John 6:16), and according to Matthew 14:25 and Mark 6:48 it was now the fourth watch of the night (3:00 to 6:00 a.m.). During those long, dark, exhausting, stressful hours, they had rowed only about three or four miles.
B. Notice The Toil That Is Mentioned
(John 6:19) So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
rowed – Greek 1643. elauno, el-ow'-no; a prol. form of a prim. verb (obsol. except in certain tenses as an altern. of this) of uncert. affin.; to push (as wind, oars or daemoniacal power):--carry, drive, row.
Mark says…
(Mark 6:48) And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
In an excerpt in The Biblical Illustrator, C.S. Robinson wrote…
This word ‘toiling’ is quite inadequate to express the full force of the term. One of the oldest of English versions has it, ‘harassing themselves.’ Tyndale renders it, ‘troubled.’ Alford suggests (the word), ‘distressed.’
Thayer‘s Greek Lexicon says this word “toiling” means “properly, to test (metals) by the touchstone.”
touch·stone – n. (1) A hard black stone, such as jasper or basalt, formerly used to test the quality of gold or silver by comparing the streak left on the stone by one of these metals with that of a standard alloy.
(2) An excellent quality or example that is used to test the excellence or genuineness of others.
They were trying to do exactly what Jesus had told them to, but they were experiencing difficulty. The labor of rowing was revealing what they were made of. Mark further said…
(Mark 6:48) And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
The word “contrary” here means opposite, antagonistic, or against. They were working, but this unseen element was working against them.
Adrian Rogers said…
The disciples were rowing and their backs were aching. Their hands were paralyzed with fear, but they couldn‘t stop because they were out in the middle of the sea. They couldn’t go back, and it was difficult to go forward. It was too far to swim to the shore, and besides, the shoreline was lost in the inky blackness. They were filled with despair.
C. Notice The Timing That Is Mentioned
Mark gives us some specific information about the time of this situation that John does not share…
(Mark 6:48) And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says…
The Jews, who used to divide the night into three watches, later adopted the Roman division into four watches, as here. So that … the fourth watch, reckoning from 6:00 p.m., would be three o’clock in the morning. “So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs” (John 6:19) – rather more than halfway across. The lake is about seven miles broad at its widest part, so that in eight or nine hours they had only made some three and a half miles. By this time, therefore, they must have been in a state of exhaustion and despondency bordering on despair.
Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament agrees that the fourth watch was “between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.” It must have been quite a storm because for a period of about 9 to 12 hours these men, some of whom were seasoned fishermen, were caught in the grasp of this storm in the middle of the Sea of Galilee unable to make any progress.
Sometimes we feel like crying out with the Psalmist David… (Psalms 13:1) How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? For ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
We often want the Lord to work on a different timetable – our timetable. But if He waits three days to come to Bethany, or if He waits nine hours to show up in our storm, He‘ll be right on time!
D. Notice The Terror That Is Mentioned
(John 6:19) So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
John MacArthur said…
Because of the darkness, and the wind-whipped mist and spray, the disciples did not recognize the mysterious figure who came walking toward their boat.
Many (perhaps as many as seven) of the disciples were fishermen by trade, and were used to being on the lake at night and in rough weather (cf. 21:3; Luke 5:5). Though no doubt concerned (cf. Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:36-41; Luke 8:22-25), because the waves threatened to swamp their boat (Mark 4:37; Luke 8:23), they were familiar with these types of storms. But they were certainly not accustomed to seeing human figures walking on the water. Not surprisingly, they were frightened, and cried out in terror, “It is a ghost!” (Matthew 14:26; Mark 6:49).
(Mark 6:49) But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out (meaning to scream).
The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says of Mark’s statement…
But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out - “for fear” (Matthew 14:26). He would appear to them at first like a dark moving speck upon the waters; then as a human figure; but in the dark tempestuous sky, and not dreaming that it could be their Lord, they take it for a spirit.
III. We Are Shown The Power Of The Savior Here
(John 6:19–21)
Let me introduce this point by highlighting a couple of significant truths that John does not record here, namely that…
1. The Bible Gives Us The Mention Of How He Sees Us
(Mark 6:48) And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
saw – Greek 1492. eido, meaning to see and by implication to know: --be aware, behold, consider, (have) known (-ledge), look (on), perceive, see, understand, wist, wot.
The fact that “He saw them” tells us not only that He could see and perceive, but also that He could know and understand.
2. The Bible Gives Us The Measure Of How He Sees Us
(Mark 6:47) And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
(John 6:19) So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
(1 furlong = 1/8 mile … so 25 furlongs = 3.125 miles … and 30 furlongs = 3.75 miles)
Again, according to the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, ―The lake is about seven miles broad at its widest part, so ... they had only made some three and a half miles. But again, Mark 6:48 says that Jesus “saw them.” Jesus could see that far! We can’t get far enough away from Him to where He cannot see us and know what we’re going through.
A. There Is Something Powerful About His Path
(John 6:19) So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
walking – Greek 4043. peripateo, per-ee-pat-eh'-o; from G4012 and G3961; to tread all around, i.e. walk at large (especially as proof of ability). He was just taking a casual stroll on top of the stormy.
When it says that He was “drawing nigh,” it means that He was coming nearer and nearer to the ship.
Cf. (Psalms 77:19) Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
John MacArthur wrote…
Suddenly, through the darkness, swirling wind, stinging spray, and raging waves, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They had struggled for hours, making little headway. He, however, was walking effortlessly into the teeth of the gale. In fact, Jesus was moving so rapidly that it looked to the disciples as if He would pass right by them (Mark 6:48). Because of the darkness, and the wind-whipped mist and spray, the disciples did not recognize the mysterious figure who came walking toward their boat.
John Phillips described the scene like this…
We note the terror that overwhelmed them (6:19). Strange to say, it was not so much the terror of howling wind and heaving waves, but of the Lord‘s supernatural appearance. They were about halfway across the lake, having gone “about five and twenty or thirty furlongs,” John says. He had grown up on that lake, knew its dimensions by heart, and he was on board that night. From the vicinity of Bethsaida, the distance across the lake to their destination at Capernaum was about five miles. They had rowed about three.
We can imagine their terror when they saw a figure walking on the water toward them—Jesus?—his hair and garments streaming in the wind, spray blowing all about, now hidden for a moment in a valley, now striding atop a mighty billow, and all the time coming nearer and nearer. John‘s brief comment was, “They were afraid”—far more afraid of this unexpected phenomenon of the darkness and storm, we can be sure, than they were of the raging elements. They were used to storms at sea. Those, unwelcome as they were, hurtful as they were, could be labeled (or mislabeled) “natural phenomena.” But to see someone, even their Lord, walking toward them across the wildly tossing waves was something to make the hair stand on end and the blood run cold.
He walks, yea even strolls, where nobody else can walk. The storms may be over our heads, but they are under His feet!
B. There Is Something Powerful About His Proclamation
(John 6:20) But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
The United Bible Societies New Testament Handbook says…
The tense of the verb rendered Don’t be afraid implies that the disciples were already frightened when Jesus spoke to them, and it may therefore be translated “Stop being afraid” or “being frightened.”
It is I may be variously expressed in different languages, for example, “I am the one who is speaking” or “I‘m the one here” or “you are looking at me” or “I am Jesus.”
The Pulpit Commentary says…
Verse 20. - But he saith to them, It is I (literally, I am); be not afraid. These Divine words, in a voice which reminded them of his entire personality, of all his previous beneficence, of all his knowledge of their weakness and fear, are sacredly symbolic. The Church has ever since regarded them as veritably sacramental. In the darkest hour of men and Churches, in the throes of persecution in the furnace of temptation, on a million death-beds, the same voice has been heard. His Divine Personality, his infinite power and perfect sympathy, the conviction of his specialized regard and veritable nearness (as we count nearness), have scattered doubt and fear.
C. There Is Something Powerful About His Presence
(John 6:21) Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
The United Bible Societies New Testament Handbook says…
In translating took him into the boat, it is important not to suggest that they had to rescue him from the sea. One may simply say “they received him into the boat” or “welcomed him aboard.”
A. T. Robertson said…
They were willing therefore eethelon oun . (basically, it suggests that) “they began to be willing.”
In his New Testament Word Studies, Marvin Vincent explained…
They willingly received. The English Revised Version … has: “they were willing to receive”; after being reassured by His voice. The imperfect denotes a continuous state of feeling, not a mere impulsive and temporary wish.
D. There Is Something Powerful About His Progress
(John 6:21) Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
Albert Barnes said…
Verse 21. [Immediately] Quickly. Before a long time. How far they were from the land we know not, but there is no evidence that there was a miracle in the case. The word translated “immediately” does not of necessity imply that there was no interval of time, but that there was not a long interval.
But The United Bible Societies New Testament Handbook says…
A literal rendering of the boat reached land must suggest in some receptor languages that the boat was self-propelled, that is, had a motor.
Marvin Vincent said…
Their immediate and miraculous arrival at the shore was simultaneous either with their entertaining the wish to receive Him, or with His actually coming on board. Only John mentions this incident. Matthew and Mark say that “the wind ceased.”
Conclusion
Some years ago, I preached a revival meeting in Arkansas. While I was there, the pastor drove me by the Wal-Mart headquarters. We drove by the Tyson chicken headquarters. He also took me to see a couple of the larger churches that I had heard about in that area.
But one of the things that stands out about visiting that area is seeing the devastation from some of the tornadoes that they had a few weeks earlier. (We’ve heard a lot lately about these terrible tornadoes and storms that have affected so many parts of the country.) One thing that surprised me about seeing the aftermath of those storms in Arkansas was how random the destruction was. One house might have been totally destroyed by the storm while the house next door was completely unscathed.
That’s how it can be in the storms of life. The disciples were literally, all in the same boat when it came to the storm that they were going through. But you may be going through something that has totally devastated you, while the person next to you (perhaps even someone in the same household) has been completely unaffected by those trials and storms.
If you have been affected by some turbulence in your life and maybe your strength is at low ebb and your spirit is in upheaval; can I just remind you that Jesus is stronger than the storm. He is in control of the storm.
Allow Him to get on board with you. And when He gets on board with you, you can go a whole lot further a whole lot faster than you could have ever gone without Him.
Trust Him today in your storm!