Jesus Walks on the Stormy Sea Beside the BoatBible World
6:20John 6:20
But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
On a dark and stormy night the disciples spent hours rowing in vain against furious wind until their strength failed, and when Jesus came to them walking on the water they mistook him for a ghost bringing death and cried out in terror for their lives. He answered by making himself known to them and telling them to lay aside fear, and his familiar voice stilled their dread and assured them that he had come to them in danger as truly the Son of God. Their terror then gave way to faith and joyful welcome as they received him as their deliverer, forgetting the storm, and the tempest was stilled and the boat brought at once to shore. In those words he declares his divine identity and his abiding presence with his people, with assurance of rescue from sin and power to obey. His nearness still removes anxiety and dread of death and gives courage amid danger, for he comes to help his followers when their own strength and wisdom are exhausted and accomplishes with ease what is impossible to them.
Storm Rescue Setting
The saying belongs to the walking on the water account that follows the feeding with the loaves and fishes and leads to the declaration that Christ is the Bread of life, after which some disciples turned from him. It is closely joined to the miracle of the loaves and fishes and to that declaration about the bread of life. It is part of the account of Christ walking on the sea.
After the miracle the crowd's hopes rose that the Deliverer would provide for them, defeat Rome, and establish Israel's dominion. He had refused the multitude's attempt to make him an earthly king.
The setting is a dark, stormy night on the sea or lake, where the disciples spent many hours rowing fruitlessly against a furious storm and adverse winds. Their hands fell powerless from the oars. Jesus had seen the struggling disciples and had not lost sight of them, watching them from the distant shore through the darkness, unwilling to let one perish. He came to bring help after they humbled themselves, had unholy ambition quelled, and prayed, when their hearts were subdued.
As he walked on the water toward the boat and advanced as though he would pass them, they mistook him for a phantom or spirit meaning immediate destruction and death. They cried out for help in terror for their lives on the storm-tossed sea. His appearance, which they had mistaken as a sign of death, was met with that cry.
With the words It is I; be not afraid, Jesus identified himself and told them not to fear. His familiar, well-known voice silenced their terror and reassured them that he had come to them in their danger. His presence reassured them that he was truly the Son of God. When they recognized him, fear was silenced.
Recognizing him ended their terror and turned it to faith, hope, and speechless joy as they hailed and welcomed him as their Deliverer, forgetting the storm. His presence removed their anxiety and dread of death, taking away their apprehensions. This was followed by Peter's adventure on the water and the sudden stilling of the tempest and landing of the boat at shore. Afterward the tempest suddenly ceased and the boat reached land.
This earlier rescue on the foam-capped billows showed his power to save on the sea. When the disciples were later caught in another furious night storm with the boat filling and sinking and their own skill and courage failed, they remembered that deliverance and turned to Jesus as their only hope. That coming upon the water to rescue them from death in deadly peril became the ground of their later appeal.
Christ's Present Help
In saying it is himself, Christ declares himself to be the I AM, assuring his people of his divine identity, of his presence with them, and of his surety of deliverance from sin and power to obey God's law. His presence and self-identifying word urging them not to fear dispelled terror and gave hope and joy, turning what had seemed a sign of death into the coming of the messenger of life. With Christ beside them they no longer feared or felt anxious about dying, which shows that his presence removes anxiety and dread of death and gives courage and faith amid danger.
The verse illustrates that Christ comes to the aid of his followers when their own strength and wisdom prove insufficient. When they trusted the Master they stopped relying on their failing efforts and left the work to him, and he can accomplish with ease what seems difficult to them. His reassurance to the frightened disciples serves as comfort to believers amid worldwide unrest and fear, for amid the storm of events they can hear him telling them not to be afraid.
Faith and Spiritual Food
The sixth chapter of John, together with the fifth chapter, is to be studied and made a part of life by bringing its teachings into daily experience. It contains instruction that is indeed the mystery of godliness, testifying of Christ in whom is eternal life. That study gives the knowledge that enables distinguishing the true from the false in days of peril.
Its words point to the spiritual nourishment found in God's Word, for Christ is the living bread and His words are to be received as life-giving food. Believers are to feed upon Christ's words as the very flesh of Christ and His blood, taking in His words by faith for spiritual nourishment. The living Word is the flesh and blood of the Son of God, and the living oracles present Him as the Son of God and the hope of Israel through His work as the substitute for sin. That work as substitute for sin is the hope of God's people.
The sixth chapter gives the definition of the righteousness of Christ. Accepting that righteousness puts on the wedding garment, which is the marriage of humanity with divinity and the standard of character each must reach to be counted a fit guest at the wedding. Mere outward connection with any church will not save a man. Personal faith in a personal Saviour brings the soul into spiritual union with Christ, while His words also call for practical holiness and obedience.
On a dark and stormy night the disciples spent hours rowing in vain against furious wind until their strength failed, and when Jesus came to them walking on the water they mistook him for a ghost bringing death and cried out in terror for their lives. He answered by making himself known to them and telling them to lay aside fear, and his familiar voice stilled their dread and assured them that he had come to them in danger as truly the Son of God. Their terror then gave way to faith and joyful welcome as they received him as their deliverer, forgetting the storm, and the tempest was stilled and the boat brought at once to shore. In those words he declares his divine identity and his abiding presence with his people, with assurance of rescue from sin and power to obey. His nearness still removes anxiety and dread of death and gives courage amid danger, for he comes to help his followers when their own strength and wisdom are exhausted and accomplishes with ease what is impossible to them.
Storm Rescue Setting
The saying belongs to the walking on the water account that follows the feeding with the loaves and fishes and leads to the declaration that Christ is the Bread of life, after which some disciples turned from him. It is closely joined to the miracle of the loaves and fishes and to that declaration about the bread of life. It is part of the account of Christ walking on the sea.
After the miracle the crowd's hopes rose that the Deliverer would provide for them, defeat Rome, and establish Israel's dominion. He had refused the multitude's attempt to make him an earthly king.
The setting is a dark, stormy night on the sea or lake, where the disciples spent many hours rowing fruitlessly against a furious storm and adverse winds. Their hands fell powerless from the oars. Jesus had seen the struggling disciples and had not lost sight of them, watching them from the distant shore through the darkness, unwilling to let one perish. He came to bring help after they humbled themselves, had unholy ambition quelled, and prayed, when their hearts were subdued.
As he walked on the water toward the boat and advanced as though he would pass them, they mistook him for a phantom or spirit meaning immediate destruction and death. They cried out for help in terror for their lives on the storm-tossed sea. His appearance, which they had mistaken as a sign of death, was met with that cry.
With the words It is I; be not afraid, Jesus identified himself and told them not to fear. His familiar, well-known voice silenced their terror and reassured them that he had come to them in their danger. His presence reassured them that he was truly the Son of God. When they recognized him, fear was silenced.
Recognizing him ended their terror and turned it to faith, hope, and speechless joy as they hailed and welcomed him as their Deliverer, forgetting the storm. His presence removed their anxiety and dread of death, taking away their apprehensions. This was followed by Peter's adventure on the water and the sudden stilling of the tempest and landing of the boat at shore. Afterward the tempest suddenly ceased and the boat reached land.
This earlier rescue on the foam-capped billows showed his power to save on the sea. When the disciples were later caught in another furious night storm with the boat filling and sinking and their own skill and courage failed, they remembered that deliverance and turned to Jesus as their only hope. That coming upon the water to rescue them from death in deadly peril became the ground of their later appeal.
Christ's Present Help
In saying it is himself, Christ declares himself to be the I AM, assuring his people of his divine identity, of his presence with them, and of his surety of deliverance from sin and power to obey God's law. His presence and self-identifying word urging them not to fear dispelled terror and gave hope and joy, turning what had seemed a sign of death into the coming of the messenger of life. With Christ beside them they no longer feared or felt anxious about dying, which shows that his presence removes anxiety and dread of death and gives courage and faith amid danger.
The verse illustrates that Christ comes to the aid of his followers when their own strength and wisdom prove insufficient. When they trusted the Master they stopped relying on their failing efforts and left the work to him, and he can accomplish with ease what seems difficult to them. His reassurance to the frightened disciples serves as comfort to believers amid worldwide unrest and fear, for amid the storm of events they can hear him telling them not to be afraid.
Faith and Spiritual Food
The sixth chapter of John, together with the fifth chapter, is to be studied and made a part of life by bringing its teachings into daily experience. It contains instruction that is indeed the mystery of godliness, testifying of Christ in whom is eternal life. That study gives the knowledge that enables distinguishing the true from the false in days of peril.
Its words point to the spiritual nourishment found in God's Word, for Christ is the living bread and His words are to be received as life-giving food. Believers are to feed upon Christ's words as the very flesh of Christ and His blood, taking in His words by faith for spiritual nourishment. The living Word is the flesh and blood of the Son of God, and the living oracles present Him as the Son of God and the hope of Israel through His work as the substitute for sin. That work as substitute for sin is the hope of God's people.
The sixth chapter gives the definition of the righteousness of Christ. Accepting that righteousness puts on the wedding garment, which is the marriage of humanity with divinity and the standard of character each must reach to be counted a fit guest at the wedding. Mere outward connection with any church will not save a man. Personal faith in a personal Saviour brings the soul into spiritual union with Christ, while His words also call for practical holiness and obedience.