It is I; Don't be afraid

John 6:16-24

Key Verse 6:20

But he said to them, “It is I; don't be afraid.”

Introduction:

Jesus had fed 5,000 people with a compassionate heart in the last passage. He showed his power to provide. Now, in today’s passage, he shows his power to protect. When they became stuck in an unexpected squall, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake, and helped them put their trust in him and receive his deliverance. Although he rejected being a political king (15), Jesus demonstrated his kingship over the forces of nature and showed his glory as the true God and Creator who is worthy of our worship and devotion. This passage plays a pivotal role in making a bridge between his miracle of feeding the 5,000 and his teachings related to that miracle in verses 25-71. Because of his personal revelation to his disciples in today’s passage, they remained when the half-hearted followers left (66).

Jesus walking on the water is the fifth sign-miracle recorded in John’s Gospel. The account of this miracle is recorded also in Mat 14:22-36 and Mk 6:45-52 (it does not appear in Luke). Apostle John had a different point to reveal in his account of this miracle than the other evangelists and he adds a few details which they omitted. John wanted to emphasize the deity of Jesus Christ at the time of confusion when he wrote this gospel around AD 85. 

1. Read verses 16-17.

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:16-17  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.

After Jesus fed the crowd, what did Jesus do? (Mk 6:45-46)

ANSWER: 

Mar 6:45-46  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.

Jn 6:15  Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Jesus dismissed the crowd.

Jesus made his disciples go on ahead of him to Capernaum (17) (see map below). The word “made” (lit. compelled) conveys the urgency called for due to the volatile crowd.

Jesus was like a loving mother who delicately cares for her children each day. Jesus himself dismissed the crowd and then sent his disciples to the other side of the lake to perhaps have some rest – the rest he had wanted them to have since early that day (Mk 6:31). They might have been tired because they had served over 5000 people by distributing the bread and fish (Mat 14:19). When Jesus finished feeding the crowd, his disciples were still busy to collect the leftovers while the people were still resting from their meal (13).

Why did he withdraw to a mountain? (15b)

ANSWER:

Jn 6:15  Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Jesus he did this to escape the crowd who wanted to make him king by force (15).

Jesus also did this to secure the spiritual rest in prayer that he had been seeking earlier that day (Mat 14:23; Mk 6:46).

Jesus probably wanted to pray because of the news of the beheading of John the Baptist (Mat 14:12-13). John’s death signified that Jesus was soon going to suffer at their hands (Mat 17:12).

Jesus must have been dogged tired due to his strenuous work from morning to night. Yet, Jesus received supernatural strength from his prayer time that evening to such an extent that later he could walk on the water and even catch up with his disciples who were still rowing (19).

So, despite his tiredness and busy schedule, Jesus came to his loving Father in heaven and had fellowship. He reported to his Father what he had done and asked what his Father wanted next.

Jesus probably prayed for his disciples that night that they might know him and participate in serving his purpose:

His prayer for them was probably that they might really come know him as their God and Savior, the source of life. They did not figure this out yet from the miracle of feeding the 5,000 (Mk 6:52). So his prayer was that they might learn this important point through the upcoming miracle of him walking on the lake.

He prayed that his disciples might know him and his power (Mat 14:29; Eph 1:19-20; Php 3:10; Mat 22:29; 2Co 12:9) through which they could walk above their circumstances and serve many with the strength he provides beyond their human limitation and so that they could rise as victors over spiritual storms: Toil and trouble and difficulty and threat and danger, heartbreak and heartache which they were sure to encounter as Jesus’ servants (2Co 4:11-12; 2Co 1:8-9; 2Co 11:23).

Earlier, Jesus had showed a compassionate heart toward the hungry crowd and had asked Philip, “Where shall WE buy bread for these people to eat?” (5) He might therefore have prayed for them to learn his shepherd heart and to participate with him in distributing to spiritually hungry people the knowledge of himself as the bread from heaven. 

Why did Jesus send them alone? (17)

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:17  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.

Because the disciples were in danger of being swept away by the spiritual windstorm on the land – the surge of messianic, nationalistic enthusiasm amongst the crowds stirred by Jesus’ miracle. The volatile crowd might take and use his disciples for their purpose to make him king by force.

Because Jesus had in mind to reveal his glory and power as God through the windstorm on the lake and train them to trust in him.

The disciples might have thought that they finally had their own private time. They might have wondered why Jesus had not yet joined them. In the first storm (Mat 8:24; Mk 4:37; Luk 8:23), Jesus was present with them in the boat the entire time. But in this storm, Jesus wanted to reveal of his glory and power as God and teach them to trust his unseen care and concern for them (a point which they should have learned from the sign-miracle of the loaves, Mk 6:52). Mark 6:48 indicates that Jesus was watching the disciples from the mountain as they rowed across the lake. His eye was on them the whole the time. Jesus intended to show up at the right moment and the right way.

2. Read verses 18-19.

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:18-19  A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.  19  When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.

What happened as they rowed? (18)

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:18  A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.

Mat 14:24  but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Mar 6:48a  He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.

They became stuck in an unexpected squall. They were professional fisherman. They grew up in this lake. They thought that they would handle it according to their past experience and skill. But it was beyond their ability. As the storm grew rough, they were hopeless and powerless.

This was not a life-threatening crisis but rather a problem which was stopping them from making it to the other side. It sapped their strength.

What happened when they had rowed three or three and a half miles? (19) 

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:19  When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.

Job 9:8  He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

They were now “in the middle of the lake” (Mar 6:47).

This happened during the fourth watch of the night, sometime between three and six in the morning (Mat 14:25; Mk 6:48). So, they had rowed hard for perhaps six to nine hours and yet had only reached the middle of the lake.

By this time, they must have been greatly frustrated and absolutely exhausted and wet and cold.

While they strained at the oars, Jesus strained in prayer; while they relied on their skills and experience as fishermen, Jesus relied on his Father’s power.

He waited for them to reach their human limitation that he might reveal to them the power of God.

Why does the Lord allow us to suffer for so long? Perhaps to make it deeply clear to us that our deliverance came from him and not from us and to make his love and power and glory known to us that we may stand in awe of him and worship him and remember his deliverance with thanksgiving and praise always (Psa 86:12-13). 

Why were Jesus’ disciples terrified when they saw him? (19, Mk 6:49)

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:19  When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.

Mar 6:49  but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,

As the disciples looked back (they would be looking backward as they rowed in the boat), they saw from out of the dark a human form coming toward them on the water. Naturally, they thought he was a ghost. They were terrified and cried out in fear.

 

What can we know about Jesus who walked on the water?

ANSWER: 

Outwardly, Jesus looked like a rural rabbi who lived in poverty with his disciples in Capernaum. Nothing was attractive about his external experience (Isa 53:2b). But at this moment, Jesus was walking on the lake. He showed his deity as the true God and Creator. And Job 9:8 reads, “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.”

Mk 6:48c says, “He was about to pass by them.” If we take this literally, it doesn’t make sense: Surely he was not indifferent to their plight. Probably, it alludes to Exo 33:19 and 1Ki 19:11. Jesus is referred to as God whose glory was about to be passed in front of them. So his disciples’ fear on this occasion may have another explanation: Theophanies evoke fear and so the Lord says to not be afraid (Jdg 6:23).

Through knowing Jesus and his power, we can be more than conquerors in all situations. Conversely, those who are not connected to God through a knowing relationship with Jesus Christ do not have the supernatural power by which they can overcome the windstorms in this dark world or the forces of evil at work within themselves (Mat 7:26-27).

3. Read verses 20-21.

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:20-21  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.

How did Jesus help his disciples? (20)

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:20  But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid."

He said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 

He revealed himself as their God and Savior to calm their fears. Literally, he said, “I AM”. The words “I AM” echo the name God used for himself in Exo 3:14. So, Jesus was referring to himself as God.

This is the second time we have encountered this name. The first was in Jn 4:26.

What did he mean by saying “It is I; don’t be afraid”?

ANSWER: 

Jesus first helped them to identify who he was. “It is I; don’t be afraid.” He implied, ‘it is the “I AM,” who is coming to you, the Almighty One who rules wind and waves, who made them, and whom they obey.’ On this basis, their fears could be calmed.

Jesus knew their trouble and fear. Jesus helped them to see himself as God and Savior instead of storm itself and themselves. In Mat 8:23-27 (the first storm training), Jesus rebuked the storm and his disciples’ unbelief. But here in this event, they were encouraged to focus and see who Jesus is despite the problem. 

What did the disciples do when they recognized Jesus? (21a)

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:21a  Then they were willing to take him into the boat

They welcomed him into the boat.

His words calmed their internal storm and then “they were willing to take him into the boat”. Only John’s gospel reveals this point. 

What happened? (21b, Mk 6:51)

ANSWER: 

Mar 6:51  Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,

Mat 14:33  Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of 

God."

Jn 6:21b  and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

After Jesus climbed aboard, we know from the synoptic accounts that the sequence of events were: 

The “wind died down” (Mk 6:51a).

They were “completely amazed” (Mk 6:51b).

They “worshipped him” (Mat 14:33a).  

They said, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Mat 14:33b) Their eyes were suddenly opened to his identity as the divine Son and the Christ.

The boat immediately “reached the shore where they were heading” (21b). This is a point revealed only in John’s Gospel. What a remarkable thing it is! John exposed Jesus’ deity and the wonderful outcome of trusting him so clearly.

Moses parted the Red Sea so that his followers could cross on dry land (Exo 14). But Jesus is shown here as one who is far greater than Moses. We can almost hear the Apostle John triumphantly proclaiming to the Jews, ‘Can your lawgiver do this? Did Moses ever walk on the water and instantly transport his followers to the other side?’ Jesus is presented in this chapter as the Prophet who is like Moses whom God promised to send in Deu 18:18 (see also Acts 3:22) and yet One who is greater than Moses, the One whom Moses only foreshadowed (Jn 1:17). 

What practical lesson can we get here? (21)

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:21  Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

First, like the disciples, we also ought to be willing to welcome Jesus into our boat that he may be present with us in power despite any spiritual windstorms arising in our lives. Usually when we have practical problems, our hearts become stuck and we strain to conquer the problem, depending on ourselves and our limited resources. We might pray but only in order to get through the problem and no more, forgetting that God desires for us to know him through our crisis. And so our storms are the time for us to be receptive to Jesus and his words and seek to learn of him and trust him with prayerful minds. 

Second, Jesus has power to rescue us. 

Once Jesus was in the boat, the trouble was over and “immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading”. Often times we are stubbornly trying to do our job by our own strength only to make no progress and feel frustration. The solution is to cry out to Jesus in our trouble, that he may bring us out of our distress and guide us to our desired haven (Psa 107:23-30). Thank God who answers our prayer and helps us complete the tasks he asks us to do.

Our storms can come in many forms such as a lay-off. But external trouble can be a disguise for the powers of this dark world working to separate us from our love relationship with Jesus. We must make a conscious effort to see Jesus and welcome his words in our heart. The disciples were in this uncomfortable place because Jesus told them to cross the lake (Mat 14:22; Mk 6:45). We will face trials when we set out to do what Jesus tells us to do. Jesus knows this. He understands it. So, we should never be deceived and entertain fatalistic thinking. Rather we must remember that he is working for our good even in bad situations. He is the King who is in control and wants to reveal of himself and his power and love (Ro 8:28, 5:3-5; Jn 16:33; Eph 1:17-19).

4. Read verses 22-24.

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:22-24  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.

How did the crowd go about searching for Jesus? (22-24)

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:22-24  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.

The crowd was aware that something strange had happened. They somehow figured out that Jesus had disappeared from the scene and that he had not left with his disciples in the boat. It is not clear how they knew to search for Jesus in Capernaum. Did they assume this because Capernaum was the base of his ministry (Mat 4:13-14) or did they overhear his disciples in verse 17? Whatever the case, they sensed that Jesus had somehow crossed the lake without a boat!

They worked hard like detective Sherlock Holmes, searching for clues. We see that they searched for him with enthusiasm, intelligent observation, diligence, and perseverance. Their hard work in running after Jesus for bread even exceeds the diligence of those who come after him with a right motive! We should not be fooled by the diligence with which impostors seem to seek the Lord (26; Psa 14:2-4; Ro 3:11).

This account shows the daily schedule of those who live on the flesh level. As soon as they wake up, they think about their stomach and search for food, using all their brain power and muscle power to get it.

Jesus blessed these people with a great miracle, feeding all 5,000 of them and satisfying them with bread. But they did not respond to this sign-miracle with the right faith and seek Jesus himself as their true spiritual bread. Jesus had dismissed them and dispersed them in order to temporarily defuse their plans, but the next morning their stomachs were hungry again and they regrouped and formed a search party. They were determined to make him a king. They concluded that Jesus would be the right king to rescue them from the cruel rule of Herod Antipas.

Note: The boats from Tiberias had probably been knocked off course by the high winds (23). 

Consider how valuable it is to be Jesus’ disciple. Like Jesus’ disciples, we are chosen to be with him always. Even though we may have to go through some storm training, Jesus reveals of himself that we may know him and his power. On the other hand, the crowds and superficial followers in this chapter did not come to know Jesus and they left. In the book of Mark, chapter 8 is the dividing point between the crowds and the disciples. But, in the book of John, chapter 6 is the juncture to divide between the crowd and the disciples in terms of their commitment to Jesus.

Why was the crowd so enthusiastic to find Jesus? (14-15) 

ANSWER: 

Jn 6:14-15  After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, 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.

These were poor Galilean peasants who suffered under the cruel rule of Herod Antipas. Earlier, Jesus had shown compassion for people like this, describing them as “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mat 9:36). But now they were aggressively and selfishly seeking after him; their desire for him was misdirected. They tried to make Jesus a political king to guarantee their food. So Jesus had to help them out with a lengthy exhortation in the following passage.

In conclusion:

Jesus ordered his disciples to cross the lake with the intention of helping them to know who he is. Compared to the crowd who tried to force Jesus to be a king, the disciples were blessed to know who Jesus is better and deeper. As a result, they had the great opportunity to be with Jesus and learn the secret to overcome any storm by relying on him. May the Lord bless our growing disciples and second generation children to know Jesus personally in the same way. Amen.

One word: It is I

 Luke does, however, record the account of Jesus calming the storm (Luk 8:22-25) as do the other synoptic writers (Mat 8:23-27; Mk 4:35-41). But in that account, Jesus was riding in the boat with the disciples throughout the entire time they crossed the lake.

 How did Jesus dismiss the crowd if they were determined to make him king by force (15)? He did it by supernatural power – the same power through which he cleared the temple in Jn 2:15-17. The crowds obeyed the voice of our Lord, as did the wind and the sea when Jesus calmed the storm (Mk 4:39) and as the invalid did when he got up, picked up his mat, and walked upon hearing Jesus’ command (Jn 5:8-9).

 There are three issues here: 1) the location of the miracle (please see notes on Jn 6:1-15 for details); 2) the place where they were heading; and 3) the place where they actually landed.
Regarding issue #2, the place where they were heading: Verse 17 says that the disciples were headed for Capernaum but Mk 6:45 says that their destination was Bethsaida Julias: “Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida”. This is easily reconciled: They may have intended to stop briefly at Capernaum along their journey to Bethsaida, their ultimate destination.
Regarding issue #3, the place where they actually landed: According to Mat 14:34 and Mk 6:53, they landed at Gennesaret but Jn 6:21, 24, and 59 seem to indicate that they landed at Capernaum. This is reconciled if the shore where they landed in Jn 6:21 was not Capernaum as we assume but Gennesaret and that they traveled from there to Capernaum later that same day. Gennesaret to Capernaum was 2.2 miles.

 Map created by Bible Mapper version 3.0 by David P. Barrett. (C) 2005-2008 (http://www.biblemapper.com). No copyright restrictions are placed on any maps created with Bible Mapper.

 This squall was unusual because it lasted the entire night. A squall is defined as, “a sudden strong wind or brief turbulent storm.” (HarperCollins Publishers, Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition, 2009) How do these squalls occur? “The Sea of Galilee, though but a small sheet of water, some thirteen miles long by six broad, is liable to be visited by sharp, sudden squalls, probably due to its situation. It lies in a deep hollow of volcanic origin, bounded on either side by steep ranges of hills rising above the water-level from one to two thousand feet. The difference of temperature at the top and bottom of these hills is very considerable. Up on the tablelands above the air is cool and bracing; down at the margin of the lake, which lies seven hundred feet below the level of the ocean, the climate is tropical. The storms caused by this inequality of temperature are tropical in violence. They come sweeping down the ravines upon the water; and in a moment the lake, calm as glass before, becomes from end to end white with foam, whilst the waves rise into the air in columns of spray.” (Alexander Balmain Bruce, The Training of the Twelve: Timeless Principles for Leadership Development, Pg 129)

 These winds typically came from the north, from Mount Hermon. So, the disciples who were trying to row northward to Capernaum were traveling directly in the face of the wind. Under normal weather conditions, it should have taken only a couple hours to row across the lake.

 The NAS reads, “...He intended to pass by them.” The Greek word ηθελεν (G2309) can be translated “to be about to” (NIV) or “to wish, i.e. be inclined to” (NAS). Source: Jonathan Kristen Mickelson, Mickelson's Enhanced Strong's Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries.

 The AMP reads, “But Jesus said to them, It is I; be not afraid! [I AM; stop being frightened!]” The HCSB text note reads, “Lit I am”. Burridge remarks, “Jesus’ reply is simple, ‘It is I; do not be afraid’ (6:20), except that nothing in John is as simple as it seems. Even on the lake, we find deeper waters underneath the surface! While it is true that the Greek phrase, ego eimi, can be used to identify the speaker in this way (see e.g. 9:9), its literal translation is ‘I am’. As we saw when Jesus used it to introduce himself to the Samaritan woman (see on 4:26 above), it reminds us of the divine name revealed to Moses and used in the prophets (see, e.g. Exod. 3:14; Is. 41:4; 43:10). Jesus uses it about thirty-five times to refer to himself in this gospel, often with a description like bread or light: on other occasions, his use of it on its own as the divine name will invite stoning (8:58—59). Here too it stands alone; whether the disciples take it as his simple self-identification, or hear the resonance of the name of God is unclear but it is enough to calm their fears and bring the boat to land immediately (6:21).” (Richard A. Burridge, John: A Guide for Reflection and Prayer, Pg 89)

 Source: B. W. Johnson, The New Testament Commentary: Vol. III--John

 This was preceded by Peter’s request to walk on the water. “"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."  "Come," he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus” (Mat 14:28-29). This teaches that we need to look at Jesus not the storms.