Jesus Walks on the Water

John 6:14-27

 

INTRO: After Jesus had fed the five thousand (men) with the loaves and fishes, the people wanted to make Him a king (vs 15).  They wanted Him not as Savior of their souls but as a political king that would deliver them from the oppression of Rome.  Jesus did not want to be king over their land; He wanted to be king over their hearts and lives!  Jesus wants to be the King of your heart today.

 

I.        VSS 14-15, RESPONSE TO THE MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES & FISHES

A.       Vs 14, When Jesus had fed the multitude, the men who were there, those who had seen the miracle and had eaten to the full, said: “This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.”

1. They identified Jesus with ‘that prophet” spoken of in Deut 18:15, the one promised by Moses.

2. These folks wanted a king to lead them in a revolt against Rome.  Jesus did not want to lead a revolt; He wanted to resurrect their dead souls.  He did not come as a revolutionary; He came as a refuge for lost souls.

3. If you only see Jesus as a great leader, you have missed His reason for coming to earth.  If you only see Him as a great teacher, you have missed the mark.  Luke 19:10 says: “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

B.       These people wanted a political Messiah, and they were ready to lead a procession to Jerusalem and crown Jesus their leader, their king.  They saw Jesus as a miracle worker, as one who could bring health and prosperity to the Jews.  They were tired of taxes, tired of government control.  Jesus was the answer!

1. They were willing and eager to give their support to Jesus as long as He gave them what they wanted.  They wanted to use Him.

a. He had a health program; He healed their sick.

b. He had a grocery plan; He fed the multitude.

c. They felt as though He had earned or bought their loyalty.

2. Barclay says: “The attitude of the crowd disgusts us.  But are we so very different?  When we want strength in difficulty, when we want peace in turmoil, when we want help in the face of depression, there is no one so wonderful as Jesus, and we talk to him and walk with him and open our hearts to him.  But when he comes to us with some stern demand for sacrifice, with some challenge to effort, with the offer of some cross, we will have nothing to do with him.  When we examine our hearts, it may be that we will find that we too love Jesus for what we can get out of him” (240-241).

a. As long as Jesus gave them what they wanted, they gladly followed.  As long as He didn’t interfere with their plans, their purposes, their selfish goals, all was fine.  The moment that changed, they would cry out: “Crucify Him, crucify Him.”

b. Let us examine our own hearts.  Do we only love Him, follow Him in the good times?  Do we quit when things go wrong?  Remember the God of the good times is still God of the bad times.  The God of the mountain is still God in the valley; the God of the day is God in the night.

3. Jesus will not be a party to their scheme.  He “perceived” what they had on their minds and hearts.  Jesus knows our hearts as well.  He knows whether we are seeking to use Him or serve Him.

4. Jesus “departed again into a mountain Himself alone.”  We need quiet time just as Jesus did.

a. Jesus dismissed His disciples and the crowd and went up the mountain.

b. Matthew 14:23 tells us that Jesus, “went up into a mountain apart to pray.”  If Christ prayed, shouldn’t we?

 

II.       VSS 16-19, THE DISCIPLES IN A STORM–JESUS WALKS ON WATER

A.       Vs 16, Because Jesus desired to be alone, He sent the disciples ahead of Him (Mt 14:22).  Not only did Jesus desire to be alone with His Father, He also wanted to teach the disciples another lesson on faith.

B.       Vs 17, Notice carefully the words, “it was not dark.”

1. Who are these men in the dark?  They are His disciples.  They were crossing the Sea of Galilee in the dark.

a. The Sea of Galilee is a picture of the sea of life which we, His present day disciples, are crossing.

b. The world is a dark place (I Pt 2:19); it is cradled in the arms of Satan (I Jn 5:19).

2. As we go through the darkness of this world, we can rest assured that Jesus is praying for us, and we will make it.

C.      Vs 18, The storm is raging and darkness envelopes the disciples.  It would seem as though Jesus does not see or does not care about the disciples, but Mark 6:47-48 tells us that Jesus was watching.

1. Jesus sees us as we toil in this life.

2. Why does He not stop the storm immediately?

a. Because He is teaching His disciples to live by faith.

b. The Lord wants us to trust Him in the storms; He wants us to come to the end of ourselves and trust (Psa 107:27).

D.      Vs 19, The disciples have left for us a great lesson in this verse.  They did not give up in despair.  They kept on rowing.  We need to keep on rowing in the storm; keep rowing.

1. Just as Jesus saw those disciples rowing, He sees us rowing, toiling on the sea of life.  As you toil, He prays on high.

a. Although you may be in the dark time, His eye is on you, and He cares (Mk 6:48).  He knows that toils and trials will strengthen us so he lets us row on in the storm.

b. When you are toiling on the sea of life, remember that He whose eye is on the sparrow in watching you.  Put your hands to the oars and keep on rowing.  Don’t quit.

2. The disciples are in the midst of the Sea of Galilee when they see Jesus walking on the water.

a. They are facing east while the boat is facing west.

b. As they row, they see walking on the waves though the darkness the shape of a man.

c. Why did they not recognize that this was the Master?  Why did they not expect Him?  It was not because they could not see physically, but because they had poor spiritual vision (MK 6:52).  They had forgotten so quickly the power of their Master.  How soon do we forget?

d. Jesus came to them.  When strength was gone, He came.

 

III.      VSS 20-21, JESUS ENTERS THEIR BOAT

A.       Vs 20, Through the darkness and over the roar of the waves, Jesus says: “It is I; be not afraid.”

1. Jesus is saying to you and to me: “It is I....”   Don’t look to others; look to me.

2. “Be not afraid.”

a. When we look to Jesus by faith, our fears are calmed.

b. If we look at the waves, we will sink as Peter did.  If we look at Jesus, we’ll be OK.

c. Christ came to help them.

B.       Vs 21, Christ did not force Himself upon them; He waited to be received.  Some refuse His help.  How sad!

1. Christ desires that we welcome Him to board our ship on the sea of life.  How often we try to go it alone when He wants to help.

2. With no delay, they reached the other shore.  One day, without delay, He will bring us to heaven (Psa 107:30).

 

IV.      VSS 22-25, THE CROWD CONTINUES TO FOLLOW

A.       Vs 22, The people thought that Jesus was still on the eastern shore.  “The day following,” that day after the feeding of the five thousand.

B.       Vs 23, Boat owners from Tiberias bring their boats to carry the crowds to where Jesus is.

C.      Vs 24, The folks went right to Capernaum, the headquarters of Jesus.

D.      Vs 25, Jesus does not answer their question because He does not want to sharpen their perception that He is a miracle worker.  Remember they want Jesus to lead a revolution against Roman rule.

 

V.       VSS 26-27, SPIRITUAL NEED