Jesus, Lord of the Sea

John 6:16-21

The Purpose of a Miracle?

Miracles are not just displays of power; they reveal His identity so that we may believe and trust.

If you don’t know Him, you won’t trust Him. But when you know who He is and what He has done, you can rest in Him.

The Gospel’s aim is not merely to comfort us in trouble, but to lead us to trust Jesus in every trouble. Yet fear often holds us back, because we forget who He is, what He has promised, and how He works in His disciples’ lives. Christ becomes small, and the problems we face are overwhelming.

How have we faced the difficulties in the recent years, as the world turns farther away from righteousness and our witness is not welcome, as the call for men to step into positions of leadership in the church goes unanswered, the makeup of our congregation changes over time (as some pass, others leave), even the financial difficulties we have faced.

Are we fearing the future, despairing what will happen, worried that we just might not make it?

If you feel like you are in the storms of life right now, this passage is for you; pointing you to the one who is Lord of the Sea and is able to deliver you through it all.

Disciples in the Boat Without Jesus

The Setting:

They were in Tiberias heading to Capernaum, the city that was a home base for Jesus and the Disciples. By road it was about 8 miles, but only 6 across the Sea. 6 miles of sailing beats 8 miles of walking, so they got into their boat though evening had come and it was growing dark.

Now, the Sea of Galilee sits six hundred feet below sea level, surrounded by hills and mountains, which form a natural wind tunnel. Storms can rise suddenly, and waves crash violently.

That night the sea was rough, and a mighty wind was blowing, and they had rowed twenty-five or thirty stadia (about three or four miles) well into the night, but hadn’t yet reached their destination of Capernaum. They were exhausted, terrified, and making no progress.

This is not just about geography and navigation; it’s theology. John wants us to see ourselves in the boat. This is a picture of the Church and Disciples of every generation.

The disciples in the boat provides a picture of the church… caught between promise and fulfillment, tossed on the waves, rowing hard against the wind, learning perseverance in the darkness.

As a church, standing against the storms of culture that bring confusion, frustration, and destruction.

As parents competing with the influencers in your children’s lives, their peers who would lead them away from everything you’ve raised them to be.

When as elders and deacons we struggle against the waves, dealing with broken relationships, overwhelming burdens, and our own weaknesses.

Do you feel like you’ve been at the oars all night, and have gotten nowhere, wondering if Jesus has forgotten us? “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” —Acts 14:22

Jesus is Revealed in the Midst of the Storms

Let me assure you, the disciples were not in the storm by accident.

Matthew tells us Jesus made them get into the boat and go ahead of Him (Matt. 14:22). As disciples, we are not called out of the storm, but into it—under the command of Christ. Why?

To show our need to depend upon him. At the height of their fear, when the night was darkest and their strength was gone, Jesus came, walking on the sea, sovereign even over the chaos.

The very waters that threatened to drown them became the pathway for His approach.

To reveal His Glory: Christ does not remove His people from trial; He reveals Himself in it. The storms we face are not signs of His absence, but occasions for His power, His grace, His salvation to be made clear.

Jesus is Shown to be the Greater Prophet. John is Giving Us a Picture of Jesus as the prophet Moses said was coming after Him.

In Exodus 14, when camped at the Red Sea, with the Egyptians pressing in, Moses stood on the shore and stretched out his hand at God’s command and the waters were parted for them to walk through. Here, Jesus walked upon the sea by His own authority, showing a greater power and glory.

In Exodus 3, Moses encountered the living God in the Burning Bush, calling him to go to Egypt and tell Pharaoh, “Let my people go.” When Moses asked for the name of God, God said, “I am who I am.” Here, the same I am is standing upon the waters, having come to deliver His disciples from fear. The God who parted the sea for Israel now walks upon it for His Church.”

The same voice that spoke light into darkness and peace into chaos still calls to His people today. Jesus says to us, “I am! Do not be afraid.”

Here is the heart of faith: we come to know Jesus when we hear His Word.

For the disciples, it was the word of Christ that calmed their fear and opened their eyes.

For us, that same voice still speaks, not from the waves, but from the pages of Scripture.

He reveals Himself to us by His Word and Spirit.

If we would know Him, we must listen to Him there.

Romans 10:17 - “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.”

Letting Jesus on the Boat

When they knew Him, they were glad to have him on board

He brought joy in the midst of the storm. You’ll notice, unlike the other Gospel accounts when Jesus walks on the water, we aren’t told that he calmed the sea, simply that they were glad to have Jesus with them.

Isn’t that a great picture of faith? As John Owen wrote, “When Jesus accompanies us in any duty… all becomes easy, delightful, and successful; but when He is absent, all is dark, cheerless, and adverse.”

Faith is not waiting for the storm to pass; it is welcoming Jesus into the boat. It is saying, ‘Lord, I can’t row another stroke without You.’ And when we do, we find—as the disciples did—that His presence brings us home. Faith is letting Him into the boat, not waiting for the storm to end first.

Then we are told that they were immediately where they longed to be.

Is this a second miracle? The boat immediately made it the remaining distance to the shore and safety.

That might be the case, but there is another way to think about this. They were wanting to get to a place of peace, blessing, and rest, like looking for the promised land. When Jesus entered the boat, they had all they wanted.

Again, compare this with Moses’ ministry. After the Exodus, Moses led the people for 40 years through the wilderness to reach the Promised Land.

Jesus, the greater Moses, brings His people to their destination simply by His presence.

When Jesus is with you, you are where you want to be, regardless of the storms. J.C. Ryle notes: “Christ’s Church is now a tossed ship in a stormy sea… but when Jesus returns, the storm will cease, and we will be in harbor.”

Jesus is not merely the means to peace, He is our peace. He is not just the way to paradise, He is the very destination we long for. When you have Christ, heaven itself can offer nothing more.

Conclusion

What storms are you facing right now? Grief, anxiety, uncertainty, exhaustion? Are you rowing in your own strength, or have you welcomed Christ into the boat?

Look to him in His word, see how he commands and cares for you. Remember, the One who walked on the water still rules the wind and waves.

He is the great I am, the God who called to Moses, and delivered His people through him, now is revealed in flesh, and has come in the midst of your storms to show you His glory and to bring you safely home.

Do not strive in vain against the storm. They have been brought to you so that you may look to the greater Prophet who walks upon the waves. Let Him into your boat, hear His voice in His Word, and know that His presence is your peace, your strength, and your home, right here, right now, amid the tempest.

When Jesus is with you, you are already home, even if the waves still rise.