The Presence of Jesus
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Today’s passage is a well known story of Jesus walking on the water. Many of us have heard time and again how this story teaches us to put our faith in Jesus and ill i admit I was thinking along those lines until last Sunday. Last Sunday morning God burdened me with the thought of a ministry that was beyond the resources of Trinity Baptist church a ministry that could only be accomplished by the sovereignty and provision of God, that his power would be shown to the lost around us. With this thought on my mind I began studying this passage and I noticed that this story seems out of place. Everything else in John 6 is about the feeding of the 5000, and the explanation of the miracle. Yet in the middle we have this interlude of 6 verses where Jesus walks on water. What does his walking on water have to do with the feeding of the 5000. I believe this passage is not about faith in the midst of life’s storms as we have often been taught but rather about the presence of Jesus in our lives. Remember last we we saw that Jesus provided for the needs of the people even in the wilderness. we will also see in the coming weeks he is the bread of life, he even alludes to his death on the cross and the sacrificial atonement it provides when he speaks of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Throughout the entire chapter of John we see that Jesus is seeking to draw the crowds and his own disciples to understand that it is not about the miracles, its not about the bread, or even about the power, but rather it is about the fact that God himself is with them. Jesus is shouting you stand in the presence of God, and I am He. This story is not about God’s provision but about his presence. The point is God doesn’t just give bread he is the bread, he doesn’t just calm the storm, he gets in the boat. He is there with us. Look with me at John 6:15-21
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
Jesus Withdraws Alone
Jesus Withdraws Alone
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
We know from Matthews account that Jesus sends the disciples to Capernaum while he disperses the crowd and then goes alone to the mountain to pray. Yet John does not mention what Jesus is doing his focus remains on the disciples.
The disciples started across the sea in the evening, it was dark and Jesus had not yet come to them.
Some of these men had spent their lives on the sea they were both knowledgeable and capable of traversing the sea. In fact if you remember in Luke 5:5
And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”
They commonly fished during the night this was their comfort zone. Yet John makes a point that Jesus was not with them. My friends it is easy to mis the magnitude of that simple phrase Jesus had not yet come to them. Jesus the very presence of God is now absent from their lives, and they don’t even know they are missing the most important thing in their lives. They are in their comfort zone and they know the sea they know the weather patterns they know how to handle the boat they know their destination and how to get there. They are fully capable of doing this on their own. In this moment they seeming do not need the presence of God, they can manage on their own. They have exactly the right skill set, the knowledge, the ability, and the manpower to accomplish the task, or do they?
The Storm Strikes
The Storm Strikes
The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.
The next thing that happens is the storm strikes. Strong storms such as this were not uncommon events on the sea of Galilee. The cool air coming down off the mountains would hit the warm air of the sea and cause strong gusts of wind. This combined with a relatively shallow depth of 200 ft would cause the waves to become rather large and small fishing vessels such as theirs were tossed about and were at times in great peril.
Yet notice when they become afraid. It was not the storm that scared them. The storm comes and the disciples simply set about doing that which they have done so many times before and row to shore. They are fighting the storm and facing the waves but they do so with no great fear this is what they know. Is it dangerous, yes, could they die, maybe, but this is a battle they know.
Matthew 14:25 tells us
And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
The fourth watch of the night would be between 3 and 6 am so these guys have been battling the storm all night long. They may not be afraid of the storm but they are not getting anywhere fast either. I can imagine they were quite tired and frustrated by this point. Some of them may have desired to turn around or to delay their passage. Yet they have a command from Jesus to go and he will meet them in Capernaum.
It is at this moment that Jesus appears to them walking on the sea. We would expect that the disciples would recognize Jesus and shout for Joy for God has come to save them. Instead they are afraid of Jesus and wonder if he is a ghost or a demon what evil is this that walks the sea in the form of Jesus.
See the real storm was not the sea but the doubt that plagued the hearts of the disciples. The real issue is that they still do not understand Jesus is God. He is the great I am the creator and sustainer of the universe and he is the giver and sustainer of life. He is the bread of life. You do not need the miracles of Jesus you do not need the power of Jesus you do not even need the teachings of Jesus you need Jesus.
Jesus Reveals Himself
Jesus Reveals Himself
But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
I want you to notice what happens when Jesus reveals himself to the disciples. He responds to their fear with a simple statement It is I do not be afraid. I don’t know if they recognized his voice or if it was the authority in his voice but I know this Jesus identified himself and instantly the disciples fear was gone. They recieved him into the boat gladly. Then the second miracle happens. Immediately upon Jesus getting into the boat they reach their destination.
What is the point of this story. Is it Jesus walking on water and his dominion over nature. John didn’t think so he mentions nothing of the disciples reaction other than fear. Is it the instantaneous arrival of the boat to the shore. Again no discussion of it just a reference to its occurrence. The miracles are mere details to John. He is more concerned with the presence of Jesus. At the beginning of the story the disciples leave for a short trip across the sea of Galilee a journey of less than 5 miles on a sea that some of them were quite familiar with. They leave without the presence of Jesus instead trusting in themselves and their knowledge and power to arrive safely at Capernaum. A journey of a few hours turned into an all night struggle until Jesus rejoined them in the boat. Upon receiving again the presence of Jesus in their midst the struggle was over and the goal was achieved. Does this mean then that with Jesus in our lives we will never struggle, no rather that what is impossible to do without him is now possible because of his presence. Jesus says in Matthew 19:26
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
My friends I do not know what God is going to call Trinity Baptist Church to do, but I believe that it is going to be greater than what we can accomplish by human might we will not have the resources, we will not have the manpower, we will be ill equipped and unprepared to accomplish the task because God desires to reveal himself to the communities around us.
Invitation
Invitation
My question for you this morning is simple will you place your trust in God this morning and not yourself. Will you allow the presence of God to live within you to fill you and to empower you to do the work he has called you to do or will you roll over and play possum because the work he has called you to do is greater than yourself. The same God who is calling you is willing to supply your every need and to equip you for the work to which you have been called. Yet you must be willing to face the storm to fight not in your own strength but filled with the presence of God operating under his divine strength to accomplish that which only can be done through his power, that he might be glorified by all men. All who are saved have the presence of God living within them teaching them and equipping them to fulfill their God given duties each according to his calling. Will you obey him today will you join him in the work?
Yet there may be some here today who have never trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Today I ask you the question will you continue to fight the battles of this life on your own, will you continue to strive against the world in vain unable to gain any ground. You too can feel the joy of the presence of the Lord and experience peace of God despite the storms of our lives. first admit that you have fallen short of the perfection of God that you have made mistakes and are not perfect. The bible calls this sin. Second realize that due to our sin we deserve eternal separation from the perfect God, this is called hell. Third that Jesus, God himself in human flesh, left heaven to come down to earth to be a perfect sacrifice to pay the price for our sins by his death upon the cross. Fourth put your trust your faith in that sacrifice and pledge your allegiance to Jesus as your Lord and Master and the Bible says you will be saved.