Faith in Action (2)

The way it was situated around it (a cuplike depression among the hills) there would often be a prevailing wind from the West and many storms would arise, suddenly, violently.

The distance across the lake from East-West was about 5-miles.

They were departing from the crowds from the wilderness and heading toward Capernaum.

You can find this story with different elements in Mt14:22-33; Mk6:45-52 too. We will draw from their information too to give us a fuller picture.

Remember the reason for the gospel of John, what is it again, and where do we find it?

So, here we go for tonight, intentions are

Read, observe, comment on the passage

The reason for departure (v.15)

The departure (vv.16-18)

The encounter (vv.19-21)

The reception (vv.22-25)

From the passage

John 6:15 NASB95

15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.

John 6:16–17 NASB95

16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

John 6:18–19 NASB95

18 The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. 19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened.

John 6:20–21 NASB95

20 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

John 6:22–23 NASB95

22 The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. 23 There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

John 6:24–25 NASB95

24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. 25 When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

What observations do you make of this passage?

What did Jesus perceive and what did Jesus do (v.15)?

What did the disciples do, where were they going (v.16-17)?

How long and how far had the disciples gone in the strong wind (v.19)?

What did the disciples see and how did they feel (v.19)?

What did Jesus say, what did the disciples do (vv.20-21)?

Look carefully what you learn about the crowd (vv.23-24) where were they going, then where did they go after that?

Where did the crowd find Jesus (v.25)?

The reason

Intentional Jesus is perceptive Jesus too.

John 6:15 KJV 1900

15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

The title of king was a political title. They were looking for one to be king of the Jews, to come out from under the oppression of Rome.

Reformer, commentator James Montgomery Boice says:

“Suddenly there was an unusual man Jesus. He had miraculous power. So they must have said something like this to themselves, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could get Him on our side to get Him to help us drive out the Romans?’”

Jesus was not phased by the crowd and their desire, He was more concerned about the Father and His will. He was more interested in hearing from the Father than hearing the applause of the crowd.

Commentator Morris said:

“He who is already king has come to open His kingdom to men; but in their blindness men try to force Him to be the kind of king they want; thus they fail to get the king they want, and also lost the Kingdom He offers.”

(Transition) Do you think it is bad that they wanted a king? That they wanted self-rule and not to be under oppression of Rome? We need to remember that Jesus is on a divine mission with a divine timetable. Being king of a country was not His purpose. It was to be “Savior of the world.” (4:42); And that people would believe and have eternal life in His name (20:31)

The Departure

The disciples depart, at the instructions of Jesus (Mk6:45-47). Again, Jesus is intentional. He had a plan that was yet to be revealed.

John 6:16–18 NASB95

Now I think we do need to add in a few verses from Mark

Mark 6:45–47 NASB95

45 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46 After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray. 47 When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land.

A few questions arise from (Mk6:45-47),

Why do you think Jesus made the disciples get into the boat immediately? Immediately after what?

They had been a part of a great miracle and they could get caught up in all the crowd; and Jesus had to keep them on task too. Immediately would be after the feeding of the 5000 men, not including women and children.

What did Jesus do with the crowd?

Jesus was sending the crowd away, he was bidding them farewell.

How did Jesus know where the boat was?

Jesus never took his eyes off his disciples. He knew where they were, where they were going. Just like us. He never takes His eyes off us, He knows, He watches over us.

F.F. Bruce

“According to Mk6:45, Jesus ‘compelled (anakazo) his disciples to embark and go back across the lake; perhaps he saw that they were being infected with the crowd’s excitement.”

The disciples were mostly fishermen, so going at night, rowing at night was not a concern to them. Though this is not the first encounter of stormy seas they had encountered, the last time Jesus was with them asleep in the boat (Mt8:24-25). In that Storm, Jesus calmed the storm, in this storm Jesus asks the disciples to trust Him and receive Him. - We will see that in just a minute

The Encounter

Have you ever labored hard and not seemed to get anywhere? Frustrating isn’t it? The disciples must have been frustrated when suddenly they see Jesus.

John 6:19–21 NASB95

19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. 20 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

In the first storm (Mt8:25-26) the disciples were terrified

Matthew 8:25–26 NASB95

25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.

(Insert Jesus walking on the water picture here)

In this storm they are frightened (v.19)

In Mt14:26 it says they thought He was a ghost. So of course would be frightened.

In the Mark account (Mk6:49-50) that Jesus meant to walk by them. Why? Was His hope that just the vision of Jesus would be enough to take away their fright? To calm them? - No, it didn’t so Jesus:

Jesus gives words of comfort to them (v.20)

Jesus may not show up when we want Him, but He is never late and always knows what to do. He told them not to be afraid. They had the previous encounter so they knew He would do something.

The results of the comfort was invitation, and deliverance (v.21)

Jesus came to bring supernatural help and comfort.

The disciples were in the will of God, they set out to get to the other side, they submitted to the authority of Jesus, and they were facing a rough time, working hard at rowing, but there was more Jesus wanted from them.

John 6:21 GNB

21 Then they willingly took him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached land at the place they were heading for.

Jesus wanted them to willingly, invitingly receive him into the boat.

Now, I can’t ignore the fact that faith in action is seen in the Matthew Account with Peter, let’s turn there for a few minutes (TURN WITH ME TO MT14:28-32)

Mt14:28-32 “28 Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped.”

And they were immediately on the other shore.

See with Jesus stepping into the boat, with them receiving Jesus the purpose of the miracle was accomplished and he immediately with no effort on their part took them to the destination on the other shore.

The Reception

Jesus had been received into the boat, but now there is still another reception to happen, which will set us up for next week too.

John 6:22 NASB95

John 6:23–24 NASB95

23 There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.

John 6:25 NASB95

25 When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

The crowd is building again, other boats had come from Tiberias, now from the other shore they came looking for Jesus.

Why? Was it to be fed again? Was it to again try to force Jesus to be king?

So, it is the following day after feeding the 5,000. After a night crossing the Sea, the crowd doesn’t know where the disciples are or where Jesus is, they so sought him out.

Some by small boats, others had to have walked. But suddenly Jesus was there as were the disciples. And this sets up for the next teaching of the Lord.

We are not saved by works, the works, the rowing could not save the disciples in the boat, and our works cannot save us. There had to be a reception of Jesus. They received Jesus into the boat and were delivered.

We need to participate too by receiving Jesus also, not under compulsion, but by invitation by faith.

Faith in action (Expand)

By faith the disciples got in the boat

By faith Peter got out of the boat to meet Jesus on the water

By faith they received Jesus into the boat

By faith they were delivered to the other side

They acted by faith, as we act by faith, not by works, but by faith. By faith we confess, we repent, we surrender, we receive and we walk then in the newness of life being faithful (not perfect) until the end.