John 6:16-21

 John 6:16-21

The accounts of Jesus walking on the water is a fantastic place to see how each gospel writer emphasizes those things that are most important to him, while offering a complimentary account. One point where they all emphasize the same thing: it's in the words of Jesus: “It is I do not be afraid”. In John's account the storm is not emphasized, remember John was a fisherman and the son of a fisherman he grew up on the water. Matthew by contrast puts more emphasis on the storm, he was a land lover. But all the accounts have this quote, “It is I do not be afraid”. “It is I”, is translated from a phrase, which can mean “you know who I am”. But it also can have a special meaning, that of God's personal Name: I AM. This phrase is used often by John to indicate that Jesus took the personal name of God for Himself. When we are in the presence of God, as they were in Jesus’ presence, we need not fear anything else, even a raging storm. Compared to God nothing else comes close in might, power, or authority. Why worry over such trivialities as storms, kingdoms, nations, political powers, economic circumstances, or even our own lives. 

John mentioned something the other Gospel writers do not. When the disciples were willing to receive Jesus they were immediately at their destination. John doesn't make a big deal of this event, he mentions it almost in passing. Apparently this deeper understanding of Jesus made even this grand moment of ‘teleportation’ pale in comparison. But there is another point we can learn. It is only when they were willing to have Jesus come into the boat that the supernatural happened. The change of the will proceeds the working of the Lord in our circumstances. We do not try to manipulate Him by changing our will. We accept Him and whatever He has for us without thought of what we can get out of it.  In that moment we are trusting Him and that is always best.  

“Lord, grant that I will fear You so much that I will  have no place to fear anyone or anything else. AMEN”