John 6:16–21After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus withdraws to the mountain to pray while His disciples get into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee toward Capernaum.
Night falls, a strong wind rises, and the sea grows rough.
The disciples have rowed only three or four miles when they see Jesus walking on the water, coming near the boat.
Terrified, they cry out in fear.
But Jesus immediately speaks: “It is I; do not be afraid.”
As they prepare to receive Him into the boat, the boat instantly reaches the shore they had been struggling to reach.
In just five verses John records one of the clearest displays of Jesus’ divine glory in the entire Gospel: the Creator walks upon the very waters He once spoke into existence, and at His word both fear and distance vanish.
Reflection:
This brief account is a miniature portrait of the entire Christian pilgrimage under the sovereign grace of Christ.
The disciples’ situation mirrors our own: we are sent by the Lord into the world (the “sea”), often at night (in seasons of spiritual darkness), rowing against contrary winds (trials, temptations, and the opposition of the world, the flesh, and the devil).
Our strength is small; the waves feel overwhelming. Yet the God who commands the wind and waves does not leave us to ourselves.
He comes to us—walking on the very storm that threatens us.
Notice the divine self-identification: “It is I” (Greek: ego eimi). This is the same name Yahweh revealed to Moses at the burning bush and the same name Jesus repeatedly claims in John’s Gospel (6:35; 8:12; 8:58; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1).
In the midst of the storm the eternal I AM draws near and speaks peace.
Fear is not answered by improved rowing technique but by the personal presence and word of the Son of God.
The sudden arrival at the shore is equally instructive.
The distance that required exhausting labor is covered in a moment when Christ is received. So it is in the Christian life: we do not reach the celestial shore by the strength of our obedience or the quality of our faith, but because the Lord who began the good work in us carries us all the way home (Phil. 1:6). Our “rowing” matters—diligence in the means of grace is commanded—but it is never the decisive factor. Christ’s sovereign presence is.
Therefore, believers are invited to live with calm confidence.
When the winds howl and the boat rocks, we are not to look first at the waves but to listen for the voice that still says, “It is I; do not be afraid.” The same Lord who walked on Galilee rules every storm you will ever face, and He has determined that you will reach the safe harbor of glory. Fix your eyes on Him.
Fear flees. Grace prevails. The shore is certain.
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