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Turn with me in your Bibles to 
John's Gospel. We're in John chapter 6. Our 
focus is on verses 16 to 21. But I want to begin reading in 
verse 1 and read to verse 21. So John 6, beginning in verse 
1. After these things, Jesus went 
over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then 
a great multitude followed him because they saw his signs which 
he performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on 
the mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. Now the Passover, 
a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes, 
and seeing a great multitude coming toward him, he said to 
Philip, Where shall we buy bread that these may eat? But this 
he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip 
answered him, 200 denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for 
them, that every one of them may have a little. One of his 
disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, there is 
a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but 
what are they among so many? Then Jesus said, Make the people 
sit down. Now there was much grass in the 
place, so the men sat down in number about five thousand. And 
Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed 
them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down, 
and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when 
they were filled, he said to his disciples, Gather up the 
fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost. Therefore they 
gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of 
the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had 
eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus 
did, said, This is truly the prophet who is to come into the 
world. Therefore, when Jesus perceived that they were about 
to come and take him by force to make him king, he departed 
again to the mountain by himself alone. Now when evening came, 
his disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went 
over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and 
Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a 
great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about 
three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and 
drawing near the boat, and they were afraid. But he said to them, 
it is I, do not be afraid. Then they willingly received 
him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where 
they were going. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for 
this gospel according to John and the way that he presents 
the divine savior. God, we pray that you would give 
us ears to hear and hearts to receive your truth. May it encourage 
us, and may the knowledge of Christ as the great I Am displace 
fear in our hearts concerning present circumstances and situations. May you again forgive us for 
all sin and unrighteousness, cleanse us in that precious blood 
of the Lamb, and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. Well, as we come to this particular 
sign, remember that John tells us that Jesus did a lot of signs, 
but John himself only records seven of the signs done by the 
Savior in his earthly ministry. We saw Jesus turn the water into 
wine in chapter two. We saw Jesus heal the nobleman's 
son in John chapter four. We saw the healing at the pool 
of Bethesda in John chapter five. Last week, we saw the feeding 
of the 5,000 in verses one to 15, here in chapter six, and 
now Jesus walks on the sea according to verses 16 to 21. The other 
signs that will come is the healing of the man that was born blind 
in chapter nine, and then the raising of Lazarus from the dead 
in John chapter 11. So again, the apostle acknowledges 
that Jesus did a whole host of signs. He says, the world itself 
could not contain the books if I were to write everything down 
that the Savior did. but he has a theological agenda. 
He has recorded these signs so that you may believe that Jesus 
is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that believing 
in his name, you may have everlasting life. That's John's point and 
purpose as he specifies in John 20 at verses 30 and 31. The whole 
goal of his gospel is so that sinners would understand who 
Jesus is. and that sinners, by grace, would 
believe on Jesus so that those sinners could pass from death 
to life. It is a most glorious agenda 
that John the Apostle has undertaken. And as we survey this particular 
miracle, it holds out great encouragement to the people of God. We will 
notice that the people of God are not immune from life's challenges. They're not immune from life's 
trials. They're not immune from afflictions. 
They get sick. They get diseased. They die. 
They lose loved ones. They go broke. They lose jobs. 
There's a lot of things that affect the people of God in this 
world. It isn't the case, like the health, wealth, and prosperity 
teachers teach, that when we come to Jesus, all our cares 
are gone. Everything is going to be simply 
peachy. That's not the way it is. The 
Bible gives us a realistic picture that there are storms in the 
lives of God's people. So I want to look at two things 
as we survey this section. First, the disciples in the storm 
in verses 16 to 18, and then secondly, the Savior on the sea 
in verses 19 to 21. Now, this is paralleled in both 
Matthew and Mark, and again, remember, they're not just historians, 
but they're theologians, so there's emphases that are different in 
the parallel accounts, but I want to compare those as we look at 
what's happening in this section. In the first place, notice the 
disciples in the storm in verses 16 to 18. The situation is given 
us in verse 16. Notice. Now, when evening came, 
his disciples went down to the sea. Verse 15 tells us that Jesus 
had sought solitude. Jesus needed time with his Father. Jesus came apart, as it were, 
for a while and enjoyed that intimate communion with the Father. 
So in verse 15 he perceived that they were about to come and take 
him by force to make him king. They wanted an immediate answer 
to their issues. They wanted the subjugation of 
the Roman Empire. They wanted a man who could make 
food. They wanted somebody with that kind of power and prestige 
to bring them earthly benefit. But Jesus was not here for earthly 
benefit. Jesus came to save his people 
from their sins. So he then departs, according 
to the end of verse 15, to the mountain by himself alone. So 
now at evening time, they want to move from one side of the 
sea to the other side. And so the disciples get down 
to the sea. That's the Sea of Galilee. They 
get into the boat, according to verse 17, and they went over 
the sea toward Capernaum. And then John tells us something 
unique about their situation. It says that it was already dark 
and Jesus had not come to them. Again, Jesus had not come to 
them. So they're going to suffer a 
storm on the sea. But in Matthew chapter 8, there's 
an instance where Jesus is in the boat with them and there's 
still a storm. Again, this idea that has been 
popularized over the last generation by foolish men who should never 
preach the Bible, who have weird wives with big hair, and who 
tell you that you're always destined to be healthy, to be wealthy, 
and to be wise. That has more affinity with Benjamin 
Franklin than it does with the Lord Christ. There are hardships 
in the Christian life. The apostle in 2 Timothy 3 says 
all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. That self-same apostle, after 
having been stoned on his first missionary journey, stands before 
a congregation and says, through many tribulations, we must enter 
the kingdom of heaven. They didn't have to say, what 
are you talking about, Paul? What do you mean, tribulations? 
He had just been stoned. He bore in his body the brand 
marks of Jesus. He had been bruised and broken 
and battered for his commitment to the Lord of glory. This idea 
or concept that the believer never has any problems, the believer 
never has any difficulty, The believer never has any challenges 
in his life. It's simply not a biblical concept. 
So Christ with them, they experience a storm. Christ apart from them, 
they experience a storm. What does the Bible teach us? 
There are storms for the people of God. Notice verse 18 tells 
us so. It says, then the sea arose because 
a great wind was blowing. Again, this is not unique to 
this particular gospel. We see it in Matthew 14, which 
is a parallel to this passage, but again in Matthew chapter 
8. The Sea of Galilee was notorious for that particular phenomena. One commentator said, this occurred 
regularly on that lake, since it was 600 feet below sea level 
and ringed with mountains to the east, so that the air would 
surge through the mountains and kick up huge waves, sometimes 
eight to nine feet high. When you talk about an eight 
or nine foot wave, it doesn't sound as big on the land as when 
you're in the water. When you're looking at an eight 
to nine foot wave about to break on you, it looks a whole lot 
bigger than it would from the shore. And so this was a dangerous 
situation. Again, scripture is not silent 
on the reality that the people of God have storms in their lives. 
They're not immune from trial. And the disciples of Christ are 
not always immediately rescued from their trials. There are 
seasons and instances where we may tarry long. Consider the 
promise to the children of Israel that they would receive the promised 
land, that gift, that inheritance, that land of Canaan, that land 
flowing with milk and honey. Oh, but there's gonna be about 
a 400-year period before you ever receive that promise, before 
you ever enter in to eat that honey and to drink that milk. 
See, God's time frame is not our time frame. I kind of alluded 
to this last week under the guise of verse 15. We want Jesus to 
function in a particular way. We want Jesus to right every 
wrong. We want Jesus to smash his enemies. We want Jesus to vindicate his 
bride. Jesus is going to do all of that, 
but according to His plan, according to His time, according to His 
sovereignty. 1 Corinthians 15, 20-28 tells 
us that He must reign till all of His enemies are made His footstool. You're probably like me. You'd 
like to see some of those enemies be a part of that footstool sooner 
rather than later. You're probably like me, that 
if you were there at the time that Jesus made the food out 
of the five loaves and the two fish, and he feeds over 5,000 
men plus women and children, you're probably thinking, yeah, 
he's the man that should serve over us. He is the man that can 
right every wrong. He is the man that can bring 
justice to bear upon us. his people. So the reality is, 
is that those things will happen, but they'll happen according 
to his timeframe. The Geneva Bible says the godly 
are often in peril and danger, but Christ cometh to them in 
time, even in the midst of the tempests, and bringeth them to 
heaven. Through many tribulations, we 
must enter the kingdom of God. And when we ask the question, 
who are the enemies to the people of God? We've got the world, 
we know that. We've got the devil, we know 
that. But we also have an on-board enemy. It's our own remaining 
corruption. So there's this unholy trinity trying to keep us down. We need to look beyond that unholy 
trinity, beyond the storms, beyond the affliction, beyond the trial, 
to the right hand of the Father where Christ rules and reigns 
for His church. We need to walk by faith in the 
reality that He will vindicate His bride and that He will ultimately 
punish those who resist and who reject. The disciples of Jesus 
are not immune from trials. The disciples of Jesus are not 
always immediately rescued from trials. And I'll tell you one 
better. The disciples of Jesus are not 
always even rescued from trial. Paul knew that. 2 Timothy 4. There was no final attempt by 
his attorney to get a stay of execution. Paul knew that he 
was going to die. The time of my departure is at 
hand. And what he says there concerning 
having fought the good fight, having finished the race, having 
kept the faith, he could say that in his 11th hour because 
he was faithful that way in hours 1 to 10. If we want to be able 
to say likewise in the midst of hardship now, in the midst 
of affliction, in the midst of trial, we are faithful. We persevere. We don't discount the glory of 
Christ at the right hand of God Most High. And we understand 
that in His time, He will vindicate His bride. In His time, He will 
cut off the reprobate. In His time, He will usher in 
that eternal stay. But brethren, guess what? Right 
now, it's not his time. And so we need to be faithful, 
we need to be watchful, we need to be prayerful, and in the midst 
of affliction, we need to keep our minds rooted at the right 
hand of God Most High. So we've got the disciples in 
this condition, and again, it doesn't amplify the particular 
situation, just gives us that bare statement in verse 18, then 
the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So there's 
storm, they are scared, And now notice the Savior on the sea. 
Three things here. First, the activity of Jesus. 
Secondly, the words of Jesus. And then thirdly, the reception 
of Jesus on the part of these disciples. But notice the activity. Verse 19a is important. Whenever 
preachers say that, it almost implies that verse 19b isn't. That's not what I meant. All 
of the Bible is important, but verse 19a shuts the mouths of 
the kinds of people that say, you know, in the previous miracle, 
it really wasn't miraculous. There was this boy there, and 
he had these five loaves, and he had these two fish, and his 
willingness to share prevailed upon the hearts of everybody 
there, so they took out their meager portions and threw it 
into the garner, and everybody had enough to eat. That's liberalism. That's theological liberalism. 
That is denouncing, denying, and repudiating the supernatural 
in Scripture. Well, guess what they do when 
Jesus walks on the water? Do you think, oh, wow, he is 
the ruler over the waves. He is the Lord God Most High. No, they say there was a sandbar, 
or he was in a particular shallow part, or, you know, weather patterns 
being what they were, climate change and all, there could have 
been some ice in that particular part of the lake, and Jesus walked 
on that. So what John tells us in verse 
19a is very important in terms of understanding the significance 
of the sign. Verse 19a, so when they had rode 
about three or four miles, The reference in Matthew 14.24 
says, but the boat was now in the middle of the sea. The reference 
in Mark 6.48, now about the fourth watch of the night, he came to 
them walking on the sea and would have passed them by. Why do you 
think he tells us they're three to four miles out? So that when 
Jesus walks to the boat, when Jesus walks on the water, there's 
no question that he's walking on the water. Theological liberals, 
notwithstanding, it wasn't a sandbar. It wasn't some fluke of nature 
and there was ice. It wasn't just a shallow portion. They were three to four miles 
out. They're in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and here comes 
Jesus. I've always been intrigued by 
Mark's account. They suspected that he would 
pass them by. Where would he have been going? 
That's probably how they perceived it. But with reference to the 
miracle, Jesus walks on the water. Now notice verse 19. So when they had rode about three 
or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing 
near the boat. They saw Jesus walking on the 
sea and drawing near the boat. We've met this language before 
in John's gospel. In the prologue, when it talks 
about the incarnation of the word, it says, the word became 
flesh and dwelt among us and we what? We beheld His glory. We saw His glory. The glory as 
of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The 
same language is used by John in this instance to give us some 
sort of a comparison with that statement in 114. We beheld His 
glory. The glory as of the only begotten 
Son of God. That's what happens here in verse 
19. So when they had rode about three or four miles, they saw 
Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat. Brethren, 
this is something that was true of God Most High in the Old Testament. In Job 9 at verse 8, He alone 
spreads out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. Remember, 
the disciples knew these passages in ways that you and I do not. Psalm 77, 19. Your way was in 
the sea, your path in the great waters, and your footsteps were 
not known. See, in the Old Testament, especially 
in the Psalms, but as well in the Prophets, this idea of God 
having supremacy over the sea is everywhere. So that when Jesus 
walks on the sea, and it evokes from them this fear, the storm 
certainly made them afraid, but what's even more scary than a 
storm? It's the one who can control the storm. That's who's more 
scary, and that's what obtains in this particular section. Isaiah 
43, 16, thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a 
path through the mighty waters. John Gill comments on Jesus walking 
on the sea. He says, by which action he showed 
himself to be the Lord of the sea, and to be truly and properly 
God, whose character is that he treadeth upon the waves of 
the sea, Job 9, 8. J.C. Ryle, when he writes about 
this particular situation, he calls Jesus the ruler of the 
sea, the ruler of the waves, the one who has the power to 
still the wind, the one who has the power to calm the sea. In 
Matthew's narrative, it not only happens that Jesus does this, 
but then as he's walking on the sea, Simon Peter gets out of 
the boat and he accompanies him for a time. The Lord Jesus Christ 
is the ruler over the ways because He is the Son of God Most High. The miracle of the walking on 
the water and the miracle of making food demonstrate two things 
about Jesus. First, that He is the Son of 
God, not by creation, not by adoption, but by nature. He has 
the same essence. Remember in chapter 5, verse 
18, he made himself equal with God. Well, of course, he affirms 
that all through chapter 5, and he affirms it now by multiplying 
food and by walking on the water. Things uniquely predicated of 
God in the Old Testament are said of God in the New Testament, 
the second person of the triune God, even our Lord Jesus Christ. So it demonstrates his consubstantiality 
with the father, and it demonstrates his power over the natural order. 
Now brethren, again, prophets did amazing things. Elijah the 
prophet in second, I'm sorry, Elisha the prophet in second 
Kings chapter four, fed a hundred men with 20 loaves. That was 
an amazing miracle on the part of that man. Moses was certainly 
instrumental in the parting of the Red Sea. Moses was certainly 
instrumental in the raising of the rod and then God causing 
that wind to blow to divide the sea. So Moses and Elisha did 
amazing things. But as I mentioned several weeks 
ago, they never claimed equality with the Father. They never claim 
to be God. They claim to be prophets of 
God. They claim to be servants of God. But they never claim 
to be the consubstantial son of the Father, the way that Jesus 
does. And again, in the Psalms, things 
like making food for his people and things like being ruler over 
the waves are said specifically concerning Yahweh. Now notice, 
that's his activity. Look at their response. Verse 
19, they were afraid. Again, the storm evoked their 
fear in Matthew 8. Matthew 8, remember Jesus is 
down in the boat and He's sleeping. The disciples come to Him and 
they awoke Him saying, Lord, save us, we are perishing. So 
it was the waves, and it was the wind, and it was the tumult 
on the sea that initially evokes their fears. Over in Matthew 
chapter, I'm sorry, in John chapter 6 right here, we see it's not 
just the storm, but it's Him. Notice the connection. So when 
they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking 
on the sea and drawing near the boat, and they were afraid. They 
weren't afraid, again, by the storm right here. They are, but 
they're not, because Jesus stills it. They're afraid by the one 
who has the power over the storm. Fear Him. Look at Matthew chapter 
10 for just a moment, and Jesus' exhortation to His people in 
terms of fear. Fear is a big thing that the 
people of God struggle with, and the Bible gives us a strategy 
on how to deal with that fear. Notice in Matthew chapter 10 
at verse 27, whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the 
light, and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the 
soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul 
and body in hell. I think that's the same sort 
of an emphasis here. Don't fear the storm, don't fear 
the waves, don't fear the wind, but fear the one who has supremacy 
over those things. Fear the one who has absolute 
power over those things. Fear the one who's able to say 
to the wind, stop blowing. That's what evokes their fear 
according to John chapter 6. He's walking on the sea, he draws 
near the boat, and they were afraid. It is a most wonderful 
expression of the heart of man toward his God. Brethren, there 
is a lot of emphasis in the modern church on happiness and frivolity 
and joke telling and story time and all those sorts of things. 
Now, I'm not suggesting that coming to church should be drudgery, 
it should be a joyless thing, it should be something absolutely 
destitute of any real appreciation of the goodness of God. I'm not 
saying that. But there ought to be fear. There ought to be 
reverence. There ought to be a conduct on 
the part of the people of God with whom or when we know with 
whom we have to do. He is God and we're not. There 
ought to be reverence. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, 
Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with 
thee that thou mayest be. Feared. You see, it's the fear 
of God that comes as a result of the grace of God. This is 
why Newton wrote, "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear." 
But that wasn't Newton stumbling on this particular doctrine. 
It's from Jeremiah 32, when God prophesies concerning the new 
covenant through his servant Jeremiah. He says he will put 
the fear of him in their hearts. See, brethren, we should be afraid 
of God. And because of nature, because 
of sin, because of rebellion, we're not. In fact, in Romans 
chapter 3, the apostle tells us, there is none righteous, 
no, not one. There is none who seeks after God. And then he 
crowns that list with, there is no fear of God before their 
eyes. So what happens when we're saved? 
What happens when Jesus conquers us? What happens when we're effectually 
called? We're out of darkness. We're 
in a marvelous light. We believe the gospel. We've received the 
forgiveness of sins. We've received a righteousness 
that avails with the Father. What accompanies that? Yes, joy. Yes, gratitude. Yes, thanksgiving. But yes, fear. We have been taught 
now how to rightly relate to the God of absolute, unrivaled 
sovereignty and majesty. We don't just run into His presence 
as a fellow. We don't just treat Him as a 
buddy. We don't just treat Him as a larger version of ourselves. 
But He is God Most High. He made the world and all things 
in it. He governs all His creatures 
and all their actions. He redeems sinners by the blood 
of His own dear Son. He is to be feared. He is to 
be reverenced. Look at the prophet Malachi, 
Malachi chapter 1. They had big problems in Malachi's 
day with this issue of honoring the Lord. And God, through the 
prophet, upbraids them. God, through the prophet, challenges 
them. God, through the prophet, rebukes them. Notice in chapter 
1 of Malachi, verse 6, a son honors his father and a servant 
his master. If then I am the father, where 
is my honor? And if I am a master, where is 
my reverence? Says the Lord of hosts to you 
priests who despise my name. You see what he says there? Again, 
the Church is drowning in frivolity. The Church is drowning in banality. The Church is drowning in a surface-level 
theological appreciation of who God is. When we understand who 
God is, we respond with fear and trembling. When the prophets 
are confronted with the glory of God, they don't continue to 
shave. They don't continue to stand 
there and darn their socks. They fall as dead men before 
him. John on the island of Patmos 
for the word of God and the testimony of the Lord. He's in the spirit 
on the Lord's day and he sees this vision of the glorified 
Christ. What happens when John sees him? I fell as a dead man before him. Now Christ is so gracious and 
good, he puts his hand on him and he says, do not fear. He's 
going to say the same thing to those disciples in that boat. 
Do not fear. I am the one who is dead and 
now I'm alive. I am the one who holds the keys 
of death and Hades. Brethren, there ought to be a 
fear of God in the hearts of the people of God. It is simply 
that simple. And when we consider passages 
like these, God says, where is my honor? Notice how they respond 
in verse 6, the end of verse 6 in Malachi 1. Yet you say, 
in what way have we despised your name? We can fall prey to 
not honoring God. We can fall prey to not fearing 
God. We can fall prey to treating 
God as if He is our fellow and not even know it. We can be in 
such a position where we think that everything is okay, everything 
is dandy, and yet God says, where is my honor? That's their response. They said, in what way have we 
despised your name? Well, now He's going to tell 
them. You offered defiled food on my altar. But say, in what 
way have we defiled you? By saying, the table of the Lord 
is contemptible. And when you offer the blind 
as a sacrifice, is it not evil? When you offer up the lame and 
the sick, is it not evil? Offer it to your governor. Would 
he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably, 
says the Lord of hosts? If we could bring this into modern 
parlance, try to pay your taxes to Revenue Canada with the same 
sort of gusto, or don't jip them, but you will jip God. That's 
what he's saying. Look at what he says. He says, 
offer it then to your governor. Would he be pleased with you? 
Would He accept you favorably, says the Lord of hosts. We won't 
do things horizontally, but we'll do them vertically. We will treat 
persons with the respect and esteem that they deserve, and 
yet when it comes to our God, we have to be cajoled into having 
a fear of Him. Now notice in verse 9, he's continuing, 
but now entreat God's favor. This is what they would say, 
and the prophet is personifying them, that he may be gracious 
to us. While this is being done by your hands, will he accept 
you favorably, says the Lord of hosts? Who is there even among 
you who would not shut the doors, or who would shut the doors? 
so that you would not kindle fire on my altar in vain. I have 
no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, nor will I accept 
an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun, 
even to its going down, my name shall be great among the Gentiles. 
In every place, incense shall be offered to my name, and a 
pure offering. For my name shall be great among 
the nations, says the Lord of hosts." and then drop down to 
verse 14. Cursed be the deceiver who has 
in his flock a male and takes a vow, but sacrifices to the 
Lord what is blemished. For I am a great king, says the 
Lord of hosts, and my name is to be feared among the nations. 
So what's happening there? What's happening is what happens 
in churches today. We come, we do our religious 
thing, we get our batteries charged, but is there any fear of God 
in our hearts? Is there a reverence for the 
High and Holy One? Is there any reverence for the 
majesty of God Almighty? Is it just a game that we're 
engaged in? Because they were at the time of the Prophet Malachi, 
and God condemns that kind of swindling worship, the deception, 
You have something good in your flock, but you're going to grab 
the bad one, because we're going to take that to God? That kind 
of a mindset doesn't just disappear. We need, by God's grace, to fight 
against it, and to cultivate, by God's grace, the fear of Him. 
So go back to John chapter 6. They are afraid. And this reminds 
us of the parallel accounts. It shows their fear of Him for 
having controlled nature. In Matthew 8, 27, after Jesus 
stilled the sea. So the men marveled saying, who 
can this be that even the winds and the sea obey Him? It's a 
good question, isn't it? It's a good response. Who can 
this be? I have never in my life stood 
by somebody who's able to stop the wind with their words. And 
I imagine the 12 were just like that. And so they now see someone 
who's able to stop the wind with his words, and so they marvel. The response in Mark 4.41, which 
is the parallel to Matthew 8, they feared exceedingly and said 
to one another, who can this be that even the wind and the 
sea obey him? What kind of a man is this? Well, 
he's the man introduced in the prologue. In the beginning was 
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The 
Word became flesh and dwelt among us, never ceasing to be the Word, 
never ceasing to be divine, never ceasing to have control over 
nature. The response in Mark 6, which 
is parallel to this account. Then he went up into the boat, 
and the wind ceased, and they were greatly amazed in themselves 
beyond measure and marveled. Brethren, I suggest that's the 
response we're to undertake when it comes to the power of God 
manifested in our midst. We're to marvel, we're to stand 
amazed, we're to praise Him. We're to adopt Paul's ideal in 
Ephesians 1, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Praise, worship, adoration, glory 
given to this one who is sovereign over nature. Now notice the words 
of Jesus. He not only engages in this activity 
of walking on the water, He sees that they're afraid according 
to the end of verse 19. And then in verse 20, He said 
to them, it is I, Do not be afraid. It is I. Do not be afraid. Now those three words, it is 
I, is a good sort of reference statement. It answers the question 
in the context. But if we back off from this 
context and we understand what John is saying, he is telling 
us something again unique about our Lord Jesus Christ. He's got 
the burning bush in his mind. In Exodus chapter 3, when Moses 
says, who do I tell the children of Israel sent me? Or who do 
I tell Pharaoh sent me? He says, I am who I am. In the prophet Isaiah, God reveals 
himself as I am. He uses that terminology as a 
self-disclosure or an identification. And again, it harkens back to 
the Exodus 3.14 situation. I am who I am. Well, notice what 
Jesus says here. It is I. That's how we translate 
it. But you know what he really says? 
I am. I am. Now, there are several 
times in John's gospel where Jesus says, I am, and then there's 
a predicate. So he says, I am the bread of 
life. He will do that in John 6. He 
says, I am the good shepherd. He says, I am the resurrection 
and the life. I am the way, the truth, and 
the life. I am the light of the world. So those are I am statements 
with a predicate. It sort of fleshes out or fills 
out the I am-ness in those contexts. But there are several times in 
John's gospel where he doesn't use a predicate. He just uses 
that identifier for himself and he says, I am. So Jesus, again, 
is affirming what they alleged in John 5, 18. He makes himself 
equal with God. Well, taking this language, this 
identifier for Yahweh of Israel in his own lips and saying it 
of his own self indicates that he's saying, again, that he is 
equal with the Father. In fact, turn back to John chapter 
four, you see that I am. John four at verse 26, Jesus 
said to her, I who speak to you, am. Now we supply he because 
it makes better sense in English, but literally he says, ego, ame. That means I, I am in Greek. Notice in John chapter 8. John 
chapter 8, you have three references, three instances. John 8, 18. 
I am one who bears witness of myself, and the Father who sent 
me bears witness of me. Notice in 24. Therefore I said 
to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe 
that I am, you will die in your sins. What's he saying? If you 
reject his consubstantiality, if you reject that Christ is 
equal with the Father, you're rejecting the Christ who is equal 
with the Father. Notice in John 8 at verse 58. 
Well, verse 57, the Jews said to him, you are not yet 50 years 
old, and have you seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, most assuredly, 
I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. Now, here the translators 
capitalize the I and the am. They probably should have done 
that consistently throughout John's gospel in each and every 
instance where Jesus refers to himself in this way. Notice in 
John 13, 19. Now, I tell you before it comes 
that when it does come to pass, you may believe what? that I 
am." Notice in John 18, this is a very intriguing use of it. 
John 18, let's just pick up at verse one. When Jesus had spoken 
these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook 
Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 
And Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus 
often met there with his disciples. Then Judas, having received a 
detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, 
came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, therefore, 
knowing all things that would come upon him, went forward and 
said to them, whom are you seeking? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. 
Jesus said to them, what? I am. Jesus said to them, I am, 
same sort of language that he voices to the disciples on the 
boat. It is that brethren that identifies 
who is the ruler over the waves. He is in fact, the son of God, 
the eternally begotten son of God. But notice what continues 
in John 18 at verse five. Jesus said to them, I am, and 
Judas who betrayed him also stood with them. Now, when he said 
to them, I am, notice, They drew back and fell to the ground. Why is that? Because they have 
a revelation of the glory of Jesus Christ. We beheld his glory, 
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace 
and truth. In this particular context, these are unconverted 
soldiers. These are unconverted men. These 
aren't blood-bought children of God who have the Holy Spirit 
and rightly identify the Lord Jesus Christ. But when He gives 
that self-revelation, when He says, I am, people do what they 
do when they're in the presence of God. They fall down. They are undone. Remember Isaiah's 
claim to the prophetic ministry in the year that King Uzziah 
died? I saw the Lord lofty and exalted. And when he saw that vision, 
he cried out. He said, I was undone. I came 
apart. I came unraveled. I came apart 
at the seams. Why? Because I am a man of unclean 
lips. And I dwell among a people of 
unclean lips. And mine eyes have seen the glory 
of Yahweh. When we get confronted with the 
presence of God, a response of reverence and fear and trembling, 
always coupled with joy and thanksgiving, is most consistent in the presence 
of our blessed God. And that's what Jesus does as 
he comforts his disciples. But notice, he says, it is I, 
do not be afraid. It is I, do not be afraid. Turn over to Luke 18, just a 
parallel, one thought, one analogy that I want us to see. Look at 
Luke 18, verse one. Then he spoke a parable to them 
that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. And then 
he gives the parable. What do we learn from this? What's 
the antidote for the believer such that they don't lose heart? 
Prayer, right? We pray so that we don't lose 
heart. What do you think that means 
if we don't pray? Yeah, you can lose heart. See, if you have the one, it 
helps with the other. Turn back to John 6. He said 
to them, I am, do not be afraid. What is it that displaces fear 
in the hearts of God's people with reference to storms, with 
reference to affliction, with reference to oppression and persecution? What is it that can deal with 
that fear? It is to understand who Jesus 
is. It is to know Christ as altogether 
lovely and chief among 10,000. It is to know him as John sets 
him forth. When we know Christ the way we're 
supposed to know Christ, we're still going to struggle with 
fear. We're still going to have to be reminded. We're still going 
to have to be chided and rebuked and reproved from time to time. 
But we have the primary strategy to deal with fear in who Jesus 
Christ is. I am, do not be afraid. Brethren, we need to learn that 
lesson. The people of God oftentimes 
are paralyzed with fear. The people of God oftentimes 
are paralyzed in such a way that they don't engage in bold exploits 
for their God. If we are sidelined, if we have 
this trepidation, if we're so delicate and fragile that we 
can never confront this godless world, then we're going to be 
overcome by fear. We serve God most high. We serve 
the blessed Christ. We serve the one who has all 
authority in heaven and on earth. It's in that vein that he says, 
don't be afraid. You shouldn't fear. Fear God, 
fear the Lord, certainly understand that he's able to kill both body 
and soul in hell forever, but don't fear the circumstances 
of life. Don't fear the trials of life. 
Don't fear the afflictions of life. Christians ought to have 
the proper understanding. Why are there trials in our lives? 
Why are there afflictions? Why are there hardships? It's 
to conform us onto the image of Jesus. Brethren, that is God's 
purpose. He predestined those He foreknew. He calls, He justifies, He glorifies. But why does He do this? To be 
conformed unto the image of His Son. Hebrews 5 tells us that 
the Son learned or perfected obedience through suffering. 
There is suffering for the people of God. We're not to fear it, 
we're not to run and hide, but rather we're to embrace it with 
the knowledge that Christ our God is over all these things. There is encouragement in the 
boat with the disciples and Jesus says, it is I, I am, do not be 
afraid. Isaiah 41.10, Fear not, for I 
am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your 
God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I 
will help you. I will uphold you by my righteous 
right hand. See, brethren, when we fear, 
we are expressing little faith in our blessed God. Now, you 
may not be getting preached to right now, but I am. We all have 
our struggles, we all have our challenges, we all have our trials. It is difficult to be courageous 
for the Lord God Most High in a world that despises Him. We're 
sort of all in this boat together, so we ought to encourage one 
another, no pun intended on the boat thing there, with reference 
to concerning or considering who our Savior is. Don't be afraid. Why? Because I am. He is most 
high. He is the ruler over the waves. Fear the one who has the power 
to stop the wind more than the wind. Fear the one who has the 
power to stop the waves more than the waves. See, our God 
has supremacy over every jot and tittle of this universe. 
And that brings comfort to the people of God. Now, finally, 
notice what happens in verse 21. Then they willingly received 
him into the boat. Of course they do. He's the great 
I Am. He has mastery over the sea. He shushes the wind and the wind 
stops. So they willingly receive him 
into the boat. And then notice, immediately 
the boat was at the land where they were going. Some take that 
as another miracle. This idea that immediately the 
boat was at the land where they were going. That was the miracle. 
So not only does Jesus walk on the water, not only does Jesus 
still the storm, but that boat gets to where it's going immediately. I don't happen to agree with 
that, but I understand the position. It's based on Psalm 107, verses 
23 to 30, especially verses 29 and 30. It says, he calms the 
storm so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they 
are quiet. So he guides them to their desired 
haven. So some have taken that and seen 
here a third miracle with reference to the disciples in John 6. I 
don't think it has to be taken that way. I think it just means 
they got to where they were going eventually the way that they 
were supposed to. Well, that's exposition. I want 
to close with a few thoughts, a few practical applications. In the first place, the function 
of the two miracles. Notice back-to-back miracles 
in chapter 6. He feeds the multitudes and then 
he walks on the sea and he stills the storm. First of all, the 
two miracles show Jesus' lordship over nature. The two miracles 
show Jesus' lordship over nature. He is supreme. He is sovereign. See, at times I think we treat 
Jesus like, well, you know, he's good for my spirituality. He's 
good for my soul. He's over everything, brethren. 
He's over the wind. He's over the waves. He's at 
the right hand of God most high, where he has all authority in 
heaven and on earth. In Ephesians 1, where Paul is 
arguing for the power of God, he shows us that power of God 
in the resurrection of our blessed Savior and the exaltation of 
the Savior to the right hand of the Father. He has absolute 
comprehensive authority over all things for the church. So 
it's not just the church, it's not just the spiritual, it's 
not just those things that Jesus is sovereign over. Christ is 
Lord over nature. Secondly, the two miracles highlight 
His equality with the Father. His two miracles highlight His 
equality with the Father. Don't make, you know, don't miss 
that. John 5, the issue is He makes Himself equal with the 
Father. John 5, He answers affirmatively in a whole lot of verses, yes, 
I'm equal with my Father. And then we get to John 6, and 
He makes food and feeds people. We get to John 6, He walks on 
the water. Again, things that were specified 
concerning Yahweh in the Old Testament. Psalm 146-7, who executes 
justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry, the 
Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. We already read the passages 
out of Job, he alone spreads out the heavens and treads on 
the waves of the sea. Psalm 77, your way was in the 
sea, your path in the great waters, and your footsteps were not known. 
Brethren, these are another confirmation that He is who He says He is. 
That He is the one that John introduces in John 1, verses 
1 to 18. In the beginning was the Word, 
the Word was with God and the Word was God. Thirdly, the two 
miracles increase the faith of the 12. Increases the faith of 
the 12. Remember last week when Jesus 
says, where can we go to buy food for all of these people? 
What was the response? We don't have enough money to 
buy enough food to feed all of these people. And then the other 
response was, we have a little bit of fish and a little bit 
of bread, but it's not enough to feed all these people. So 
we don't have enough money and we don't have enough bread. So 
what is Jesus going to do? Jesus is going to test them, 
or Jesus is in the act of testing them, because He knows what He's 
going to do. And then remember, they gather up those fragments, 
they put together 12 baskets, and the way that I argued, leaning 
on that commentator clink, was that each of those baskets would 
remind those little faith disciples of the power of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. So it's not a stretch, brethren, to assume that a second 
miracle in this immediate context would be as well for the strengthening 
of these disciples. The parallel account in Mark's 
gospel after he walks on the sea, after he had fed the 5,000. 
It says, for they had not understood about the loaves because their 
heart was hardened. They missed the point of the 
loaves, so Jesus walks on the sea. Why? Because their heart 
was hardened. He is serving these brethren 
and showing them who it is that he is. So it was for an increase 
of their faith. And now turn to Matthew's account 
in Matthew chapter 14. You see that they learn the lesson. You see that they understood 
the significance. So he walks on the water. Verse 
27 is where we'll pick up. Immediately Jesus spoke to them 
saying, be of good cheer. Again, he says, I am, do not 
be afraid. And Peter answered him and said, 
Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. 
So he said, come. And when Peter had come down 
out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But 
when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid and 
beginning to sink, he cried out saying, Lord, save me. And immediately 
Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and said to him, 
oh, you have little faith. Why did you doubt? And when they 
got into the boat, the wind ceased. Now notice, then those who were 
in the boat came and worshiped him saying, truly you are the 
son of God. They heard his discourse in John 
5. Now they see his power in John 
6. So it evokes from them this confession, 
truly you are the son of God. We have seen it with our own 
eyes. You have mastery over the waves. You have the ability to 
feed the hungry. You are like the father, you 
are equal with the father. And that's why they confess, 
truly you are the son of God. It is a most glorious help for 
these 12 as they were being prepared for his absence. What would they 
do? They'd go out and preach Him. They would go out and teach 
concerning Him. They would go out and call sinners 
to faith and repentance. They would say, believe on Him. 
He is the eternal God. They would say that sort of thing. 
They needed to understand it firsthand and Jesus is doing 
that and bringing them to that place of a mature faith. A second 
thing is dealing with fear. I don't want to get psychological 
and put everybody on a couch and, okay, well, tell me when 
you first knew that you were afraid. We're not going to do 
that. But there is a strategy embedded in the text on how to 
deal with fear. People are afraid, brethren. 
We live in a strange time. We live in a difficult age. We 
live in a period where unprecedented things happen. We couldn't visit 
people that were in the hospital. We couldn't go to people's funerals 
who died. We've been effectively divided against each other. You've 
got the maskers and the anti-maskers. You've got the vaxxers and the 
anti-vaxxers. There's just a whole lot of stuff that brings a whole 
lot of pressure upon not just people in general, but the people 
of God as well. And oftentimes there is fear 
in the hearts of God's people. In fact, Jesus in Matthew chapter 
six, verses 24 to 34, teaches on vanquishing your carnal fear 
and anxiety. So he knows and understands what 
it is for us to live in this world. There's a couple of things 
we need to appropriate. First, the presence of trials, 
afflictions, and hardships are a given in life, even in the 
Christian life. The tendency to be overcome by 
fear, anxiety, and worry is also a given in life. Matthew 6. Not 
just making this up or being a psychoanalyst today. I am telling 
you that Jesus addresses the subject of not fearing, not worrying. How many of you, by worrying, 
can add a cubit to your life? You know the passage. Why do 
you think Jesus has to teach that? Because it keeps rising 
up in our hearts. The antidote, the remedy, the 
help, the medicine, the tonic, whatever you want to call it, 
to preventing that fear from overtaking us is to properly 
identify who Jesus is. Our God has mastery over the 
sea. Our God can feed people. Our God does feed people. Our 
God saves people. J.C. Ryle comments on disciples 
and their need for the Lord Jesus. He says there is encouragement 
here for all true Christians. Let them know that there is nothing 
created which is not under Christ's control. He may allow his people 
to be tried for a season and tossed to and fro by storms of 
trouble. He may be later than they wish in coming to their 
aid and not draw near to the fourth watch of the night, but 
never let them forget that winds and waves and storms are all 
Christ's servants. And may I add Joe Biden, Justin 
Trudeau, COVID-19, pandemic mitigation, all of that is under our God. He is sovereign over everything. Brethren, that doesn't magically 
make everything great, but it puts everything in its proper 
perspective. Are we to fear COVID-19 or God? Are we to fear Justin Trudeau 
or God? Are we to fear Joe Biden or God? Are we to fear whatever is out 
there or God? He goes on to say, with reference 
to the waves and the storms that are Christ's servants, they cannot 
move without Christ's permission. The Lord on high is mightier 
than the mighty waves of the sea. We read that in Psalm 93. Are we ever tempted to cry with 
Jonah, the floods compassed me about, all thy billows and thy 
waves passed over me, Jonah 2.3. Let us remember they are His 
billows. Let us wait patiently. We may 
yet see Jesus coming to us, walking on the sea." Brethren, when we 
know our God, when we understand His power, when we know His position, 
when we know what He has done for us in terms of saving us, 
shouldn't we fret what's going to happen this week? Should we 
think that it's over? Should we think that all bets 
are off? We're in uncharted waters now? Brethren, the world is a 
pretty solid place. It has gone through a lot of 
battering throughout its ages, and the Lord God has sustained 
it. So with this cry for climate change and let's fix the environment, 
as if God somehow didn't know how to do that effectively. He 
actually needed us to try and tell him how to rule the earth? Oh no, fuel, oil, fossil fuel, 
that's bad for us. Why would he make it the second 
richest deposit in the earth after water? Brethren, God's 
got this. The whole climate change is more 
akin to Romans 1, worshiping the creature, worshiping and 
serving the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. 
Of course, be responsible stewards of the things that God has given, 
but we're not supposed to fear. We're not supposed to get to 
that place where we don't leave our houses, where we're afraid 
of our shadow. We serve the Lord God most high. He's got this, He's got us, He 
has saved us by His grace and for His glory, and He has purpose 
to keep us unto that day. And if you're not a believer 
here this morning, all the same things that affect God's people 
affect you too. You get disease, you get viruses, 
you have tyrants ruling over you too. You just don't have 
what we have in terms of a relationship with the living and true God 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. But you can. Listen to John, 
these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, 
the son of the living God, and that believing in his name you 
may have everlasting life. Come to the joyful pastures led 
by the King of Glory, wherein He protects, wherein He comforts, 
and wherein He tends to His people, even in the midst of life's storms. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank 
you for your word, and we thank you so very much for the power 
of the Redeemer. Not just lordship over nature 
in terms of feeding people and walking on the sea, but being 
sovereign over the hearts of men. We know it's not because 
of our good works, it's not because of our merit or our law-keeping 
that we're going to go to heaven, but it's because of what Jesus 
did in his life and in his death and in his resurrection. I pray 
today that you'd open hearts and cause sinners to believe 
on him, and know the joy of being found in Him. And we ask in His 
most blessed name. Amen.