John 6, verses 15 to 27, walking on water

 

John 6:15 ¶  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. 16  And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 17  And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. 18  And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. 19  So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20  But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. 21  Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

Here, take note what Nathanael said earlier as he recognized Christ for who He was based on Nathanael’s own sincerity addressed by Jesus, Philip’s testimony, and a few words from Christ Himself;

John 1:49  Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Many fundamentalist preachers make the nonsensical statement that the Jews were saved in the Old Testament by looking forward to the Cross as the Christian is saved in the New by looking backward to it. Here is one of the many verses that show this is ridiculous. The Jews were looking for a conqueror, a king to lead them out of domination by Rome and into the status among the kingdoms of the world they had been promised. Here are Jesus’ own disciples after His resurrection.

Acts 1:6  When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Messianic fervor was rampant in first century Judea and among the Jews everywhere. People calculated according to the popular chronology of the day that the age was on the threshold of the appearance of the Messiah.  Later, it would be said that a Messiah ben Joseph would appear and suffer and die for his people and then a Messiah ben David would appear in victory and conquest. The Jews did not see the appearance of the same Messiah to suffer and die, and then to return from the dead in victory. They were not looking forward to the Cross at Jesus’ time but looking forward to Israel’s lost greatness to be restored and the vindication of the people. This is clear by many statements of clueless disciples when Jesus would predict His death. (11)

Later in John we will get into the declaration of Jesus’ kingship, probably sarcastically, by Pilate.

In this passage we see Jesus’ command over natural forces, as well as time and distance itself, as He walks on water and immediately causes the ship to arrive at its intended destination.

The disciples take a ship without Jesus and a just a great wind or even a storm comes up. Wind and storm are synonymous.

Job 27:21  The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.

Mark 4:37  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

Luke 8:23  But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.

It is then they see Jesus walking on the water, which terrified them. But Jesus says this wonderful statement to them that is the source of great inspiration for the Christian It is I; be not afraid.

Once he was received into the ship, the ship was immediately at their destination. There are 8 furlongs in a mile so they had traveled less than four miles while the Sea of Galilee is approximately 13 miles long and 8 miles wide, 33 miles in circumference.  What is revealed to us is that God has power over time and distance. Consider this when you read about the farthest reaches of space appearing to be 45 billion light-years from earth, a light-year being the time it takes light to travel in one year, as well as the ridiculous theory that the universe is 15 billion years old.

(11) Rabbi Hillel Silver, A History of Messianic Speculation in Israel (New York: Macmillan Co., 1927), 5&84.

John 6:22 ¶  The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone; 23  (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) 24  When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. 25  And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26  Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Note the key piece of verse 22 missing from modern Bible versions based on the Critical Text of Westcott and Hort in the heritage of German Enlightenment Theology and the fallacious “science” of Textual Criticism. The only boat was the one whereunto his disciples entered until other boats came from Tiberias.

The people are determined to be where Jesus is. Would it were so that American Christians had such a determination and desire to be with Jesus every day; where He is in attitude in obedience to the Father and where He is in presence in His written word, and where He is in eternity, in the Heaven of heavens. The crowds also passed over the sea in boats to pursue Him. When they found Him they asked when it was that He had passed over the sea. But, He didn’t answer their question directly, only questioning their motives.

Jesus tells the crowds to work for food that doesn’t rot away, food that leads to eternal life, setting up later statements. He then declares that that food comes from Him, calling Himself the Son of man, and that God the Father has sealed Him as that deliverer. As Peter said;

Acts 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The son of man with a small s is used several times in the Old Testament to refer to man in the flesh, born by natural processes (Numbers 23:19; Job 25:6; 35:8; Proverbs 8:4, etc. etc.) The Son of man, capital S is used in Ezekiel, chapter 2 and beyond, as the prophet himself is called by God. Along with the small s son of man, the phrase is used over 90 times in the book of the prophet Ezekiel referring to the prophet as a human person born of natural processes and particularly as a special Prophet born in the flesh accomplishing God’s special purpose.

It is established in John up to this point that Jesus is not only the Creator (John 1:1-3), but also God in the flesh, the only time this ever happened in history (John 1:14-18), and He is the Messiah, the Christ (John 4:25-26), and the Prophet that Moses predicted (John 6:14). This is probably one important reason why scholars have tried to separate the Gospel of John from the canon as it is so clear in its declarations of Christ. It is also stated clearly that to believe Him, on Him, and in Him is the key to salvation and to deny what He has said is to bear the wrath of God.

John 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.