On The Sea, In A Gale With Jesus

John 6:15-21

Introduction

The movie Vantage Point told and retold the fictional attempted assassination of an American President from 5 different perspectives

Secret service agent, policeman, tourist, the President himself, tourists

I think this is smthing lik what goes on in a court of law witnesses give testimony

Different witnesses tell of the same event from different perspectives

There may be overlap, differences, focus on particular

Today I wnt to shar w U abt an event occurrd on a sea in a gale – JS walk on H2O

This event is told by 3 diff witnesses: Matthew, Mark and John

Comments

  1. Basic story is the same, ff feed of 5K, at night, storm comes up on sea as D’s

go to the other side, JS comes to them walking on the sea

  1. Storms on the sea of Galilee common, caused by different in elevation of sea...in a previous storm on the sea, JS was in the boat with them asleep, Mt 8:23-27
  2. Matthew 257 words, Mark 185 words, John 136 words, thus the same story told with more or less detail by three of the gospel writers, Luke not tell.

EXPOSITION

  1. On The Sea In A Gale With Jesus, Matthew Challenges Our Faith

Unique to Matthews account is what Peter does as Jesus approaches the boat

Mt 14:28 if it is You, command me to come to you on the water

29 Come, Peter got out and walked on the water

30 But when he saw the wind and... he cried out Lord save me

31 JS caught him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?

Lesson on Faith – believing, keep on believing, not take your eyes off JS

When we stop believing and take our eyes off JS we get into trouble

When we try to walk based on what we see instead of what we believe and

what JS tells us instead of what the Word says, we will have troubl

  1. On The Sea In A Gale With Jesus, Mark Tests Our Hearts

Recall John 6:1-14 the feeding of the 5K, in all four gospels

but John tells us JS tests Philip – The Philip Test –

wht do whn face impossibl, no wher to buy bread, w impossible turn to JS

this was a lesson JS D’s should have learned when 5K fed fm 5loaves

Mark tells the story of JS walk on water w 3 unique pts: JS saw them,

JS intended to pass them by, and his conclusion in Mk 6:51, 52

Mk 6:51,52 they had not understood about the loaves bcs their hearts hardened

The walking on the water was a second test of the D’s, a test of hearts

Having just witnessed the 5K fed, yet what they do now whn JS on sea?

Fear, not understand who JS is, hearts hardened

Lesson on Tests – God will test our hearts so that we do not fear so we recognize

JS does the impossible, we may face 2, 3 4 or more tests until we learn

  1. On The Sea In A Gale, John Focuses Us On Who Jesus Is

John tells us the story of JS walking on the water w the fewest details, focus

15-18 th multitude wanted to make Him king, D’s left, sea and wind,3-4ml

19 they saw JS walking on the sea, they were afraid

Why fear? Mt and Mk say because thot JS a ghost, John not say

20 but JS spoke to them ‘It is I, do not be afraid’

Also in Mt and Mk, but here in John it is the focal pt of th narrative

John leaves us w the D’s afraid because they see JS walk on H20

Lesson on Jesus – JS is God, trust Him, do not fear

We might fear: ppl, illness, financial loss, failure, uncertainty

JS is God, He is in control, believers should only fear God Mt10:26-28