God with us
by Pauline Simonsen
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It is I; don’t be afraid (John 6:20b).
Read John 6:14–24
Earlier this week, we meditated on Matthew’s narrative of Jesus walking on the water. John’s account contains some differences. After miraculously feeding the crowds, Jesus leaves them. He goes up into the hills alone to prevent the crowd from trying to force him to be their king. John’s account also doesn’t mention Peter’s experience of walking on the water and Jesus saving him.
John’s interest lies in Jesus’ supernatural authority over the natural realm and people’s different responses to it. The morning after the feeding miracle, when the crowd works out that Jesus didn’t go in the boat with the disciples, they pursue him to Capernaum, asking how Jesus got to the other side. They are fascinated with Jesus and his miraculous powers, a fascination Jesus isn’t interested in feeding, then or now (John 6:26,27).
What about the disciples? What do they learn about their master as they battle against heavy winds and waves in their small boat on the lake that night? They see the figure on the water walking out of the darkness towards them, and they are terrified. Then they hear the voice of their master calling out, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid!’
Perhaps Jesus’ declaration is preparing the disciples for his ‘I AM’ statements, the first of which John records in the next few verses: ‘I am the bread of life’ (John 6:35). At the very least, the disciples must be recalling Old Testament Scriptures that speak of Yahweh as the one who controls the seas.
‘The waters saw you, O God … and writhed; the very depths were convulsed … Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen’ (Psalm 77:16,19). ‘You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them’ (Psalm 89:9).
The disciples witness Jesus, their master, doing what only God can do. Whether they fully perceive it yet, the ‘I AM’ of the burning bush is among them! Immanuel, God is with us!
The God who led Israel through the waters of the Red Sea is the same God who walked over the Sea of Galilee to the disciples’ boat. And this is the same God who speaks to you and me in our storms, ‘It is I, don’t be afraid!’ Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.
In the troubles of my life today, Lord Jesus, grant me to see you with clarity and trust as the God of my salvation. Let your word quell my fears, and your presence bring me peace, today and always. Amen.
Pauline lives in sight of the ranges in the beautiful Manawatu region of New Zealand with her husband Roger and their two cats. There, she leads Emmaus Bible College and offers spiritual direction and supervision to people from a wide range of backgrounds and denominations.
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