High Winds & The Water Walker

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As a kid, every time I was near a body of water, be it a pool, lake, or ocean, I tried to walk on the water. And every time, I failed. There were times that I felt that I made it a step or two, but I always ended up wet. Not once did I stay dry. What about you? Did you ever have times when you tried to walk on water? I’m pretty confident we all have. 

The closest I got to the actual feeling of walking on water was when I ran a Rugged Manic 5k a few years ago. They placed these wooden barges in a lake which required us to run on them to get to the next obstacle in the race. They were placed just under the waterline to create the illusion we were walking on water. It was really cool. Unfortunately, at the time I did not feel like Jesus walking on water; I felt like a ninja that was light on his feet.  

Happy Meal Leftovers

The fourth miracle of Jesus in the Gospel of John happens when he feeds the 5000+ with a Hebrew Happy Meal that consisted of five barley loaves and two fish. After Jesus blesses the food, he asks his disciples to collect the leftovers. Twelve baskets were remaining after everyone received their fill. 

So, my question for you is, what does wind have to do with hunger? Given too much of either can kill you. If you are in the desert or wilderness and have no food, hunger can very well kill you. If you are out to sea on a boat with no visible land, high winds can kill you. This miracle is sandwiched between Jesus feeding the people bread and then calling himself the Bread of Life. What is the significance of this miracle?

Unlike us, Jesus does walk on water without the assistance of wooden barges placed strategically in the Sea of Galilee. He walked on his creation because he has authority over all creation!

Is the Shepherd Safe?

The disciples are not having a good time. They did not feel safe. They were afraid they might die in this storm even though Jesus just hours early proved that he would provide for them. I believe this miracle was for the disciples to witness once again the deity of Jesus Christ. 

In Psalm 23, David writes the Lord is his Shepherd, and he describes how the Shepherd provides for the sheep such that they would have no wants, and he makes them lie down in green pastures. 

At the beginning of John 6, we see the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000+, and we saw that John had orchestrated the narrative to reveal a couple of pictures of Christ. He shows us that Jesus is the Shepherd whom David was talking about. It’s no coincidence that Jesus walked through this miracle in the manner that he did. So that it lines us with Psalm 23, again he is the Shepherd that in verse 10, Jesus said, “have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. In verse 11, Jesus takes the loaves and fish, and he distributed food, and everyone had as much as they wanted.

A prophet will arise among you…

Another picture John is highlighting is that Jesus is a latter-day Moses. In the fulfillment of Moses’ own words in the desert found in Deuteronomy 18, there will be a prophet that will arise from among you that you must listen to. Every one of the Jews believed this was a prophecy foretelling the coming messiah. In verse 14, a bell kind of dings in their heads, “oh, this must be the prophet Moses was talking about,” and they try to make him king.

What do you think they mean when they said, “Truly, this is the Prophet?” Of course, the disciples are here witnessing these same events. What do the disciples think about these statements? Has it altered their understanding of Jesus’ identity? Do they recognize Jesus as the Shepherd in Psalm 23? Do they understand him as the fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy?

Old Testament fulfillment

If it’s true and they saw these pictures in the way they should have, then the next events in chapter six would have given them a perfect opportunity to demonstrate their understanding. Because the next line of Psalm 23 is, “He leads me beside still waters.” The same shepherd who provides for every need is the very shepherd who leads his sheep to still waters. Each of these tests that the disciples witness is to lead them to a better understanding that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies.

Connect the Old Testament to the New Testament

Every story in Scripture whispers the name of Jesus, because He was in the beginning and ALL things were created by Him, through Him and for Him. Sometimes it’s easy to read an OT story and see how it points us to Jesus; other times it’s more challenging. Though it may be challenging, having our kids know the connection between the Old and the New, how everything points to Jesus, etc. is so worth the challenge when you see your kids start to make the connection before you mention it.

Read John 6

Read John 6 for your devotional or study for the week. And read it at least once a day over the next week. As you are leading your family in worship break it up into small pieces to digest; specifically if you have younger children. For this devotional, you would want to read John 6:16-21 as a family.

Pray WITH God

Wow, God you have the power to defy gravity and walk on water. You created and have the power to do what you will. I’m sorry, that like the disciples, I’m often afraid and don’t trust you. Thank you for always showing me that you are trustworthy and bigger than my troubles. Help me have the courage to trust in what you say.

Sing

Make a joyful noise to the Lord as a family and sing of His goodness.