YOU CAN WALK ON WATER John 6:15-22

 I CAN WALK ON WATER

John 6:15-22

THE TEXT

15 Jesus therefore perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain himself alone.

16 And when evening came, his disciples went down unto the sea;

17 and they entered into a boat, and were going over the sea unto Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

18 And the sea was rising by reason of a great wind that blew.

19 When therefore they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they behold Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the boat: and they were afraid. (furlong 660 feet  3 to 4 miles sea of Galilee is 8 miles wide)

20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

21 They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat: and straightway the boat was at the land whither they were going.

22 On the morrow the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, save one, and that Jesus entered not with his disciples into the boat, but (that) his disciples went away alone

ASV

INTRODUCTION

After feeding the 5000 families, Jesus went up to the mountain alone

The crowd did not get taught Word of healing because of their desire to

Make Jesus king.

Let me suggest that Jesus sent the disciples in the boat across the Sea

Of Galilee alone as another test of their faith. They were tested to see if

They could not come up with a solution to feed the 5000 and failed.

The trip across the sea of Galilee was another test. 

Once the 5000 men saw the miracle they remembered the scripture

Of the coming prophet  who would be king Jerimiah 23:5 . They became a mob who wanted to force Jesus to be their king

Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

To prevent the 12 disciples from being taken by the mob, Jesus commanded them to get in a boat to travel to Capernaum Mark 6:45.

Jesus dismissed the crowd and went to the mountain to pray.

Points to consider as we look into the text

POINT 1 Jesus will protect you from danger

               Jesus can create danger for you to teach you a lesson

POINT 2

God may not be in your boat, but He ought to be in your heart. Don’t leave without Him. It is one thing to be in church, but it is another thing to take the church with you, 

POINT 3

No matter where you are, Jesus is looking down on you. You cannot get

To far where Jesus cannot see you From the mountain top, Jesus saw the

Disciples 3 to 4 miles out 

POINT 4   Jesus may  put you in troubled waters to teach you a lesson 

John 6:17-18

17 and they entered into a boat, and were going over the sea unto Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 

18 And the sea was rising by reason of a great wind that blew.

Even the wisest and the strong can get confused and afraid in the dark.

(see Judges 7:19, 1 Samuel 14:20)  The 12 disciples who were given the power and authority of healing multitudes, cast out demons and preaching the Gospel, became afraid when storm arose in the middle of the night

SIX MIRACLES IN THE TEXT

1. The localized storm in the night in middle of the sea of Galilee

John 6:18 And the sea was rising by reason of a great wind that blew.

2. Jesus walked on water in the storm

Mark 6:48 And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them:

John 6:19 When therefore they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they behold Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the boat: and they were afraid.

3. Peter walked on water 

Matt 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto the upon the waters. 29 And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus.

4. Jesus controlled the wind and the waves. The storm ceased when Jesus stepped into the boat  Mark 6:51  And he went up unto them into the boat; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves; 52 for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

5. The boat was immediately moved 4 miles to the  shore of Capernaum

John 6:21 They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat: and straightway the boat was at the land whither they were going.

6. The disciples were awaken to the revelation that Jesus was the Son of God

Matt 14:33 And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

We see God’s miracles everyday. The problem is recognizing them as miracles.

WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS TRIP ACROSS THE SEA

1 .Jesus designs trouble for our lives to train us, increase our faith 

 2.Jesus knows our struggles 

 Jesus saw His disciples struggling to control the boat from the mountain   

 Mark 6:48  And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was   

 contrary unto them,

3. Expect Jesus to show up when you need Him 

Mark 6:48  about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them:

4. Jesus is waiting on you to call on Him

Mark 6:49 but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw, and were troubled.

Jesus is always in your midst waiting on you to call on Him in prayer

Don’t ever get to proud to cry out to Jesus. There is an indication that

Jesus would have left them struggling, until they called

5. You can be so busy serving that you missed the miracle in front of you

Mark 6:51-52

 And he went up unto them into the boat; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves; 52 for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

The disciples participated in the miracle of feeding the 5000, but didn’t

Recognize that it was a miracle. They took the work of Jesus for granted.

Had they recognized the the miracle of the day, maybe they would have

Had faith that they would survive the storm. 

6.  It is up to you to receive the help of Jesus.

John 6:21  They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat:

You have to make a choice to let Jesus into your situation

7. You can walk on water if you put your faith in Jesus

   God expect us to step out on faith beyond what we have experienced

   Peter said to Jesus if it is you, tell me to come to you . He walked

   On water for a while

Matt 14:30-32

 But when he(Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

 

Peter stepped out of the boat in the midst of the storm and walk on water

While his eyes were on Jesus. He only began to sink when his focus turned to the storm.   Peter began to doubt when he considered the storm. When Peter called again on Jesus ,He saved Him

It takes a storm to make us realize we need Jesus.

8. Jesus comforts us in the middle of the storm 

    Mark 6:50  for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he straightway    

    spake with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not 

    afraid.

9. Trouble don’t last long before God put us at peace.

    As soon as Jesus stepped into the boat the storm ceased

THE LESSON TO THE CROWD

There are times when Jesus uses our selfishness to draw up into a  

 deeper study of the Word.

John 6:24 when the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed.

The group of followers wanted to make Jesus King, but they also wanted more food.  Jesus used the occasion to take them into a deeper study of the Word.  

John 6:28  They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Belief in Jesus is a work we have to take on each day in every situation

SUMMARY

You can walk on water in the middle of your storm when you focus is on Jesus

1. When there is turmoil in your life, you can walk above it in peace

2. When you body need healing, You can walk above it in faith because God is your doctor

3. When you are worried about paying your bills. You can walk above them  in confidence because Jesus is your provider

4. When you are troubled, you can walk above them, because God gives a peace above human understanding.

 

WHAT JESUS DID FOR PETER HE WILL DO FOR YOU

YOU ARE ENOUGH FOR JESUS John 6:1-14

 YOU ARE ENOUGH FOR JESUS

                    John 6:1-14

THE TEXT

 After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is (the sea) of Tiberias. 

2 And a great multitude followed him, because they beheld the signs which he did on them that were sick.

3 And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

4 Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

5 Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude cometh unto him, saith unto Philip, Whence are we to buy bread, that these may eat?

6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

7 Philip answered him, Two hundred shillings' worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little.

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,

9 There is a lad here, who hath five barley loaves, and two fishes: but what are these among so many?

10 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.

11 Jesus therefore took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down; likewise also of the fishes as much as they would.

12 And when they were filled, he saith unto his disciples, Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing be lost.

13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which remained over unto them that had eaten.

14 When therefore the people saw the sign which he did, they said, This is of a truth the prophet that cometh into the world.

OVERVIEW

The feeding of the 5000 has many components that need to be considered to get a better understanding.   This text is set in the middle of God’s plan to prepare His disciples for mission of spreading the Gospel

The story is set around the sea of Galilee which is a fresh water lake 686 feet below sea level.  It is the site of many of Jesus miracles. Jesus had sent the 12 disciples out two by two to the surrounding cities where they preached, healed the sick and cast out demons. 

The crowd followed the disciples back to the place where Jesus was (Mark 6:33). I am sure you and I would get in long lines to get to doctors where medical advice and healing was free.  According to Mark the people came in such large numbers that the disciples didn’t have time to eat.

In addition the time of the  passover festival held in Jerusalem, 90 miles away was near. The Jews traveled in crowds to the festival. If you are preparing for a trip you want all your health issues resolved.   Word had

gotten back to Jesus that John the Baptist, his first cousin had been beheaded by Herod.  

Jesus was sympathetic to His people who were subject to the violence of the Roman government and burdened by their own religious leaders with mistruths and Jewish traditions. Jesus Preached a Gospel of eternal freedom and salvation. 

I believe the crowd to Jesus and His disciples to be healed and then hear a teacher who preached the true Gospel of the Lord. I believe the healings were the drawing cards to plant the Word of God among the people. 

SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PLACES AND COMPONENTS

There are some spiritual significance to the places and words in the text.

Every experience in your life has been allowed by God. Each event in some makes you who you are. God uses the good and the bad for His glory.

Look at the events and places in the text and see yourself and how God has used you.

PASSOVER FESTIVAL  A command of God  which became a ritual celebration of God’s goodness and promises. A chance to worship the Father in spirit and truth. It was an annual tradition

THE CROWD   The lost sheep of Israel

THE MOUNTAIN The mountain top  a place of teaching, a place of prayer. Jesus went to be alone with the Father

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA Jesus went to the other side of the sea to get us away from the crowd, Spiritually we a place to draw us near to Jesus To break the routine of daily living. To give us what we really need, a refreshing and spiritual enlightenment

THE FISH  represents our job,   fishers of men

THE BREAD  represents the Word of God. Life giving 

THE BOY’S LUNCH  The desires of the flesh. The 5 barley loaves and two fish, represents sacrificial giving

Consider the boy how he got there what he learned

The bread of life feeds as many as come to Jesus

THE BOY’S PARENTS The parents who fixed the boys lunch represent love

Jesus can take the little we have and make it more than we need

THE MERCY OF JESUS   He saw the needs of the crowd and provided for them. They followed the disciples and Jesus and were hungry .

THE MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH The disciples represent the church.

Consider what the disciples learned about themselves and Jesus;

Their inability but Jesus ability

Their lack of compassion, Jesus Compassion

Their need to call on Jesus in difficult situations

WORK OF THE CHURCH The feeding of the 5000 represent the work of the church.  It is not meat we need but every Word of God.

FOLLOWING JESUS will take your farther than you want to go and give you more than you deserve

THE IMPOSSIBLE TASK, A TEST OF FAITH

Sometimes God presents us with what seems to be an impossible task to

Test our faith. Because of the teaching and healing power given  and authorized by Jesus, a crowd of needy folk, 5000 men not including women and children followed the disciples. Preaching to 5000 was no problem. But feeding 5000 men and their families was another thing. 

The 12 disciples had gained experience teaching the Word, healing all kinds of diseases and casting out demons without Jesus' presence (Mark 6:7). I believe Jesus used the opportunity of feeding five thousand families in one setting  to test their attitude and ability to do what was humanly impossible for man.  It was a test to see if they would recognize their need for Jesus.

John 6:3 And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

I believe Jesus prepared the disciples for the task by taking them to mountain to be alone with them  for a while. What Jesus discussed is unknown to us, But we do know Jesus often went to the mountain to pray and communicate with the Father.  I am sure the disciples had much to say about the success of their mission to the surrounding cities. The evidence was the crowd  following them for more. 

THE TEST OF YOUR FAITH

The work of the Lord is never done. Jesus looked at the crowd and saw their needs. They had empty stomachs and a thirst for more teaching. The lesson here is to feed the needs of the flesh and the thirst for knowledge will follow,Is the design of God.  

Jesus realized that the crowd had followed a long way and there were no close by places to eat. Not only that, while He had a captive audience, Jesus would not lose the opportunity to feed the spirit. The disciples fresh from their mission was given the task of feeding the crowd.

JESUS HAS THE ANSWER TO ALL HE REQUIRES OF US

John 6:5 Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude cometh unto him, saith unto Philip, Whence are we to buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred shillings' worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little.

 

A shilling was the wage of a day laborer. The first response was where and

How much. We don’t have enough money to feed 5000 families. If we had money it would not be enough. Phillip recognized their inability and the impossibility of Jesus request.  

The next response seem even more unreasonable

John 6:8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, who hath five barley loaves, and two fishes: but what are these among so many?

We can always look at what we have and conclude it is not enough. We know what it takes to make a meal and boys' lunch is not enough.

 My question is: out of 5000 families, how did Andrew locate the boy with a lunch? Did the boy just show up and offer his lunch?  Was the boy close to the disciples when food was discussed?  Did Jesus focus Andrew’s eyes on the boy as the discussion was going on?  We don’t know. But the point is a little in the hands of  Jesus is enough to supply all our needs. I believe this was the lesson Jesus intended to teach His disciples.

ESTABLISH AN ORDER 

John 6:10 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.

Jesus put the disciples in charge of the crowd. Ordering the men to sit down established crowd control. It also allowed the Disciples to see the work of their master in action. 

BLESS THE FOOD AND THE OPERATION BY GIVING THANKS

11 Jesus therefore took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down; likewise also of the fishes as much as they would.

Notice, Jesus established order in the crowd then prayed over the five 

Biscuits and two fish, giving thanks to the Father.  Jesus employed the disciples to distribute the bread first, then the fish.  The point is Jesus is enough to feed as many as come to Him. We may be limited, but God has unlimited resources.

 A little In the hands of Jesus is enough to feed the world. A boy’s lunch in the hands of Jesus is enough to feed perhaps 15000 plus people. The disciples saw and participated in the miracle multiplication of the bread and fish at the hands of the great mathematician. With Jesus all things are possible.  The text says the crowd ate as much as they wanted. This is the lesson we must all learn.

The boy left home with his lunch not knowing he would bless a crowd. When Jesus is involved our potential is unlimited. Imagine the story the boy had to tell his mother when he returned home.

ALWAYS REVIEW WHAT GOD HAS DONE

John 6:12 And when they were filled, he saith unto his disciples, Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing be lost. 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which remained over unto them that had eaten.

While the 12 disciples were worried about feeding 5000 men, with a boys lunch, they ended with basket full of bread and fish for each of them. The abundance is in Jesus, not in what we have. What we have in Jesus is enough.

What's in your hands is all you need if you give it up to Jesus.  

YOU CAN’T MAKE JESUS BE WHAT YOU WANT

John 6:14 When therefore the people saw the sign which he did, they said, This is of a truth the prophet that cometh into the world. 15 Jesus therefore perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain himself alone.

Your selfish desires limits what Jesus will do for you. They wanted a King

Not the Messiah that He was. We have no information that anyone in the crowd stopped to thank Jesus for their meal. We have no indication that anyone in the crowd approached Jesus to worship Him.

The crowd left Jesus filled physically, but empty spiritually. The crowd

Did not get the chance to feed on the Word of God. They may have had

Health problems that were left untouched by Jesus. Many were headed to the Passover Festival with a meal for the day and nothing for tomorrow.

Instead of being filled with spirit, they were filled with greed.

Jesus left the crowd and went back to the mountain to pray. He started with prayer, continued in prayer and ended in prayer. Notice Jesus did not take

His disciples back to the mountain after He left the crowd.  I wonder why? 

Any experience with Jesus is a learning experience to be used in the next episode of our lives. 

SUMMARY

1. WHAT’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR MAN IS POSSIBLE FOR GOD

2. JESUS IS THE ANSWER TO ALL HE REQUIRES OF US

3. JESUS WILL TRAIN YOU FOR THE MISSION

4. JESUS WILL TEST YOUR FAITH

5. EVERYTHING MUST BE DONE INDESENT AND ORDER

6. BLESS GOD BEFORE STARTING A MISSION

7. REFLECT ON WHAT GOD HAS DONE

8. DON’T LET YOUR PRIDE DESTROY YOUR BLESSING

GIVE JESUS ALL YOU HAVE AND HE WILL GIVE YOU ALL YOU NEED