It is Jesus

But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”

John 6:20

Yesterday, we began examining Jesus walking on water, and we saw that time spent with God is never a waste; in fact, it is an advantage that we truly need in life. Today, we will continue exploring this miracle to uncover another aspect of it.

We observed that Jesus, although He appeared to be far behind the disciples, chose to approach and catch up with them in the boat. Before Jesus reached them, there was a storm on the sea. This makes Jesus’ miracle extraordinary because He did not walk on a calm sea but on a raging one. You might wonder, why would Jesus walk on a stormy sea? Isn’t His presence supposed to calm the sea? Let’s take a deep breath, relax, and revisit the beginning—Genesis 1:2, where we see the Spirit of God moving over the face of the chaotic waters and deep darkness. Does this not resemble what Jesus is doing? He is demonstrating that He is the same God who was present at the beginning, bringing order to chaos and darkness.

Just like the disciples in the boat, we are surrounded by a world filled with chaos, storms, darkness, and so on. Yet, we have hope amidst this turmoil, and our hope is that Jesus is with us. Notice how the disciples became even more frightened at the sight of Jesus, thinking He was a ghost. Jesus had to introduce Himself, saying, “It is I, don’t be afraid.” This highlights that we often fail to recognize Jesus because of the chaos in our lives. However, we must remember that, just as the Spirit of God brooded over the chaotic waters and darkness at the beginning, and as Jesus walked on the raging sea, both are signs that Jesus is present in the midst of our troubles. All we need to do is recognize His presence so He can calm the storm.

Matthew’s account also tells us that Peter, to confirm that it was Jesus, asked to come to Him on the water. Jesus told him to come, and Peter walked on the water but began to sink when he doubted. This shows that our faith in Jesus amidst life’s storms is crucial, and our focus must remain on Him to navigate through life’s challenges. Jesus is calling out to everyone, saying He is here with you in the storm. Can you see Jesus? He is calling out to you, asking you to fix your gaze upon Him and not the raging storms of life. Some of us focus on the economy, some on our jobs, some on our ambitions, and some on our addictions. Jesus is saying to you today that He is with you. Accept His call, shift your focus to Him, and He will bring calm to your chaotic waters.

PRAYER