John 6:15-21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?
This passage is a very interesting passage in the middle of the narrative that we are in. Between Jesus feeding the 5,000 and teaching on how He is the bread of life, we get this account of Jesus walking on water. Some go to the point of arguing whether or not this should really be in the text here, but the vast majority of scholars agree that it is here with intention. Before we get into that, let's just see what the text is even saying.
Beginning just after the account of feeding the 5,000, we have Jesus slipping away and getting alone. I think this stands out as an important lesson, but I am getting ahead of myself. In Jesus being alone, His disciples departed over the sea to Capernaum. Given the distance they had traveled over the course of the night, it would seem that they were relatively close to their destination. Looking out, they were met with a daunting sight. A man atop the waters walking toward them.
Admittedly, I am not one for horror movies. Apart from a moral issue I have with them, I do not like to be scared. But I can really picture this one. I have done a decent amount of fishing from boats out in the middle of lakes. It could be my own parents in the middle of the day and it would still terrify me. All the more reason, it is likely that over the cover of night, they could not recognize who was there. They simply saw a figure of a man approaching them while they are still in the middle of the waters. It could be a spirit of some kind! Then this figure speaks.
"It is I; do not be afraid."
-John 6:20
From this, their response immediately changed. No longer out of fear, they willingly received Him in the boat. Then, they arrived at shore. Quite the conclusion! But I believe it is full of depth and meaning.
What observations are you making about the passage?
Beginning just after the account of feeding the 5,000, we have Jesus slipping away and getting alone. I think this stands out as an important lesson, but I am getting ahead of myself. In Jesus being alone, His disciples departed over the sea to Capernaum. Given the distance they had traveled over the course of the night, it would seem that they were relatively close to their destination. Looking out, they were met with a daunting sight. A man atop the waters walking toward them.
Admittedly, I am not one for horror movies. Apart from a moral issue I have with them, I do not like to be scared. But I can really picture this one. I have done a decent amount of fishing from boats out in the middle of lakes. It could be my own parents in the middle of the day and it would still terrify me. All the more reason, it is likely that over the cover of night, they could not recognize who was there. They simply saw a figure of a man approaching them while they are still in the middle of the waters. It could be a spirit of some kind! Then this figure speaks.
"It is I; do not be afraid."
-John 6:20
From this, their response immediately changed. No longer out of fear, they willingly received Him in the boat. Then, they arrived at shore. Quite the conclusion! But I believe it is full of depth and meaning.
What observations are you making about the passage?
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John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
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