The Miracles of Jesus | Calming The Storm
About this series:
For our Summer series 2026, we are exploring the miracles of Jesus! Together, we'll hear about four remarkable miracles recorded in John's Gospel, discovering what they reveal about who Jesus is and what they mean for us today!
About this talk:
This miracle occurs in the evening directly after the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus is not with his disciples now - he had withdrawn to the mountain by himself, v 15, in order to pray (see Matthew 14:23). His disciples were returning by boat to Capernaum (from Bethsaida, according to Luke 9:10) and were having a tough time despite at least some of them being experienced sailors - “a strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough” (v 18). The other gospel writers say, their boat was being “buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it” (Matthew 12:24) and they were “straining at the oars, because the wind was against them (Mark 6:48).
“When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened” (v 19). This is not the only time the disciples were frightened by something Jesus was doing or by something happening to Jesus - consider the transfiguration (Mark 9:6) and the resurrection (Luke 24:37). Jesus’ response is to reassure them and encourage them: “It is I; don’t be afraid.”
But why is Jesus walking on the water, knowing that he will inevitably frighten them? He has absolutely no need to impress them with his power, so what good is to be achieved by this? Matthew’s account (14:22-33) records Peter walking on, and sinking in, the water, which would have been an extraordinary event in its own right, but this miracle leaves the disciples more aware of who Jesus truly is than they previously were. So Matthew says, “Those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God,” while Mark says, “They were completely amazed.”
Being familiar with their Scriptures, the disciples knew God as the one who “treads on the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). And that God is the one who “stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven” (Psalm 107:29-30). In addition, what Jesus says to them - “It is I” - is the same form of words in Greek (εγω ειμι) as Jesus uses in his famous “I am” statements where he is making an explicit claim to divinity. And finally, to a people who saw the sea as something to be feared, Jesus displays his authority over it and that, with him, they do not need to fear it (or anything else).
Having taken Jesus into the boat, two other miracles occur: “the wind died down” (Mark 6:51) and “immediately the boat reached the shore” (John 6:21). No wonder they worshipped him!
Audio only
