Do you really believe Jesus was God in human flesh— fully man and fully God? How do you explain that to others, to your neighbor, or a family member? And why is it important? Must we believe that Jesus was fully God, that he was deity? Does it change anything if we don’t? Did God just punish our sins on the human Jesus on the cross? Or did he lay our sins on the divine Jesus, who wasn’t really human at all — he just appeared to be human, and thus breezed through trial and temptation, and even pain and suffering, almost unaffected?

There are two prevalent views of Jesus today. In the church, we stand with our church fathers and fight for the deity of Jesus. Therein lies the temptation to down play the humanity of Jesus. This can lead towards the idea that Jesus was God, but not fully human. In his book, Superheroes Can’t Save You, Dr Todd Miles called this the Superman heresy. Jesus was not really human, but merely appeared to be human. Superman was from the planet Krypton, not earth. He could fly above the world, shoot lasers out of his eyeballs, and bullets would bounce off his chest. Many Christians see Jesus this way. Temptations, trials, and physical harm would just bounce off of Jesus’ divine being. He couldn’t really be tempted, and thus, empathize with us as a human being, because— truly, he wasn’t really human.

The predominant view of secular society today accepts the humanity of Jesus, but will dismiss his deity. Jesus was not really God, just an exceptional, though enlightened, human being. This is theological liberalism, which Todd Miles calls the Batman Heresy. Jesus was an intelligent human being, a charismatic leader, morally upright, and he had incredible influence and could sway large groups of people to do what he desired. He was an example that all humans should aspire to, but still only human.

Evangelical Christians lean towards the Superman heresy. The world leans towards the Batman heresy. The audience to whom John had written would have held more to a Batman heresy. The Hebrew understanding was that one God existed, and sinful man could not be God. At best, a man could be anointed by God, given certain talents and abilities, but was not God. Thus, John’s emphasis was to show the deity of God. He centered his gospel around miracles that pointed to the deity of Jesus. 

Why is this important? Because in order for you and I to be redeemed, to be saved, Jesus had to be both man and God. Sin is a human problem, which required a human solution, but it was also a God problem in that he must have justice for our sin against him! The nature, person, and work of Jesus is central to the redemption of humanity.

We have a short passage today. In our last reading, Jesus fed the 5,000. He multiplied fish and bread. In our next passage in John, Jesus will explain how that miracle pointed to him. Today’s passage seems like a side note, a rabbit trail. But John, nor God, is superfluous in the details he provided in scripture. There is a reason, a point to this passage. 

Here is the context: In John 6, after feeding what could have been an army of Israelites, Jesus seemed to dissipate in the crowds. They were looking to take by force as king, and possibly lead a revolt into Jerusalem and overthrow Roman officials. That was not the redemptive plan of Jesus. What we gather from combining John and Mark’s account of the same event is that Jesus dismissed the crowds, sent his disciples across the sea, and withdrew to the mountain. He was MIA according to the crowd, even though they waited for him. They saw his disciples had left by boat. The night came, and Jesus then intended to ninja by night by walking across the sea to the other side. The gospel account in Mark 6 tells us that Jesus intended to pass them by and meet them at the shore, except the disciples saw him and where afraid! Here, the disciples where struggling to row against the wind, now almost four miles out, in the fourth watch of the night. 

Let’s read: John 6:16–21

[16] When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, [17] got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. [18] The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. [19] When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. [20] But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” [21] Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. (ESV) 

We are going to look at the passage under the following headings: 

Jesus— Sovereign Over Creation!

Struggle— For Your Good

Trust— Not Fear

I Will Deliver You

[Pray]Jesus —Sovereign Over Creation!

[16] When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, [17] got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. [18] The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. [19] When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.

The image of the sea in the Bible is representative of chaos. Uncontrolled, unstable, unpredictable chaos. Man is small in comparison to the great sea. This is why we marvel at the fisherman on “Greatest Catch” who brave the storms of the ocean. In the sea of Galilee, waves are stirred up by wind, and what we understand is that the wind will rush in and create large swells, big enough to body surf. In our passage, the disciples spot Jesus walking atop a rough sea, which they were struggling to row across.

What was the point of this miracle? Why did John share this? No one was healed, no one was fed, no one was brought back to life— so why? It must reveal something of the nature and character of God.

Jesus walked over the chaotic sea. Friends, what seems to be chaos to us is under the feet of Jesus. This world appears to be spinning out of control to us, but it is in perfect balance, on axis atop the Creator’s fingertips. The strongest force on earth bows to the command of God. In Proverbs 8 we read…He established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command … he marked out the foundations of the earth. (28-29). 

Jesus is sovereign over creation. The wind, the waves, the sea, and you and me. Friends, only God is sovereign over Creation. The primary point John was making with was this: Jesus is God. Jesus was from God, the Son of God, and his works provide witness to His testimony. 

That Jesus is sovereign over Creation pointed to His deity. He was not just a good man. He was not merely a spirit-empowered man. He was God incarnate, and able to take Creator rights over the creation. 

Jesus is Sovereign over Creation.  

Next…Struggle— For Your Good

[18] The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. [19] When they had rowed about three or four miles they saw Jesus walking on the sea…

What did the disciples learn in the unfolding drama? The passage in John, accompanied by Mark 6, tells us that Jesus knew they were struggling, rowing against a wind storm. They were now 3-4 miles into the sea, and well into the fourth watch of the night! That means it was between 3-6 AM! Mom’s and dads, you know what it means to be up all night, struggling to stay awake because life demands it of you. Jesus was well aware of the struggle. He saw the plight of the disciples as they were working against the wind. Mark says he intended to walk by them, to let them keep struggling! Is Jesus unkind, uncaring, unmoved? Is he laughing to himself, mocking them in their struggle?

No. That’s not consistent with the perfect and loving character of God. Psalm 84:11: For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. (ESV)

He withholds no good thing. Then why did he let them struggle? Why did he wait until 4 in the morning to come to them? Friends, what we know from scripture is that the struggles of life work for our good. Trials, temptations, hardship- they are for our good! They have purpose! Aren’t you glad to know that your struggle, your pain and suffering has a purpose? And it’s for your good! 

Some maybe asking: WHAT is the GOOD?!?!?

James 1:2–4  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV)

Romans 5:3-5 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Jesus doesn’t laugh or mock or turn away from you in your struggle. Nor does he let you struggle in vanity. He’s shaping you according to His image, his perfect character. He is strengthening you, leading you through rough waters, even late in the night when your strength is weak. Even when it’s hard, and scary. He sees you… He calls out to you… to Trust— Not Fear

[19] When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. [20] But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

This was not the first squall the disciples had experienced on the Sea of Galilee. It was on the sea of Galilee that Jesus calmed the storm in Mark 4. This was likely a week or so before our passage in John 6. We read in Mark 4, the waves were breaking over the side of the boat, filling the boat with water, and the disciples thought they were going to drown. Jesus was asleep on the back of the boat. The disciples woke him, in fear for their life. In this passage, as they rowed across and the waves were large, could it be that the disciples thought back to a few days before when Jesus calmed they storm? But Jesus wasn’t with them. They were in the boat, seemingly alone. The waves were growing, they were fighting against the wind, and it was in the fourth watch of the night. Dark. 

We are prone to fear, aren’t we? What is fear? It is the emotional response of our body when we believe we are in danger. Danger of losing something, wether life, or resource, or relationship. Fear happens when we face the unknown. Fear happens when we see a threat for which we have no power to combat. Fear implies that we are relying on our own resources and strength, and our own wisdom to know what ought to be the right outcome. 

The disciples saw a figure approaching their boat. They had seen and would see demons cast out. They had seen and would see sickness healed, the dead come to life. And here, they become fearful of what looked like a ghost on the water. I believe I’d be afraid too! 

But the call from Jesus was to trust, not to fear. “It is I; do not be afraid.” You’re rowing against the waves. It’s 4 in the morning. You’re tired. It doesn’t matter! I’m God! Do not be afraid!” He’s sovereign over the wind, the waves, the sea. They were caught up in a storm at a moment’s notice. Jesus’ response: It is I: do not be afraid.

There is no storm, no wind or waves, no chaos he does not walk over. There is no force He is not sovereign over. He is God. Because He is sovereign, we can trust Him. He calls us to trust in Him, his protection, his sovereign power, His sovereign plan. Trust, don’t fear. In all things, trust, don’t fear. 

And his call to trust does not come with an empty promise, but with deliverance.I Will Deliver You

[21] Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. (ESV)

Have you ever faced a trial so big you saw no way out, no hope of rescue, no light at the end of the tunnel? Or seen a task in front of you so large, you knew not how you’d have the resources, time, or energy to complete? 

Tiffany and I have a saying in our house. It’s been a while since we’ve had to use it, but when faced with what seemed like a problem too big, with no way out, or even impending doom, we ask ourselves one question: How big is your God? 

The question reminds us that there is nothing too big, too hard, too dark, too chaotic, that He isn’t sovereign over, and that He won’t deliver us from. He has been faithful to deliver us from every peril we’ve faced, and has never left us to suffer through it alone.

There are two miracles in this passage. Jesus walked on water, and then when he boarded the boat, the disciples — along with the boat, immediately transported to the shore. 

Does God transport us out of every hardship, trial, or scary situation? Ultimately, yes. Not always in the manner or timeliness we’d want, but ultimately, yes. Not always in this life, but ultimately, yes. Not always in ways that would seem to best to us, but always in ways that are for our ultimate and eternal good.

The people of Israel wanted to be delivered from Rome. Jesus came to deliver us from our sin. One is temporal. The other is eternal. Was Jesus unaffected, uncaring about the temporal? No. He knows our frame, and care about our plight. But his ultimate aim is to deliver you and I to the shore of eternity with Him. Jesus calls us, and brings us home. He will deliver us! That is the message and reason for this gospel.

John’s aim in writing this gospel is found here: John 20:31 “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”  Why did the Christ come? 

Because mankind has fallen, and deserving of the full wrath of God. We swim in the chaos of sin we created. We are sinners by birth and by choice. But God, rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were his enemies, sent his Son— who is God, to die for us— to deliver us. [pray]

Though the world appears to us as waves of chaos, Jesus, the Sovereign Son of God, looks down on a sea of glass… He sits on His throne, aware of every trial, every temptation, every fear, and is present with us in the storm. He is sovereign over it, and will come and deliver us from them all.

Revelation 4

[1] After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” [2] At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. [3] And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. [4] Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. [5] From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, [6] and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: [7] the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. [8] And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!”

[9] And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, [10] the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

[11] “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.” (ESV)