It Is I

Larry C. Brincefield

larkayb@earthlink.net

Wednesday, February 19, 2003

Title: Events from Jesus’ Life...Walking on Water "It is I"

Text: John 6:16-21

Introduction

We have set aside this year, 2003, as the year of putting Christ 1st.

We believe that by putting Christ first...

we will better achieve our mission of Loving God...Reaching Families...Making Friends.

On these Wednesday Evenings, we’ve been studying different events from the life of Christ.

and as we look closer at Jesus and the different events from His life...

we get to know Him a little bit better...

and as we get to know Him,

our love for Him ...

and our desire to serve Him grows too.

Tonight we are going to study the time when Jesus walked on the water...

this event is covered in 3 of the Gospels...

Our text, Mark 6, and Matthew 14.

The temptation for me tonight was to use the Matthew text...

because that includes the story about Peter...

and how he also tried to walk on water...

but when he took his eyes off Jesus and started to look at the waves around him...

he started to sink.

And while that is a powerful story...

I wanted to focus more on Christ...than on Peter.

Read Text: John 6:16-21

Commentators indicated that the miracle of the Feeding of the 5000 (which happened earlier in our text) was for non-believers and Christians...

there would have been both Christians AND non-Christians there.

But the miracle of Jesus walking on the water is a miracle that is for the Christian...

this miracle was only witnessed by the disciples who were struggling on the boat.

but this miracle was not only for the early disciples of Jesus Christ....

it is for Christians even today...

Now don’t worry, if you aren’t a Christian, we will let you listen in....

and as we study God’s Word...you will see some of the glorious benefits of giving your life to Christ.

Those words of Jesus "It is I; don’t be afraid." John 6:20 (NIV) are very encouraging for us as Christians...

and I am going to use those words to point out 5 ways that Jesus ministers to the Christian.

Body

1. First of all, Jesus is saying, "It is I...who watch"

although the disciples didn’t realize it...Jesus was watching them.

Jesus had sent the disciples on ahead by boat...

and Jesus was going to join them later.

Jesus went up on the mountainside to pray & spend time in blessed communion with His Father. .

Mark 6:48 says, Jesus "saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them."

Jesus was keeping His eye on the disciples...

He was watching them...

He was keeping track of their progress.

Sometimes, my family and I will go to the park.

My kids like the jungle gym, the apparatus with the bars where they hang by their hands and try to get from one end to the other using just by using their hands.

For my younger kids...it can be pretty high...

and it can be pretty scary...

and if they aren’t careful, they could get hurt.

and so I will stand nearby...

watching them...

holding my arms under them...

keeping my eye on them...

so that if they get into trouble,

I am right there, ready to jump into action.

God is the same way...

He’s got His eye on you...

He is watching out for you...

He is nearby...

ready to jump into action...

to help His children who need Him...

the One who watches the sparrows....

the One who knows when 1 falls to the ground...

the One who knows the numbers of the hairs on your head...

Is the One who is watching out for you!!

Psalm 121 puts it beautifully...

I lift up my eyes to the hills--

where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip--

he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you--

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm--

he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Psalms 121:1-8 (NIV)

2. Jesus is saying, "It is I...who wait"

Mark 6:47 indicates that Jesus saw the disciples when evening came.

Mark 6:48 tells us that Jesus didn’t respond until the 4th watch of the night...about 3 AM.

Scripture doesn’t tell us why Jesus waited

maybe it was to test their faith...

maybe it was to build perseverance and endurance.