Let Jesus Pilot Your Boat

The first line of a well-known hymn says, “Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly. While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high: Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past. Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.”(1) Charles Wesley envisioned our life journey as a voyage on a ship that would be unsuccessful without Jesus on board.

In the Bible, Job compared the passing of life to floating on a very swift boat, for he said, “Now my days are swifter than a runner . . . They pass by like swift ships” (9:25-26). It is not at all surprising that the biblical writers, as inhabitants of the Mediterranean world including the Sea of Galilee, would sometimes use maritime imagery.

Whether you realize it or not, you are on a voyage through life. In the course of your life you will encounter both smooth sailing and tempestuous seas brought on by raging storms, or trials of life. You must realize that the Captain, Jesus Christ, is the only One who can pilot your boat safely into harbor.

There is a well-known bumper sticker that says, “God is my copilot,” but if the Lord is only your copilot and not your Pilot, and you have control of the wheel, then watch out! This morning you will learn that if you decide to take control of your own life and take the helm away from the true Captain, then this will only result in the sinking of your ship.

Here are some thought-provoking questions to consider as we go along: “Who is in control of your life? Who’s piloting your ship? Are you at the helm, or is God? Are you going your own way, or going God’s way?”(2) Keep these questions in mind as we view the Word of God, and be sure to ask the Lord to help you answer them by the end of this message.

You Should Rest When Jesus Rests (v. 15)

15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

Jesus had just performed a great miracle by feeding five thousand men (Jn 6:10) and an untold number of women and children. “Seeing this miraculous sign, the people recalled Moses’ prediction that a Prophet like him would arise [cf. Dt 18:15]. Moses had fed the people. Moses had led them out of bondage. Jesus had fed the people. Jesus could lead the people out of the hated Roman bondage. The people saw His sign, but they did not perceive its meaning. They wanted to seize [Jesus] and make Him King.”(3)

John Walvoord asks, “Could Jesus have gained the kingdom without the Cross? No. Jesus’ kingdom would be given to Him by the Father (Ps 2:7-12; Dn 7:13-14). It would not come from this world (Jn 18:36). The path of the Father’s will lies in another direction. Before He could be the reigning Lion of Judah, He must be the Lamb who bears the sin of the world (Jn 1:29).”(4)

Jesus did not allow the people to take Him and make Him their “earthly king” because He knew that God had plans to establish Him as a “heavenly king.” Therefore, He took off and retreated to a mountain to be alone.

The event of feeding the five thousand and dealing with the commotion of the people trying to make Him their earthly king wore Him out both emotionally and physically. Jesus needed some time for rest and renewal. When He went to the mountain for this time of rest He was not in any hurry to minister to another group of people. He realized that it is more important to spend time with the Lord.

Jesus realized that a person cannot be in any shape to serve the Lord without seeking Him in prayer and asking for His direction. If God does not come first in your life then your own plans will, and they are sure to fail. Jesus set an example that every believer should follow when seeking to serve the Lord. You need to slow down and spend some time with God in order to clearly hear and understand His will and direction for your life.

Make Sure Jesus is in Your Boat (vv. 16-18)

16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.

Perhaps Jesus’ disciples went ahead at His command, or maybe they had become impatient that He had not yet arrived for their departure, and so they went on ahead and got into the boat and left without Him. It might have done them some good to have gotten down on their knees in prayer just as Jesus did before they departed, but maybe they thought they knew better than He did.