Read John 6:16-24. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[a] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
Digging Deeper.
If we hear or saw something that was specular or amazing, we would definitely tell our friends and neighbors about our experience. We want them to see or hear what we experienced. We just can’t be quiet about that experience.
The people with Jesus on that mountain saw miracles of restored health or disability. But there were people who were further back who couldn’t see it. They would hear whispers like this, “Did you see that? He just healed a lame man.” or “He just cured a man of leprosy.” Upon hearing news like this, we may be suspicious of that since we didn’t see it firsthand. Maye for some of us, we are just too far back to see anything. But for the crowd, the multiplication of bread was their firsthand experience. There is no denying of it.
Those who went home, told their friends about it. Being curious, they came the next morning to see for themselves Jesus and his miracles, but Jesus and his disciples were gone. If you were one of those friends, would you go onward to Capernaum or just go home in disappointment? If you were one of the disciples in the boat and saw Jesus walking on the water, would you keep it to yourself or would you tell others about what you saw?
For those in the crowd who were thoughtful, they probably wondered, “How did Jesus reach Capernaum. Did someone take Him on a boat? Did He walked all through the night to get there?” For them, it’s puzzling, mysterious. Whether being in the crowd or being his disciple, they must have had more questions of who this person is, this mysterious Jesus.
What questions do you have about Jesus? Would you have searched for Jesus and if you found him, what questions would you ask of Him? Would you believe the answers that He gives to you, ponder them or reject them? The Gospels records the life of Jesus and answers some of our questions about Him. Write down your questions and read the Gospels. When you come across the answer, write the passage down. Maybe this is a worthy challenge for you in 2022. Finding out who is Jesus to you.
-Kingston