An Unexpected Turn in Jesus' Ministry

We are telling the story of Jesus on Wednesday evenings actually just following along the gospel writers as they tell the story of Jesus and we find ourselves tonight in John's gospel. John chapter six if you would please open your Bible to John chapter six. We talked about last week that we are in a major transition in the life of our Lord. He has spent a year and a half in what is called the Great Galilee and Ministry where he is touring Galilee three separate tours of the region of Galilee. He has done many miracles, many great works, a lot of teaching during that time, a lot of heavy ministry to the point that by the end of this time of ministry the Bible is saying that there are so many people around him that he doesn't even have time to eat. There is not even time for him to disciples to eat. So crowds are swarming around him and gathering around him in his ministry. So the Lord Jesus begins to transition into another phase of his ministry and what really catapulted him into that was the religious leaders, the Pharisees and other religious leaders among the Jews, attributing his miracles to the power of Satan. And because of that Jesus takes that as an official rejection of the nation through its leaders and he begins to pull away some to focus upon the 12. And that major transition is into a period of our Lord's ministry called the training of the 12. It is now about a year before our Lord's death. For the next six months he will focus upon the 12 disciples. Doesn't mean that he'll completely be absent from the crowds. In fact the very first thing that happens in that particular phase of our Lord's ministry is the feeding of the 5,000. So huge crowds but everything that happens from here on is going to be geared toward teaching lessons of ministry to the apostles, to the 12 disciples. In fact that very first event that we saw last week taught them lessons in compassion. Jesus had taken them away to rest for a while but when he gets there, there's a crowd of people and so he immediately begins to teach and heal. And that lesson in compassion that it's not about schedules, it's not about whatever it's about people and their needs. And so that lesson, then there was the lesson of faith and his challenging them how we're going to feed these people. Remember we talked about that last time and then the lesson of availability that give God whatever you have and he will use it. The five loaves and two fishes he uses to feed these 5,000 people. Now I wanted to remind you of that because the very next event which is where we begin tonight is based on the feeding of the 5,000. In fact you've got to have that clearly in mind before you understand what happens next. Jesus has just miraculously fed 5,000 people, well 5,000 men probably upwards of 15 maybe some estimate even 20,000 people. And he's fed them miraculously, it's one of the greatest miracles, all inspiring miracles that Jesus ever performed on such a wide scale. And what happens next is tied to that. So let's begin in John 6, verse 14. Jesus refuses to be made king in John 6, verse 14. After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say surely this is the prophet who is to come into the world. Now the way that's phrased indicates they're not just talking about any run of the meal prophet. They're not talking about this is just a successor to Isaiah or Jeremiah or Ezekiel or Daniel. They're saying this is the prophet who is to come into the world referring back to a prophecy made by Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 18 who said there will be a prophet like me who will come in the future. And that has always been taken as a reference to the Messiah. And so probably that's the way the people are understanding that this is the prophet who was to come into the world. So verse 15, Jesus knowing that they intended notice this knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force withdrew again to a mountain by himself. Why would Jesus do that? Didn't he come to be a king? Didn't he come to offer a kingdom? So now they're ready to make him king. Why does he withdraw? Why does he? Why does he resist that? Not yet time. Okay. He's been officially rejected. So what does that mean about this desire to make him king on the part of the people? Okay. Had the wrong motives. They were looking for a welfare program. They were looking for a feeding program. And that's I think exactly what's happening here. It says after they saw the miraculous sign. They intend to come and make him king by force. Okay. It is tied to the feeding of the five thousand because they saw that sign that Jesus now is being pushed forced by the people. They are being pushed by this mob of people, 15 to 20,000 people who are ready to make him king now. I think there may be something else here as well. And that is remember John the Baptist has just been killed and they've just gotten the report of that just prior to this. You saw that a couple weeks ago. John the Baptist was very popular among the people. And this is another evidence of the Roman oppression to take a profit that was well received among the people and people flocked to hearing and killing. It is another sign of Roman oppression. And so the Jews are troubled by that I'm sure and maybe whipped into a white hot frenzy of anger against the Romans. Now this miracle. And they're looking at Jesus thinking there's the guy. Look at the power he has. There's the guy that can overthrow the Romans. So maybe two wrong motives here. All they want is bread. And they want a king who will throw the Romans off. Remember we saw last week that there were large crowds coming from the neighboring villages to gather for this teaching of Jesus in the feeding of the five thousand but also a great number of people headed to Jerusalem for the Passover. Right. Verse four said. So you can you can begin to see the thinking of the people. We hate the Romans. They just took John the Baptist head off. Herod, you know, who's really a Roman hated the Jewish people took off the head of our profit. Look at this guy. We're headed to Jerusalem. Come on. Let's put him on our shoulders. Let's get into Jerusalem and we'll start a rebellion and we'll make him king. They're wanting to do this by force. The Bible says. The Bible says so this is for all the wrong reasons. Now admittedly Jesus did come to set up a literal earthly kingdom. Kingdom that was prophesied in the Old Testament, which was an earthly kingdom with the Messiah sitting on David's throne, ruling in Jerusalem. This is the kingdom Jesus offered but not on this basis. Not on this basis. It was to have a spiritual foundation which Jesus laid out in the sermon on the mount and the people have already rejected that. And now they just want to make him king because he has the power to feed them and he has the power to overthrow the Romans and both of those are wrong reasons. So that's the reason Jesus pulls away. Now the parallel passage adds a little bit of detail that's important for us to see. So let's look over at Romans. I'm thinking about being in Romans 14 on Sunday. Matthew 14. Matthew 14 verses 22 and 23. Another just a couple of verses but it adds a little bit of detail to the story. So Jesus when he hears this desire of the crowd to make him king by force withdraws to a mountain but notice what else happens in verse 22. Matthew 14. Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side. While he dismissed the crowd after he had dismissed them he went up on a mountain side by himself to pray. Okay. Three details here that are not really given in John and that is number one Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and go across the sea of Galilee to meet him on the other side. The word made is a very strong word. It really means he forced him. He compelled them. What does that tell you was happening with the disciples. They were starting to agree with the crowd. I think so. I think maybe they were getting caught up in the excitement. I mean there are no doubt flushed with excitement anyway because they have just watched. They they passed out the food. Okay. They've an exactly how it happened. Remember we don't know but they watched this miracle happen and then they took up 12 baskets of fragments of bread. So they're kind of excited about this anyway but then when the crowd says let's go make him king and Jerusalem right now we're headed there anyway. I think maybe they were caught up in that and Jesus had to force them away from the crowd. Get in the boat. I'll meet you on the other side now go now get in now. I can just see Jesus compelling them forcing them removing them from the intensity of this situation. Not only that it also says that he dismissed the crowd. Okay. Now exactly what that means again we're not sure did he did he did he I mean they're ready to take him by force and there's upwards maybe of 20,000 of them and one man dismisses them. What did he say you know the service is over benediction has been said time to go home I don't know how this happened but I think there was a little bit more than just saying okay you all go on now. I think there was something maybe even very powerful that convinced the people to to scatter to go into their villages. Now they will be back the next morning they'll be back and Jesus knows that and it's part of what's it's part of the reason for what's going to happen tonight. Okay. There's some amazing things going to happen. So Jesus forces the disciples to get away from the crowd get in the boat going the other side I meet you over there. He dismisses the crowd somehow disperses them and he goes up on a mountain to pray. Now it's very important that we catch all of what's going on here if you just drop into the middle of a passage like this without knowing what's happened it's one of the beauties of tracing the life of Christ you just miss the dynamic of what's happening. What do you think Jesus is praying about? I guess I have a little bit of advantage because I know what's coming next and I've kind of felt through that but what do you think Jesus is praying about is he's up there on the mountain what what would you think? I think Jesus is praying for the things that are of God. I think Jesus is praying for the things that are of God. What can someone feel is like Jesus. I think the disciples are like the Christ Christ that comes to the things that are of God. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. You want the mic because that's I think that that's priceless what you just said. I think he is probably praying for the people. He knows their hearts are hard. He knows that they have the wrong motives. I think he's praying for them. I think I think probably he is praying for the disciples. Particularly because of what's going to happen tomorrow. I'm jumping ahead a little bit but this all ties together tomorrow and Jesus knows what's going to happen tomorrow the crowd will be back. And Jesus is going to preach the hardest sermon he's preached to this point to drive them away. Now that's not very normal in our day is it you find all kinds of things being done to attract crowds. Jesus preached purposefully and we'll see it. It's quite a hard sermon. In fact at the end of it the crowd is saying this is a hard saying how can you say this. And Jesus is purposefully preaching the crowd away. Now I think he's praying for his men because they're not going to understand that. They're caught up in the excitement. They're not going to understand what he's going to do the next day. So he's praying for them but catch this. He's also purposefully going to put them through an experience before tomorrow morning that will cause them to have enough confidence in him not to turn their back on him when he preaches the crowd away. Now everything that's happening here is tied together and Jesus is in control of everything that's happening. Remember he sent them across to meet him on the other side. They're on the Sea of Galilee right now in a boat and he's going to cause something to happen that night which will cause them to have the most confidence in him faith in him they've ever had. And it will prepare them for what he's going to do tomorrow. I think that's what he's praying about on the mountain top. He's praying about the events of the day tomorrow and remember in his humanity he depended upon the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer the power of God to accomplish what he needed to accomplish. I'm convinced he was also praying for himself for the father to give him strength to do what he knew he needed to do the next day. Any further questions or comments about this incident of refusal to be made king? All right the next story we're going to follow here in Matthew's account and it's the Jesus walking on the water. Verse 24, well let's begin in the middle of verse 23 where we left off. When evening came he was there alone. Remember Jesus is on the mountainside praying the crowd has been dispersed the disciples are out on the Sea of Galilee in a boat. Now verse 24, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land. John's gospel says it was three and a half three to three and a half miles out. I think I may have forgotten the map. Did I forget the map? Can we go back to that? Sorry. The map of Galilee they remember they were at the area of Bethesda for the feeding of the 5,000. They had come from Copernum. Remember the boat went kind of along the shore and that's the reason why some of the people were able to run over there and beat them to the location of the feeding of the 5,000. And now Jesus is going to send them not back to Copernum yet he will end up there. That's where they will end up, but he's intending to send them way down in here. The Bible will say at the end of this they end up at Ganesoret or in the plane of Ganesoret. There's the town. The plane is between Ganesoret and Magdala. So they're taking a little bit of a longer journey. They're out somewhere here. Three and a half miles out. Three and a half miles out on the Sea of Galilee when this happens. Already a considerable distance from land. And notice what it says next in verse 24. Buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. They encounter rough water. Three and a half miles out. It is so rough that Mark's Gospel says they were straining at the oars. Okay. Trying to keep the boat afloat. It's dark and Jesus is not with them. Now remember they had an occasion before when they crossed over to Gidara where they came up on a big storm and Jesus was asleep in the boat. So that time Jesus was with them. This time is not. They're by themselves. They think. Now put yourself in the disciples shoes. Jesus is going to teach them a lesson they will never forget this night. And so lesson every one of us needs to learn several lessons and we'll get to that in a moment. But put yourself in their shoes in their sandals for a minute. Sometimes the most difficult thing to understand about the storms of life is that they come when we're doing what Jesus told us to do. They were in the boat. They were doing exactly what Jesus told them to do. He told them to go to the other side. He forced them to get into the boat and they're working as hard as they can work. They're rowing as hard as they can row. Straining at the oars and they're about to go under. Probably every one of us in this room has been in this position that we know what they're thinking. If you haven't been in this position, you will get there someday. Where when the storm of life comes up and it is buffeting you, it is beating you, it's battering you. But you're doing what God told you to do. You're living for Jesus. You're trying to serve God faithfully. And you're asking yourself, why is this happening? I'm trying to live for Jesus. I'm trying to do right. I'm trying to serve the Lord. Why is this happening to me? Why am I out here in the dark straining at the oars and Jesus isn't anywhere to be seen? You ever felt that way? Sure you have. It's one of the most difficult things about these kind of storms is the feeling like you've been left alone. Where is Jesus when I need Him? Verse 25. Oh, by the way, one other thing. The Bible says in Mark's Gospel that Jesus saw them straining at the oars. Don't miss that. Remember Jesus is not with him. He's on the mountain praying. They're out three and a half miles out into the sea and he saw them. He saw them. He knows exactly what's happening even when he seems very distant. He sees you. He knows what's going on in your life. He's very observant. He hasn't forgotten you. He hasn't taken his eyes off of you. He knows exactly what's happening. He's very observant. Verse 25. During the fourth watch of the night, that's between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. The Romans, and this evidently has to be figuring by Roman time. He did this a little different from Matthew because the Jews only had three watches during the night. The Romans had four and the fourth watch was between three and six in the morning. Okay, that tells you something. Jesus sent them out onto the lake in the evening and now it's between three and six in the morning. They have probably been battling these waves for several hours and maybe even have been blown out this far into the sea of Galilee. They've been at this for some time. And the Bible says that Jesus, during the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. It's a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear. Now, what do you think's happening there? Why would they say that? How would they think it was a ghost? Yeah, how many people have you seen walking on the water? Yeah. That's a very normal response. I think that's part of it. Usually? Three miles from the land. So Jesus couldn't mean that they were in because remember they probably didn't see any way. Right. Three miles from walking on land. I don't know if there's a hearse standing on the water. I don't know if there's a whole lot of them. These guys are out there in the boat. They have no reference to the land. They don't know if they're upside down or what they're doing. They can't see anything in all of a sudden. I don't know how they actually saw Jesus there. They may have because fishing was typically done at night on the Sea of Galilee. So they were experienced in being out on the lake at night. They may have had some kind of lanterns or something that may have helped them somewhat to be able to navigate, at least with the nets and stuff. I don't know. Maybe it may have been moonlight. Three miles is the long way up the water. Again, you're right. We don't know all the details. We don't know if Jesus just suddenly appeared. He's walking in the vicinity of the boat, but it didn't take him very long. Of course, we know that Jesus is able to move quickly from one place to another anyway if he desires. I don't know how that happened. Sure. If he can walk on water any of the other difficulties we may think of in this story, he can arrange. So he's coming to their afraid. It's a ghost, they say. They evidently did not recognize him. Certainly would not have expected that to be Jesus. They may have felt like they were going to die. This was a spirit or an angel or something coming to get them to take them on. There's a lot that may have been going on in their minds. We're not really sure. All we know is that they were terrified. They thought it was a ghost. But Jesus immediately said to them, verse 27, take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid. Now, what happens next is absolutely incredible. Lord, if it's you, Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water. Now, we know that Peter was quite impulsive. But come on. I mean, this takes the cake. If this is really you, Lord, tell me to come to you on the water. That's pretty amazing. But what happens in verse 29 is even more amazing. Come, he said, then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. Now, put yourself in Peter's shoes. What would you have done in Peter's shoes? I think I probably would have said, that's okay, Lord. I believe you. I trust you. I believe it's you. No need to prove it. I don't know how many of you would have actually crawled over the side of the boat and started to walk. I mean, sometimes, you know, Peter gets a lot of criticism and some of it is deserved. I'm sure as it would be with any of us, but this is a tremendous example of bold faith in our Lord. He actually did get out of the boat and start across the water. What happens next is what Peter is usually most well known for in this story, although nobody else got out of the boat. Nobody else was willing to do what Peter did, but all we ever hear about is Peter sinking. He had such little faith. Come on, he had to have some kind of faith to get out of the boat and to get started. But what happens next is a good lesson. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out, Lord save me. Isn't that so human? Isn't that so much like us? You ever get in the middle of something that God's doing and all of a sudden look around you and realize what's happening and think, where am I doing here? What is going on? And you begin to look at what's happening rather than keeping your eyes on him. Lots of sermons have been preached on this, but the lesson is very valid. When we get our eyes off of the Lord and we get our eyes on the storm, or even what God is doing in a marvelous way in our lives, when we start thinking about, look at me, walking on the water, or when we get our eyes on the waves, we begin to fear, just like Peter, and we start to sink. At least he had the presence of mine to say, Lord save me. And verse 31, immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. You have little faith, he said, why did you doubt? So Peter does exhibit a lack of faith. He gets his eyes off of the Lord, begins to look at the circumstances around him, the waves, the wind, where he is, what he's doing, and all of a sudden he's thinking, you can't do this, you don't walk on water, and his eyes are off of the Lord, and begins to sink. And Jesus does rescuing. Now verse 32, verses 32 and 33, really need to be read with Mark's account in Mark chapter 6. Let's read the verses here first. When they climbed into the boat, the wind died down, so the storm calms. Verse 33, then those who were in the boat worshipped him saying, truly you are the Son of God. But it's Mark's account that really clues us in as to why Jesus did this. Why he put them in a position to be in this storm and then to see all the miracles that take place there on the water. Mark 6 verse 51 says, then he climbed into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely amazed. The word in the original is very, very strong. Literally they were beside themselves. They were beside themselves with astonishment is the idea. And here's the reason why verse 52, for they had not understood about the loaves. Their hearts were hardened. Okay, we got a little bit of a clue here. What is it that you think they did not understand about the loaves? That's the feeding of the 5,000 obviously. Five loaves turn into 12 basket full of fragments after 20,000 people have been fed. What wasn't they didn't understand about the loaves? Any idea? Yeah, maybe they were a little aggravated because they didn't get their rest. Did they? And you think of all this happened since they were looking for a little recuperation time rest. And all of a sudden they're thrust into this day long ministry of our Lord of teaching and healing. And then the feeding of the 5,000 taking up 12 baskets. And then they're thrust out onto a boat. It's nighttime now they still haven't had any rest. And now they're fighting this storm. Probably a bit of aggravation. I would say yes. Walt? Based on the passage you just read, where they said, clearly you're the son of God. The feeding of the 5,000 is still in the yet. The God is the Son of God. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's true. I think that's a lot of what's happening here. Jesus is preparing them for what he's going to do next. And what he's going to do next is to preach such a hard sermon that most of those 20,000 people who've been ready to make him king are going to walk away. And Jesus wants them to know deep down solid foundation in their hearts who he really is. He is not just a miracle worker that feeds 5,000 men. 15,000, 20,000 people maybe. He is not just the prophet that the people are clamoring for. He's not the deliverer from Rome that the people are clamoring for. And the disciples are getting all kind of caught up in that. He wants them to see because they didn't catch it in the loaves. They didn't catch it when he fed the 5,000. They got caught up in the same thing the crowd was looking for. He wants them to understand who he is. And so now they're getting it because when they see, first of all, Jesus walking on water, secondly, him enabling Peter to walk on water, rescuing Peter, calming the storm. And I believe it is John's gospel that says immediately the boat was at the shore. So that's another miracle in all likelihood that immediately the boat was at the shore after this happens. After seeing all of that, they will be more deeply convinced than ever before who he is. And that's why it says they worshiped him truly. You are the son of God, they said. Now they need that. They need that more than they've ever needed it before. They need that conviction because of what's going to happen now. Now what's going to happen now is this hard sermon. But Jesus put them through this to prepare them for what they would face on this day. There are just some wonderful lessons here that I want to highlight before we leave this story. There are several things about Jesus' deity, about who he was, that they were not seeing, even in the midst of this event. They evidently did not see his providence. And by providence, that's a word that theologians used to describe the working of God in all the circumstances of our lives, controlling everything that happens for his purpose and for his ends. It's the use of normal means, secondary means, storms, boats. That's God's providence. He's overall in overall control over those things. And they evidently didn't get that. He had told them to go to the other side and he would meet them there. In the middle of the lake, in the storm, we often lose sight of God's providence. We often lose sight of the fact that he's in control. If he told me to go over there somehow, I don't know how, but somehow I'm going to get there. If that's what he said to do, then somehow I'm going to get there. And we lose sight of that in the middle of the lake, when the waves are crashing over the boat. We lose sight of God's providence and his control over the circumstances of life. That if we get in the middle of the lake and we end up in a terrible storm, somehow that's what God is going to use. Somehow that's what he's in control of all that. Somehow he's going to use that for some good in our lives. They lost sight of that. They lost sight of the fact that he was interceding for them. Remember when they're in the middle of the lake fighting the waves, straining at the ores, Jesus is on the mountain praying, and the Bible says he saw them straining at the ores. Now they may not have known he was praying. We have no excuse. We know that he's praying for us. The Bible tells us. Hebrews 4, Hebrews 7. We know that he's praying. He's interceding for us. And so we know that when we're out in the middle of the lake and the storms are about to take us under, we know he's praying. We have no excuse for not recognizing that our great Savior, the Son of God, is in heaven praying for us in the storms of life. So they lost sight of his providence. They lost sight of his intercession. They lost sight of his wisdom. His wisdom. And that is one of the easiest things to lose sight of. Jesus delayed his coming to them on the lake. Remember he put them in the boat in the evening, the end of the day. He doesn't come till at least three o'clock in the morning to rescue them. Again, one of the hardest things to understand about being in the middle of the lake in a storm like this, thinking you're going under, is where is Jesus? Why isn't he showing up? Why is he delaying his coming? I'm not talking about the second coming. I'm talking about why is he not seeming to intervene in my wife when I need him right now? I think one of the hardest things to understand is why God's timing doesn't fit mine. You know, one of the most interesting studies in the Gospels would just be to collate all the delays of Jesus. And then understand what purpose they had. He delays in going to Giores's home because a woman intercepts him. He delays in going to Lazarus home and Mary and Martha when Lazarus is sick. Here's another delay. Be interesting just to study all the delays of Jesus and then find out what happened because of those delays. What happened that he had a lesson to teach because of those delays? Because you see, it's that kind of study that will then give us the confidence to trust him in the middle of the night, in the dark, when the waves are about to take us under and he's nowhere to be seen. You see, it's only when you understand why he delayed in situations like this that you begin to grasp. There are reasons for this. There are things he's wanting to teach his disciples. They are lessons they will not learn if they have a smooth sail across the sea. And his delays are always purposeful. It's not that God's forgotten. They were straining at the ores and Jesus is watching them. He knows exactly what's happening. He's not unaware. He's praying for them and he's watching them in this storm. He just hadn't shown up yet. It's not his time yet. Wow, if we can only learn that there is a purpose in his delays. Purpose in his delays. They didn't see his wisdom and they certainly did not understand his power. They missed it in the feeding of the 5,000. They got caught up in the frenzy and they missed what it said about who he was. He's not just a prophet. He's not the deliverer from Rome. He's not just a miracle worker. He's the son of God. And they saw that on the lake to the point that they confess it to him. They worship him. You're the son of God. The reason why they went through this experience is because if they had gone straight from the feeding of the 5,000 to Jesus sermon the next day, they might have walked away too. We're going to see that that's the issue. If they did not have a clear grasp on who he was, they would not be able to accept what he's going to say the next day. Because he's going to preach such a hard sermon that most everybody else. In fact, everybody but the 12 is going to turn around, walk away, shake in their heads and say, this guy's not who we thought he was. And there's got to be something deeper in them that will cause them to stick with Jesus even when Jesus is not popular anymore. And you know what? There's got to be something deeper in us that will cause us to continue to trust him, continue to look to him, even when everybody else leaves. And we don't understand what Jesus is doing. Could that be the reason for our times in the middle of the night on the lake with the boat going under? Could be. Could be. Well, we certainly don't have time to get to that sermon, but it is an amazing one. John 6 verses 22 to 71, a long, long sermon. And Jesus is going to the very next day when the crowd finally finds him, they find him in cappernum, they're going to ask him, where were you? And Jesus is not going to answer them. He's going to light into them with a very tough sermon. And at the end of it, they'll all walk away, except the 12. And the reason they don't walk away is because what happened between those two days during the middle of the night, that's the reason they don't walk away. It's great.