Summer At Sea: Week 11 Day 4

John 6:16-21

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, 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.

I like to workout with headphones in, even when I am the only one home. So, sometimes, when my husband arrives home from work and hears the treadmill he carefully calls to me, “Hey, it’s me, I’m home.” He doesn’t want me to be afraid, and so he identifies himself. “It’s me” carries so much information when the phrase comes from my husband. Immediately I know the character and love of the person calling to me. 

Jesus reveals Himself in a powerful way to His disciples. When the weary men, strained from the sea, are frightened even more by the strange figure approaching, Jesus calls out, “It is I” (John 6:20). The Greek translation is the equivalent of “I AM” in Hebrew. “I AM” is the way God described Himself to Moses when Moses asked who was sending him to free the Hebrew people. This phrase not only reveals Jesus' character as eternal, and uncreated, it also shows the disciples that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus used several “I am” statements throughout the Gospel of John. Take a moment to dig deeper into one or more of these:

• John 6:35, 41, 48, and 51: I AM the Bread of Life 

• John 8:12: I AM the Light of the World 

• John 10:7, 9: I AM the Door of the Sheep

• John 10:11,14: I AM the Good Shepherd 

• John 11:25: I AM the Resurrection and the Life 

• John 14:6: I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life 

• John 15:1, 5: I AM the True Vine