Jesus walked on water to reveal that he is the God who rules over creation and rescues his people. In the Old Testament, only God tramples the waves and makes a path through the sea. When Jesus came to his frightened disciples in a storm and said, “It is I,” he was showing them that God himself had come to save them. The miracle invites us to trust him in our own storms.
The God Who Rescues Through Water
For Jewish people, water miracles were front and center in their story. God parted the Red Sea to rescue Israel from Egypt, and he stopped the Jordan River so they could enter the Promised Land. Those stories were passed down for generations, and the psalms celebrated them.
Psalm 77:19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.
Job 9:8 describes God as the one who “treads on the waves of the sea.” So when Jesus walked across the lake, his disciples weren’t just seeing a stunning display of power. They were watching him do what Scripture said only God could do. He was proving once again that he’s the God who rescues.
God Sees You in the Storm
The setting matters. It’s dark, Jesus isn’t with them, and the wind is picking up. These were experienced fishermen, but they were struggling to make progress on the water.
John 6:16-19 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 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. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.
Mark’s Gospel adds that Jesus saw them straining at the oars before he came to them. That detail is worth holding on to. God is never surprised when storms break out in our lives. He sees our struggle, and he has the power to act whenever he chooses. Sometimes he waits longer than we’d like, but he’s never absent, and he’s never late. You can’t choose the timing of the storms you face, but you can choose to trust the one who sees you in them.
“It Is I”
The disciples were terrified, and who could blame them? A figure was walking toward them across the waves in the dark. Jesus spoke words meant to calm them.
John 6:20-21 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
In the original Greek, “It is I” is literally “I am.” That’s an echo of the name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14. Jesus wasn’t just identifying himself; he was revealing who he is. And notice what happens when the disciples welcome him into the boat. They immediately arrive where they were heading. When Jesus is with us, fear loses its grip.
Your Response Makes the Difference
The name of Jesus brings peace to some and dread to others. Later in John’s Gospel, a group of soldiers came to arrest Jesus, and he used the same words.
John 18:4-6 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
The same “I am” that comforted the disciples on the lake knocked an armed mob to the ground. The difference was their response to him. Jesus is either the Savior we welcome into the boat or the authority we resist. Responding in faith means trusting him with our fears and inviting him into the middle of our storm.
The Takeaway
Jesus walked on water to show that he is the God who rules creation and rescues his people. When storms come, he sees us, he comes to us, and he says, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Our part is to welcome him in with trust.
