It Is I; Do Not Be Afraid

Sermon transcript

If you would remain standing and turn in the scriptures, our passage this evening comes from the Gospel of John. We’re picking up where we left off this morning. And we’ll be reading John chapter six. We’ll start in verse 15 and read through verse 21. John chapter 6, verse 15. Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat.

And they were frightened. But he said to them, it is I. Do not be afraid. Then they were glad to take him into the boat. And immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. Amen. Let’s ask the Lord to give his blessing on our time this evening. Great God and Father in heaven, we ask that you would send your spirit, the spirit that has inspired this word, preserved it for our encouragement and instruction. Now, Lord, we ask that you would make us alive to its living power. that we would be awakened, connected to the power that resides within your word, that your spirit would be near, close to us, speaking to our hearts. We pray that you would do this for the sake of Jesus, in whose name we pray, amen.

You may be seated. The title for the message it’s using comes from the only portion of dialogue that we have in our text. Jesus’ one phrase, it is I. Do not be afraid. Perhaps you can relate as either a current parent or remember back to the days when you were a child in a busy grocery store, for instance. One minute holding your mother’s hand, safe and secure in the familiar presence of the one who loves you. And the next minute perhaps distracted by a display of colorful cereal boxes or simply lagging behind. You look up and mother is gone. The aisles suddenly feel endless and towering. The noise of carts rattling, voices calling, music playing overhead and the low hum of refrigeration grows loud and confusing. Strangers move past you with shopping carts and hurried steps and your small heart begins to race.

Tears, perhaps, well up in your eyes. Panic starting to rise in your chest like a wave. And in that moment, you’re not merely inconvenienced. You’re terrified. Where is mother? The one person who makes the world feel safe and ordered has disappeared. Everything else suddenly feels scary and threatening and out of control. And then through the noise, you hear a familiar voice. I’m right here. And you turn and see her face and the fear melts away almost instantly. The store hasn’t changed. It’s still potentially as scary. The crowds are still there, the fluorescent lights, but everything is suddenly different because you know that she is here. And perhaps you run to her, take her hand, feeling relieved and secure, ready to keep on walking, ready to face the terrifying world of the grocery store once again.

Perhaps this is a small picture of what these grown men, experienced fishermen, experienced that night on the Sea of Galilee in our passage in John chapter 6. Well, the central theme that John wants us to get from this passage, as he’s moving through from the first miracle that we saw this morning, of feeding the 5,000, to this miracle of walking on the water, Jesus’ presence with his disciples, to the dialogue that Jesus will follow up with in the rest of the chapter of chapter 6, is Jesus wants people to understand, and we’re gonna see him bring this out more in the next passage, is that Jesus didn’t primarily come to give things. Not primarily to give bread, but to be bread, as we’ll see him emphasize. And he didn’t come primarily to give peace to his disciples, but to be their peace. to be our peace, not merely to help from a distance, but to come near with his very presence to give us himself.

And so tonight we’ll look through our passage, move through in four points. I know you might be used to three, but we’re gonna try four this evening. The crisis that frightens them. Number two, the claim that comforts. Number three, the change that follows. And number four, the call that remains. And we’ll notice what Jesus does not do first. He does not immediately still the wind or flatten the waves. He gives his disciples something better than a calm sea. He gives them himself. And we’ll see that this is, frankly, the pattern of the gospel. That Jesus does not merely give gifts, but he gives himself. He is the gift. So we’ll look at number one, the crisis that frightens them. As we look at our passage, it’s very brief, very short and to the point. John’s using simple words.

A very minimal telling of the story. Jesus, avoiding the crowds, desires to make him king, withdraws to the mountain, and evening comes and the disciples are still there left on the shore. Perhaps Jesus had instructed them, as we see in other Gospels, instructs them to go on ahead while he goes to the mountains to pray. But we see that darkness falls. It says in verse 17, it was now dark and Jesus had not yet come to them. If you’ve been paying attention in the Gospel of John, you notice that John uses physical darkness and light to speak of the presence or absence of Jesus. And I think his point here is more than just a physical darkness, but the apostles, the disciples were experiencing this as a spiritual darkness as well. Imagine, for instance, driving home late at night on one of the parkways here in Pittsburgh, where the lights are sometimes quite absent.

The fog’s rolling in thick off the rivers. Visibility drops to almost nothing. The lanes seem to disappear. Headlights coming on, creating a blurry glare, you’re gripping the steering wheel tighter than usual, slowing down, second guessing every curve. Perhaps you’re wishing someone else were in the car, someone else perhaps who could be driving for you, wondering if your trip will ever end, if you’ll ever get to your destination. And the disciples are facing something similar on the water, real darkness, real danger. and almost intangible progress. The strong wind rises. The sea grows rough, John says. And they had rowed for about three or four miles. So they’re rowing, trying to row across this lake. And this would have been about halfway across. And things are getting dangerous. Things are really scary for them. but along with their fear of the situation around them is the fact that they do not have Jesus with them.

The one who had been their security, their rabbi, he is away and they are trying to cross the sea without him. And this is also a picture of what we might say is where the gospel arc begins. honest recognition of our true condition. Because apart from Christ, we too are all in the dark, rowing against forces greater than ourselves. As each unbelieving religion, non-Christian religions try to tell people, row harder, work your way up to God. They sense that need, they sense the darkness that is there, and that is true. But their solution offered is merely to row harder. But our deepest crisis, apart from Christ, apart from the Lord, is not merely difficult circumstances, but it is being without Christ. And this disciple’s terror here in their situation is a picture of the human condition.

But we need more than better conditions around us. We don’t just need a change of circumstances, a better job, a better family. What we need is only possible by the presence of the Son of God. Only Jesus himself can satisfy what we need as sinful creatures, fallen human beings. But tonight we might begin by asking ourselves, where in your life Are you experiencing the boat without Jesus? What is that crisis perhaps coming up in your heart, in your mind, in your thoughts? The text does not minimize the fear of the disciples. It meets it with a person, a person of Christ. So the crisis that frightens the disciples, the crisis that might be occurring as well in our own hearts, where we find that darkness apart from Christ. But then secondly, we see in our passage the claim that comforts.

We see this in verse 20. But he said to them, it is I, do not be afraid. The claim that comforts them. So Jesus, as we see in this passage, he does not immediately step in and calm the storm. What he speaks is, it is I, do not be afraid. Now, we’re looking at this in the translation of it in English. Many times throughout John’s gospel, we will find Jesus using the phrase, I am. And this is a phrase that in the Greek is, ego eimi. And it is a phrase that can be translated a couple of different ways. And that’s what we have here in our passage, ego eimi, which can also be translated as, it is I. or as we find in other places, I am. Now the translators here have translated it as, it is I, because they’re recognizing that this does not appear to be Jesus making a special claim about identifying himself with Yahweh.

And yet, at the same time, Jesus is expressing this, it is I. I am the one who’s here. You’re afraid of who it is that’s coming. They’re looking out on the water and finding great fear as they see Jesus walking on the sea. And they’re very frightened. And Jesus’ words to them, it is I. Do not be afraid. So if you’re looking in the Greek, you would see the egoe me. But I do not believe that John is intending for us to take it as an I am statement. At the same time though, John is emphasizing this phrase of Jesus, it is I. Because when we look at the other gospel accounts, Matthew and Mark, which both record this walking on the water of Jesus, we find that Jesus has another phrase before that. He says, fear not, it is I, do not be afraid.

And so John here leaves off that first word to focus on the it is I. Jesus’ presence is what makes them not afraid. His command, do not be afraid, rests entirely in his own identity. When the angels come, they tell people not to be afraid. But they don’t rest that in their own identity. It is Jesus that comes and says, it is I. Do not be afraid. And that’s what we find is this simple statement intended to calm the fears of the disciples. They’ve been rowing, they’re terrified, their lives are threatened, and then they see this figure, shadowy figure, ghostly-like figure. Other gospel accounts tell us that they thought it was perhaps a ghost, and they were frightened. And yet, Jesus comes and says, don’t worry, it is me, it is I. And here is the central theme where Jesus comes in the Gospel, not primarily to offer a technique, not to change the weather, change of circumstances, not to change anything temporary, but He comes and offers Himself. offers to step into our place, offers to give us His righteousness and perfect obedience.

He offers Himself, His blood alone, which can atone for us, and His presence alone, which can calm us. It is I. He’s not only the giver of peace, but He is our peace. And what we have As John is moving from feeding the 5,000, he wants the disciples and us along with them to understand what Jesus is teaching them, is that he didn’t just come to give bread, but he came to be bread. He came to be the one who fulfills our needs by himself, his very presence. The comfort of the gospel is not that our circumstances improve, but that the eternal I am has drawn near and given us himself. So when fear arises, when those crises arise in your own life, do you look first for the wind to stop, or do you listen for the voice that says, it is I?

The gospel calls us to shift our focus away from merely the gifts we want, but the giver who is the gift. So that’s the claim that Jesus makes that comforts them and comforts us. And then we see in our passage in verse 21 the claim, the change that follows. We notice they have an immediate response, and then they were glad to take him into the boat. The disciples’ crisis of fear and desperation is immediately resolved with Jesus’ presence. When he is with them, nothing is fearful anymore. The other Gospel writers talk about how the wind and the waves that had been so terrifying and swamping the boat suddenly cease when Jesus gets into the boat. John doesn’t even bother telling us that. Because he wants us to focus and understand it’s Jesus’ presence that is that calming power for the disciples.

It suddenly doesn’t even matter. The darkness, the wind, the waves. They’re rowing, they’re being in the middle of the sea. Suddenly, Jesus is with them. It is I. Do not be afraid. And that changes them. It doesn’t have to change their circumstances before the fear is replaced with gladness and a willing embrace and reception. They welcomed Jesus in immediately and were glad, John says. They were rejoicing to take him into the boat. The joy that filled their hearts came from the peace, the presence of Christ. And then he says, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. Commentators are a bit divided on this, trying to determine whether John was telling us that of this sort of tacked on extra miracle of Jesus gets in the boat and it zooms to the shore is sort of how one way that you could read this.

And I don’t think there would be anything wrong with that. It’s a little bit hard to tell exactly what John is trying to convey, whether He’s trying to convey that there was this additional miracle of Jesus stepping into the boat and it zooming to shore, no more rowing required. Or merely that the next thing that happened was for them to be at the land to which they were going. John doesn’t seem too concerned about which way we are to interpret it. And I think you’re welcome to think of it as additional miracle. I’m inclined to take it as merely John referring to the fact that the next thing that happened was that they were immediately at the land. Once Jesus was with them, nothing else mattered. They hardly even remembered what happened next. The change that came upon them with Jesus’ presence, immediately they’re at the land to which they were going.

The storm’s not mentioned again, and the decisive change is in the disciples, in their relationship to Jesus, as they welcome him back into their boat. And once again, we can look and see that this is the heart of a gospel response. The decisive change is not the removal of every difficulty. In fact, sometimes to embrace Christ, for many of those in other lands, life becomes more difficult. But the decisive change is within the heart of a believer that suddenly finds Jesus’ presence to be not terrifying, but welcoming. Finds Jesus’ presence to be comforting and is glad to receive the Lord into your heart. Faith is not merely agreeing that Jesus is powerful, but welcoming Him into our lives as the center of our hearts, of our lives, the center of our situation as the Lord.

And when He is received, as was the case for the disciples, the final destination is secure. There’s no question, no question anymore of whether our final destination is secure, but once we have Christ, His presence, fear can be banished, no matter the circumstances we have, and our final destination with the Lord is secure. Immediately, they were at the shore to which they were going. The gospel produces a people who are glad to have Christ, and not merely relieved when the wind dies down or dies away. And He does not only give us safe arrival, but He is the one who brings us safely home Himself, to be with Himself. Because when He is with us, that’s all we need. And so the natural application that leads us is, of course, have you taken Jesus in?

Received Him gladly into the boat of your life, so to speak? Not merely have your circumstances improved, are you looking for His external blessings? But have you welcomed Him gladly, willingly, as Lord, into not just your life, but into each one of our hearts, those corners where you feel most exposed, most fearful, most out of control. He has come to make us not afraid, to banish the fear from our hearts. And as long as we keep him at a distance, as long as we keep him out of those parts of our heart, of our lives that we’re embarrassed about, that we don’t want him poking around into, then we will have fear in those places as well. Jesus has come to banish fear. And when we welcome him into our hearts, our lives, he comes and he brings his presence.

Some of us want Jesus to fix our storm from a distance. We’re not sure we want him that close. It might be easier if he tweaks some things and lets us go along our way. But he has come to be with us. C.S. Lewis gives the analogy of God coming with your life and heart as a renovation project. You want him to fix the paint on a few walls, install a new faucet here or there, And he comes in and he starts knocking out walls, tearing things apart, gutting it down to the studs. And at first it’s terrifying because he has come in to make things totally new. He has much grander, bigger plans for our hearts than we have. And that can be scary at first, but in the end, he has come to banish our fear.

It is I. Do not be afraid. So ask yourself, is Jesus a helpful consultant you call when the waves get high? Or is he the acknowledged Lord of your vessel? Are you trying to manage the situation while keeping him at arm’s length? Or have you, like the disciples, moved from fear to a glad reception of Him? The change the text holds out is not first a change in our feelings and our circumstances, but it’s a change in our relationship to Christ, from frightened distance to a glad welcome of the One who is what we need. And so finally, that brings us to number four, the call that remains. The same word still comes to us that came to those disciples. It is I. Do not be afraid. You might imagine a young child undergoing a painful medical procedure.

The room is bright, the equipment intimidating, the discomfort is real. The child is crying and tensing. But then the parent steps close, takes the child’s hand and leans down. Their face is in view and quietly says, I’m right here. I’m not leaving. The pain may not have stopped for the child. The procedure still continues. Yet something in the child softens. Not because the difficulty has disappeared, but because the one they trust most is present and staying. And that’s what Jesus has come for each one of us. The greatest storm, the sin, judgment, separation from God that faces each one of us has already been stilled at the cross and at the empty tomb for each one of us. And Jesus, when you have put your trust in him, he draws near and offers not merely help, but himself.

It is I. Do not be afraid. So he’s not come merely to give us strength, but to be our strength. He is our strength. Not mainly to give us hope, but to be our hope. So the call is twofold. To the weary believer, welcome him afresh. Not just his gifts, but him. His presence into your own present storm. To the one who still may be outside, may be in the boat, stop rowing by yourself. Receive the one who says it is I, the I am, who has come to be everything that you need. Stop trying on your own strength, on your own efforts, and welcome the one who’s come to take away your fear. Give you peace with God. So where do you need to hear it is I? Do not be afraid this week in your life.

Are there any fears that are keeping you from gladly receiving Christ into your circumstances and heart and life this evening? And will you respond to his voice by receiving not merely what he can do, but who he is in his person and in his presence It is I. Do not be afraid. Let’s pray. Lord Jesus, as we come to you this evening in prayer, Lord, we thank you for these most comforting words that you have spoken to us in our need. That as we watch circumstances around us change, as we watch tides and storms rise in our lives, as we face uncertainty, as we face sickness, as we face all sorts of fear-inducing circumstances, as we face the own corruption of our hearts and lives, Lord, we ask that you would come to us. Speak to us by your spirit.

It is I. Do not be afraid. Lord, we ask that you would give us hearts like the disciples to welcome you in, to trust you, to place our trust in you, and to take those words of comfort to heart, to welcome you in. We pray this in your own name, Jesus, amen. Well, in response, let’s turn and sing hymn 450, Jesus, lover of my soul, hymn 450. Let’s stand as we sing.

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