Jesus gives us peace

Text: John 6: 16-21

Text verse John 6:20

This passage tells us of an occasion when the disciples’ hearts are filled with fear. Fear overwhelmed them as they found themselves in the midst of a storm. Making things worse, they also see something on the water coming towards them.

The effect that Jesus’ presence has on his disciples is striking. His voice reassures them.

We all know that feeling of panic and fear, only to then find peace through the simple presence of a person we trust. It’s like a child who’s scared to walk in the dark, but once his dad is there to take his hand, that fear disappears.

Now the question: Do we have such a trusting relationship with Jesus that the mere thought of his presence dispels fear?

The storms of life make us realise that we are really nothing but insignificant beings. Fear and anxiety capture our hearts and we become more and more aware of our own weakness and vanity. We lose perspective when our comfort is threatened and then we become panicky, just like the disciples.

This section teaches us how to deal with the storms of life.

1. We must know that Jesus is King of all.

John teaches us that the rules that apply to us, do not apply to the Lord. He has power over all the laws of nature.

We see here that Jesus was walking on the water, and when He gets into the boat, the disciples immediately know where they are heading. Jesus therefore has power over gravitational force and space. We don’t need to be afraid; He is in control of everything.

2. We need to know what Jesus’ salvation means to us.

We read the following in 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

When Jesus was in Gethsemane, He feared death – so much so that His sweat became like drops of blood. Jesus had reason to be terrified. He knew that He would soon be forsaken by God. He took our sins on Him. Jesus only went through the hell of godlessness, so that we never have to go through it.

The storms we experience in this life make us realise that we are nothing but insignificant beings. How wonderful then to hear Jesus’ voice saying, “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:39).

Jesus was forsaken by the Father so that even in our deepest need we still do not have to be alone. The love we find in Him, dispels all the fear.