Did Jesus Walk On Water

You’ve heard the joke about the disciples asking each other how Jesus walked on water? Peter jumps out of the boat and says, “You have to know where the rocks are!”

The answer to, “Did Jesus walk on water?” may not be a burning question for you, but for many this question ranks as far up in the list of troubling texts as “Where did Cain get his wife?” and “What ever happened to the dinosaurs?”

Here is the text in John. Matthew and Mark also include this story, with Matthew elaborating on it with the most details, including Peter getting out of the boat and walking on the water to Jesus, too.

John 6:19

When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.

The details of the story show interconnecting threads and themes easily missed by us. First, in Jewish thinking the waters contained evil creatures, demons, even Satan. Jonah was cast into the sea to appease the gods who lived there. The Book of Revelation has evil creatures (frogs) coming out of the sea.

Second, the Lake of Galilee was prone to unexpected, violent storms. The disciples knew their lives were in danger from the storm.

Third, this story happened in the dark. If you have been on a lake in the dark with no lights to guide your rowing or motoring, that is, no fixed reference point with which to steer, then fear and anxiety about navigation away from nautical danger will clutch your imagination.

Fourth, why would the gospel writers show the disciples whimpering in fear? Weren’t these men the pillars of the new Way and interpreters of The Faith? Matthew tells us they thought Jesus was a ghost, that is, one of the sea creatures coming to get them in the dark. These miserable men have no courage in this story! Even Peter, who sinks after only a few steps into the clutches of the demons below, should have more glory and honor to impress people with his credentials, not his failure!

Fifthly, the focus of each gospel is Jesus not the disciples. His ability to walk on water is a demonstration of his other nature, or his god-ness. Yet, the story is matter of fact about his ability to walk on water. The bulk of the story is about the storm, the disciples, and their need for faith in Jesus. The writers off-handedly mention in a casual sentence that Jesus was walking on the water much like they would mention he was walking in the park! Clearly, the story is one of many that present the contrast between human’s fear and the need for faith in Christ.

And this ability of Jesus is only used once. Jesus never walks on water again. He is not a supernatural surfer. Most of his impressive miracles he only does once. The theme of the gospels is not a glorified Jesus but our need to think like him with complete faith in the power and wisdom of God. The other Messiah’s, Caesars, and even the apocryphal gospels written one and two centuries later, are filled with mesmerizing accounts of supernatural largesse, even one story of Jesus’ diaper hanging on a clothes line and healing a lame boy as he walked by! If anything, the writers downplay Jesus walking on the water by writing so little about his ability!

Finally, are we so biased in our haughty, modern intellectualism and scientific rationalism to think that the first century was filled with magic believing ignorants? Weren’t people skeptics about the stories, the authors, too? Wouldn’t other eyewitnesses try hard through various forms of persuasion to reject the fairy tale quality of this story, just as we would do if one of our children came up and told us about walking on the water?

The first century produced scholars, philosophers, and scientists such as Seneca the younger and Plutarch. Socrates and Plato were debated still in that day. The Romans produced laws we still follow today. Yet, highly educated people believed and no evidence exists for doubting the eyewitness account of this story. Why? It fits a greater pattern in theme of the life of Christ. He’s got a connection with the divine, which the cross and resurrection reveal, as Son of Man/Son of God. After the resurrection, and the subsequent forty days of teaching (another subject about the Road to Emmaus story), Jesus could be seen for who he truly is: The son of God who left his home in heaven to die for the sins of all humanity so that those who put their faith in him do not need to fear Death or God ever again.

Big Chicken Witnessing

Why did the rooster cross the road? Because he wasn’t chicken.

What do we say when we witness? Three times this week in our cell groups this topic was discussed. I’m going to try to flesh out what happens in witnessing.

In a word, witnessing is discernment. Some people don’t want to talk to us about religious things so we must be discerning and gracious. We don’t know what another person believes so we have to ask and ask and ask. Many Christians can’t articulate what the gospel is, and all of us must continually probe the depths of all that the gospel brings. Thus, the gospel must be discerned.
Discernment also takes place during the conversation. Unfortunately, most of us are more concerned with being heard! Most Christian witnessing tools emphasize what we must say. Thus, Christians are afraid to witness because “I don’t know very much!” What we are afraid of is the fact that other people might find holes in our beliefs or knowledge, but don’t we want to get stronger in faith? Don’t we want our holes to be filled? Don’t we want more of the power of the gospel at work in our lives?
Most people are not good discerners or listeners in conversation! We match story for story, belief for belief, and sickness for sickness. More excitingly and more satisfying is the listening and asking questions approach. Unfortunately, we have to suspend our own stories and beliefs, deny our egocentrism and our need to be loved and heard. People have so many interesting life events and faith histories when I actually listen for them. I’m fascinated by the assumptions people make about Christianity so I ask people how they came to these assumptions.

Some atheists are believers and don’t know it! They speak more about God than some believers. They know what God isn’t like because they believe that their God wouldn’t act in certain ways or make them do certain things. Some atheists know more about the Bible and the gospel than church people. I’m almost always amazed at how much thought and study some of my unbelieving friends have put into their beliefs.

But don’t be intimidated. Ask more questions. We might be afraid of looking foolish because we don’t know what the other person knows, but that’s a little like not going to the doctor because he might give us bad news. Witnessing is going to help us to know what we are supposed to know. Witnessing helps us discern what we know and what we don’t. Thank people for their honesty, their study and thought and their discussion. You’ve been helped by it.

Discernment about the gospel means we must discern and believe in our deepest self that the evidence is true. The gospel must be discerned in a nutshell. What are we believing and asking people to believe? Paul does a nutshell presentation for the Corinthians (and for us!) in 1 Cor. 15:1-7. The core of the good news (the gospel) is that “Christ died according to the scripture, he was buried and he was raised from the dead on the third day according to the scriptures.” Every word of that phrase has to be unpacked. All the projections into life must be discerned. Before we can so boldly say religious sounding phrases to people, we must have discerned the power of this core message of the gospel. Paul is so sure of this he says, “This is the gospel!” We must know and say this to people! Several pastors in my life in the last few months have confirmed that without an excitement about this gospel there is no witnessing. It’s simple isn’t it? the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus? That’s it. That’s the gospel. This is what we believe or reject!

Discernment means we move from the known to the unknown to know, i.e. to discern. Witnessing is starting where we are, jumping into unknown territory so that because we are on a mission of discernment, we have more confirmation of what we have believed. Paul says to Philemon, “I want you to be active in sharing your faith so that you may know every good thing you have in Christ Jesus.”

God Does Not Judge External Appearance

God does not judge by external appearance. Gal. 2:6

The marks of an apostle were obvious.

2 Corinthians12:12 The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance.

But Satan, also can masquerade as an angel of light and do counterfeit miracles.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders.

When we who believe in God’s grace through the gospel (i.e. the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and all that historic event means!) the question of “Who are you?” or implied “Are you legitimate?” rises in people. Why should someone listen? What makes us legitimate?

Jesus used the analogy of a shepherd in John 10. The hired hand runs away when trouble comes. The good shepherd lies down in front of the gate and gives up his life. To Jesus, legitimacy was serving, sacrifice and perseverance. (See the parable of the four soils in Luke 8:15)

The Corinthian church was dismissing Paul’s legitimacy. Paul uses evidence that puts many of us Christians to shame to show his legitimacy.

1 Cor. 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power….23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles…

He told them the fact of gospel history over and over again.

1Cor. 2:1   When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.  4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,  5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

He knows there is only one foundation to build on to promote legitimacy.

1 Cor. 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Paul knew that the Corinthian church people were distancing themselves from him because he seemed so simple. He said that they were saying he was a fool (i.e. simpleton) and that his words were not wise (Gk: sophia from which we get the word sophisticated)

1 Cor. 4:10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!

1 Cor. 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

External appearances can be deceiving. What we consider successful or sophisticated includes large monuments, big buildings, beautiful steeples, respectful peers, large crowds and the spectacular “excellence” in worship. The external signs of a successful ministry can masquerade around for years and dupe people as Satan does. It can make people think they are making a difference in the world, but are really just “hired hands.”

Throughout his ministry, Paul was perplexed by what is a legitimate church. His final comments from his final letter in prison at the end of his life goes like this:

Phil. 1:15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.  16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.  17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.  18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

The goal wasn’t external success. If that was the case, he failed. Success is Christ and the gospel, plain and simple. Preach Christ. Tell the gospel (his death, burial and resurrection). Preach Jesus. Unpack the way, the truth and the life. Knowing the truth sets us free. His death proves his love and grace can be unharnessed in our lives. Knowing the truth, that is, a belief in the historical facts of Christ’s death and resurrection is the greatest mark of the church. Separate this from The Journey or any church and we are duped and de-legit!