하나님께 가까이 함이 내게 복이라(시편73:28)

CRISIS WITH PURPOSE

Guide Text John 6:16-21

By Hector Molano (Reformation Theological Seminary, Bogota, Colombia)

When I was a child, more or less when I was 7 years old, a friend from the neighborhood where we lived taught me how to ride a bike. His way to teach me was a little inappropriate. As you will maybe know, at that time, the bikes were not as light weight as they are now, so the little boy who in that moment was 11 years old, could not hold the bike while I tried to ride it without falling off the bike; so he designed a strategy in order to help me to know how to ride the bike, at the beginning of the street, he drew a line on where I had to begin my journey and at the end of the street, he settled me an additional line as a goal to achieve. I remember that I ride up the bicycle near the platform of the sidewalk to

accommodate myself properly, then the boy pushed me as far as he can and I should continue pedaling; you will understand the shock, it was a terrible feeling because the height of the bicycle for a child like me, the height was enough for fear of falling, but I was trying to maximize pedaling, and in some moment I was falling on the street.

Well, the purpose of my friend was not that I fell down from the bike, although this happened me, again and again; his purpose was that I could know how to maintain balance on the bike and to ride until the end of the street.

How many times, you and me, live difficult situations for learn something? how many times you and me, go with decisions to achieve our goals but in the way, we suffer? Focus in a biblical passage, I will illustrate that kind of Crisis, but Crisis with purpose, we´ll see, how God led to his disciples to experience solitude, fear, with the purpose of teaching them and in that way they learn something more. To do this we will focus on the text of John 6:16-21

PRAYER

1. Reason of the crisis

First of all, before speak about the reason of the crisis, is so important place us in what was happening and talk something about the Gospel of John. This Gospel has been attributed to John because some indirect allusions to him. When you read the Gospel, you can observe that it was directed to two groups of people, the Jewish (the expression the Messiah (anointed) typical of the Judaism 1:41, 4:25) and to also to the gentiles by the allusion to them in passages as 3:16 and 10:16. In Gospel of John, miracles are called signals, and which is narrated in this passage, walk on the water is the fifth sign of the seven (conversion of water into wine (2:1-10) healing of the son of a noble (4:46-54) healing the paralytic (5:1-9) feeding the 5,000 (6:1-14) walking on water (6:15-21) healing of blind man (9:1-4) resurrection of Lazarus (11:1-44) )).

The purpose of the signals, according to John 20:30-31, is believe in Jesus is the Christ the son of God.

Let us see a little behind in the development of the Gospel: Chapter five shows Jesus healing a paralytic, there is a pond (pool?) near to that place, in the pond there were healing and Jesus approached him, 5:8-9 man was healed by Jesus and immediately Jesus was censored because He healed someone on the Sabbath day 5:16.

People who made this censorship, are Jews, in fact, the text of this preaching and this special part of the Gospel is addressed especially to that community. From the 5:19-47 Jesus begins a speech showing to them (Jewish people) some essential points to believe in him, he is life 5:21, he is judge 5:22 and perhaps the most important and relevant for the passage is that: He is equals his word with the word of God 5:24, 37-39, 47. On the other hand, Jesus wants saved Jews 5:34.

And also he used, what Jews considered as Supreme Law of Moses, as his own accuser 5:45-46. In this way, he is going to show how Moses spoke about him.

Let see the miracle of the bread multiplication, the relevant in this point is people recognize as the Prophet (Deut 18:15ss) who had come to the world John 6:14.

In the 6:15 Jesus shows his divine knowledge, because He realized that they were going to crowned as King. In this moment, Jesus decides to depart of from people and send their disciples to the crisis.

Maybe a disciple asked himself: How is it possible to ignore people, if he is really the Prophet, we will be part of the Supreme Convention of the Prophet?

When they were at the top of popularity, when the voices from judges had been silenced by the miracle on Sabbath; People recognize the disciples as important persons, he is the prophet and we are with him.

There, in the midst of apparent glory, Jesus decides to send his disciples to a crisis, what was his purpose? First of all, they need to understand that his kingdom is not from this world. Why? Because, they had not believed in him in the correct way, but they followed him for inadequate reasons 6:26.

I do not know if they are going through some testing, but wonder what should I understand that I have still not understood? What do I need of believe in Jesus that still does not have believed?

BUT KNOWING THE REASON FOR THE CRISIS IS ONE THING, LIVING IN ONE

IS STRONGER.

2. The crisis itself.

In the Gospel of John says: WHEN EVENING CAME, (it is interesting observe that the miracle of the loaves (as indicated in the synoptic mt 14:15 and mr 6:35) and this miracle are made with the dark as background (the light shines in the darkness 1: 5 )))

Disciples went out from the presence of Jesus, they climb off the boat; the parallel passages of Mat 14:22 and Mar 6:45 say that Jesus was who sent them in the boat. Christ himself is sending them to crisis, Christ himself pushes them to the sea and living in solitude, without him, having darkness in everywhere.

How did the disciples feel? Perhaps they would say: we were in the glorious moment, the people acclaimed Jesus, and we were there, close to him, to help him, and now we are alone in the middle of nothing, no one who praises ourselves, and without Jesus, the reason for praise.

Solitude, a terrible human feeling, but being without God is deeper loneliness. Perhaps, they were talking to each other, in order to avoid fall in capsize, but suddenly, something worse comes, a strong wind raised, a strong wind, the boat was waving (Mat 14:23).

Could you imagine the situation?, they are alone, it is so dark and even more with some possibilities of die.

Many times Jesus can send us to a crisis, in which we can feel like the disciples; but in this moment it´s necessary ask to ourselves, is this crisis because something that I made it? Or maybe, I made something wrong but I did not realize.

THANKS TO GOD FOR HIS MERCIES, BECAUSE THE CRISIS HAS AN END AND

GOD HIMSELF HE SOLVES IT.

3. The solution to the crisis

Jesus arrives to the scene in an unexpected way to the disciples, the passage clarifies that the distance that they had entered in the sea was about 4 or 5 kilometers. (Gill) A scholar writes that there was a belief. especially among the Pharisees about the appearance of demons or ghosts especially at night, a Jewish text says: at night no greetings to a friend unless you are sure, could be a demon. That belief could come to the mind of some of them when they saw Jesus on the water (Mat 14:26).

There are some points to take in account in this solution to the crisis, (Clarke)

a. Although Jesus was a certain distance from his disciples, He knew their problem.

b. Jesus located them in the middle of the Lake and of the darkness.

c. Jesus walked on water.

Are you in crisis as the disciples are? Christ knows your problem and He will find you in the middle of the darkness.

4. The purpose of the crisis

Apparently in this crisis the disciples did not understand what Christ wanted to show them, remember John 6:64, for that reason after this event Jesus began a several speeches where He called himself, I am, there are seven I am, they begin immediately after this signal.

What was it that Christ wanted to show them?

He wanted to show:

a. He wanted to tell them that Moses wrote about him, Exodus 15 tells us how people of God passes by the Red Sea by God's hand guided by Moses; Christ overcomes the work of Moses because He walk on the water (Matthew Henry, Richard Pratt). Jesus is superior to Moses.

b. He wanted to show them his deity. The I am expression is used for the first time with the disciples in this place, the last time was with the Samaritan woman in 4:26.

Walk on water also refers to Job 9:8. Remember that we saw that Jesus matched his word with the word of God (5:24, 37-39, 47), now, with their facts, He confirmed it.

Brothers and sisters, not all the disciples understood and in many times we do not understand the reason for being sent to a crisis, we left them still thinking wrongly, without knowing more than our God through the crisis. God help us and give to us tour mercy in order to understand him more by the crisis.