Franklin First UMC - Terror at the Lake - Pastor Bryan Brooks

Devotional

Day 1: Terror on the Lake When Jesus Draws Near

The disciples knew Jesus intimately—they’d seen him feed thousands and teach crowds. Yet when he walked toward them on stormy waters, their familiarity collapsed into terror. His power, now undeniable, shattered their assumptions. The same hands that broke bread now defied nature itself. Fear arose not from ignorance but from realizing the infinite gap between their understanding and his divine authority. Even their friendship with him couldn’t soften the shock of his holy otherness. [14:23]

"When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, 'It is I; do not be afraid.'" (John 6:19–20, ESV)

Reflection: When has Jesus’ presence in your crisis initially heightened your fear instead of calming it? How might his power, though unsettling, be the very thing that saves you?

Day 2: The Horror of Recognizing "It Is I"

Terror often comes not from darkness but from light too bright to bear. The disciples didn’t mistake Jesus for a ghost—they recognized him. His miracle-working power, once comforting, now felt overwhelming. Their fear revealed a truth: to follow Jesus is to surrender to a force beyond human containment. His "I AM" (John 6:20) echoes Exodus 3:14, reframing their crisis as a collision with divine identity. True safety begins when we stop reducing him to manageable proportions. [17:24]

"Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen." (Psalm 77:19, ESV)

Reflection: What comfortable assumptions about Jesus have you clung to that his actual power might disrupt? Where is he inviting you to trust his wild holiness?

Day 3: Calm Comes Through Unavoidable Power

Horror films exploit the dread of being trapped. The disciples, battered by waves, couldn’t escape Jesus’ approach—his power surrounded them. Yet his command, "Do not be afraid," wasn’t a dismissal of their fear but an invitation into it. He didn’t calm the storm first; he calmed their hearts by revealing his authority over chaos. Our deliverance often begins not with changed circumstances but with confronting the One who rules them. [20:50]

"And he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing." (Luke 9:11, ESV)

Reflection: What storm are you begging Jesus to stop, while he’s asking you to first acknowledge his right to command it? How might his presence redefine "rescue"?

Day 4: Lakes Are Scary, But Not the End

The Sea of Galilee, like all lakes, hides depths. Life’s "lakes"—illness, loss, failure—threaten to swallow us. Yet Jesus repeatedly chooses lakes as venues for revelation. He lets storms expose our helplessness so his power might rewrite our endings. The disciples’ terror became the classroom where they learned his lordship over every wave. Our worst moments are his signature spaces. [22:40]

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you." (Isaiah 43:2, ESV)

Reflection: What current "lake" makes you doubt Jesus’ presence? How might this struggle be the exact place he plans to reveal his glory?

Day 5: "It Is I" Outshines Every Fear

Jesus’ declaration, "It is I," (Greek: ego eimi) is both comfort and cosmic claim. He doesn’t merely reassure—he unveils his eternal nature. Every fear, whether petty or paralyzing, shrivels before the "I AM" who walks on chaos. The disciples’ story ends not with a resolved storm but with a rescuing Savior. Our story rests in the same hands that tread the lake. [25:42]

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10, ESV)

Reflection: What fear have you nursed that Jesus’ "I AM" directly addresses? How can you let his identity, not your anxiety, write the next sentence of your story?

Sermon Summary

The lake can be a lovely place, but the lake can also become a scary place. John 6 takes that familiar water, the Sea of Galilee, that big freshwater lake, and turns it into the place where Jesus’ closest friends run straight into terror. Jesus has just fed more than 5,000 people with five little loaves and two fish, and that miracle leaves the crowd buzzing. The crowd wants to take Jesus by force and make him king, but Jesus withdraws to the mountain by himself.

The disciples are already a little disoriented. Jesus has taken care of the hungry crowd in a way nobody could have planned, and now Jesus has slipped away from everybody. The disciples do what they know to do. Skilled fishermen and boatmen get into a boat and start rowing across the lake toward Capernaum. The night is dark, Jesus is not with them, and the wind starts to rise.

The water gets choppy and tumultuous and scary. White caps on a lake are bad news. Then John says the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, coming near the boat, and they were terrified. Matthew and Mark say the disciples thought they saw a ghost, but John does not say that. John says they saw Jesus. Careful Bible reading has to attend to what is actually being said, not just fill in what seems like it ought to be there.

The terror, then, may not be fear of the unknown. The terror may be the dawning realization that the one they are following is far more than meets the eye. Jesus is not just a teacher who can explain God. Jesus is not just a friend who can travel with them. Jesus is the one who feeds thousands, slips away from a crowd trying to crown him, and then comes through hostile weather walking on top of the lake.

The power of Jesus is beyond control, but it is not like the destructive power of a monster in a horror movie. The power of Jesus is for good, for healing, for righteousness, and ultimately for God’s glory. The world is full of real terrors, real threats, real tragedies, and real messes that are bigger than human strength. John’s Jesus comes right into that fear and says the only word needed: “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

Key Takeaways

1. Careful reading refuses easy gaps John does not say the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. John says they saw Jesus, and that detail matters. Faithful reading slows down long enough to let the text speak, even when familiar versions of the story tempt the reader to fill in blanks too quickly. [16:40]
2. Jesus’ power is terrifyingly good The power of Jesus can unsettle because it is bigger than human categories and beyond human management. Yet that power is not cruel, random, or destructive. The one walking on the water carries power for healing, righteousness, and the glory of God. [20:35]
3. Terror can reveal deeper recognition The disciples’ fear may come from seeing Jesus more truly than before. The miracle-worker who fed the crowd is also the Lord who strides over chaos in the dark. Holy fear begins where comfortable assumptions about Jesus start to break open. [18:45]
4. Bigger crises need greater Christ Human life eventually brings situations that are too big to fix, too heavy to carry, and too dark to manage. Such moments expose the limits of control, but they also make the greatness of Christ precious rather than merely impressive. The one who comes across the lake is greater than the thing that terrifies. [22:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00] - Confession: Scared of Scary Movies
[04:30] - Horror Movies Love Lakes
[08:07] - At the Lake with Jesus
[09:54] - From Miracle to Terror
[11:12] - The Crowd Wants a King
[12:57] - The Disciples Head for Capernaum
[13:42] - Wind, Waves, and Fear
[14:40] - John’s Detail Matters
[17:24] - Why Jesus Terrified Them
[20:35] - Power Beyond Control
[21:47] - When Life Is Bigger Than Strength
[23:03] - Jesus Comes Through the Fear
[24:34] - Go Anywhere with Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 6:16-21

“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.” [14:11]

Observation questions

What details in John 6:16-21 make the scene feel dangerous before Jesus speaks to the disciples? [13:42]
What had just happened before this boat trip, and how might that have left the disciples unsettled even before the wind picked up? [11:12]
According to John’s wording, what exactly did the disciples see on the water, and what was their reaction? [15:45]
What does Jesus say when he comes near the boat, and what changes in the disciples once he speaks?

Interpretation questions

John does not say the disciples thought they saw a ghost; John says they saw Jesus and were terrified. Why might that detail matter for understanding this moment? [16:40]
If the disciples were frightened even though they recognized Jesus, what might that suggest about what they were beginning to understand about him? [18:45]
Jesus’ power is beyond human control, yet it is for good, healing, righteousness, and God’s glory. How does that shape the way a person should think about the frightening greatness of Jesus? [20:35]
When people face situations bigger than their own strength, why does it matter that Jesus is greater than the thing that terrifies them? [22:40]

Application questions

When has life felt like this dark crossing for you—confusing, exposed, and beyond your control? What made that season feel especially frightening? [21:47]
Many people are comfortable with a Jesus who teaches or comforts, but less comfortable with a Jesus whose power is overwhelming. Is there any part of Jesus’ greatness that feels unsettling to you right now? Why? [21:18]
Careful reading refuses to fill in gaps too quickly. Where might there be a tendency to assume things about Jesus instead of slowing down and listening to what Scripture actually says? [16:40]
Jesus comes into real fear and says, “It is I; do not be afraid.” What fear in your life most needs to hear those words right now? [23:27]
Real life contains threats, losses, and messes that are far scarier than anything imaginary. What real burden are you carrying that feels too big for you, and how would trusting Jesus in that specific burden look this week? [23:43]
The disciples were glad to take Jesus into the boat. In a practical sense, what would it mean to welcome Jesus into a part of life where there has been anxiety, resistance, or self-reliance?
“Go anywhere with Jesus” is a call to face hard things with him rather than avoiding them. What is one conversation, decision, or situation you need to step into with Jesus instead of running from it? [24:48]

Sermon Clips

89s

#FearlessWithJesus

“``You all know this as well as I know it. The world is full of real things, real threats, real problems, real terrors that are far more difficult, far more tragic, and way scarier than anything they can dream up to put in horror movies. Seriously. But we know the one who is greater than the greatest problems. We know the one who is more powerful than the biggest of threats. We know the one who brings healing even through the worst tragedies. We know the one who says to us, no matter what we are facing, it is I. Do not be afraid. So don't worry. Don't worry. Go to the lake. Go anywhere with Jesus. Go into anything with Jesus. Face anything with Jesus and have no fear.”

53s

#JesusIsGreater

“When we face things that are bigger than us, when we find ourselves in a fix that is something we can't fix, wouldn't it be good to know someone who is greater than we can know? Someone who is who is capable of accomplishing things beyond what we thought was possible. And I'll be darned, but here he comes out to us walking on top of the lake, in the midst of our terror, in the midst of our fear. And the only thing he says to us is, it is I. Do not be afraid.”

47s

#PowerForGood

“The difference here, of course, the difference with Jesus, of course, is that his inescapable, his supernatural power is not, like those movies, is not to bring fear or death or destruction. The power of Jesus that is beyond our ability to comprehend, while certainly deserving of our awe and wonder, is for good, is for healing, is for righteousness, and always, and ultimately, for God's glory.”

65s

#DawningRealization

“Do you think? Do you think it's possible? Do you think it is possible, just possible, that their terror, as the gospel describes it, do you think it's possible that their terror might be less about the fear of the unknown and more about a growing realization that this man that they have chosen to follow is far more than meets the eye, is far more powerful than they ever could have imagined. Do you think it's possible that their terror in this moment is due to a dawning realization that this man they are following is more than they ever could have imagined.”

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Franklin First UMC - Terror at the Lake - Pastor Bryan Brooks - July 19th, 2026