It Is I: Jesus Calms Our Storms

Devotional

Day 1: When Darkness Masks the Savior’s Approach

The disciples strained against the storm, unaware Jesus was already moving toward them. Darkness in John’s gospel isn’t just nightfall—it’s the weight of isolation, fear, and unmet needs. Like the disciples, we often mistake God’s absence for abandonment, forgetting He walks through storms we cannot control. Jesus enters chaos not as a ghostly threat but as the "I AM" who names Himself into our turmoil. His timing defies our desperation, yet His presence redefines every crisis. What feels like abandonment is often His purposeful approach. [50:30]

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. (John 6:16–18, ESV)

Reflection: Where does your current struggle feel most like “darkness”—a place where Jesus seems delayed? How might His unseen movement toward you change how you wait?

Day 2: Chaos as the Canvas for Divine Order

The storm wasn’t an obstacle to Jesus—it was the stage for His authority. Ancient cultures saw the sea as chaos, but Christ walked on it, unbothered. Like a lawless basketball game, life without Him devolves into frantic self-preservation. Yet Jesus enters not to critique our mess but to recalibrate our dependence. His order isn’t a checklist; it’s the steadying weight of His presence in the boat. [57:24]

They reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. (Psalm 107:27–29, ESV)

Reflection: What chaotic area of your life have you been trying to “fix” alone? How might surrendering it to Christ’s order look different than your solutions?

Day 3: The Voice That Turns Terror to Trust

“It is I” (ego eimi) wasn’t casual reassurance—it echoed God’s burning-bush declaration. The disciples didn’t need calmer waves; they needed to recognize the Speaker. Fear distorts our vision, making Savior seem like specter. Yet Jesus still speaks identity, not platitudes: His “I AM” anchors us when circumstances scream “you’re alone.” The storm didn’t vanish first; trust began when they heard His voice. [01:01:11]

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” (Isaiah 43:1–2, ESV)

Reflection: What “voice” (fear, shame, doubt) competes with Christ’s “I AM” in your current storm? How can you attune your heart to His declaration over you?

Day 4: Worship as the Storm’s Unexpected Gift

Matthew’s account says they worshiped Him—not when the sea stilled, but when terror met His presence. Awe often follows fear; the disciples traded panic for prostration. Worship isn’t denial of storms but recognition of the Storm-Walker. Their boat still rocked, yet their knees bent. True worship begins not in safety but in the shocking relief that the Holy One is in the boat. [01:03:33]

And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:33, ESV)

Reflection: When has fear of your circumstances overshadowed awe of Christ’s nearness? What step could you take today to worship Him—not for the calm, but for His presence?

Day 5: The Shoreline That Follows Obedience

John emphasizes the immediacy: “the boat was at the land.” With Jesus aboard, the destination became inevitable. The disciples didn’t navigate—they received. Our calling isn’t to engineer outcomes but to welcome the Navigator. The shore symbolizes more than safety; it’s the promise that His presence reshapes our journey’s end. Where He is, arrival is assured. [01:21:53]

Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. (John 6:21, ESV)

Reflection: What “shoreline” have you been striving toward in your strength? How might entrusting the journey to Christ redefine your understanding of “arrival”?

Sermon Summary

John’s account strips the water-walking story down to just a handful of verses, and that simplicity changes the focus. John does not put Peter on the waves. John puts the disciples in the dark, on the sea, in the wind, without Jesus, and afraid. The darkness is literal, but John never wastes a detail. The darkness also says something true: it is dark when the light of the world has not yet come near.

Jesus cares about problems and fears, not in some vague, distant, deistic way, but as the Creator who is present and active. The sea becomes the picture of chaos, the kind of chaos ancient people knew well, especially fishermen who understood that the Sea of Galilee could turn deadly fast. The chaos is not just weather. The chaos can be relational darkness, financial darkness, or the darkness seen in the mirror, because no sin is more dangerous to a person than the sin of the person in the mirror.

Jesus walks into that chaos as the one who brings order where there is disorder. The miracle refuses every naturalistic escape hatch. Jesus is not walking near the lake, because the boat is three or four miles out. Jesus is not using tricks, special shoes, or floating sandals. Jesus simply walks where there is no ground, because nothing stands in the way of his will. The same Christ who multiplies bread for thousands comes across the water to frightened disciples.

John records that the disciples were frightened until Jesus says, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” The words “It is I” carry the weight of that familiar divine self-identification, yet they also sound like the voice of someone dearly known: “It’s me.” Jesus does not merely analyze fear, dissect it, trace its roots, and leave the disciples staring at themselves. Jesus alleviates fear by giving himself. The presence of Jesus may not make every storm instantly easy, but the presence of Jesus means the storm will not conquer those who belong to him.

The terror of Jesus also matters. Jesus is not safe in the tame, sentimental sense. The Jesus who calms waves is the same Jesus who flips tables, rebukes vipers, commands sinners, and yet gently says, “Neither do I condemn you.” John’s line that the boat immediately reaches land shows the point: when Christ gets in the boat, he gets his people where they need to be. The warning is sharp too. Rejection leaves people in danger, still out on the water, still trying the same sin again and expecting a different result. Christ alone saves, and he does not ride in the back seat.

Key Takeaways

1. Darkness matters to Jesus John names the darkness because fear rarely comes alone. Darkness gathers storm, distance, helplessness, and the awful feeling that Jesus has not yet come near. Christ does not treat those fears as too small for his attention, because the light of the world comes toward frightened people in the very place that feels least manageable. [50:05]
2. Chaos cannot overrule Christ The sea pictures a world where the rules seem to fall apart, like a game with no fixed order and no one in charge. Jesus walks on top of that chaos, not because the water cooperates, but because creation obeys its Maker. The storm may still roar for a moment, but it is never sovereign. [57:24]
3. Jesus gives himself to fear Jesus does not first hand the disciples a technique, a theory, or a long analysis of why fear happened. Jesus says, “It is I,” and his own presence becomes the answer. Fear is not healed by endless navel-gazing when the soul most needs to look away from itself and recognize the familiar voice of Christ. [63:49]
4. The frightening Jesus saves Jesus is tender, but he is not tame. The same Christ who says, “Do not be afraid” is the one whose power over wind, waves, sin, and judgment should make creatures tremble. Reverent fear and deep comfort belong together because all that terrifying power desires the good of those who receive him. [67:34]
5. Christ takes the driver’s seat Jesus does not enter the boat as a consultant or climb into the car to sit in the back. His saving presence is also his ruling presence. The sinner does not get a customized Jesus made of preferred parts, because the real Jesus is received whole or not received at all. [80:21]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[39:54] - John’s Concise Water-Walking Account
[41:33] - Reading With the Heart Engaged
[45:42] - John 6:16-21
[46:59] - After the Feeding of the 5,000
[50:05] - Jesus Cares About Darkness and Fear
[52:45] - Jesus Walks Where There Is No Ground
[57:24] - The Sea as Chaos
[60:47] - “It Is I. Do Not Be Afraid”
[64:10] - Looking to Jesus, Not Navel-Gazing
[69:38] - Rejection Leaves Boats in Danger
[72:34] - The Jesus Who Scares and Saves
[77:11] - Taking the Whole Jesus
[80:21] - Jesus Gets in the Boat

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 6:16-21 (ESV)
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.

Observation questions

What specific details does John highlight about the disciples’ situation before Jesus arrives (e.g., time of day, weather, emotions)?
How does Jesus identify himself to the disciples, and what immediate effect does this have on them?
What happens to the boat immediately after Jesus enters it?
In the sermon, how was the “sea” described as a symbol of chaos in the ancient world? [57:24]

Interpretation questions

Why might John emphasize the darkness as both a literal and symbolic detail in this story?
How does Jesus’ statement, “It is I,” connect to his identity as the one who brings order to chaos?
The sermon mentions that Jesus is “tender but not tame.” How does this story show both his power to command creation and his compassion for fearful people? [01:07:34]
What does the boat’s sudden arrival on land suggest about Jesus’ role in guiding his people?

Application questions

What “darkness” (relational, financial, internal) are you facing right now that feels overwhelming? How might Jesus’ presence in that darkness change your perspective?
When have you tried to “row the boat yourself” in a chaotic situation instead of looking to Christ’s presence? What practical step could help you turn to him first?
Are there areas of your life where you’ve asked Jesus to be a “backseat passenger” instead of surrendering control? What would it look like to let him take the driver’s seat there? [01:20:21]
How can holding both reverence for Jesus’ power and comfort in his kindness shape the way you respond to fear or sin?
The sermon warns against repeating the same sin while expecting different results. What cycle of failure do you need to break by trusting Christ’s authority instead of your own efforts? [01:12:07]

Sermon Clips

47s

“There is no realm in which Jesus Christ does not have authority, and that is scary because he could say something that you don't like. He could tell you, you need to be more generous with your finances. You need to help that person across the street that you know is in need or or something. it is scary to submit to someone fully, not knowing what will come out of his mouth next. But I promise you, even if Jesus does take something away from you that you find precious, he will replace it with something more precious. And in time, you will absolutely find that the new that he has given you is more precious than the old that he took away.”

61s

“My friends, whether you have temptations or fears or trials, looking at the situation this is what I always say when it's about Peter. The part with Peter walking on the waves is don't look at the waves. Don't look at your circumstances. Look at Jesus. Right? And so I'm I'm gonna slide that in even though Peter's not in this in John's version. looking to Jesus is the solution to all these struggles and fears and trials that we're going through, it doesn't mean that those struggles and fears and trials will just poof. They're gone. Oh, man. Now that I'm looking at Jesus, everything's so easy. Anybody experience that? Just no? No hands? It doesn't necessarily make life easy, but having Jesus nearby means that whatever is terrifying you will not conquer you.”

68s

“But if we make up our own Jesus, which, my friends, this has become so common in our society. Who is Jesus? If you just ask that question because almost everybody will say, I like Jesus. I'm I'm cool with Jesus. But the question okay. So tell me about him. What is he like? And you will find Jesus is either all of this and not that or all of this and not that very, very often. We have Santa Claus Jesus. Right? We have rainbow flag Jesus. We have, white boy summer Jesus. We have name it. Testosterone Jesus. Right? We have Lord's Jim Jesus. Right? Doing a push up with a cross on his back. Right? What what what kind what Jesus do you like? Well, my friends, we don't get to pick and choose parts of Jesus. We take him as a whole, or we don't get him at all.”

48s

“but, clearly, John is making a point, isn't he? Jesus gets in the boat, and then John tells us immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. Ergo, when Christ enters your life, he gets you where you need to be. Right? That's the message that John is is saying. It may not be the place you plan to be, but he will get you where you need to be, which is the best place for you. Because he's not wanting to take you somewhere and and and drop you off in some terrible place because he doesn't like you. He's trying to get you to the best place that's better than the place that you would have otherwise gone to.”

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It Is I: Jesus Calms Our Storms

Devotional

Day 1: When Darkness Masks the Savior’s Approach

Day 2: Chaos as the Canvas for Divine Order

Day 3: The Voice That Turns Terror to Trust

Day 4: Worship as the Storm’s Unexpected Gift

Day 5: The Shoreline That Follows Obedience

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

It Is I: Jesus Calms Our Storms

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