City Life Starter

Written by Paul Lane

The Word

¹⁶ When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷ got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. ¹⁸ The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” ²¹ Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

John 6:16-21 ESV

¹² At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
    and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
¹³ And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
    until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. ¹⁴ There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.

Joshua 10:12-14 ESV

Reflection

Above is an image of Archimedes (287-212 BC).  I like this image because it captures the state of a man pondering the universe and being caught up in the mystery of it.  Archimedes was a brilliant scientist, and so caught up in his wonderings about the universe that he refused to leave the library when Roman soldiers had captured the city.  Or so one story goes.

Today’s miracle is one of the ones that really pushes on the nature of our existence, and it challenges our understanding of the universe.  It has always impressed me that here Jesus is overcoming the standard behavior of universal physics.  He is operating as one who rules over all things, with no limits to what he rules.  Archimedes, who discovered much about how things float, lived more than 200 years prior to this event in John 6.  So, the scientific understanding of how things float on water was well established at this point.

But is it really that special of a thing if someone like Joshua could cause the sun to stand still in the sky?  Isn’t that a bigger miracle than someone walking on water?  Perhaps, but you also should note that it is the Lord that Joshua is calling on to perform this miracle.  So, Jesus makes the sun stand still and Jesus walks on the water. 

This is also consistent with the idea that Jesus was there when God created the universe, when God spoke to Noah, and when God spoke to Abraham.  He was also there when God formed you in your mother’s womb.  Jesus claimed that He has been involved with the creating of all creation from the beginning, and this miracle is a big arrow pointing to this fact.  Jesus is Lord and master over all creation. 

When I read this passage it reminds me of our scripting meetings, when we are looking to make a difficult case for a trainee.  We often ask, “how can we break the system in such a way that it is not obvious, but if they work at it they can figure it out.”  Jesus is breaking the disciples’ understanding of how the world works, and in the process, they are getting a revelation of who He is.  You see, walking on water is not just another miracle.  It is the type of miracle that points to a certain aspect of who Jesus is.  He is not just a magician or a trickster.  There is no sleight of hand.  When He walks on water, there is no trick about it.  This is a thing that happened in front of the disciples, and they were confronted with the fact of it.

Application

Have you spent time this week wondering about the universe?  Does it challenge you to try to understand how it works?  If so, very good.  If not, this is a good time to do it.  You see, it is Christmas time, a season of distraction, but also a season dedicated to celebrating a series of miracles centered around the birth of a child.  Let the wonder of the Christmas story capture your imagination.  Look past the lights and shopping and all of the family obligations for a moment and spend time in the wonder of the season.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for Your incarnation and demonstrating Your majesty.  I pray this Christmas season that You confront me with the wonder of Your works, that I might be changed.  I pray for the revealing of Christ in my life and in our church.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.