Walking on the Waters

John 6:16-24

In the ancient world, water symbolized power, chaos, and destruction. This is because water can be unpredictable, uncontrollable, and even a source of disaster and death. Think, for instance, of the flood in Genesis 6-8, the Red Sea standing in the Israelites’ way in Exodus 14, or the story of Jonah in Jonah 1 & 2. And yet, in each of those instances (and more), we see God triumphing over the waters, taming them, and bringing them under his power and control. In this text, then, Jesus does the same thing. It’s another instance of him revealing his glory through a sign, and it brings us one step closer to understanding who he truly is as the Son of God himself.