The Fifth Sign

There’s a big difference between a journey with Jesus, and a journey without Jesus. That’s what we find in The Fifth Sign, found in John 6:16-21, the focus this week in Exalted Christ. Jesus walks on water and meets the disciples in a lake during a storm that took their journey incredibly far away from their intended course. Jesus calms the storm and immediately takes them to their destination, proving that not only is He Lord over nature, but someone who has our journey and our needs near to His heart.

All of us are on a journey, and all of our journeys involve the universal human drama of contending with the forces of nature and the presence of darkness. However, this historical account, and the Gospel of John, is an all-out declaration that Jesus is the supreme power over the forces of darkness, nature, and our very own lives!  

Questions for Meditation 

1. Everything on earth has to submit to nature (including earthly gods and idols); Jesus does not. If the Spirit of Jesus lives inside of you, what does that say about your ability to overcome the forces of nature?
2. If the disciples had not invited Jesus into their boat, what could have happened to the boat? To the crew? To their mission?
3. Sometimes we can find ourselves in places of darkness; in other times we’ve perhaps experienced seasons where we work, strain, and push forward, yet find ourselves lost from the path we intended. This story shows that regardless of place or circumstance, Jesus wants to help us on our journey. How can we invite Jesus into the “boat of our lives” on a daily basis?
4. What is the difference between how the disciples began their journey and how they ended? What can we learn from their experience, and how can we apply it to our own personal lives? 
5. It’s better to be with Jesus than on your own. Jesus not only came to the disciples, but the moment He stepped on the boat the disciples’ journey was accelerated. He removed every obstacle! What obstacles would you request that God remove from your life so that you can move forward in what God has called you to do?