Show Don't Tell: John 6:16-21

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a deep indigo hue over the Sea of Galilee, the disciples found themselves uneasy and restless. They climbed into their boat, the gentle ripple of the water lapping against the hull, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in the evening sky. The air was thick with anticipation; they had been waiting for Jesus, but as darkness enveloped them, his absence weighed heavily in their hearts.

Suddenly, a ferocious wind swept across the lake, transforming the tranquil waters into a frothy tempest. The boat pitched and rolled, the disciples grasping the edges with white-knuckled fear. They strained against the oars, muscles burning, hearts racing, as they fought to make headway against the gale that threatened to capsize them.

Then, through the sheets of rain and the howling wind, they caught a glimpse of a figure moving toward them on the water—a sight so surreal, so terrifying, that their hearts nearly stopped. It was Jesus, his silhouette illuminated by flashes of lightning, striding across the lake as if it were solid ground. Panic surged within them, fear morphing into confusion. “Is it a ghost?” one of them cried, eyes wide with dread.

But then came his voice, cutting through the chaos with a clarity that seemed to still the very storm itself: “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Those simple words, spoken with love and authority, pierced their fear like a candle in the dark. With cautious hope, they welcomed him into the boat, and in an instant, they were no longer in the midst of chaos but safely on the shore, the storm behind them.