is jesus in your boat?
Pastor Frank Park | Founding and Senior Pastor
Scripture: John 6:15–21
Storms have a way of exposing what we really believe about Jesus.
After the feeding of the five thousand, the crowd wants to make Jesus king by force. He withdraws to the mountain alone, while His disciples get into a boat and head across the Sea of Galilee. Before long, darkness settles in, the wind picks up, and the waters become rough. Jesus is nowhere in sight.
Until He is.
John tells us that Jesus comes to them, walking on the water, and the disciples are terrified, until He speaks: “It is I; do not be afraid.” When they receive Him into the boat, they immediately arrive at their destination.
Here’s the truth this passage presses into our hearts: It is better to have Jesus in your boat with a storm than to be without Jesus in calm waters.
Storms Don’t Mean Absence
One of the most common assumptions we make in hardship is that the storm itself means God is distant. But this story dismantles that idea. Jesus was not unaware of the storm. Jesus was not delayed by the storm. Jesus was not defeated by the storm. He came through it; walking on the very thing that terrified His disciples.
If Jesus is in your boat, the storm becomes secondary. The wind may still howl, the waves may still rise, and the darkness may still surround you, but His presence changes everything. Fear loses its authority. Chaos loses its final word.
Storms With Purpose
Matthew and Mark add a detail John doesn’t emphasize: Jesus made the disciples get into the boat.
“Immediately he [Jesus] made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismisses the crowds.” - Matthew 14:22
“Immediately he [Jesus] made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.” - Mark 6:45
That changes everything. They didn’t wander into the storm by poor decision-making. They didn’t disobey and end up in trouble. They weren’t outside God’s will. They were in the storm because of God’s will. Jesus knew the weather. Jesus knew the water. Jesus knew the fear they would feel. And still, He sent them.
This reframes how we view the storms in our lives. Some storms are classrooms; places where faith is deepened, trust is refined, and dependence on Jesus is made unavoidable.
The Question That Matters
The most important question is NOT:
The most important question is: Is Jesus in your boat?
Because if He is, the storm is not wasted. If He is, the storm is not ultimate. If He is, the storm does not define the outcome. The disciples didn’t calm the sea. They didn’t row harder to overcome it. They didn’t find a workaround. They received Jesus. And when they did, everything changed.
Calm Waters Without Christ
We often crave calm waters more than we crave Christ. We pray for ease, comfort, predictability, and control. But calm waters without Jesus are still dangerous. A peaceful life without Christ may feel safe, but it is directionless, powerless, and empty. On the other hand, a storm-tossed life with Jesus is never truly out of control. His presence brings peace even before circumstances change. His voice carries authority over fear. His nearness turns chaos into testimony.
A New Way to See Your Storm
If the disciples could look back on that night, they wouldn’t only remember the wind and waves. They would remember the moment they saw Jesus walking toward them; unbothered, sovereign, and present.
Your storm may not end today. Your waters may not calm immediately. Your fear may still feel close. But if Jesus is in your boat, your storm has purpose, your fear has an expiration date, and your destination is secure. So don’t waste the storm by resenting it. Don’t assume God has abandoned you. And don’t measure God’s goodness by the weather.
Instead, ask this simple, faith-filled question: Jesus, are You in my boat?
And when He answers, as He always does: “It is I; do not be afraid,” receive Him.
Because with Jesus in the boat, the storm is never the final story.
Storms have a way of exposing what we really believe about Jesus.
After the feeding of the five thousand, the crowd wants to make Jesus king by force. He withdraws to the mountain alone, while His disciples get into a boat and head across the Sea of Galilee. Before long, darkness settles in, the wind picks up, and the waters become rough. Jesus is nowhere in sight.
Until He is.
John tells us that Jesus comes to them, walking on the water, and the disciples are terrified, until He speaks: “It is I; do not be afraid.” When they receive Him into the boat, they immediately arrive at their destination.
Here’s the truth this passage presses into our hearts: It is better to have Jesus in your boat with a storm than to be without Jesus in calm waters.
Storms Don’t Mean Absence
One of the most common assumptions we make in hardship is that the storm itself means God is distant. But this story dismantles that idea. Jesus was not unaware of the storm. Jesus was not delayed by the storm. Jesus was not defeated by the storm. He came through it; walking on the very thing that terrified His disciples.
If Jesus is in your boat, the storm becomes secondary. The wind may still howl, the waves may still rise, and the darkness may still surround you, but His presence changes everything. Fear loses its authority. Chaos loses its final word.
Storms With Purpose
Matthew and Mark add a detail John doesn’t emphasize: Jesus made the disciples get into the boat.
“Immediately he [Jesus] made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismisses the crowds.” - Matthew 14:22
“Immediately he [Jesus] made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.” - Mark 6:45
That changes everything. They didn’t wander into the storm by poor decision-making. They didn’t disobey and end up in trouble. They weren’t outside God’s will. They were in the storm because of God’s will. Jesus knew the weather. Jesus knew the water. Jesus knew the fear they would feel. And still, He sent them.
This reframes how we view the storms in our lives. Some storms are classrooms; places where faith is deepened, trust is refined, and dependence on Jesus is made unavoidable.
The Question That Matters
The most important question is NOT:
- Why is this happening?
- When will it end?
- How do I get out of this storm?
The most important question is: Is Jesus in your boat?
Because if He is, the storm is not wasted. If He is, the storm is not ultimate. If He is, the storm does not define the outcome. The disciples didn’t calm the sea. They didn’t row harder to overcome it. They didn’t find a workaround. They received Jesus. And when they did, everything changed.
Calm Waters Without Christ
We often crave calm waters more than we crave Christ. We pray for ease, comfort, predictability, and control. But calm waters without Jesus are still dangerous. A peaceful life without Christ may feel safe, but it is directionless, powerless, and empty. On the other hand, a storm-tossed life with Jesus is never truly out of control. His presence brings peace even before circumstances change. His voice carries authority over fear. His nearness turns chaos into testimony.
A New Way to See Your Storm
If the disciples could look back on that night, they wouldn’t only remember the wind and waves. They would remember the moment they saw Jesus walking toward them; unbothered, sovereign, and present.
Your storm may not end today. Your waters may not calm immediately. Your fear may still feel close. But if Jesus is in your boat, your storm has purpose, your fear has an expiration date, and your destination is secure. So don’t waste the storm by resenting it. Don’t assume God has abandoned you. And don’t measure God’s goodness by the weather.
Instead, ask this simple, faith-filled question: Jesus, are You in my boat?
And when He answers, as He always does: “It is I; do not be afraid,” receive Him.
Because with Jesus in the boat, the storm is never the final story.