Christ walks on the water to his Apostles in the midst of the lake, at around 3 am, the fourth watch, as they toil, tormented, against the storm. Behold the miracle, but we have to ask, why did Christ perform it, why did he choose this particular way to cross the sea of Galilee?
Consider the Old Testament context, where we find many aquatic miracles, including Elisha parting the Jordan with Elijah's mantle, Joshua parting the Jordan and preeminently Moses, who famously parts the Red Sea so that the Israelites can pass through, unscathed.
Granted, great signs of divine power in the persons of God's messengers and leaders, but Christ is more than this, and he does something only God can do, he walks on water. Scripture is clear, this is God's domain, "The Lord alone stretches forth the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea," (Job 9:8) which is exactly what Christ does. He says as much.
In the fourth watch, in the dead of night, as the storm blows fiercely, Jesus comes to the men on the boat and says, "Take heart, it is I, Have no fear." It is I; in the Greek, ἐγώ εἰμι, literally I Am. We've heard this before, Christ is telling the Apostles that He is the same God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. Accordingly, they should have no fear. Our Lord then gets into the boat and the storm is stilled, leaving them "astounded."
Yes indeed, here is a man who is also God and the Apostles attempt to grapple with this fact. We leave them, astounded, in the boat. The same boat which we see from our vantage point as a model of the Church, making her progress through the waters of the world. The Church to which Christ comes in the fourth watch of Antichrist's storm and saves her, at his second coming, putting an end to evil and sin for all time.
Christ comes to us today, no matter how high or fiercely the tempest blows against us, and says as he said to his Apostles, "Take heart, it is I, Have no fear." And neither should we. In him, Jesus, who died and rose again we have found salvation, the forgiveness of sins and resurrection to eternal life. Nothing, not even the Olympic marketing team itself, can take that from us.
So be of good cheer and give God the glory.
Your Apocalyptic Pal,
LSP
