John 6:16-18 16And as evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17and after getting into a boat, they started going across the sea to Capernaum. And it had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea had become stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
This short account was attached to the feeding of the five thousand in early Christian tradition (Matthew 14:22–34; Mark 6:45–52), which suggests that the two stories complement one another and inform one another in some way. John included both as “signs” of Jesus’ divinity as the Son of God. The two stories show Jesus’ power over the nature created through him. Jesus had spent time alone on the mountain. Although John does not record what Jesus did there, the context of the previous chapter implies that he spent time with the Father.
The lunch was over, the people fed, and so the disciples set off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, which was one of the headquarters of Jesus’ ministry. The disciples had plenty to eat for dinner time from all the leftovers from the grand feeding. Their minds must have been filled with awe and wonder at what had taken place. They each had the evidence right with them with the full baskets of barley bread. The disciples had gone out to the boat and started across. John does not indicate any dialogue between Jesus and the disciples before the departure or during this whole incident.
As happens sometimes on the Sea of Galilee, the wind had picked up, bringing with it strong waves. This body of water is one of the lowest in the world at 600 feet below sea level. The cool air can sweep down from the hills and cause strong waves, making it difficult for any boat to get across the water. Some of the disciples were fishermen and had spent their lives on the water, but others were not. The fishermen would have known the danger, and the “land lovers” would have been even more concerned. The situation was turning out to be a test of their faith. They had hit the high point of the feeding of bread and fish and now the low point of facing a life-threatening situation. Life often is like that, with big highs followed by the reality of challenges that bring doubt, fear, and uncertainty.
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