NOTES for Joh 6:15-21
By refusing the possibility of leading a political movement, Christ rejects a temptation that recalls how Satan tempted Him in the wilderness with the illusion of earthly power. To save the people—the very reason He came to them—it proved necessary to reject their hopes and ideas. But love can be expressed not only through approval, but also through opposition. If the Lord does not answer some of our requests, His love may be revealed in this more strongly than if He granted them...
Christ walks on the surface of the sea without sinking into the water, just as He walked among people without becoming mired in earthly passions. The words He speaks to the bewildered disciples—“Do not be afraid!”—sound entirely natural in such a situation. Yet these words mean more than a simple desire to reassure them. The Bible repeatedly presents them as spoken by God or by angels speaking in His Name. Thus, in the midst of the Sea of Galilee, Christ once again bore witness to Himself as God.