The Inside-out World of Jesus

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION

“We take for granted the slow miracle whereby water in the irrigation of a vineyard becomes wine. It is only when Christ turns water into wine, in a quick motion, as it were, that we stand amazed.”

~Augustine of Hippo (354-430), Bishop of Hippo and theologian

“Man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities, the most monstrous, and like a ship without a rudder, is the sport of every wind.”

~Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), third President of the United States

“As many have learned and later taught, you don’t realize Jesus is all you need
until Jesus is all you have.”

~Tim Keller, author and retired pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church

“To walk on water? That’s what’s puzzling --
that feat of anti-matter, defeat of physics,
those beautiful unshod feet of cosmic truth
for whom the whole performance is child’s play.
And unless one becomes a little child
the kingdom’s inaccessible by any route.”

~Mark Jarman, Professor of English, Vanderbilt University

“Those of us who write and study history are accustomed to its approximations and ambiguities. This is why we do not take literally the tenth-hand reports of frightened and illiterate peasants who claim to have seen miracles or to have had encounters with messiahs and prophets and redeemers who were, like them, mere humans.”

~Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011), English author

“I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

~Thomas Merton (1915-1968), American theologian

“Seeing that a pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness.”

~John Calvin (1509-1564), French theologian and pastor

SERMON PASSAGE

John 6:15-21 (NIV)

15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.