These chapters tell of miracles and messages: Jesus can walk on water and feed thousands. Through these actions, Jesus not only serves people but also tells them who he is.
“Jesus Walks on Water,” excerpted from The Gospel according to Mark, Julie M. Smith, 424–432.
“This story is not primarily about Jesus walking on water but rather about Jesus’ attempt to reveal his true nature to his disciples and their (comical) failure to understand him.” This excerpt includes the New Rendition, Notes, and Analysis.
“Miracles of Jesus in the Gospel of John,” Blair G. Van Dyke, Religious Educator 9, no. 3.
Jesus’ healing the infirm man at the pool of Bethesda “served a very public purpose of the ministry of Jesus. It invited people to look to Christ and his power rather than to trust in superstition or false traditions.”
“We Believe and Are Sure,” by Camille Fronk Olson, Thou Art the Christ, the Son of the Living God , video at YouTube RSC channel
How did Peter gain his testimony (John 6:68, 69)? Scriptural evidence suggests that he and others first believed that Jesus was divinely sent and then acted upon that belief.
“Hard Sayings and Safe Spaces: Making Room for Struggle as Well as Faith,” by Eric D. Huntsman, BYU Devotional, Aug. 7, 2018, video and transcript.
In John 6:60–69, Jesus’ followers complained, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” Jesus asked the Twelve if they would also go away, but Peter responded that they believed and were sure that Jesus is the Christ. In this devotional, Eric Huntsman tells how we can deal with challenges (hard sayings) and struggles that we often feel we must endure alone and without the understanding of fellow Saints. Huntsman encourages all of us to help each other through nights of struggle and love one another as Jesus loves us.
Chart 8-1: “Jesus Affirms His Divinity with the Greek Words I AM,” Charting the New Testament
In John 6:35, Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life.” The Greek words in this verse for the phrase “I AM” are ego eimi. By identifying himself with these Greek words, Jesus clearly states his divine identity as the Lord God of Israel. This chart lists the passages throughout the New Testament that also contain the words ego eimi.
