ACC ~ John 6 v22 - 24

OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CROWD TO INFER A MIRACLE

CHRYSOSTOM: Why didn’t he enter the ship? Because his intention was to make the miracle greater and more openly reveal to them his Godhead…. The day following, the people who had stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there except the one that his disciples entered. They also saw that Jesus had not gone with his disciples into the boat but that his disciples were alone when they left. And why is John so exact about this? Why didn’t he simply say that the multitude had crossed over on the next day? He wants to teach us that Jesus allowed the multitudes, if not openly, at least indirectly to infer what had taken place…. What else could they do but suspect that he had crossed the sea on foot? For he could not have gone over in a ship since there was only one ship there— that in which his disciples had entered. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 43.1. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:156**.

A GREATER MIRACLE THAN THAT OF MOSES

CHRYSOSTOM: The Jews, guided by Moses, passed over the Red Sea, but that case is widely different. Moses did everything with prayer and as a servant. Christ does this with absolute power. There when the south wind blew, the water yielded so as to allow them to pass over on dry land, [1] but here the miracle is greater. For the sea retained its proper nature and in this way carried its Lord upon its surface, thus testifying to the Scripture that says, “Who walks on the sea as on pavement.” [2] HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 43.2. [3]

[1] Ex 14:21.

[2] Job 9:8.

[3] NPNF 1 14:156**.