John 6:20 → Exodus 3:14

At the bush God gave Moses His name for a people in bondage: "I AM WHO I AM" and "I AM has sent me to you" (Exodus 3:14), the LORD who simply is, binding Himself to rescue. John 6:20 does not quote that verse, and on the surface Jesus' "It is I; do not be afraid" is plain self-identification to men in a dark, storm-tossed boat. The scene loads the words. He comes "walking on the sea" (John 6:19), what Job reserved for God, who "treads on the waves of the sea" (Job 9:8; the LXX there shares John's verb, G4043), and He speaks ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi, G1473 + G1510), the words the LXX sets at the head of Exodus 3:14. John lets the phrase grow until it stands alone: "before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:58). So the tie is clear in context, though quiet on the page. The God who named Himself to bring Israel through the sea now crosses the sea to His frightened disciples, and what He brings is Himself: they take Him into the boat, and "at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading" (John 6:21).