Follow #14 -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Christ And The Storm
Introduction
An Eye-Witness Account
This story was told to Mark by an eyewitness. The whole scene is filled with vivid details, the kind only a participant would recall.
It all happened in the evening (35).
Jesus used the same boat he'd been preaching from earlier (just as he was, 36).
Other boats were with him out on the waters (36).
Jesus slept on the cushion rowers would sit on (38).
An Identity Account
- This episode is an identity account -- one where the disciples come to terms with Jesus' identity.
- In this story, they gain a massive clue he is the God of Glory, the Holy One, the Creator and Sustainer of all flesh. They will walk away, amazed by Jesus.
- But there are dangers to this understanding of Jesus from this text.
- One is familiarity; this is a well-known and sometimes well-worn passage from Jesus' life.
- A second is the abuse of the text; this is a story many pastors and preachers use to make people think more about themselves and their storms, rather than more about Christ.
- Premise: The truth is that seeing the Christ-exalting nature of this passage will do more for your soul than a trite or superficial feeling that Jesus can calm your storms, but without any understanding of how, or when, or why, or even why not. Instead, this passage can put steel in your spine because it will help you understand that if Jesus the God-man and Creator God is with you, in your boat, so to speak, you can endure anything.
Three Questions
- There are many interesting elements to this story, but I want to spend our time looking at three specific questions in the passage. Each question developed the scene, and each says something about Jesus.
1. Don't You Care? -- Jesus' disciples wondered if he cared about their situation.
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
The Scene
- It was on the same day Jesus was busy preaching the parables to the crowds (4:1-34).
- When Jesus invited his disciples to go across to the other side, he was likely inviting them to a bit of escape from the multitudes for a moment.
- The Sea of Galilee's topography sometimes lends to a violent interchange of warm and cold air ascending and descending, dancing over the waters of Galilee. These tempests or squalls, though infrequent, are forceful when they occur, especially for the small boats of Jesus' day.
- And one such great windstorm arose that night as Jesus and the disciples attempted to cross Galilee. Waves were breaking into the boat. The boat was filling with water.
Trials
- The story shows us how, even though Jesus had invited his disciples to go across the Sea of Galilee, they were not immune from storms. In a sense, it was as if Jesus invited them into this windstorm when he invited them to cross the waters.
- Someday, when in glory, we will live trial-free lives. But, if we're honest, for life on earth we need trials.
- Trials make us complete (James 1:2-4).
- Trials produce perseverance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3-4).
- Trials purify us (1 Peter 1:6-8).
38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
Their Question
It appears the disciples felt helpless in the face of the windstorm. Many of them were experienced fishermen. They were familiar with that lake and this boat but knew they were outmatched. They believed they were going to die. So they went to wake Jesus, saying, "Do you not care that we are perishing?"
What made them ask this question? What made them accuse Jesus of apathy towards their situation? Well, he was asleep.
Our Feeling
But isn't this so often the feeling we have when during trials? We know much more than they did. We know about the cross. We know Jesus' identity as the Son of God. We know he lives with us by his Spirit. Yet we still often react the way they did. Lord, don't you care? Don't you see what we're going through? I'm PERISHING. You're SLEEPING.
Peter said: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7, NIV)
- Sometimes, the process of casting our anxieties on him is an ugly affair.
2. Why Are You So Afraid? -- Jesus wanted his disciples to trust him.
39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
The Miracle
- Jesus awoke immediately calmed the seas. In the same way, he rebuked demons, he rebuked the wind. He told the sea to be still. Great calm came upon the waters. Amazing. The Prince of Peace had done his thing.
The Questions
Jesus then questioned his men. He had been teaching them privately, telling them the meaning of his parables and letting them in on the secret of the kingdom (4:11-12, 34). But they still didn't have the faith they needed. They were still afraid. Clearly, they didn't yet know who they were dealing with in Jesus.
So Jesus asked them: Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?
It was a teachable moment. He loved them. He was parenting them. This wasn't a harsh rebuke, but a gentle one designed to get them to realize who he was, and who they were when with him.
They Made It Across
- Remember, Jesus invited them to go across to the other side (35). Matthew and Luke (John doesn't include this story) both also include this detail. Jesus invited his disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee, to go to the other side.
- Now, notice the first verse of Mark 5: "They came to the other side of the sea..." (Mark 5:1, ESV)
- In other words, Jesus invited them to go across to the other side. And go across they went. He didn't invite them to drown or to die out there on the lake's waters.
We'll Make It Across
- This word -- across to the other side -- has been a comfort to me as a pastor during this time. You see, Jesus said the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church (Matthew 16:18).
You'll Make It Across
- "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6, ESV)
3. Who Is This? -- Jesus' disciples learned of his identity.
41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Not Any Miracle
- Remember, this isn't the first time the disciples have witnessed Jesus perform a miracle.
- But this miracle did shock them. Why?
An Act Of God
In their view, this miracle was in an altogether different category than anything else he'd done. They were Jewish men, steeped in Old Testament traditions and scriptures. When they scanned the Old Testament, it was God himself who split the Red Sea, held back the waters of the Jordan River, and calmed the Mediterranean once Jonah was cast overboard. This was God stuff. In Genesis 1, on the six days of creation, God took chaos and made order, and Jesus did the same on the lake that night.
It shocked them. So they said, "Who is then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" His miracle was a revelation. They were starting to see the divinity of Christ. The sleeper in the stern was God in the flesh!
- Notice the strong parallel between Jesus' work here and the work of God in Psalm 107.
- Psalm 107:23–32 (ESV)—23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; 24 they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. 25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; 27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end.
- 28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
- 31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
- He is the glorious Creator God who will one day calm every storm and make all things new.