Mark - Why Are We Surprised

The Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark, generally held to be the first gospel recorded, and is the shortest Gospel in our bible.

John Mark, the writer of the gospel and cousin to Barnabas and missionary companion to Paul.

The Gospel of Mark was likely written to persuade Gentile readers in Rome that Jesus’ death on the cross did not invalidate his claims to messiahship or his proclamation of the kingdom of God, but rather that his resurrection, miracles, and prediction of his death justified his claims.

“Why Are We Surprised?”

Sermon Introduction:

For several weeks now we have been studying the book of Mark.

What have we been specifically studying?

What miracles have we studied?

Leprosy, demon out of son, demon out of daughter.

Who can guess what miracle we are studying tonight?

Jesus Calms the Storm

Mark 4:35–40 ESV

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. 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?” 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?”

Who in here has ever been in a crazy storm?

Caswell Lifeguard Storm:

Caswell is located on the southern most tip of Oak Island

Oak Island is a barrier island on the NC coast

Oak Island is sandwiched between the large cape fear river and the Atlantic ocean

This causes 2 things… a lot of fish and some crazy storms

Since 1930 it has been recorded that around 90 hurricanes have hit Oak Island.

Sea of Galilee

Freshwater lake that is located in the region of Galilee

The Jordan river flows into the sea of Galilee and eventually leads to the dead sea

The sea of Galilee is located in a geological rift known as Afro-Arabian Rift Valley.

This unusual location placed the sea of Galilee at 690 feet below sea level and surrounded by a 2,000 ft volcanic mountain “Mount Tabor, and The Horns of Hattin.

The Sea of Galilee is 15 miles long and 6 miles wide, which makes it the largest lake in Israel and a little smaller than Lake Norman

Because of the unique location of the Sea of Galilee it is very prone to storms.

Mark 4:37 ESV

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.

We can read this passage and understand from a scientific standpoint what exactly is going on.

The cold air coming across the mountains is colliding with the warm air around the sea causing crazy storms.

Where is Jesus?

The Disciples are in a real panic and they begin to look around for Jesus and see that He is asleep in the back of the boat.

Mark 4:38 ESV

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?”

How true is that… in the midst of our fear how quick are we to pray to Jesus do you not care that I am going through this?

Mark 4:39 ESV

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.

I love to imagine the facial expressions of the disciples in this moment.

to go from sheer panic to complete calm in the time Jesus spoke must have left them speechless.

Mark 4:40 ESV

40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Why are you so surprised?

Do you not know who is with you?

Do you not know I will protect you?

Have you forgotten the miracles you have witnessed me perform?

Why are we so surprised when Jesus works in our lives?

As a born again believer in Christ, I have seen God work in my life time and time again yet I still pray with this timid, unsure voice.

If we truly believe Jesus is who He says He is why do we not pray like we believe it?

Psalm 65:7 ESV

7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples,

Job 38:34–35 ESV

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? 35 Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?

This is who our God is!!!

1 John 5:14 ESV

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

Closing

When our prayers are aligned with scripture and the character of God then we can pray confidently that God hears us and will do a miracle in our life.