Who Then is This?

Intro: One day back in March, I was sitting in my recliner at the house during the day, doing some reading while Bethany was working at the computer. It was one of those windy days that typically get around here during the early spring, and it was howling that day. The bench swing we have on our porch was banging against the railing and you could hear the wind piercing through the gaps of the windows/doors that we have at the front of the house. Bethany was getting a little bit concerned about how intense the wind was getting. I was sitting normally, not too worried. I lived in New Mexico for much of my early teenage years and spring wind was even more commonplace there. But the wind got so bad that all of a sudden, the doors at the front of the house flew open, swinging back to hit Bethany’s desk (thankfully nothing was damaged) and I heard her scream. I flew out of my chair and began to try to shut the doors. The problem was that I did not have them bolted because I’m running our internet line through that door, so it’s a little difficult to get it shut enough to bolt it at the top. Well, I spent about 10 minutes getting that door shut and bolted.

I tell that story, because I’m sure you can relate to it, but nature is incredibly powerful on land. They can do great damage. But storms on the water are a different beast altogether. Do you wonder why cruises are so much cheaper beginning in August until close to the end of the year? Hurricanes are no joke. We know the power of hurricanes in this area. And being at sea in the midst of one is particularly dangerous and even deadly.

The text before us this morning reminds us of the power of creation and its danger, yet we see that through the chaos and threat of death, we see a greater power on display that overcomes the greatest of storms. That power is Jesus Himself.

CTS: Trust in Jesus who has authority over the powerful storm that threatens death.

Background: Who’s Taking Who? (35-36)

Beginning in this text in verse 35, we see a setup of when and where. The day in which Jesus taught in the boat the parables and explained them to his disciples is coming to a close. It is getting dark, and it is time to go home. What would seem to be a normal next step for Jesus is to get off the boat and head back to a home to eat, rest, and go to sleep to await the next day. Instead, Jesus tells the disciples that he wants to go to the other side of the Sea, about six nautical miles. This would take experienced fisherman about two hours unhindered. Where he is headed is revealed in chapter 5 as a place of Gentiles. The ministry of Jesus extends beyond Jewish borders and reaches the nations.

The boat in which these men are in is about as long as a moving truck and probably just as wide. It could fit up to 15 men. Four would row while the rest would fish.

And we can imagine that these disciples, particularly those that are experienced on the sea, are probably excited about being able to do something for Jesus. Sure, we can get you across the sea. We know how to do that! Brimming with confidence, they set out to see. They take Jesus as he was, no doubt exhausted from his ministry and preaching for the day.

I. Trust Like Jesus (37-38)

A. A storm like no other

There are Old Testament texts that deal with the sea. The sea in Jewish culture and literature was often seen as chaos.

Isaiah 51:9–10 ESV

9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon? 10 Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?

Job 26:11–12 ESV

11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. 12 By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab.

Psalm 104:5–9 ESV

5 He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. 6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7 At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. 8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. 9 You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.

The Sea of Galilee was situation in very much a valley like setting, with hills and mountains that surrounded it, and through the valleys between those mountains, the cold air would rush down and meet with the warm temps of the Sea and water. These storms could come fast and could be dangerous. These were something that these fishermen would know and be used to. But this storm is something different.

This storm is such that death is on the horizon. The storms on seas can be deadly, and this is one of them. Water is already entering into the boat and causing the boat to sink. The imagery reminds us of the instance where Jonah and the fisherman are fighting against a storm, a life-threatening storm that is caused by Jonah’s disobedience. The similarity remains in that there is only one that can stop this storm. One in the boat.

B. The trust of Jesus

In the midst of this storm we see that Jesus is sleeping. I don’t know how, but apparently, Jesus is a heavy sleeper. He isn’t anxious about anything. Do any of you ever have trouble sleeping at night, worried about circumstances or what is to come? Maybe you younger people are worried about school and a test or a project. Maybe you have been worried about your job and the difficulties that come with it, not looking forward to being there. I think we all know that feeling and sometimes is makes it hard to sleep, and when we do, it’s not very good sleep.

Jesus is sleeping good. Why?

1. The creator of the very sea in control -

2. The one whom trusts His Father completely

C. The anxious worry of the disciples

I can imagine the scene. He’s sleeping, and water is filling the boat. Peter, James, John, Bartholomew, Philip, and the others are yelling, struggling, trying to get the water out of the boat, but it is useless. They are facing death. I’m sure they’re looking at the back of the boat where Jesus is sleeping and thinking, is this really happening? Is Jesus sleeping through this?

And they finally break down, and with a tinge of sarcasm and criticism, they wake Jesus up. “Teacher!” First, recognize that they still don’t grasp who He is in full. They’re actions here and up until Jesus’ death and resurrection, they’re not getting it. Teacher doesn’t cut it. This man is healing and casting out demons, teaching with authority. Sure, he’s special, but he’s still just a man.

Do you not care that we are perishing? They wake him up, wondering, look at this mess? Are you not going to help? I don’t know exactly what they were expecting of Jesus, but they didn’t expect what He does. But maybe they thought he would at least be helping them row, get to safety, get the water out. Something. The phrasing is critical, as though they truly believe that Jesus has forgotten their plight and is going to let them perish. They’re trust wasn’t in the presence of Jesus, but rather, what He could do for them. Look, I don’t blame them. I’m not sure I wouldn’t be anxiously worried either in that situation, wondering if Jesus is going to do something. But there is a contrast here. While Jesus rests through the storm, he is trusting in His Father. The disciples, after seeing all that Jesus has done and taught, still don’t realize the magnitude and identity of Jesus.

Application: One of the major applications I see here first is the reminder of who is truly sovereignly control of the circumstances we are in. Jesus knew exactly at this moment what was to come. The disciples thought they were taking Jesus with them as he was. Instead, Jesus is taking his disciples just as they are. For us, we are going to face difficulty, storms that will face the Christian and the body of Christ. And the point of the text in seeing Jesus’ actions as the storm rages is the reminder of the sovereign control of our God. The point is necessarily that Jesus gets us through the storm. It’s that Jesus trusts through the storm.

When the inevitable effects of a fallen world begin to rage around us, whether its natural or whether its from human beings, the question will become for us, “do we trust God through it?” Is the presence of Jesus with us enough when the storm comes. One big application that I find we can remember is that following Jesus does not inherently cause storms to pass us by or miss us. But can we rest as one of his children that God is with us through it, even teaching us something of who He is in the midst of it?

Church, the storm will rage against us. The response by be to trust Jesus, no matter how hard or difficult it is. We must be careful to remember that difficulties will come, from outward and even inward. Difficulties and struggles are a reality of a broken world, do we remember and trust our Father, trusting like Jesus is, knowing he is going to keep us and is sovereign until Christ comes again?

II. Trust In Jesus (39-41)

A. The exorcism of the Sea (39)

And Jesus wakes up. Immediately he does something about the situation. He rebukes. Some that try to remove the supernatural and make explanation might say that Jesus was a great predictor of the weather, and waited at the right exact time of when he knew the storm would stop and the sea would calm.

He rebukes the sea. Immediately. This isn’t a prediction of weather. This is control over it in an instant. Raging storm, high crashing waves, completely and utterly silenced in a moment. Would the disciples remember words of Psalm 107 with such an awesome display of power?

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.

The word rebuke is the same word used twice in Mark for when Jesus casts out demons. Mark is intentionally connecting the ministry of Jesus is his casting out demons to the rebuking and casting the chaos out of the Sea. The teaching we gather from this is that Jesus is continuing to redeem His creation. Where sin and Satan’s dominion are reigning, he is overthrowing. Where the natural disasters that destroy and bring death come, Jesus is able to rebuke them immediately. Why? Because he is the creator of it. The one who spoke the sea into existence is also the one to calm its raging waves. The weather that God created in the beginning is the same weather that will be silenced at its Creator’s command. Evil and destruction is cast out with Jesus.

“The description of the stilling of the storm in the language of exorcism is intended not simply to demonstrate that Jesus possesses power over nature as well as over illness and demon possession. Its ultimate purpose is to show that Jesus does what only God can do.” – James Edwards (PNTC)

B. The rebuke of fear (40)

Jesus turns to his disciples and rebukes them gently. The problem with their response of anxiousness was a lack of faith. It was simply a lack of trust. Fear is rooted in anxiousness and worry of what’s to come. But for the disciples, they feared because they didn’t understand whom they were with. They grasped some things, but they didn’t grasp who Jesus was is in full. If they knew who called them to himself and was with them, they would have no struggle in that storm. They would need to learn to trust.

They could hardly have been ready for the reply. “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The crux of discipleship is located here. They needed him to do things; he wanted them to trust him. His very presence amongst them was all they needed to survive.

- Donald English

Its easy to trust someone for what they can do for us. But Jesus isn’t calling us to that kind of faith. He’s calling us to faith that trust in his presence. For disciples of Jesus, he is enough.

But part of faith was something the disciples needed to learn and grasp, because from here on out, we see a series of chaos that is breaking people, instilling fear in people’s hearts, and the only remedy to that fear is faith, and faith in Christ. Chaos of nature is rebuked, demons are cast out of a deeply broken man, a woman who has suffered a chaotic and unhealable disease for decades is healed, a father’s daughter who has feared he has lost his daughter to death is shown the power of Christ to raise the dead.

C. Who is then is this? (41)

And though Jesus rebukes their fear, their own hearts response to this display of immense power, calming a storm with mere words in an instant, the power to stop nature in its tracks, has brought a realization that at this moment brings fear. Who is this man, they ask each other? What have we got ourselves into? Can you imagine their fear. If he can rebuke nature in an instant, what else can he do?

The realization of these disciples is that it seemed like Jesus, though had great power to heal and authority, he was still a man. What they just saw was something only God had power to do. They had God in the boat, and this God just stopped a violent, staring death in the face kind of storm and silenced it.

The Jesus they had followed, and was is evident in their own response, is one that they were able to seemingly control. All of the positives he brought were great. Crowds loved him. The religious leaders whom they were all probably growing a little sick of are getting rebuked. Everything has been pretty cool so far. But this awesome display has brought a great realization that these men cannot control Jesus. They thought they could get Jesus across that Sea. But it was Him that got them across the sea in awesome fashion.

Application: And when we see this, this response of Jesus to the storm, the response he has to his disciples, and the response of the disciples, that application is to trust IN Jesus. But that requires faith, and faith that sees Jesus as He has revealed Himself to be. This Jesus is in control. He is God, without caveat. And if He is God, we can trust He knows best and has power over the brokenness of the world and its chaos.

But as we trust in Him, it we must also remember that who He is should bring awe and reverence to Him. And it also means that Jesus cannot be controlled. This is going to be the theme over these next few narratives. Fear and trembling comes when people realize that Jesus breaks all expectations of whom they think he should be. When he messes up the status quo and shows radical power and healing to those in desperate need, and that no matter what the cost, His purposes come above ours. Jesus, the God-man, is all-powerful, and we would do well to remember this. Pocket Jesus and the little trinkets we put in our homes, thinking it will be blessing and safety to our home is not the way of Jesus. Jesus is showing that his power is what saves, and it is a radical awe-inspiring power. Do you know what saves us? His presence in us. Jesus isn’t safe. Following Jesus means that whatever He says, at His command, goes. And that faith in Him doesn’t mean there are no storms, but rather, He is there in the storm until one day He bring every storm to its knees and bring us to final rest in Him.

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 ESV

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Conclusion: Gospel - Jesus conquers our greatest storm, death. And this is the gospel of Christ. We have been in the midst of our greatest storm, sin and death. Where death has come to destroy us, and with no way of escape, Jesus has come to calm it through his own death and resurrection. And fear of the judgment we deserve for our sins is quelled when we put our faith in Christ who defeats our greatest enemy. He defeats sin in us by paying for it. He defeats death by dying for us and resurrecting to give us resurrection life. And he defeats the old liar, the serpent, the agent of chaos and silenced him. And we remember that we could not stop this storm. We could not dodge death by rowing ourselves out of it. Only Jesus could. So, have you put your faith in this Jesus? Who then is this to you? Do you trust Him? And church, do we trust Him with our lives, that through every storm that comes our way, we rest in His grace and love until He finally delivers us from the storm and brings us to full redemption.

I’m glad our Jesus isn’t safe and easy to control. If he was, he couldn’t save me from my greatest storm of death. We desperately need to tell this to a world staring down the storm of death.