Truths in the Storm (Mark 4:35-41)
Notes
Transcript
Bridge Bible Church 09.01.2024
Storms can be life changing! As a result of storms I have learned how to use a chainsaw, remove trees from houses, kill a cobra in my attic (Liberia)…. It was actually a storm that brought my wife and I together… so you could say that storms were used to revolutionize my life.
God often uses storms to teach us lessons… that we would not otherwise be willing or able to learn.
Today we are going to look at a familiar passage that deals with a storm. The truths taught and lessons learned will revolutionize the way the disciples live their lives.
As you open your Bible’s to chapter 4 of Mark’s gospel, let’s keep in mind that Mark is highlighting the actions… activity of Jesus. This is the gospel of action… where the works of Christ are put on display. Mark does this to highlight all that Jesus did…. to lead the reader to the conclusion that Yes… Jesus really is the One and only Son of God and Savior!
Let’s pick look at the narrative we’ll be studying together. We will start reading in verse 35.
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 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?” 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. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 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?”
Let’s start by making sure we understand the context of the event.
1. Context of the Event (35-36)
It is possible that this began in 4:1 (maybe a bit earlier in chapter 3) and extend through 5:20. This is one of the longest days of ministry for Jesus. No wonder he fell asleep in the boat (4:38).
As we study through the event, we will see that the storm serves as a vehicle for teaching the disciples about who Jesus is and how important it is that their faith is in Him. This storm was essential to their spiritual development!
Notice in chapter 3:7, we are told that Jesus withdrew with his disciples and a great crowd followed him. There were so many people pressing in to hear a word… see a glimpse… touch him…that they would have crushed him, so Jesus tells the disciples to have a boat ready. (Remember this… it will come back up in our conversation today!).
Then, starting in 3:13, Mark begins each section with the word “and”.
3:13 - “and he went up”
3:22 - “and the scribes”
3:31 - “and his mother”
It seems like momentum is building…. Mark seems to be leading his readers to some kind of climactic moment…. Spoiler alert… that moment will come in 4:39…. but even that super important moment will then build to an even larger climax in chapter 9 (transfiguration).
Then when we come to chapter 4 where Mark carries us along…. as if to say.. and you won’t believe what happened next!
Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.
Where did the boat come from? Remember the boat from 3:9 that Jesus asked for but didn’t seem to do anything with?
There is then a series of “and then he” statements that continue to build in verses 10, 21, 26, and 30…
Then Mark catches our attention in verse 35, when he breaks this pattern of “and then he” statements and begins his next phrase with … “On that day…”
Which day? The very same day that had begun back in 4:1 (maybe even a bit earlier…).
This has been a long day! Think about it…. if our review of chapter 4 has made you tired of listening… think about how Jesus felt as he lived it out! (Ha!)
All day long Jesus had been teaching in parables, proclaiming truths about the Kingdom of God... and He says at the end of each parable, “Have you been listening? If you have ears to hear, hear! Listen!”
Throughout this chapter, Mark highlights a truth that Jesus reveals to all those who will listen!
Jesus wants all those who are listening to understand that He is the Son of God!
Faith is a huge part of this truth! Mark just spent the last 34 verses highlighting Jesus’ words… and all of them were connected to the concept of faith!
As we study this event together it will be your job to discern what kind of lesson Mark is leading us to. The lesson has to do with faith. As we read, think to yourself… is Mark highlighting the importance of the amount of faith we have?…. or is he pointing us to the importance of the object of of our faith?
As we read through the rest of chapter 4, pay attention…. anyone who has ears to hear… let him actively listen… and be ready to put what you hear into practice!
(Let’s pick up the narrative again in 4:35)
Now… on that very day,
Mark 4:35–36 (ESV)
…, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.
Jesus was exhausted! He had been sharing truths and teaching principles about the Kingdom of God all day. The people had been so many that he took a seat on a boat, pushed out into the water and taught from there so that the crowd’s desire to be close to Jesus didn’t crush him.
As Jesus finishes teaching for the day, he tells his disciples to untie the boat that they were already sitting in and cast off into the lake.
As you would expect, the crowd continues to follow Jesus. Why wouldn’t they? They have been gathering and following him all day… why let a bit of water stop them! So, those in the crowd who could fit in the small fishing boats available, paddle across the lake after Jesus.
Let’s go ahead and get the right picture in our minds of what is going on before we continue.
Some of us have in our heads (maybe from Sunday School Pictures or those Flanel graphs that we all used to love so much) this large craft, similar to the Mayflower or some Narnian sea ship. Nope, this was a small fishing boat. Imagine a 20’ long boat that was about 6 or 7’ wide. Now imagine Jesus and the 12 all on this boat.
Verse 38 will tell us later that Jesus is in the stern asleep on a pillow.
So, Jesus tells the men to cast off… gives them their heading… “Let us go across to the other side” (remember that) and due to his exhaustion… remember he is 100% man… Jesus got tired… he lays down head on the pillow and slips into a deep sleep. As they begin their journey across the Sea of Galilee Jesus’ boat leads the way with other boats following behind.
Most of the students have started back to school. What is one of the most frightening things you could hear your teacher/ professor say? “Clear your desks… we are having a Pop Quiz!”
You can’t prepare for that! There isn’t enough time to speed read the chapter while you are putting your books away! How you do on the test is totally dependent on how well you have been listening to the teacher!
As we study this event, we are getting ready to come to the part of the narrative where Jesus is going to give his disciples a bit of a pop quiz. He has been teaching and demonstrating great truths…. now it is time to see how well they have been listening?
II. Unexpected Pop Quiz (37-38)
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 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?”
The next thing that happens, you would think would have been familiar to the disciples. They were some veteran fisherman among them!
We are told that a “great windstorm” arose. The word used here describes a cyclone or hurricane. These storms were pretty common on the Sea of Galilee due to where it was located 680 feet below sea level and was surrounded by hills. Mount Hermon was in the distance. Wind would rush down from this cold mountain peak, in this natural funnel, and would empty over the Sea of Galilee.
It would cause incredibly strong storms. A storm like this could seem to appear from nowhere in anywhere from one to fifteen minutes; it could happen very quickly.
If you were a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, you were aware that impending danger was there every time you got into your boat. That is exactly what happened to the disciples.
The cold air came rushing down into that little valley and was met by the warm air rising above the sea. The result was almost as if the wind collided and created this sea stirring furry of a storm.
The disciples were afraid. Their boat was filling up.
Jesus is asleep. The parallel account in Luke 8:23 adds the insight that as soon as Jesus’ head hit the pillow … he was out cold! He isn’t pretending to be asleep…. He is knocked out!
Get the picture here?
It is as if as soon as they cast off, the teacher said… ‘alright class… put away your books. Get out of a sheet of paper. Time for a pop quiz!’
How are the disciples doing?
They know storms like this are likely to pop up. The fisherman on the boat have more than likely been through this storms before. As experienced fisherman, they would have known the signs….
(When we were in Liberia you could see a storm forming in the distance… and you hear the rain coming… when you saw it… you knew you only had a few minutes to get inside and start covering up the windows… before the wall of water hit.
What do the disciples do? It seems as if they do all that they can to prepare for the storm. But no matter how much water they bail out… we are told in 37, that the boat was filling up with water. The disciples are exhausting their resources…
How are the disciples doing on their quiz?
The disciples are miserably failing at this point!
Remember what Jesus told them back in verse 35? Jesus gave them the answer before they started. Jesus said, “Let us go across to the other side.” Jesus had no doubts that they would make it all the way across the sea. He was so confident he fell fast asleep!
From the disciples actions and how they are panicking, it seems like they heard Jesus say Jesus…let’s go out into the middle of the sea and drown!
So, they finally wake up Jesus. Adrenalin pumping…. they finally cry out…. “don’t you care that WE are perishing!” What a way to wake up, right?
“Don’t you care that we are perishing!” That “we” included Jesus…. Jesus wake up… don’t you care that all of us… including yourself are going to die!
I love how Jesus responds. He responds differently than I would have…. If your kids came to you at 2 am and said… Dad wake up… there is a huge storm outside… the smoke alarm is going off… and … I’m thirsty! Oh, and by the way, because you were asleep… I just don’t think you care about us!
…Hold on… haven’t I shown you that I care? I mean, I’ve been feeding you….housing you…. guiding you… providing for you…. Haven’t you been listening? Haven’t you been paying attention? And if you’re thirsty… go get some water. :-)
No, Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He isn’t cranky when he wake up like some of us are. When we look at verse 39 we are told that as soon as Jesus awoke, he addressed the needs at hand. He didn’t give a lecture about how they should have called him sooner…. or about how much of a pain in the neck they were being… or that they were acting like babies….
Does Jesus care? Of course, He cares. He has been caring for those who are following him… He has been feeding, healing, leading, counseling, mentoring, and teaching them with the loving care of a loving father.
Maybe you are asking the same question today. With all that is going on in my life… I am just not sure that Jesus cares. I don’t think that Jesus really cares about what happens to me.
Friends, let me assure you. Jesus… the Son of God cares. God the Father cares….Jesus cared about every person in that boat. They were all his disciples… they all belonged to him!
Here is another truth I want you to write down and think about as you leave here..
Jesus cares for all those who belong to Him! If you are His… He will never let you go!
(Question is…. do you belong to Him?…. are you in his boat?)
There is no need to fear when our Savior us near. (God protects His own).
Remember, storms are an important part of our spiritual development… and no matter how hard the storm.. the power of Christ keeps us until His plan for our lives comes to its completion.
What Jesus does next helps the disciples connect the dots in their understanding of who He is… and that reality can be terrifying!
III. Terrifying Realization (39-41)
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. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 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?”
When Jesus responds saying, “Peace! Be still!”, these are some of the same words that He used back in Mark 1:25 when cast out the unclean spirit. Be muzzled! Odd choice of words, right? Hurricane… be muzzled!
Rabbi’s of the day… who loved Torah… and studied and taught Torah… taught that all natural phenomenon like storms, cyclones, earthquakes… and other disasters were provoked by or caused by demons. I don’t think Jesus was advocating for that superstition…. but using language and terminology that the disciples would immediately connect with and understand.
Jesus is kind… and such a great teacher. Even in the midst of this pop quiz… he is helping his students to continue to learn. Even in the midst of the storm… Jesus continues to teach… he hasn’t abandoned them…. he continues to teach and guide for all those who have ears to hear… and a desire to listen.
Why does Jesus have the disciples go through this storm? Why did he give his students this pop quiz?
Because, Storms are Necessary for our growth and spiritual development!
Without difficulties, trials, stresses, and even failures, the disciples would never grow to be what God wanted them to be. Storms are part of the process of spiritual growth.”
— What about us? It is no different. Storms are a necessary part of our development. Why are you going through the storm you are in? So that God can grow you into who He wants you to be. Romans 8:28-29…
The question that bugs me is, why did the disciples wait until the storm was overwhelming them to go to Jesus? Why didn’t they wake Jesus up as soon as they saw the storm coming? “Jesus…. sorry to bother you… but there is a cyclone coming our way… can you help us?”
No, like so many of us… they decided that they could handle it…. I mean they were fisherman after all… they knew the Sea of Galilee with all of its quirks and hazards. As experienced fisherman, they would have known the signs….
Why didn’t the disciples ask Jesus for help earlier?
Probably for the same reason we don’t ask for help earlier. They thought they could handle it.
I’m great with finances…. Lord… I don’t really need your help there. I’ll be fine.
I’m great with managing people at work…. I’m good. Feel free to focus your efforts somewhere else.
My marriage is amazing. Jesus, I don’t really need you there. you can help that couple over there though!
Jesus, I’m really good at navigating storms… I think we can handle this. WE’ve done it before…. I’m sure we’ll be okay….. until we are not… :-)
So often our own self confidence… self-reliance… and pride get in the way of asking for help… until it is a last resort. Why do we wait? Why do we do that?
If you are a believer, you have the God who created the universe and holds it together by His will and power on speed dial! Jesus, God the Son, is seated at the right hand of God the Father continuously interceding for us!
But instead of going to Him first… most of us are like… na’ I’m good. I’ve got this!
Do you realize what happened here?
The cyclone is raging… the sea is tossing and turning… the waves are crashing all around, and even in the boat… the boat is filing up with water and Jesus wakes up and speaks “Be Muzzelled!”… and immediately the sea is calm…. like glass. One minute Peter was probably staring at a wall of water getting ready to crash into the boat… he closes his eyes… waiting for the impact… and then all of a sudden the sea is calm and the storm is gone! That doesn’t happen!
(Water in the bucket illustration) — Jesus was demonstrating the reality of who He is!
The wind and waves obey the voice of Jesus. Who can do that?
You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, you still them.
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Only God alone can command the wind and waves.
Jesus is demonstrating to the disciples the truth about who He is! They have heard him refer to it… they have heard him talk about it… but they haven’t really been listening. So, Jesus shows them. But it takes going through a storm before the disciples truly begin to understand.
Often when we are going through storms, we either don’t think about God… or deep down we think that He can’t handle our problems.
Let me share this truth with you this morning…
The God who commands the wind and waves… can handle your problems. (Don’t wait until you are half way through the storm to cry out…. what would happen if you saw the storm coming and cried out before it hit?)
If the disciples had cried out to Jesus as soon as they saw the storm coming… then they wouldn’t have failed the pop quiz. That doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t have still gone through the storm, but I guarantee they would have responded differently knowing that Jesus was awake, standing at the front of the boat, guiding them through it!
(Here is an interesting thought… the disciples were never alone. Jesus was always with them. He was always going to carry them safely through the storm. They just didn’t have faith in Him to do it.)
Conclusion/ Application:
We have highlighted several truths from each portion of the text today. They are all needed and super important. (Review the truths on the screen)
Is there a truth that serves as the over-arching main idea of the lesson Jesus is teaching His disciples? Jesus points the disciples to the answer in verse 40.
He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
Jesus wasn’t necessarily saying that they had no faith. They had faith or they wouldn’t be there.
What he was trying to help them see is that their issue wasn’t a question of how much faith they had…. it was in whom their faith was placed…. What was the object of their faith?
During the storm… the object of their faith had been in their own ability and strength.
We are in the same boat! (ha!… see what I did there) When we go through a storm… how often do we default to trusting in our own skills, abilities, and gifting before trusting in Jesus?
Jesus wanted the disciples… and He wants each one of us to understand that our faith has to be in Him!
Jesus, the Son of God, must be the object of our faith!
He is the One in whom we must trust… our faith must be in Him!
When our own ability is the object of our faith/ trust… feelings of fear and defeat can easily creep in.
But, when Jesus is the object of our faith…. the fear of our circumstances fade away because we know that He can handle it.
Jesus, the Son of God, must be the object of our faith!
After all of this takes place… look what Mark shares at the end of the passage.
In verse 41, Mark uses the word “great” again for the third time, this time describing the disciples. Earlier he used the phrase “great storm” (37).. then “great calm” (39), now he tells us…
“And they were filled with great fear…”
What were the disciples afraid of?
Storm? No, it had ended. No more danger there…. Jesus had shown them that He was more powerful than their circumstances.
Jesus? You are getting close.
They were probably not afraid of Jesus… because they knew how much he cared for them. He had just saved their lives!
I think they were afraid of the reality that had just been presented to them. They are finally starting to truly understand who Jesus is. Jesus had just confirmed that He really is the Son of God! All that they had thought to be true about Jesus had just been verified. I mean, who else can command the very weather itself… except for God.. who was standing right beside them!
The disciples allowed their self-confidence and fear to override their trust in the reality that Jesus was right there with them. Their faith in themselves over-rode their faith in the power of Jesus!
This won’t be the last time the disciples fail a pop quiz. Throughout the second half of Mark’s gospel we will see other times when the disciples will struggle with pride, lack of faith, and inability to comprehend the work of God.
Jesus uses this pop quiz to help teach the disciples that fear in their situations should be replaced by an active faith in Jesus!
Jesus needed to be the object of their faith!
One author said… “Where faith is active, fear vanishes!’
How are we to respond to these truths that have been laid out for us today in God’s Word?
Cultivate an active faith
Replace fear (of the circumstances) with faith in Jesus. Learning, understanding, knowing, and embracing who He is!
Stop depending on yourself! Storms are necessary….. Cry out to Jesus…
Stop trying all you can do first (faith in yourself)…. and start with crying out to Jesus!
Start trusting Jesus with everything (even the things you think you can handle)
Practice trust/ dependence on Christ who is with you…
Jesus, the One and only Son of God… who commands the wind and sea…. cares for you… and is able to take care of you! He is sovereign! He is Lord!…. not you.
Jesus had been teaching in parables and He says at the end of each one, “Have you been listening? If you have ears to hear, hear! Listen!” Jesus then took the disciples out on a little boat, and gave them a pop quiz to determine whether or not they have been listening.
They failed the pop quiz… but in the process, they learn some things that literally, will revolutionize their lives. As you leave today, ask yourself this question.
How will the truths I have learned today, revolutionize the way I live my life?