Mark 4:35-41 "Jesus Calms the Storm"

Let’s Pray!

Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Ellicott City!

Todd… thank you for that kind introduction. It’s my joy to be with you here today!

My family and I have had many blessed seasons here at CCEC.

One of my favorite memories is the season when we moved into this building… it was wonderful to see the body come together for construction… cleaning… decorating…

Dan had a very special job for me… get up on high ladders to re-position the lights and fix ceiling tiles.

My life was evidently expendable.

Dan set up an office space for me… right up there… north of those ceiling tiles.

It’s like a city up there. You should visit it sometime.

Joking aside… Dan and Cameron have been family to us… sweet counsel still to us… and we have cherished all of our sweet seasons here… growth seasons through the simple teaching of the word… and edification by many of you saints.

Our lives were literally changed… prayers literally heard… my wife’s 2.5 foot long blood clot was healed in a month defying the prognosis of Dr’s…

I was caught in career idolatry and alcoholism and Cameron told my wife, “You’re not going to leave him, we’re going to pray for him.”

And three days later I was delivered from both. The storm of that season was silenced… as God changed my heart… and empowered me with His Spirit.

Many of you were instrumental in praying for me then… And, I owe you a debt of gratitude for your prayers.

Well, with that appropriate introduction… please turn in your Bibles to Mark 4. Mark 4:35-41 today… where we will look at a passage portraying the disciples in a storm of their own.

An application rich passage recorded in all three synoptic gospels.

An account told through the mouth of three witnesses (Matthew, Mark and Luke)… important and firmly established.

Now… Before we read our passage… some quick context…

Mark 4 lands us in Jesus’ Second Year of Ministry when His popularity grew…

And we zoom in on an action packed day of ministry moments, confrontations with religious leaders… confrontations with family… teachings to the multitudes in parables… teachings to His disciples to explain the teachings.

Many have called this the “Long Day of the Lord.”

We’ll pick up today in V35 which reads, “On the same day, when evening had come...”

And, Jesus sets before us an amazing example of continuing and finishing the day strong even through difficulties.

We’ll read the only explicit account of Jesus sleeping… which I appreciate… emphasizing His humanity following a long day.

And, Jesus’ divinity is on display as “Jesus Calms the Storm”… which is our message title.

We’ll also see the testing of Jesus’ disciples… a lesson in trust during the storm… and a lesson for them to understand much more deeply who Jesus is…

.… as Jesus leads them to the sea and into a storm!

Well… in reverence for God’s word, please stand as I read our passage.

Mark 4:35-41 “On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, [the back of the boat] asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

Praise God for His word, please be seated.

Just 7 verses, but a powerful passage. On this long day of ministry, at evening… Jesus instructs His disciples in V35, “Let us cross over to the other side.”

Which raises the question, where were they… and where were they going?

Let’s pull up a map of our scene today… the Sea of Galilee…

It’s thought they launched from Capernaum… their headquarters…

And, as recorded in Luke 8:26 “...they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes [or the Gergesenes], which is opposite Galilee.”

This was only about a 5 mile voyage… it should not have been a daunting journey… especially not for professional fishermen who were well acquainted sailing this sea.

The Sea of Galilee is not massive like the Mediterranean…

It has an area of 64 square miles… it’s 8 miles wide… 13 miles long… and reaches depths of 157’, so it’s big… no doubt.

Still it’s more of a large lake… in fact it’s called the ‘Lake of Gennesaret’ in Luke 5:1.

And, this is the body of water Jesus references crossing over in V35…

Now… these words “Let us cross over to the other side” is a rather daunting phrase to us…

… because we know they are heading into a storm. And we know on the other side… the demoniac of Gadara awaits them.

The disciples… they don’t know this… all they know is Jesus instructed them… and they obey… and they will find themselves in a storm.

Which is noteworthy… for us… for in our walk with Jesus…

There are times when we are obedient to Jesus’ words… times when we are right in the center of God’s will…

… and we also might be right in the center of a storm.

Jesus didn’t promise us smooth sailing all of our days…

In fact, Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

For Jesus’ disciples… this instruction “Let us cross over to the other side”… would prove important for them to hold onto.

Because it was Jesus who spoke this phrase.

And, “Scripture cannot be broken.”

When Jesus… who is the Living Word (In the beginning was the Word…) when the Living Word speaks… it’s as good as the written word…

And, a big issue… a big failure of the disciples… is they will forget to hold onto these words of Christ.

A storm will come, and they will panic… and they will falter because they will forget what Jesus said…

Which is “Let us cross over to the other side”… NOT “Let’s sail out… capsize and perish.”

Jesus didn’t say that.

His words… and you can hold Him to His word… was crossing over… not drowning under.

How important is it for us to hold onto the promises in the Bible when the storms of life overwhelm us?

Promises of peace… like Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Or John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

There are words God has given you in His word, and prophetically as a ‘word of wisdom’ through people.

Cling to these words during trials.

The disciples had witnessed Jesus’ predictive powers time and again…

So, when He said, “Let’s cross over...” they should have held to that.

When we forget God’s word, we put ourselves in a dangerous position to falter in faith.

I love the example of Abraham who… when he was instructed to sacrifice Isaac…

Abraham held onto God’s promise “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”

Abraham knew there was a future plan for Isaac, but there was a dilemma… God told him to sacrifice Isaac.

So, how did Abraham reconcile this? Heb 11:19 states he concluded “…that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead…”

Isn’t that such great faith? Abraham concluded that it was more likely for God to do the impossible… to raise Isaac… then to break His promise.

So, how about us? How about when we read promises in His word… do we hang onto His word?

Do we believe His promises? Can we take His word at face value and trust it? Can we walk by faith and not by sight.

When we read declarative promises in scripture like “Lo, I am with you always”… or I will never leave you nor forsake you”… do we believe Him?

The mistake of the disciples… is they did not hang onto His word… or pray… or observe Jesus sleeping in peace… or remind one another that Jesus said… we’re going to the other side.

We all have a day slated when we must put His word into practice…

So hang onto His word… it’s a light to our path… through the trial.

Continuing to V36… the disciples and Jesus depart from Galilee…

Mark 4:36 “Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.”

We hear nothing else about these other boats… it would seem that some from the multitude follow Jesus for a little while and then turn back.

Which is not uncommon. In the parable of the soils, one of the soils portrays two kinds of person who follow Jesus for just a short period of time, but then become unfruitful.

Either because of “tribulation or persecution” or the “cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches”…

Some who received the word and followed… eventually turn back… likely like these little boats.

They are an example of what not to be. Good soil hears the word and understands it… and bears much fruit.

The phrase “as He was” here in V36… denotes Jesus was already in the boat.

The Holman Christian Bible translates V36 “they took Him along since He was already in the boat...”

In Mark 4:1, Jesus taught from the boat… and remained in the boat.

The disciples leave the multitude… get into the boat with Jesus… and take Him along to cross to the other side.

And it just strikes me… and makes me wonder… “Who’s leading?”

… “they took Him along...” we read.

It feels almost as if these professional fishermen are taking control… steering the ship…

Luke wrote, “…as they sailed He fell asleep.”

Did they say something like....? “Jesus, we love you, but you’re a carpenter and a Rabbi… so just go rest in the back of the boat. Take a nap with your little pillow. We’re the experts of the sea. We got this.”

And, if we’re honest… do we ever have this same attitude? Aren’t their times when we are totally in our element and feel self-sufficient a little over confident in our ability to sail to the other side?

“Just take a backseat in my boat Jesus. I got this.”

I have a lot of money. I have a good job. I have the experience.

Whatever the case… whatever the thought process…

We can’t just take Jesus along… we need to look to him in our life. And know that He’s already in the boat…

And… He’s not just in the boat… He supplied the materials for the boat.

In the beginning God…

Day 1… He created the waters.

Day 3… He created the trees… the materials for the boat.

We can’t even be in a boat on the water without His creative hand.

We’re just dust of the earth… in a speck of time…

And, still He loves us to be in the boat with us… to lead us… and to give us promises we can hold onto.

For some Christians… there’s a different issue related to self-sufficiency… and it’s lordship.

Who’s leading? Who’s in control? Who’s voice are we following?

It’s great to have Jesus along… when He can fit into MY life.

Do you allow Jesus to steer the ship… or would you prefer Him in the back sleeping?

Anyone ever get this one wrong?

Reminds me of that old bumper sticker… “Jesus is my copilot.” Remember those?

An alternative came out later… “If God is your co-pilot, switch seats.”

I like that one better. I always want Him in control… leading my life… guiding Me… directing my steps…

I don’t want to “take Him along.” I want to have the wisdom to recognize that He’s already in the boat… waiting for me… and He’s going to lead me.

Now… in V37… the disciples enter the storm… their illusion of control will fade… their self-sufficiency will crumble…

Look again at V37…

V37 “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.”

Important to note… this is not some teeny weeny drizzle… this was a life threatening storm.

This is an out-of-control… great windstorm. Which according to Matthew came upon them suddenly.

They may have cast off with calm seas, but now they would find themselves in an immensely frightening tempest… and Luke says they were in jeopardy (danger).

They would look up and see lighten crashing down…

They would hear the great sound of thunder…

And feel the wind and rain stinging their faces.…

The disciples would look out and see waves at great heights…

Which… moment by moment would be deteriorating their sense of safety and security as the ‘waves beat into the boat’ and it was ‘filling with water.’

Luke records that “a windstorm came down on the lake.”

This is a very accurate depiction of what happens on the Sea of Galilee…

This sea is 695 feet below sea level (making it the lowest freshwater lake in the world)…

And, high cliffs border the eastern shore and southern shores… and in the North stands Mount Hermon at 9200’…

And, if a cold wind comes down (as Luke recorded)… and collides with the warm air over the sea… the sudden change can produce violent storms.…

… turning a sea of glass to violent wave swells.

It’s fascinating that this storm comes at the end of the Long Day of the Lord… after Jesus had taught the disciples so many things about the Kingdom of God… and trusting the word of God…

And, NOW, Jesus is going to take the Disciples to a place where they can put what they learned into practice.

They will go from a time of teaching to a time of testing. From classroom theory to practicum.

There are various storms we experience in life… which are not electives… they’re mandatory courses.

We’d rather not enter the storms, but they have purpose…

All storms are purposeful… God is not some sadistic brute… sitting on His throne above stirring up the seas of our life and laughing like a little kid sending an ant on a leaf down the river.

NO… God has purpose in storms…

Noah was in a storm of deliverance…

Peter wrote Noah’s family was “saved through water.” 1 Pet 3:20.

God preserved them in the Ark, but it was the flood that cleansed the earth from the continual wickedness that would have thoroughly corrupted the seed of the woman.

Jonah… he was in a storm of correction…

Jonah was disobedient…running from God’s will for His life… and God brought a storm and a great fish to bring Jonah back on course.

All avoidable had Jonah been obedient.

Paul… he was in a storm of protection and testimony...

A storm to demonstrate God’s sovereignty. An angel appeared to Paul telling him “Do not be afraid, Paul, you must be brought before Caesar...”

The storm would not disrupt God’s will… and Paul confidently testified to all, “I believe God” and that they all would survive.

Daniel’s friends experienced a similar trial… though by fire… and their testimony and deliverance demonstrated God’s power… and faithfulness to a pagan king and nation.

Persecution didn’t make Daniel’s friends waiver in trusting God… and bold was their testimony.

The disciples… in our account today… they were in a storm of instruction to build faith…

A storm that would help bring them along to a deeper place of understand who Jesus is…

Our account today reveals Jesus’ humanity as He sleeps, but also His divinity as with a word… He calms the storm.

Still… at the end of this account the disciples will ask, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

But the NEXT time the disciples are in a storm (in Mark 6)… Jesus is not in the boat… He walks on water… He comes to them… and that became a storm of revelation…

They asked “Who can this be?” during the first storm.

And then in the second storm… for the first time after two years of following Him… as the waves are under His feet…

It’s recorded the disciples “worshiped Him” (Matt 14:33).

The wise men had worshiped Him… the lepers had worshiped Him… and a ruler had worshiped Him… but never prior were the disciples recorded as worshiping Him.

The first explicit instance of the disciples worship to Jesus… was in the storm.

And, it was long overdue.

And if it takes a storm to break through our hard hearts… and our self sufficiency…

No matter the difficulty of the storm… if we come to that place of crying out to Him… and recognizing WHO He is… and worshiping Him.

Then the storm had good purpose.

Job 9:8 records “He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea…”

And as the disciples witnessed Jesus walk on water… demonstrating mastery… not only over nature and gravity… but over the very trial that was pressing them… that was stirring their anxieties and fears…

They did not ask… “Who can this be?” any longer.

NO… they said… and you know this… “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Christian… listen to me. I know the storm is hard. I’m in the midst of several trials myself.

People trials. Medical trials. Emotional trials. And… my rowing and my straining… it’s work for a while, but ultimately has limitations… and fails in the great storms of our lives.

The answer is in the boat with us. And He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The storm serves a purpose. And so often it’s to bring us to a place of dependence where we cry out to Him…

And these professional fishermen come to a place where they realize they are in over their heads…

They are in a storm beyond their skill sets… a great windstorm… a sudden great tempest… cold and coming down from the mountains above…

The boat is covered with waves… filling with water… their lives were in jeopardy.

I imagine they did what they knew to do…

Taking charge… instructing the other disciples… “Matthew, Thomas, Nathanael- bail water… Simon hold this rope… Judas and Philip… help me with this sail…”

Were they arguing? Were some of them panicking and freezing up?

Were they working together? I don’t know.

On a positive note… how blessed are we when we have other saints in the boat with us?

In the trials… how blessed are we to be surrounded by other believers who will listen… and encourage us… and cry with us…

I hope your boat is full of people who come around you… both during the storm… and the sunny days.

It would seem that for a while the disciples trusted in their own resources to keep the boat afloat. Rowing hard… but getting no where… straining against a wind contrary to them.

And do we not do the same when storms suddenly come?

Let’s sell this asset… or cut this debt… I’ll get a second job… we can freeze our bills… transfer funds…

I heard of a this new Doctor… we call on friends and family… hire a lawyer…

And… I’m not minimizing the importance of wisdom and taking necessary steps to navigate the seas…

But, don’t get so caught up… and so anxious…

… where we forget about the Man in the boat.

How often is our greatest resource overlooked?

How often do we forget about the God-Man sleeping in the back of the boat…?

The One who can calm the storm. The one we should cry out to in prayer. The One our eyes should be fixed upon instead of the storm.

The One we should trust… even when His answer is “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

As He said to Paul in 2 Cor 12:9.

And have you ever considered why He sometimes waits?

When the disciples were in the second storm… when Jesus walked on water… why He didn’t go out to them immediately?

Mark 6:48 records when evening came… Jesus saw the disciples straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.

But, it was not until the fourth watch that He came to them walking on the sea. There was about 9 hours from when Jesus first saw them struggling to when He saved them.

Why the wait?

Isn’t this the typical question we have for God during trials?

‘Why are you waiting God? Deliver me now God! Take this pain, this sickness, this problem, this thorn in my flesh.’

And, God always answers our prayers with “Yes…No…or Wait!”

Isa 55:8-9 declares “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

God waits for just the right moment. It’s been said, “God is never late; He’s seldom early; He’s always right on time.”

God’s timing might not be our timing, and while we think we are waiting on Him…

… I’m pretty sure He is actually waiting on us…waiting on us to stop being self sufficient, and to come to a place of total reliance on Him…total surrender to Him…and that’s when He shows up.

Sometimes we think, “Well it’s about time God!” And, I’m fairly confident He’s thinking the same about us.

The disciples trusted in their own skills and their own power… and only when the situation reached absolute desperation did they turn to the sleeping Carpenter.

Listen to me… that sleeping Carpenter in the back of the boat… He needs to be your first line of defense during the storm.

He’s bigger than your resources… He’s wiser than your whole network… He can calm the storm with just a word.

Call on Him… just like we see the disciples do in V38…

Mark 4:38 “But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. [I love that detail.] And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Matthew records they cried out, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

Luke records them saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

The disciples are coming to the end of themselves… they’ve exhausted their resources… they don’t know what to do… they feel they are at their end.

And now they look to the Lord and Master of their lives.

And, this is a good place to be.

And, so often this is why God leads us into storms…

Because in our self-sufficiency, we so often shove Jesus to the back of the boat and tell Him to go to sleep.

And, the storm brings us to a place where we can realize we NEED A Deliverer… we can’t do it on our own… and then we cry out to Him.

The disciples cry out to Jesus, and despite the long day of the Lord… when Jesus… in His humanity… needed rest… and, was sleeping even through a violent storm…

Asleep on a pillow… a good lesson for us is if Jesus is resting during a storm, then you can rest as well. If Jesus is panicking, then you go ahead. But, He never does…He rests in the storm.

And at the sound of His disciples… He awakes. The Good Shepherd cares for His sheep…

They asked, “do You not care”… of course He cares… that’s a question grounded in poor theology… and lashing out in our flesh.

And, then there are others who are comfortable in the middle of the fiery furnace… walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt… because with them is the Son of God.

The issue is not the fire or the storm… it’s our state of mind… and our state of trust… do we have the peace of God that surpasses understanding… guarding our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus?

If so… we can “be anxious for nothing.”

If so… though the waves are crashing all around… and the wind is whipping on our face and blinding us…

With eyes and trust on Jesus… we can get out of the boat and even walk on water like Peter.

The miracle happens when our eyes are on Jesus… and not on the storm.

Jesus responds to His disciples… just as He hears you when you cry out.

People often accuse Jesus of sleeping through their storms… of being absent… of not caring…

In Matt 7:7-8, Jesus instructed us to be persistent in crying out to Him, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

Ask, Seek, and Knock are all written in the “present, imperative”… these are to be continuous actions…

Keep asking… keep seeking… keep knocking…

Be persistent in your requests to God… just like the widow in the Parable of the Unjust Judge.

Cry out day and night to Him… He tells us to do so!

In Matt 11:28-30, Jesus instructed, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Cry out to Him… He doesn’t want us to tackle the storm in our own strength.

If you’re in a storm and you’ve not cried out to Him at all… you need to take that step.

And, if you have cried out to Him, and it seems as if He is still asleep… don’t lose heart… there may be another reason for His silence… something bigger that He is doing in you… or even for those around you.

God surely is mysterious in His ways, but don’t lose heart. Don’t lose faith. Don’t fall away.

It’s comforting for us today to know that even though the Disciples question “… do You not care that we are perishing?”

It’s comforting that Jesus responds to their plea despite them questioning Him.

They don’t come to Him with a prayer, but with a complaint… and still He responds.

He can handle our questions, our complaints… and our doubts… and He’s gracious despite us.

It’s comforting that though the Disciples seem to fail this test, He will not forsake them.

He’s patient and merciful…

Which He demonstrates in V39…

Mark 4:39 “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”

What a glorious moment… in the middle of this life-threatening storm… as they fear for their end…

The disciples turn to Jesus… and with just three words… Jesus calms the storm.

And, He demonstrates His divine power… even over nature itself.

Luke wrote, “He rebuked the wind and the raging of the water”…

Interesting that Jesus rebuked the storm.

Some scholars note this in this word “rebuke”… that Jesus literally “ordered” the storm silent and the phrase could be rendered “Be silent! Be muzzled and remain so!”

One scholar wrote, “This verb, “be muzzled,” was somewhat of a technical term for dispossessing a demon of his power (cf. Mk 1:25) and may suggest that Jesus recognized demonic powers behind the ferocious storm.”

Interesting thought. We can think back to Job 1, when Satan was permitted to test Job…

One of his attacks was a ‘sudden great wind’ (Job 1:19) that destroyed the house where Job’s sons and daughters were… killing all ten of them.

So, this storm being of a demonic nature is plausible indeed. We don’t know.

Regardless… God can use all things for good.

Like Joseph said, “… you meant evil for me; but God meant it for good...”

Satan so often throws his fiery darts in our weak moments… he seeks to devour us like a roaring lion…

Lions are opportunistic hunters seeking the injured… targeting the isolated…

Resist him, being steadfast in faith.

Know that when he wants to sift us… Jesus prays for us, that our faith should not fail.

Be sure to put on the full armor of God… and to have people as iron sharpening iron in you life… to stand in the day of trial.

The disciples had one another… and they had Jesus… and as they turn to Him… Jesus calms the storm… he said “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”

In Ps 89:8-9, Ethan the Ezrahite contemplated the greatness of God and wrote, “O LORD God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. 9 You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.”

With a word… Jesus was able to calm the sudden raging sea on the Galilee, and He can calm the storms in our life as well…He has the power… the authority over both.

And, then in V40… Jesus turns to His disciples and asks…

Mark 4:40 “But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

Mark and Luke place Jesus asking this question AFTER He rebukes the storm.

Matthew flips it and records that Jesus asked this question FIRST… and then He rebukes the storm… which feels so much more dramatic to me.

Jesus questions why they have fear and and where is their faith… which it’s been said that ‘fear and faith cannot dwell in the same heart.’

Fear blinds our eyes to God’s presence in our lives. Faith gives clarity.

Jesus asks this question with the violent storm behind Him…

Time would seem to stand still… what will He do?

And then He calms the storm.

Spurgeon said, “He spoke to the men first, for they were the most difficult to deal with: wind and sea could be rebuked afterwards.”

How much more stubborn is the heart of man? How many times would Jesus need to speak to the hearts of His disciples?

How many times does He need to speak to our hearts?

Some scholars see this as a double rebuke… both to the storm and the disciples…

They were in a storm… they were being tested…

And, they didn’t hold onto Jesus’ word “Let us cross over to the other side...”

And, they come to Him complaining that He doesn’t care.

Was this a needed rebuke to them?

Matthew Henry notes, “He does not chide them for disturbing Him with their prayers, but for disturbing themselves with their fears.”

Sometimes we need to be rebuked… by God or even others.

Pro 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”

Be thankful someone cares enough to rebuke you.

And Jesus’ question was valid. They were lacking in faith.

Mark records Jesus asked, “How is it that you have no faith?”

As if faith was not present.

Matthew records Jesus asked, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”

Which would imply some faith was present, but it was small.

Luke writes Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?”

As though they temporarily lost their faith in the midst of this storm.

Three Gospel writers with three different perceptions of how Jesus asked this question.

And, Twelve disciples each with probably a different measure of faith in this very moment.

Regardless of where exactly they were in their faith… for sure their faith was being challenged.

As it will be with us… how important for us to cling to His word and cling to each other during storms?

Regardless of where exactly they were… Jesus would use this momentary lapse of faith… to build their faith…

The disciples forgot Jesus’ word… they were self-sufficient… they feared the storm… and questioned if Jesus cared… a miserable failure.

But, Jesus still sees the potential in them…

He may have justifiably rebuked them, but He also saved them from the storm… and demonstrated His authority and power was greater than the storm… greater then their trial.

And this will lead the disciples to greater faith, as we see their response in V41…

Mark 4:41 “And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

Seeing Jesus calm the storm caused an awestruck response in the Disciples…

Mark wrote they “feared exceedingly”… Gk. megas phobos. A mega phobia…

They were terrified, which could be rendered “awestruck.”

Matthew and Luke also record they “Marveled” by def. “amazement, wonder.”

This is a normal response when people encounter God…

Numerous times in scripture, other men respond the same way.

When Isaiah had a vision of the Lord on the throne he cried out “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isa 6:5).

When Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord, he wrote “I fell on my face...” (Ezk 1:28).

When John had a vision of the Lord, he “fell at His feet as dead.” (Rev 1:17).

When you encounter God in a very real way, it is normal to fear and marvel…to be awestruck.

In this storm, the disciples were still learning who Jesus was… they were in process… as are we.

And as they feared and marveled, they said, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

The disciples ask the most important question one can ask… “Who is Jesus?”

Let me tell you who He is…

He’s the Christ… the Messiah… the Savior…

He’s the King of Kings and Lord of Lords… the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End…

He’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

And, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

And, He’s the One who calms the storm.

Let me close with this appropriate reading from Ps 107:23-31 “Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, 24 They see the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep. 25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. 31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

Amen? Let’s Pray!

Storms in life are never easy… nor is the refiner’s fire… but there is purpose.

God is conforming you into the image of His Son.

Trust in the Lord’s process… for He is good! And let your testimony be a witness to the world.

If you need prayer… especially if you’re in a trial… there are men and women up front to pray with you before you go. Cast your cares upon Him.

And, as you enter this week ahead… May God richly bless you… and keep you… may He cause His face to shine upon you.

Trust Him… find your peace and rest in Him.

God bless you as you go!