Can You See Jesus?

Bible Passage: Mark 6:45

INTRO

“Soma Church exists to love the body of Christ and equip them to do the work of ministry here, near and far, all for the glory of God.”

Yogi Berra was the catcher for the New York Yankees, he was a world series champion, a manager and one of the greatest to ever play the sport of baseball.

But arguably what he is most famous for is not baseball at all but what have come to be called “yogi-isms.”

Short and often funny sayings and quotes that will live in infamy.

Some of my favorites include…

“It ain’t over til it’s over”

“Slump? I ain’t in no slump… I just ain’t hittin.”

“I’m ugly. So what? I never saw anyone hit with his face.”

“Little things are big.”

“Always go to other people’s funerals. Otherwise, they won’t go to yours.”

And one of my favorites… “You can observe a lot just by watching.”

I know that statement is cheeky and funny but oh how true it is.

I think now maybe more than ever people are always watching.

Watching their streaming services, phones, social media, friendships but they are observing very little.

I think this is especially true in the area of spiritual things.

I want you to know that every moment of the day, you are watching spiritual things unfold before your very eyes.

The bible says in Romans 1 that we can see God’s design in the things that He has made.

But we can also see evil and things that are opposed to God as well.

I share this with you because as we pick back up in Mark this morning, we are gonna look at a story of watching but not observing, seeing but not perceiving.

Can you see Jesus?

BODY

We last saw Jesus in Mark 6 feeding a humungous crowd of people, 5000 men plus women and children.

And He did this only with 5 loaves of bread and two fish.

It is not a stretch to say that those people and the 12 disciples of Jesus witnessed a divine and supernatural event.

Mark 6:45 ESV

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.

The last known location of Jesus up to this point was Nazareth and it says that He sent His disciples to Bethsaida

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Mark 6:46–47 ESV

And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.

I would like to point out what Jesus does following such a feat of divine greatness… He goes off and prays.

Even in the height of His fame and ministry, Jesus never took His eyes off what is most important. being with the Father.

This is one reason why He sends His disciples away. So He Himself can get away.

Mark 6:48–50 ESV

And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

The scripture says here that the disciples had been out at sea from evening until the fourth watch of the night (between 3am-6am).

The wind had been fighting them now for what is likely close to 8 hours and Jesus decides it is time for Him to begin heading their direction.

But for Jesus, no boat is necessary. Why use a boat when you can walk on water?!

It says something interesting their in verse 48. It says Jesus “meant to pass by them.”

The disciples, already disoriented, tired and scared see Jesus walking on water in the storm and cry out thinking He is some other spiritual being.

Mark 6:50 ESV

for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Jesus uses very similar language to Old Testament monologues of God. “It is I” Is almost identical to many of God’s descriptions of Himself in Isaiah.

He does this seeking to help them see that they have access to the one who is bigger than the waves.

Ya know, sometimes we forget that our God is bigger than the waves of life.

we get so distracted by the storms around us we don’t even pause to remember that God is with us if we are in Christ.

Talk about doubting in church planting

When we fear we need to remember.

Mark 6:51–52 ESV

And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Jesus hops into the boat and everything goes calm immediately

Then did you notice what it said?

They were astounded and that they didn’t understand about the loaves.

Now why would the author choose to go back to their unbelief about the previous miracle Jesus did when they have just witnessed yet another?

Because the loaves should have been enough for them to see who Jesus was.

If they had understood the loaves then their response to the storm would have been different.

They watched Jesus break the loaves and fish but they did not observe.

And Mark tells us the reason for this is that their hearts were hardened.

Let’s contrast this with what comes next…

Mark 6:53–56 ESV

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

They arrive at their destination and they are met with people so full of desperate faith that they will do anything just to touch Jesus’ robes.

They haven’t met Him or seen Him, just heard about Him. And when they touched Him, they were made well by faith.

The disciples, have talked with Jesus, walked with Jesus, worked with Jesus, laughed with, cried with, and watched Jesus and their faith was smaller than that of those in a foreign land.

God was right in front of them, yet they were still too blind to see.

The saddest thing that could ever happen is someone have Jesus walk into the room and not know He was there.

This is why we must pay attention.

We must turn up the volume on our spiritual stereo so they we could know the ways in which God is showing Himself to us.

How do we do this?

This may sound silly, but by doing spiritual things…

First and foremost, by receiving the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus.

Then, through daily connection with Him.

But I fear that many christians wouldn’t know when Jesus was in the room because they wouldn’t be able to see Him past their smart phone.

It is time for us to wake up so that when Jesus shows up we are ready.

CLOSING

So how do we increase our sensitivity to the presence of God?

We do the things He has asked us to do.

We read His word, we pray, we do life in close community with other believers, we obey His words.

Talk about reading accountability group

In humility, we need to put ourselves in position to see where Jesus is and what He is doing in and around us.

That way, when He is right in front of us we don’t miss out.

If you have never acknowledged His presence through repentance and faith in Him, let today be the day you say for the first time, “I see Jesus clearly.”

PRAY