In the Midst of the Storm - Christ Jesus is still Lord

Introduction

It goes without saying that 2020 is the year nobody expected, or frankly wanted. If 2020 had just been an election year, that would’ve be enough in itself. Yet we got so much more than that. We had the rare event of impeachment. We have social unrest. We have economic distress. Most notably, we have COVID. I think its fair to say none one saw all this coming. or at least converging as it has all has at once. Charles Spurgeon put it well when he said: “Nothing beneath the moon can be depended upon, all things are invariably variable. “Boast not thyself of to-morrow,” saith the wise man; and he might have added, “Boast not thyself of to-day, for thou knowest not how the evening may close, however brightly the morning may have opened.”[1] It is enough to make one lose their mind or want to run and hide. I have seen many people express on social media the prayer or desire for 2021 to get here, hoping the change in calendar will bring a change in circumstances. Frankly, that isn’t much different than trying to hide one’s face in the sand. It doesn’t work. More importantly, that is not an option for the Christian. We can never hide in the sand or in any other place. We must do the exact opposite. The world needs more than ever for believers in Christ to be salt and light in the world. But to do that, we ourselves must have an unshaken trust in the Lord. The world cannot afford a church afraid. It needs a church of faith, one that stands upon the solid rock. It needs a church and individuals who know that Christ is King even in the midst of the storm.

Background

To properly understand our passage, we must understand the type of storm that we were dealing with: According to the Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels: “The two storm events recorded in the Gospels on the Sea of Galilee were both winter windstorms. Such storms come from the east off the Golan Heights, unlike rainstorms which come from the west or the north. Due to the nature of how rainstorms develop, it is highly unlikely the disciples would have been caught in such a storm. Indeed, “caught” implies the storms develop with a sense of suddenness, but this is not the case. If the storms were rainstorms, the disciples—many of whom were seasoned fishermen—would have recognized the developing rain clouds and impending threat and sought shelter in one of the harbors around the lake. The eastern winter windstorms, on the other hand, come off the Golan Heights suddenly, without warning and with fierce winds. This explains why the veteran fishermen were so terrified of the storms on each occasion. The windstorms develop quickly and fiercely—yet end suddenly as well.”[2]

Exposition

Verses 35 - 36: At the point we pick up the story, Jesus has been teaching in parables. He spoke the parables of the sower and soil, of the seed, and the mustard seed. He was already by the water and decided to go somewhere else as the next day was starting. There were more people that needed to hear his teaching. There was more work to do. The evening in Israelite culture was the start of the new day. He is apparently already in the boat and so his disciples join him and they began there travels.

Verses 37 - 38: While the voyage starts out smooth, it quickly takes a turn for the worse. Here comes a fierce storm, one capable to destroying the small boat Christ and the apostles would have been on. Indeed it was filling with water. Can you imagine the panic these fisherman were in? Death was staring them in the face. Yet there was one whom was totally unaffected by this. Jesus was sleeping, presumably comfortably on the boat. This is the only record in all the gospels of Jesus sleeping.[3] This shows us a couple of things: 1 - Jesus was indeed fully human when he walked the earth. 2 - He need not fear because of his Father who was with Him. He trusted His Father completely. He could sleep because the Father never sleeps (Ps. 121:3-4). Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of the disciples. There faith is absent at this point. They also weren’t happy. Didn’t he care about them? Didn’t he care about their plight? The answer to these two questions is yes. That wasn’t the issue. Their lack of faith and perspective was the issue.

Following Christ doesn’t guarantee a carefree life. On the contrary, following Christ means we can and often will find ourselves in trouble (Jn. 16:33, cf. 2 Tim. 3:12). Sometimes the things we face will be natural, such as sickness and natural disasters. Sometimes they will be man-made, such as persecution. Additionally, we will not always see these things coming. This was certainly the case in with the disciples. Yet whatever we face we can know, and must never lose sight of the fact, that Christ is with us (Matt. 28:20). Matthew Henry writes: “But observe, the ship that Christ made his pulpit is taken under his special protection, and, though in danger, cannot sink. What is used for Christ, he will take particular care of.”[4] Nor we can shrink back from the reality that storms are necessary. Going through storms aid in spiritual growth. They expose our weaknesses and strengths. They can force us to draw near to God. They can make us desperate for Him. Pastor and seminary president Daniel Akin writes: “We should not be alarmed by surprises in our lives. They are divinely ordained moments whereby God is working in the everyday circumstances of our lives to reveal who He is, who we are, and who we need! Trials and tribulations, difficulties and desperate moments are when God does His greatest work in our lives. When He brings us to the end of ourselves, we are driven to Him and Him alone as Savior and Rescuer. If He does not act, we will not be saved. Would you really want it any other way? Faith answers a resounding no!”[5] John Calvin writes: “And let us learn hence that, whenever any adverse occurrence takes place, the Lord tries our faith. If the distresses grow to such a height as almost to overwhelm us, let us believe that God does it with the same design of exercising our patience, or of bringing to light in this way our hidden weakness; as we see that, when the apostles were covered by the billows, their weakness, which formerly lay concealed, was discovered.”[6]

Verses 39 - 40: As Mark (and Luke) have it, Jesus gets up and does what has been previously attributed to God alone (Jonah 1:4-5,15). He commands nature to cease its action and it obeys. This was proof of his divinity, through the apostles don’t yet recognize it. Jesus is LORD over the forces of creation. Consider the implications of the realization and what it means for the believer’s walk. Imagine the look of the apostles faces after the Spirit came and their minds were opened and they fully grasped who was in their midst. The same God is on our midst.

All is not well and good however a Jesus turns to rebuke. In Mark’s narrative, Christ has already performed several healing miracles and cast out many demons. He had demonstrated his Lordship over the sabbath by healing at this time. Seeing such manifestations should have fostered trust in the words and identity of Jesus but it didn’t. They failed in a couple of ways:

They failed to trust in his word - He indicated they were going to the other side. What reason did they have to doubt that would make it there?

They questioned his care for them - On what basis did they have to doubt his concern for them. Would he not take greater care of his disciples who follow him vs those who don’t.

They also lost sight of the Father. If Christ was the messiah then surely the Father would not allow the Son’s death in this manner before the Father’s plan is complete.

No wonder the NT praises such as emphasis on faith. We can’t please God without it (Heb. 11:6). We are useless to the kingdom if we don’t possess. We call God a liar without it.

Verse 41: One thing that did arise in the disciples was fear. Who is this we are dealing with? He commands nature and it obeys. Only the God of Israel possessed such power. Who was it they were following? This is the key question and the key point I want us to understand. Christ Jesus is Lord. He is sovereign. All authority has been given to him and all things are upheld by his powerful creative word. Our passage of scripture is part of a larger section dealing with the authority of Christ. The pericope starts here and continues unto Mark 5:43. After the calming of the sea, Christ will go on to cast out legion from a man, heal the woman with the issue of blood, and raise Jairus’ daughter to life. All of these are demonstrations of power. All of these are proof that Jesus is Lord of all. All these are clear reasons why we can and must trust in Christ.

Practical Application

The Gospel of Mark was written to Christians in Rome undergoing intense persecution. In such a situation it would be easy to lose sight of who our Lord is, what we are called to do, and fail to live faithfully before the Lord. Mark uses history to teach theology.[7] He has order things in his gospel to send a message about Christ and the Christian walk. Our focus has been the latter aspect. So long as we walk this earth there will be storms to endure. Some of these things are common to all men. Others are tied to our walk with Christ. In either case must remember that Jesus is still Lord. He is able to deliver us, even if he doesn’t do it immediately or at all. Our savior and lord doesn’t change (Heb. 13:5) and he is still on the throne. I want to encourage all of you to look up at Jesus. Trust in his promises. Rely on his strength. The Lord is with his people. In the midst of the storm, Jesus Christ is still Lord.

Gospel Application

This ability to trust in the Lord, resting on his promises is a benefit of calling him both savior and Lord. Is that you? If not, I call you to repent and believe the gospel. Acknowledge your sin and guilt before God, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, Confess him as savior and Lord and you will be saved. Salvation is found in Christ alone, by grace alone, and through faith alone. Don’t delay. Repent and believe the gospel today.

Bibliography

1. Spurgeon, C. H. (1873). Christ Asleep in the Vessel. In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons (Vol. 19, p. 386). London: Passmore & Alabaster.

2. Franz, G. (2016). What Type of Storms Did Jesus Calm: Wind or Rain? In B. J. Beitzel & K. A. Lyle (Eds.), Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels (pp. 177–178). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

3. Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 149). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.

4. Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1785). Peabody: Hendrickson.

5. Akin, D. L., Platt, D., & Merida, T. (2014). Exalting jesus in mark. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference.

6. Calvin, J., & Pringle, W. (2010). Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Vol. 1, p. 424). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

7. Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 148). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.