Navigating the Storms

Mark 4:35–41 ESV

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 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?” 39 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. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 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?”

Introduction

Today, we continue our study of the Gospel of Mark with a story that we are probably familiar with. Jesus calming the storm is a story that can bring joy to our hearts as well as some trepidation. It brings joy because Jesus saved his disciples from death. It brings trepidation because we wonder if he will do the same for us. So, this morning, we are going to examine this passage and learn how we can navigate the storms that are in our lives so that we can truly live in the promises of Jesus.

1. Storms and difficulties are part of life. (vs. 35-37)

Mark 4:35–37 ESV

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.

The disciples seem hopeless and powerless in this moment. A sudden storm comes upon the lake as they were crossing to the other side. The Sea of Galilee can create its own weather systems because of its geography. With mountains directly to the north and east and the Mediterranean Sea less than 30 miles east, the atmosphere can produce strong storms very quickly because of winds coming down from the mountains and meeting the humid air associated with the Mediterranean. This storm was so great that Mark refers to it as a hurricane. It was extremely strong and powerful because water was coming onto the boat while the wind hammered the small craft. It was a time of great fear for the disciples, and they had no clue what to do.

All of us are going to face hard times in life. There is no way around it. From the very beginning, human beings have had to deal with things that are not what we want to deal with. We can sometimes have this notion that if we do all the right things that somehow we will be absolved from any kind of bad happening to us. If I do enough good in the world then God will not send anything of consequence against me.

We know that is not true because the scripture is clear that bad things happen to good people. Some of you may recall the book that was written many years ago by Rabbi Harold Kushner entitled, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.” Rabbi Kushner wrote the book in part in response to his own personal tragedy. When his son Aaron was three years old, he was diagnosed with progeria or “rapid aging.” The doctors told him that his son would never grow to be more than three feet tall and would not have any hair on his body. More than likely he would not live past his teens. Even though he was a young child, he would look like he was an old man. He, like so many others, questioned if God was punishing him and his wife. Was there something they could have done earlier in their lives that would have prevented this from happening? They both blamed themselves. They were angry at God just like many of us would be.

We know the story of Job and how he was a righteous man who loved God and obeyed him, yet his entire livelihood was taken from him, his children were killed, and his wife was nagged him all the time telling him to just curse God and die. Paul gives us some insight into this when we hear of his struggles and sufferings in 2 Corinthians 6:4-10:

2 Corinthians 6:4–10 ESV

4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

This is all a reminder to us that even Paul as he was proclaiming and sharing the good news of Jesus faced all kinds of hardships. But everything is done by great endurance through the power of God. Facing those hardships that are in our lives with God with us is what leads to rejoicing and riches and having it all in life. This leads us to our second point:

2. Jesus brings peace and victory in the storms. (vs. 38-39)

Mark 4:38–39 ESV

38 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?” 39 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.

With all this going on, Jesus is in the back of boat sleeping. All of us are probably asking in our minds, “How in the world can someone be sleeping if this storm is so bad?” Because Jesus is sleeping, the disciples wonder if Jesus even cares. But there are a couple of things worth noting here. First, the idea of Jesus being asleep is a theme that we will pick up again next week when we read about Jarius’ daughter who died, but Jesus refers to as asleep. In Jesus, death has lost its sting. He has claimed victory over it. So, Jesus sleeping in the middle of storm points us toward that truth. The second thing worth noting in this section is the word that is translated as “perishing” or even “drown” in some translations. This same word was used by the demons earlier in Mark 1:24:

Mark 1:24 ESV

24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”

The answer is a resounding yes, due largely to the compassion Jesus had for the person suffering demonic possession. The coming kingdom destroyed the works of the evil one.

1 John 3:8 ESV

8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

What we see in Jesus calming the storm is that he has come to destroy and be victorious over the power of Satan in this world. The kingdom of God will overcome the works of Satan.

In response to the disciples fear, Jesus rebukes the storm. It is the same thing that he does with the demon in Mark 1:25:

Mark 1:25 ESV

25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”

Jesus is responding the enemy standing before them. This is the first time in the gospel that Jesus is acting directly on behalf of the disciples rather than witnessing him perform a miracle for others.

Jesus brings peace to the situation because he has the power to bring such peace. He commands the winds to stop. He commands demons to leave bodies. He commands children to be raised from the dead or for sickness to be healed. He has the power to do all things. He claims victory over those things that beseech us and hinder us. He claims victory over the storms in our lives. He rebukes them and commands them to be still.

The message he gave to his disciples as he was preparing to go to the cross rings true here:

John 14:27 ESV

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 hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Can you imagine what it would have been like for the disciples to witness such an event? They were definitely perplexed by it all. But beyond that, to know that this kind of peace can come to us because Christ has already won the victory - that is amazing, especially for us.

The disciples did not know at the time what we already know. The peace that Jesus brings to us is because he has already defeated our enemies. He has laid waste to all of the things that come against us. The suffering that we face in life in tragedy, or ridicule, or disappointment does not have to define us. It doesn’t have to keep us held back in life. Jesus has rebuked the storms. He brings peace to our lives.

Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

So it is something that is supernatural in nature according to Philippians 4:7-8:

Philippians 4:7–8 ESV

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

This leads us to our final point:

3. Faith in Jesus will overcome fear. (vs. 40-41)

Mark 4:40–41 ESV

40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 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?”

Jesus poses a key question to his disciples: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Fear is the opposite of peace. If we have fear, then we do not have peace. For the disciples and for us, fear is often a lack of confidence in the power of God in our lives. We do not have faith in God to overcome the storms in life. We do not believe that God can truly bring peace to us so we fall into the trap of fear that paralyzes us and keeps us from truly living in the fullness of God.

What the disciples witnessed in Jesus calming the storm was not just a mere man doing something. The only One who can control nature itself is God. The God who created all things is the only being who has the power capable of doing such feats. But we know according to John 1:1-3 that this is in fact the case with Jesus.

John 1:1–3 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

And also in Colossians 1:15-17:

Colossians 1:15–17 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

What they were seeing with their own eyes was God in the flesh commanding the creation that he made and putting it into submission according to his good purposes and will. That is why they respond the way that they do, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” They are absolutely terrified because they really do not know what they just witnessed. They had never seen anything like it before.

But Jesus points them to the fact that the fear that they experience can be overcome only through faith in him. When we place our faith and trust in Jesus, we can live a life where we overcome the storms that we face. The suffering that we endure can have meaning and purpose, not for punishment, but through it God is glorified in our lives. 1 John 4:18 tells us the consequences of having true faith and trust in Christ.

1 John 4:18 ESV

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

When there is love for God overflowing in our hearts, there is going to be a trust and hope in something more than what this life can bring us. Our fear will lead to self-punishment because we are not fully living into Christ. But when there is this overflowing of God’s love in our hearts then we are perfected in love. That love is going to cast out fear. When love casts out fear, it is because we have faith and trust in Christ.

Conclusion

When you are faced with a new storm, how are you going to respond? What is going to be your first reaction? Are you going to be paralyzed in your fear? Or are you going to trust in the One who can calm the storms? Are you going to trust the One who gave his life as a ransom for your sin so that you can be reconciled to God? Are you going to trust and have faith in the One who has defeated all our enemies, and they are now his footstool? Are you going to have faith and trust in the One through whom and by whom all things have been made seen and unseen? Are you going to place your life fully in the hands of the One who created you and breathed life into you? Are you going to trust and have faith in the One who is God in the flesh and has the power over life and death?

Brothers and sisters, this is our stronghold. This is the place where we take our stand as followers of Christ. We will not be led by fear, but we will be led by the One who overcomes all the powers of this world, the One who has already won the victory for whatever storm you may be going through right now. May we put our faith and trust in him today and know that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. And he is the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God!