Daily with Jesus, Nov. 19

We have learned in the previous session, that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were waiting to see if Jesus would do anything wrong, so that they can “get Him” or “get Him in trouble.” We have even learned that the religious leaders were plotting to kill Jesus.

However, we also learned that His ministry is expanding, He was doing the work of God. None of the attempts of the arrogant ones (those who questioned Jesus’s authority, and power, or those who try to destroy His ministry were able to stop Him.

How can they?

How can a mere man would “stop” the Creator God from doing His will!

So we learn in the Gospel of Mark 4:35 - 5:20, that Jesus would do supernatural acts, not so that He can, but that He was doing the work of God.

Today we are going to look at Mark 4:35 - 5:20.

In this session, Jesus calms the raging sea with a word, He also casts out the legion of demons from a man.

In both incidents what we learn is that people “fear” in stead of placing faith in Him.

In the later part of this narrative, we learn that because of “fear” people will ask Jesus to leave their region. However, the man who was cleansed by Jesus from the demonic forces, became a herald - a messenger of Jesus Christ.

Let us now look at Jesus’s authority over creation

The Authority of Jesus Over Creation

In Mark 4:35-41, the text tells us:

Mark 4:35–41 CSB

On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?” He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

On that day - the same day Jesus was teaching in parables - that was a long day. So on that same day, when evening came, Jesus told His disciples to cross over to the other side of the sea.

So the disciples took Jesus with them since He was in the boat.

Notice here, there were also other boats; other followers of Christ, or other disciples that were with Him who crossed the sea.

All of sudden, a great hurricane type of wind arose. And the waves were so rough that they felt like the boat was about to break off.

However, we see that Jesus was asleep. How can this be? How can Jesus be sleeping when there was a great storm?

What the disciples did not notice here was that Jesus was sovereign, all-knowing God, the Creator God Himself.

So, in their midst of this storm, fearing they might die, they say, Teacher, are you not concerned about us? That we are going to die?

In other words, how can you be sleeping when we are dying?

How can you be so careless, Jesus?

How can you be so relaxed when we are all dying?

Here we must notice a few things.

Jesus was omnipotent. He was all powerful and Almighty.

Jesus in His Sovereignty knows that this storm would come. This storm did not surprise Christ.

Jesus was performing miracles and casting out demons - He was doing only what God could do. But did the disciples, being with Jesus all this while, notice that?

This storms points out the lack of faith in disciples.

In verses 39-41 we learn Jesus’s power over creation.

What did Jesus do?

Mark 4:39–40 CSB

He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Jesus showed that He has power over creation!

This is to say, that Jesus did only what God can do.

In other words, God rebuked the sea, and the storm.

Look at Psalm 107:29

Psalm 107:29 CSB

He stilled the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

Psalm 89:9 says:

Psalm 89:9 ESV

You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.

What we learn here is that the nature obeyed God.

In spite of doing this great work. Jesus questions His disciples.

Verse 40 says:

Mark 4:40 CSB

Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

In other words, do you see not see that God is at work? Do you still not sense the presence of God? Do you not have faith in me?

Have I not been doing great things? Have you not witnessed the work of God that I am doing?

In other words, Christ is asking: Who can do all these things but God? How can you not see it?

When I have done so many things in your midst and you marvel that those, can you not have faith in the midst of storm when I am with you?

Life brings up and downs in life; life brings storms, but why fear when I am with you?

Isn’t Christ enough?

And next we see the reaction of the disciples. Rather than being excited, they fear; they were terrified. And not only that, but also questions who Jesus is.

Mark 4:41 CSB

And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Jesus’s Power over Spirit World

When Jesus came on the other side of the sea, there was a man with an unclean spirit, who came out of the tombs, and “met him.”

The text tells us that he was strong. He was bound with chains and shackles, but none of them can hold him off. He cries night and day, cutting himself with stones.

When this man saw Jesus, he ran and knelt before Him.

Why would he kneel before Jesus?

Because the spirits in this man know who Jesus is. They, the spirits or demons, have met the Supreme Being - God Himself.

Look at Mark 5:7

Mark 5:7 CSB

And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!”

Here Mark shows us that Jesus has power over the demons and their destiny.

Mark 5:8–13 CSB

For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” “What is your name?” he asked him. “My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region. A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.

Jesus just showed the power of God by calming the storm, here He is showing the power of God by casting out the legion.

What we see next is that this man, becomes clean, and he becomes a herald -a messenger of Jesus.

Mark 5:20 CSB

So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.

Decapolis consists of 10 cities or places. It reaches unto southern part of Syria.

So the word about Christ is going into the Gentile world.

What is Mark doing here?

He was showing that there were disciples and other people who watched what Jesus did, and were amazed, yet they did not fully believe in Christ; they did not put their faith in Him. However, this man has put his faith in Christ. In fact, he want to follow Christ, but Christ has commissioned something else:

Mark 5:18–19 CSB

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”

What do we learn from this?

There is opposition:

Mark 5:17 CSB

Then they began to beg him to leave their region.

That Christ is God. If not, no one else could do what He was doing.

The disciples were scared because of the presence of God in their midst. And so “fear” fell up on them.

So it the case with the crowd on the other side, they were “afraid.”

What is a takeaway?

Faith or Fear?

Are we going to trust in Jesus and His sovereignty, or get carried away with fear when storms come in our lives?

Are we going to trust in Jesus or accuse Jesus as disciples did that He does’t care about them even though they thought they were about to die? How can He not care? This is the reason why God came - to show that He cares for humanity!

Are we going to doubt God in fear or stand strong in our faith in God?

Doubt leads to fear, faith leads to victory.

Choose now - faith or fear?

The disciples ask: “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

My friends, Jesus transformed the great storm in the sea into a great calm!

Trust in Jesus.

This narrative points us to the question disciples asked: Who is he?

Jesus is God - who came to save this world.

If you only believe in the living God, you will have eternal life.

Fear not, but have faith.

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