THE WIND AND THE WAVES OBEY HIM (Mark 4:35-41)
INTRODUCTION:
As we have journeyed through the first four chapters of Mark, we have read of the miracles that Jesus performed, casting out demons, healing the sick, and disabled. All of these miracles were to demonstrate, to authenticate that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. We have only seen a sampling of the miraculous signs that Jesus performed during His earthly ministry. That kind of supernatural power, which Jesus Christ repeatedly demonstrated throughout His ministry has only one explanation: it is the supernatural power that belongs only to the Creator Himself. The apostle John declared in his gospel concerning Jesus, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” (John 1:3, NASB95)[1] The Apostle Paul echoed this same truth in Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16, NASB95)[2] The miracles performed by Jesus during His ministry were but a small glimpse at the infinite power He possesses as the Son of God.
In the closing verses of Mark four we have another miracle in which the supernatural power of Jesus was dramatically displayed. Remember that His disciples had seen Jesus heal countless people, each miracle was a vivid demonstration of His supernatural power, but the miracle in today’s passage is different, they had never experienced anything of this magnitude. They knew Jesus had authority over demons and disease. But the disciples were in no way prepared for the show of unbridled omnipotence that they would see and experience in this one evening. Let’s pray and then get into God’s Word.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles to Mark 4:35-41, our passage for this morning. Please stand, if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read.
Mark 4:35-41,
“On that day, when evening came, He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself 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?’ And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?’ They became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’ ” (Mark 4:35–41, NASB95)[3]
BEFORE THE STORM (Mark 4:35-36)
This passage picks up at the end of the day that Jesus had been teaching the parables that we looked at over the last several weeks. He was teaching the crowds on the seashore near the town of Capernaum. His parables illustrated powerful truths about the kingdom of God, but for the crowds they were unsolvable riddles, due to their unbelief. But for those Jesus had called to be His disciples and those who believed and were following he carefully explained His parables to them in private.
As evening approached after this long day Jesus desired to leave the crowds and go where they could get some rest. He said to the disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Capernaum was located on the northwest tip of the Sea of Galilee, to sail to the other side would put them in an area called the Decapolis where most of the cities were populated with Gentiles, there were no major cities along the southeastern coast so it would give Jesus and His disciples and followers a chance to rest. Jesus had another reason for crossing the lake, He had a divine appointment to keep in the “country of the Geresenes.” There He would free a man under the bondage of a legion of demons. “Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.” (Mark 4:36, NASB95)[4] Remember Jesus was already in the boat, He had been sitting in it teaching while the crowds stood on the seashore.
The boat was probably one of the fishing boats that belonged to Peter and Andrew or James and John. Though both of these sets of brothers had left fishing behind to follow Jesus, they had retained their boats and used them to serve Jesus as He needed. The boat may not have been able to hold all twelve disciples and any other followers, so we read that there were other boats with Him. For the disciples and followers who accompanied Jesus in the boats, He was about to display His awesome, supernatural omnipotence designed to move them to faith in Him or strengthen any faith that might be weak.
The Sea of Galilee is known by several names in Scripture, the Sea of Chinnereth was often what it was called in the Old Testament, the word Chinnereth means harp and referred to the harp shape of the lake. It was also called the Lake of Gennesaret, named for a region on the northwest shore. It was also called the Sea of Tiberius, named after the main city on its western shore which was named after Tiberius Caesar Augustus. It is not truly a sea, but a freshwater lake measuring 13 miles long and 7 miles wide. The lake sits about 690 feet below sea level, it is both the lowest body of freshwater on earth and the most significant geographical feature of Galilee. It is partially fed by underground springs, the majority of it water is from the source of the Jordan river which is near Mount Hermon. To this day the pristine water of the Sea of Galilee not only provides drinking water for those who live near it, it still supports a thriving fishing industry as well.
The Sea of Galilee is about thirty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea. The Jordan valley in which the Sea of Galilee is situated is part of the Great Rift Valley that runs some 4500 miles from Syria through the Red Sea and down the east coast of the African continent to the country of Mozambique. The steep hills and cliffs that surround the Sea of Galilee make it prone to high winds which can cause sudden, violent storms to develop on the lake. As the cooler air travels down from the Northern Golan Heights, it collides with the warm air in the basin of the lake, creating turbulent conditions that are intensified as winds force their way through the ravines and canyons of the upper Jordan Valley. In 1992, one such storm generated ten foot waves on the lake, causing flooding and damage in the city of Tiberius.
When Jesus and His disciples set out on their way across the lake, conditions were perfect. The parallel passage in Luke 8 says they were sailing along, which implies they had a steady breeze propelling the boats with no need for anyone to row. Jesus, understandably exhausted after all that had taken place that day fell asleep in the rear of the boat. Though He was fully God, Jesus was also fully human. He became hungry, and thirsty, and tired. That He needed to sleep is an indication of His true humanity. But the Lord giving into sleep had a greater purpose beyond much-needed rest.
DURING THE STORM (Mark 4:37-38)
The peaceful, smooth sailing that they were enjoying that evening ended suddenly when there arose a fierce gale of wind. This Greek word translated “fierce gale” describes the violent gusts of a powerful storm. Mark adds the Greek word “megas” to the word “fierce gale” to intensify his description of the storm that hit them suddenly. Luke, in his parallel account writes that the winds descended on the lake (Luke 8:23). Matthew uses the word that means a great shaking, which can refer to an earthquake (Matthew 8:24). The fierce winds turned the lake into a churning sea that threatened to swamp the boats. Mark says that the waves crashing over the sides of the boat were filling it up, I am sure that they were bailing it out as fast as they could. They could not bail fast enough and were in danger of sinking.
Jesus during all of this was in the stern of the boat asleep on a cushion. As the storm ravaged the sea and the boat, Jesus continued to sleep on. Not even the severe shaking and rocking of the boat as it tossed about in the waves, or the thunderous roar of the wind, or the waves crashing over the sides of the boat awakened Him. Jesus lay soundly sleeping on the hard wooden planks with just a small cushion as a pillow and most likely soaked to the bone by the crashing waves. This is one of few places in Scripture where the humanity of Jesus Christ is dramatically placed alongside His deity. The one sleeping in the stern of the boat exhausted after a day of intense ministry, is the very one who would awaken to stop a massive storm with a word.
Remember several of the men in the boat with Jesus were fishermen who before being called had made their living on this lake. They were familiar with storms on the lake and knew very well what their boats could endure. That they were terrified by the wind and the waves highlights the extreme fierceness of this storm. Here were men who knew this lake, were experienced with the conditions of this lake, yet it quickly became obvious to them that their own efforts were no match for this powerful storm, and they panicked.
Frantic, terrified they woke Jesus and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38b, NASB95)[5] In their terror, the disciples seek to awaken Jesus, shocked, perplexed and flustered that He is sleeping through all that is happening, seeming not to care about just how desperate their situation has become and that if it does not change, they may not live to see another day. Even so, the disciples had no valid reason to question Jesus’ care for them or their situation. They had seen the supernatural power of Jesus and had followed Him long enough to know of His genuine love for them. But in this moment, in their terror, their faith and steadfastness were replaced by fear and doubt. They would have done well to remember some of the Psalms that speak of God being ruler of the wind and the seas. Just as our Scripture reading this morning spoke of God stilling the winds and calming the seas. In response to the terror and desperation of His disciples, Jesus was about to accomplish a literal fulfillment of the verses Daniel read to us in Psalm 107. That Jesus cared for them in their present situation would be clearly demonstrated.
CALMING THE STORM (Mark 4:39-40)
Awaking from the frantic and terrified cries of His disciples, Jesus “got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.” (Mark 4:39a, NASB95)[6] The pre-incarnate Son of God had established the boundaries of the seas with nothing more than a word at creation. Here again He uses nothing more than words, a simple command, to restrain the waves and restore calm to the lake. This word translated “hush” is the same Greek word that Jesus used earlier when He commanded a demon to “be quiet and come out of him” in chapter 1, verse 25. In the same way that Jesus rebuked spiritual powers and they obeyed Him, so natural powers submitted also to the authoritative command of their Creator.
The wind and the waves instantly obeyed. The moment Jesus spoke the words, “the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.” (Mark 4:39b, NASB95)[7] The fierce, roaring winds ceased, and the surface of the lake became like glass. When the Lord Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves, they did not gradually subside, the waves vanished, and the wind ceased. Both obeyed immediately. The storm had risen suddenly, but it departed faster than it came. Mark again uses the Greek word megas (meaning great translated perfectly) to describe the absolute stillness that now characterized the Sea of Galilee.
Having calmed the storm, Jesus turned to His astonished disciples, who without doubt are starring at Him wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open. “And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?’ ” (Mark 4:40, NASB95)[8] Having calmed the natural storm, Jesus addresses the emotional storm that is raging within the disciples. The answer to Jesus first question is implied in the second. They were afraid because they still had no faith. They knew that Jesus possessed divine power, they had witnessed the miracles of healing and casting out of demons for the many who came to Jesus. But when their own lives were hanging in the balance, the inadequacy of their faith became evident.
Jesus wanted this situation to clearly teach the disciples that they could trust Him in even the most treacherous and helpless situations. Even after the ascension, they would need to be reminded of that truth. Peter must have finally learned this because in 1 Peter 5:7 he reminded his readers with these words, “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7, NASB95)[9] Paul also wrote of that same kind of confident trust in the permanence of God’s love for us, in Romans 8:38-39 he said, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38–39, NASB95)[10]
RESULT FROM THE STORM (Mark 4:41)
The fact that the disciples were astonished at what they had witnessed is no surprise. There was only one explanation to what they had just experienced. The realization of that fact caused them to be in awe and wonder that overshadowed the terror that they had experienced during the storm on the lake. These men had encountered storms on this lake before, but none of them had ever experienced the kind of supernatural omnipotence that Jesus had displayed on that day. Mark writes that they became very much afraid. This could be translated, “they feared with a great fear,” showing us the full impact of what they had witnessed. Ther realization that the Creator was in the boat with them was far more frightening then any other terror they might face in or out of the boat.
They knew that only God possessed such power. In their fear they asked one another a question that they already knew the answer to, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41b, NASB95)[11] Later in the lifetime of Jesus, He would miraculously walk on the water, at that time the response of the disciples indicates a growing faith. Matthew 14:33 records their reaction, “And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’ ” (Matthew 14:33, NASB95)[12]
The fact that they feared with a great fear is a natural response of sinful man whenever he gets a glimpse of God’s glory or realizes that he is in His presence. We see this throughout Scripture in both the Old and the New Testaments. Isaiah declared, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5a, NASB95) when He saw God in all His glory. Ezekiel and Daniel prostrated themselves on the ground before the Lord. So did John when the Lord appeared to him on the Island of Patmos. To even get a small glimpse of God’s glory is overwhelming. When Jesus’ disciples realized that the Creator God was present with them in the boat, they too were overcome with fear at the thought of His omnipotence and holiness.
CONCLUSION:
As I begin to wrap up this morning, I want to point out to you three reasons that the disciples did not need to be afraid in the midst of that raging storm, even when everything seemed to indicate that they were going to perish. First, Jesus had clearly stated that they were going to the other side of the lake. What Jesus said they were going to do would not fail, He did not promise any easy trip, but He did say where they were going to end up. Second, they did not have to fear because the Lord Himself was with them. They had witnessed His power in the miracles He had performed, they should have known that He was Lord of every situation. Third, they could see that Jesus was perfectly at peace, even in the midst of the storm. That fact alone should have encouraged them. Jesus could sleep peacefully knowing that He was in the Father’s will and that His Father would take care of them.
This incident also is an example of the divine glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, it shows us that He is the Creator and sustainer of the natural world. At the same time, we see His compassionate care. In the midst of a raging storm on the lake, and in spite of the disciples’ lapse of faith, the sovereign God and Creator rescued them. In this same way, believers today can rest confidently in the truth that through all of the storms that we will encounter in our lives, the omnipotent Lord of creation is willing and able to deliver those who trust in Him. Understand that this does not mean that Christians will never face trials; but when they do, they can confidently put their trust in the promise of Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NASB95)[13] If we trust in God’s promise, then we can obey the command of 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. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, NASB95)[14] Paul who wrote those words endured many trials in his ministry but did so trusting in these words that he wrote and following this command in his own life. Because of this, as his life was coming to a close, Paul could confidently declare, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18, NASB95)[15]
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[11]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[13]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[14]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[15]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.