Today, we examine the account of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4:35-41. In this account, the disciples feared the storm, and Jesus demonstrates his authority over it by calming it with his powerful words: “Peace, be still!” We face storms in our lives, and Jesus has the power to calm those. Consider the question “Is Jesus in your boat?” as we look at the disciples’ fear and anxiety and the Savior’s humanity and authority.
Transcript
Thanks so much for being there as we study the Word of God together. Today, our study is on the well-known story of Jesus calming the storm and the sea. Imagine being with the disciples on that boat, feeling the wind, being tossed back and forth by the waves, and, of course, being scared. As the storm gets worse, your fear grows. So, you wake up Jesus and ask him for help. After just three powerful words, “Peace, be still!” Everything changes, everything is still, including the water. How would you respond? What would you do with Jesus? Two thousand years later, this is still the question. We may not see Him calm the storm, but the question remains: What will you do with Jesus?
Today, our title is also a question: Is Jesus in Your Boat? Please turn to Mark 4 and follow along as J Mark gives us aspects of the story to consider together.
As we continue our study of the Gospel of Mark, we come to this text, Mark 4:35-41. It’s the dramatic account of Jesus and His disciples on the Sea of Galilee amid a violent storm. The title of this study is: “Is Jesus in Your Boat?” Listen now as I read Mark 4:35-41.
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”
36 Now, when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.
37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.
38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? Howis it that you have no faith?”
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
In this text, we learn that the only unsinkable vessel in history was the small boat occupied by the sleeping Savior. How you answer the question, “Is Jesus in your boat?” will have eternal consequences. I submit the following considerations to stir your thinking.
Consider the Humanity of Jesus
As I read and meditated on this text, I was impressed by how few words are spoken. There are several short commands and questions, but they carry so much meaning.
Jesus makes the first statement: “Let’s cross over to the other side.” It is the evening of a hectic day. They were on the west side of the lake, and a voyage to the eastern side in the evening would be a refreshing change for the weary Jesus. But as is often the case with Jesus, there’s more to the story. He has a divine appointment on the other side of the Sea.
So, they set sail, taking Jesus with them in the boat from which He had been teaching. Jesus was exhausted and immediately fell asleep in the back of the little ship, lying on a pillow in very cramped quarters. He must have had implicit trust in the men who were sailing the boat.
Jesus experienced physical exhaustion as we do. Serving others is a demanding task. It drains you. Although Jesus was God, He voluntarily laid aside His divine rights so He could identify with us in our weakness. Let’s remember to consider Jesus’s humanity.
Consider the Anxiety of the Disciples
Most of us are like the disciples. It’s easy to exercise faith if the situation is familiar and we’re comfortable with life’s routines. But how do we respond when things begin to spiral out of control? These questions prompt us to consider the disciples’ anxiety.
As they sailed, a great windstorm struck the Sea of Galilee with tremendous force. The word refers to a hurricane or a whirlwind. Most of the men in this boat were seasoned sailors. They had been through many storms on the Sea of Galilee. They didn’t scare easily, but this storm was different. The waves were mountainous, and water was pouring over the sides of the boat. They were in imminent danger of being swamped and sinking!
Through all this commotion, Jesus was sleeping! So, the disciples awakened Him. In fear, they cried out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” It was a rebuke to Jesus. Imagine sleeping through such a storm!
You and I have been there, haven’t we? We trusted Jesus and went with Him for a pleasant sail through life, as it were. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a storm burst upon us. A terminal illness, a tragic accident, an untimely death, a broken relationship, or a shattered dream destroyed our calm. We were in danger of sinking into confusion and despair, and it seemed Jesus was missing. He was nowhere to be found. And we cried out, “Lord, where are You? Don’t you care about us?” We experience anxiety similar to the disciples.
Consider the Authority of Jesus
Mark’s narrative is understated. He wrote, “Then He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still.’” Jesus’ simple commands were “be silent” and “be muzzled.” It makes me wonder if Jesus even raised His voice.
Immediately, the wind ceased. The sea sank to rest as though exhausted from its beating. As suddenly as the storm had burst upon them, it vanished. That was astounding to the disciples, but what was more astounding was the immediate “great calm” that ensued.
The surface of the lake went from a boiling pot to a sea of glass. Not a ripple broke the surface. Anyone who knows how storms affect water knows that after the wind dies down, the waves can take hours, sometimes even days, to subside. The glassy waters were a greater miracle than the sudden cessation of the wind.
As the disciples continued bailing water from the boat, their thoughts raced. They were trying to wrap their minds around what they were witnessing. And then Jesus broke the silence. “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
Can you imagine the disciples processing these questions? “Why were we afraid? We were afraid we were about to drown. We were afraid you didn’t love or care for us because if you did, these things wouldn’t happen to us!”
“Why are you afraid? I am here with you. “Where is your faith in Me? Don’t you understand that I am the Lord of nature? You are safe with me anywhere and everywhere.” These men had accepted Jesus as the Messiah, but they hadn’t yet fully realized the implications of that truth. How often would Jesus ask us these same questions? As we consider Jesus’ authority, it should have a calming effect on our lives.
Consider the Perplexity of the Disciples
The disciples were afraid before Jesus calmed the storm, but now they’re terrified! Now that the immediate danger was past, I imagine them looking at each other, dumbfounded and speaking in hushed voices, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the waves obey Him?”
They knew Jesus had power. They had seen Him heal the sick, restore sight to the blind, cast out demons, and even raise the dead. But this was something else: power to control nature?
The disciples were growing in their apprehension and comprehension of who Jesus was. Let me explain. Apprehension is the act of understanding something in a way that evokes fear or anxiety. They were terrified by what they had just experienced. This is what happens whenever sinful mankind realizes he is in the presence of the Holy God.
Comprehension refers to understanding something clearly and thoroughly. Slowly, these men were gaining a better understanding of who Jesus was. He was no ordinary Rabbi! He was so different from the religious teachers of the day. He cared more about others’ needs. He entered other people’s pain.
We mustn’t be too critical of the disciples. We have the Spirit living in us, and we still struggle with our fears. We’re perplexed as to why God allows such traumatic experiences in our lives. We, too, are on a journey to understand who God is. When we know how much Jesus loves us, we can remain calm during the most violent storms.
It is interesting to compare this account of Jesus’ life with the account of Jonah. Both Jesus and Jonah were in a boat. A violent storm overtook both boats, and both Jonah and Jesus were asleep through it. In both accounts, the sailors said, “We’re going to die!” In both cases, there was divine intervention, and the sea miraculously became calm. After the sea became calm, the sailors were even more afraid.
We have two stories, but with one critical difference. Jonah said, “Throw me overboard. If I die, you will live.” So, they threw Him into the sea. In Mark’s account, that doesn’t happen, or does it? In Matthew 12:38-42, Jesus tells the crowd, “I’m the real Jonah.”
“He meant this: Someday I’m going to calm all the storms and still all the waves. I’m going to destroy destruction, break brokenness, and kill death. How can He do that? He can do it only because when He was on the cross, he was thrown–willingly, like Jonah–into the ultimate storm, under the ultimate waves, the waves of sin and death. Jesus was thrown into the only storm that can sink us – the storm of eternal justice, of what we owe for our wrongdoing. That storm wasn’t calmed – not until it swept Him away.
If the sight of Jesus bowing His head into that ultimate storm is burned into the core of your being, you will never say, ‘God, don’t you care?’ And if you know that He did not abandon you in that ultimate storm, what makes you think He will leave you in the much smaller storms you are experiencing right now?” [1]
Someday, Jesus will come and still all storms for all eternity. If you and I allow that truth to penetrate to the core of our being, we will be assured of His love. We will be absolutely convinced of His love for us, and we will respond to the storms of life with the calm assurance that His hand is on the tiller of our boat.
Is Jesus in your boat? If not, why not invite Him into it today? You won’t be truly safe until He is in your boat.
Thanks, J Mark, that was an interesting comparison made between Jesus and Jonah at the end. Through Jonah’s death, the sailors were saved, and now, through Jesus’s death, we can have eternal life. Praise God, Jesus understands. We have a Savior who understands us. Jesus is not a king living in a castle far away and out of touch with his subjects. He became one of us and knows what we deal with. Invite him into your boat/life and let Him be in charge.
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Thanks for being here for this teaching from Mark. If it works for you, we would love to have you join us next time. I leave you with this thought from Hebrews 2, just the first part of verse 14. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity.” The Almighty Lord of everything became flesh and blood. This is something worth considering.
[1] Timothy Keller, Jesus the King, pp.61-62
