Naylor Community
Christian Church
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Mark 4:35-41
35
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the
other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was,
in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up,
and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was
in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the
wind died down and it was completely calm.
40
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the
waves obey him!”
-- in October of 1991, a storm
stronger than any in recorded history hit the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts
-- it became known as “the perfect storm” because it resulted from three
separate storms coming together to form the most powerful and mighty storm ever
known to man
-- Sebastian Junger wrote about this
storm and pointed out, “A mature hurricane is by far the most powerful event on
Earth -- The combined nuclear arsenals of the United States and the former
Soviet Union don’t contain enough energy to keep a hurricane going for one
day.” -- but in this case, when these three storms combined to create a
super-hurricane, it resulted in an almost apocalyptic situation in the Atlantic
Ocean -- creating a storm far greater than any hurricane on record
-- Boats unfortunate enough to be in the
open during this Perfect Storm encountered 100-ft waves -- the equivalent of a
10-story building -- Winds blasted over the ocean at more than 100 mph -- and
as the storm made it’s way up the coast, it battered New England with 30 to 40
ft waves, destroying 200 homes, and causing property damage greater than $500
million -- nine people lost their lives in the midst of this storm, including
the six-man crew of the swordfishing boat, the Andrea Gail, that Junger
featured in his story
--
the men and women who make their living along the shores and in the oceans are
used to encountering storms and squalls -- it is part of their way of life --
but everyone who experienced that Perfect Storm in 1991 all said the same thing
-- “it was a storm like no other that we have ever seen -- this storm made us
afraid”
-- this morning, we are going to be
looking at the familiar story of Jesus calming the storm -- it is the first of
four stories from the Book of Mark that demonstrate Jesus’ power and authority
and that helped His disciples begin to fully understand who Jesus truly was
-- the first story, the calming of
the storm here in Mark 4, demonstrates Jesus’ power and authority over nature
-- the second story, Jesus casting
the demons from the man at Gerasenes, demonstrates Jesus’ power and authority
over the spiritual world
-- the third story, Jesus healing
the woman with the issue of blood, demonstrates Jesus’ power and authority over
sickness
-- and the final story, Jesus
raising the little girl from the dead, demonstrates Jesus’ power and authority
over death
-- each of these stories revealed
the extent of Jesus’ power and authority and bolstered the faith of His
fledgling disciples -- molding them and making them into the men who would
carry His message to this world and build His church to prepare the world to
receive Him as their Lord and Savior
-- so, let’s turn now to this
passage and see how this story of a Great Storm, a Great Calm, and a Great Fear
can grow our faith in Jesus, too
II. A Great Storm, A Great Calm, A Great Fear
(Mark 4:35-41)
-- normally, I use the NIV as my
preaching Bible, but today I want to share with you this passage from the ESV,
because I feel that its translation is somewhat closer to the original Greek
than the NIV, especially in how it describes the storm, the calm, and the fear
-- so, look back with me now at Mark
4:35-36
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.
-- before we move on in this story,
we need to stop right here and consider these verses -- as I said, this passage
is one of revelation -- a revealing to the disciples of who Jesus really was
-- now they had been with Him for
some time -- they had heard His preaching -- they had sat under His teaching --
they had seen the miracles -- but the leap between accepting Jesus as more than
just a great teacher -- a worker of miracles -- a man of God -- was still too
great for them to make -- they just weren’t there yet
-- and in these verses, we see part
of that reason, for the humanity of Christ is given to us -- He had been
through a long and trying day -- it began with a blasphemous accusation from
the Pharisees, who accused Him of casting out demons through the power of Satan
-- it continued with a visit from His
mother and brothers who came to take Him home, presumably, because He was
touched in His head -- as we would say down here, they looked at what He was
doing and the claims He was making and they thought, “He ain’t right,” -- so
they sought to take Him home to rest and to heal
-- we read of Him teaching and healing in
a crowded house -- and then His leaving the crowded house for the seaside,
where He again teaches and preaches to a great multitude -- so great that He
had to get into a boat to speak from in order to keep the crowd from pressing
in on Him
-- everyone seemed to want His attention
-- to want to hear Him speak -- to receive healing of sickness in their lives
-- it took His energy -- it consumed His Spirit -- and, by the time evening
approached, Jesus was tired -- He was completely and totally worn out --
physically, emotionally, and spiritually
-- so, He tells His disciples to come with
Him -- to get in the boat and to go across to the other side -- to go away from
the crowds and the demands so that He might get some rest
-- that is what Mark means here when he
writes that they took Jesus “just as He was” -- they saw His humanity -- they
saw His weariness and His need for rest -- and they took Him, just as He was,
without demanding anything else from Him at that time
-- so, they got in the boat, and began to
cross the sea to the other side
-- verse 37-38
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?”
-- and, as they cross the sea that night,
a storm comes upon them -- a storm that is more than a normal storm -- a storm
that Mark described here as a Great Storm
-- keep in mind who is in this boat with
Jesus -- this is not a group of casual boaters -- this crew includes a group of
professional fishermen -- men who had been on the sea in storms before -- men
who had been caught out in the open and braved the elements night after night
to make their living
-- storms were not uncommon on the Sea of Galilee
-- the lake is 690 feet below sea level, so there are tremendous downdrafts
that create gusty conditions and can brew up thunderstorms in the matter of
minutes -- the valleys to the west of the sea funneled the winds down onto the
lake, creating squalls and storms that were more severe than those experienced
on the Mediterranean
-- these men were used to such storms --
they had been through them before -- but this storm was different -- this storm
was greater than anything they had ever experienced in their lives
-- the waves were breaking over the boat
and it was rapidly filling with water -- they were in serious danger of getting
swamped and sinking there in the middle of the sea
-- so, in their fear, they turned to Jesus
to see if there was anything He could do to help -- and they found Him asleep
in the back of the boat -- they woke Him up and cried out, “Teacher, do you not
care that we are perishing!”
-- how many times have we asked that
same question to Jesus in our own lives? -- Lord Jesus, don’t you care?
-- don’t you care that my child is
sick?
-- don’t
you care that my marriage is falling apart?
-- don’t
you care that my friends have deserted me?
-- don’t
you care that I have no money?
-- don’t
you care that I feel so alone?
-- don’t
you care that I want to give up?
-- don’t
you care that my spouse has died?
-- don’t
you care that I lost my job?
-- as Ray Pritchard points out, we have
all asked that question in a million ways, a million times -- we never question
the Lord’s compassion when things are going well -- but when the great storm
hits -- when this life becomes too much to bear -- it is then we cry out,
“Lord, don’t you care?”
-- but, as the disciples are going to find
out, God cares just as much for us when the storm is raging and the boat is
sinking as He does when the seas are calm and the sun in shining
-- you see, Jesus got in that boat
knowing that the storm was coming -- He wasn’t worried -- He was in perfect
peace -- so peaceful, in fact, that He could sleep in the middle of the perfect
storm because He knew what was coming and He knew the truth of the situation
-- it’s just like the story of the
little girl on the plane that was going through turbulence -- they were flying
along and the pilot came on the intercom and told them to take their seats and
buckle their seatbelts, because things were about to get bumpy
-- the plane began to bounce and
roll -- to drop unexpectedly -- to lurch from side to side -- everyone gripped
their armrests and the seats in front of them to hold on for dear life --
everyone, that is, except for the little girl -- she sat peacefully through the
worst of the turbulence, calming reading her book
-- after the plane landed, someone
asked her how she had been able to be so calm -- she responded, “My daddy is
the pilot and he’s taking me home. I
knew we would be safe with him.”1
-- the disciples weren’t in that
place yet -- they didn’t know Jesus in that way yet -- they still call Him,
“Teacher,” and not Lord -- they still see only His humanity and think He is a
man just like them, only touched by God -- they don’t realize that He is God --
and that if they truly trusted in Him -- if they put their faith in Him -- even
in the midst of the storm -- they would have nothing to worry about
-- Jesus led the disciples into that
boat that evening, knowing that a storm was coming -- knowing that they would
have to go through that storm in order to reach the other side -- the important
thing to remember is that Jesus was going to be with them in the storm
-- when storms come into our lives,
it can do one of two things -- it can cause us to think we’re not in a right
place with Jesus, and sometimes that is the case -- some storms come as a
consequence of the sin in our lives
-- but this story lets us know that
sometimes Jesus sends us into the storm, not as a punishment, but to disciple
us -- to grow our faith and trust in Him -- He has not left us, but is there
with us, in the midst of the wind and the waves
-- secondly, it can us to doubt
Jesus -- it can cause us to lose faith in His concerns about us -- this is what
led the disciples to cry out, “Teacher, don’t you care?” -- but part of
becoming mature in Christ is learning to trust Him in the middle of the storm
-- to know that even if it seems like He is not there -- to know that even if
it seems like He is asleep and not paying attention -- that we are safe in His
arms and He will see us through to the other side
-- Storms often expose how we are not
trusting in the Lord2
-- in great fear and with little faith, the
disciples woke Jesus up, asking him a question that to us may seem impertinent,
but it is one we have all asked in moments of desperation: “Don’t you care if
we drown?”
-- faith cannot live with fear --
either you trust or you don't -- either your expectation of the future is doom
and gloom and despair or your expectation is based on the promise and power of
God
-- the disciples looked at that
storm and said, "We're going to drown" -- Jesus looked at it and said,
"Oh ye of little faith -- fear not -- I am with you -- you can go through
this storm if you believe that"
-- it all comes down to faith
-- verse 39
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.
-- the great storm is followed by
the great calm
-- when Jesus speaks, the winds and
the waves subside -- the storms dissipate -- and the sun shines again
-- two miracles are recorded here as
Jesus speaks into the fury of the storm -- “Peace! Be still!” -- out of the
four gospel writers, only Mark recorded the very words of the command
-- “Peace,” Jesus proclaimed as He
rebuked the wind -- literally, be silent -- cease blowing -- and the wind died
-- “Be still,” Jesus proclaimed to
the sea -- literally, be muzzled -- stop moving -- and the sea stopped -- those
waves that were threatening to swamp the boat only moments before were gone in
an instant
-- it was not uncommon for winds to
suddenly stop -- we’ve all experienced that before in storms as they’ve come
through -- but the waves continue for some time as the energy in them has to be
dispersed -- but not in this case -- not when the Creator speaks -- and where
the storm had been, there was only peace and stillness and calm -- as Mark
describes it, a “great” calm
-- in that moment just after a storm
has passed, we experience a time of great peace that seems all the greater
because of what we just went through
-- I’ve never been in the eye of a
hurricane, but I’ve heard it described -- people tell you how unusual it is --
how peaceful it is -- when the eye passes over
-- moments before, the fury of the
hurricane surrounds them -- the winds buffet -- the rain pounds -- the clouds
surround -- but then as, the storm moves on, the eye passes -- and immediately,
the wind and the rain just quit -- and the sun shines -- and you can look up
and see blue sky for just a moment -- until the storm comes again
-- that’s how this great calm appeared to
the disciples in the boat that evening -- it was sudden and it was sure -- the
fury and the power and the might of the storm were completely erased and
replaced with the peace of God
-- Just as you can’t experience a rainbow
without the rain, you can’t experience the miracles of peace and calm until you
have been through the storm.
-- verse 40-41
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?”
-- we had a Great Storm -- then the
Great Calm -- and now, a Great Fear
-- curious, isn’t it? -- Mark tells
us that the men in the boat had been afraid of the storm -- they were in fear
for their lives -- they thought they were going to drown -- these tough,
professional fishermen who had braved other storms in the past on this very
same sea were now scared of the storm they were facing -- but that fear paled
in comparison to the Great Fear they feel now in the calm after the storm
-- after Jesus woke up and rebuked
the storm with only three words and the sky cleared, Mark tells us the men were
filled with great fear -- “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea
obey Him?”
-- who is this that we are
following? -- if He can do this, what else can He do?
-- C.S. Lewis captured the heart of
this great fear in his novel, “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” as the
beavers tell the children about Aslan and who he is:
“You’ll understand when you see him.”
“But shall we see him?” asked Susan.
“Why, Daughter of Eve, that’s what I
brought you here for. I’m to lead you [to] where you shall meet him,” said Mr.
Beaver.
“Is--is he a man?” asked Lucy.
“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly.
“Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great
Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a
lion--the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a
man. Is he--quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,”
said Mrs. Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their
knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear
what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t
safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
-- in the moment of the calming of
the storm, the disciples realized that Jesus was not safe and they were
overwhelmed by a Great Fear -- but they also learned that He was good -- and
over the course of their lives, they would come to know who Jesus truly was --
that He was not just a man touched by God -- but that He was God -- He was the
Messiah -- He was the King
-- Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of
the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is
understanding.”
-- in the start of this story, we
read that the disciples were afraid, but their fear was in the wrong thing --
they feared their situation -- and their fear let the storm have power over
them
-- but as they experienced the Great
Calm, they came to know the true fear -- the Great Fear -- the fear of the Lord
-- and they learned to put their faith and trust in the One who could calm the
storm and to not let the storm control them or make them afraid again
-- the fear of the Lord is the
reverence and awe we experience when confronted with the very presence and
power of God -- the fear of the Lord is the attitude we should take when we
enter into the presence of our God and our Creator
-- the reason why the fear of the
Lord is described as the beginning of wisdom is because it opens the eyes of
our hearts -- it enables us to see just how majestic and powerful and mighty
our Lord is -- it puts us in a right place in our lives -- and it exalts God to
the throne of our heart
-- when we have this great fear in
our lives, nothing else can alarm us -- nothing else can touch us -- for we
know that the all-powerful and all-loving God is with us and can calm the storm
with just a word
-- the greatest danger the disciples
faced that evening wasn’t the great storm -- it was their lack of faith and
trust in Jesus -- and Jesus taught them that night that the cure for this type
of fear is faith and trust in the Savior
-- worldly fear is looking at the
storm and letting it control our thoughts and our emotions -- Godly fear is
looking to the Savior in faith and trusting in His power above all else
-- as Jesus stood in the sunshine
before them and the boat rested on the calm surface of the sea, the disciples
suddenly became conscious of Who they were with -- their hearts were filled
with fear because they knew that Jesus was more than a man -- that He was the
Messiah -- the Son of God -- God Himself
-- and they cried out in their
hearts as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6 when he was carried before the throne of God,
“Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I
am a man of unclean lips. And I live among a people of unclean lips. for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of
Hosts.”
III. Closing
-- in his painting, “Storm of the
Sea of Galilee,” Rembrandt captured the terror that filled the hearts of the
disciple as the storm and the waves threatened to overcome their little ship --
his painting dramatically shows the crashing waves, the boat high in the air
and the men in the boat in various states of distress -- however, he also
places a dramatic yellow light that opens hopefully in the distance, drenching
the edge of the clouds and the ships mainsail -- a glimmer of hope in the midst
of the storm
-- while critics agree that this is
one of Rembrandt’s most powerful masterpieces, many miss the hidden message
within -- if you count the men on the ship, you’ll find not 12 disciples with
Jesus, but 13 -- and the extra man, holding tight to the rigging with one hand
and his hat with the other, bears the face of Rembrandt himself
-- Rembrandt’s inclusion of himself
in this scene tells us that this passage from Mark is more than just a story,
but a reminder and a promise -- a reminder that all of us will go through
storms in our lives -- all of us will be faced with storms that appear too
great for us to handle -- storms that will fill our hearts with fear and doubt
and dismay
-- as some have said, at any point
in your life, you are headed into a storm -- in the midst of a storm -- or
coming out of a storm -- storms are part of life here on earth
-- but we have a promise in the
midst of the storm -- the glimmer of hope from the light that shines from Jesus
Himself -- the certainty that He is with us in the midst of the storm -- and
that He will calm the storm when the time is right
-- so, we need not fear the storm
any longer -- but let the storm develop our faith and our reverent fear of the
Lord and let us fix our eyes on Him and not on what we are going through
-- so, wherever you are today --
whether you’re in a storm at this very moment or headed into one or just coming
through it -- turn your eyes to Jesus and put your faith and trust in Him
-- for He is more than just a man --
He is our God and our Savior -- our King and our Creator -- and we can trust
Him even when life seems more than we can bear
-- let us pray
1
By C. P. Hia (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. —
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
2
Steven Cole
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