Mark 4:35-41 to Mark 5:1-8 Jesus Calms the storm
Jesus has spent the whole of Ch 4 to this point explaining what the kingdom of God is like and speaking in parables to those listening and to the disciples - v9, v24
Then we come into the story of the boat on the Sea of Galilee – and Jesus discovers just how much or how little the disciples have listened and understood!
Jesus decides where they are going. He wants to cross to the non-Jewish side, inhabited by gentiles and the region of the Gerasene’s.
As they set out a fierce storm erupts from nowhere and the boat begins to take on water – Jesus remains asleep throughout the storm and they have to wake him as they fear for their lives – whatever they have or have not learnt through the teachings is forgotten and they panic and wake Jesus saying that “teacher don’t you care that we are going to drown”?
Phil Moore says this
Jesus knows that his life will end on the cross at Calvary and not at the bottom of Lake Galilee and yet his disciples do not share his confidence! They have heard and forgotten – Jesus brought them into the storm to give them an opportunity to see and remember- which they fail! The wind and the waves have caused them to forget his identity and his mission. – He challenges them – where is your faith?
They need to learn to handle storms before they can start to play their own part in his story.
Identify with this?
How do we cope in the storms of life?
Do we forget Jesus identity and mission – his promises and his faithfulness?
Tom Wright
“Go on – wake Jesus up, pray to him in your fear and anger – but don’t be surprised when he turns to you and asks “where is your faith?”
Remember who he is: Psalms 89:8-9, v11
Jesus wakes and rebukes the wind and the waves, “Silence be still”. In the Greek he speaks two words which translated are “Shush. Be muzzled”. Is this storm is not just a normal storm but is in fact from the enemy? Jesus rebuking the wind and waves says the same words he uses when dealing with the enemy and his forces. Jesus does not need to rebuke his creation – it’s his – he can just say “be still” and it will be.
The enemy knows where Jesus is going (Ch 5) and what’s going to happen when he gets there and will do anything to stop him.
4:41 – The disciples
5:5 – The demons
The demons recognise Jesus who is revealed in all his power and authority in this story and they have to flee and the man is set free and in his right mind – it’s a great story! He is King of all the earth – they had to obey, they had no choice! He even has to give them permission to enter the swine – they cannot just go – He is in control!
Ephesians 1:19-22
ALL things – creation, the wind and the waves, every scheme of the enemy, your life, your struggles, your work situation, your school situation, your finances, your job, your boss, your weaknesses, your sin and your health.
Let’s see and remember who Jesus is and the authority he has – in ALL things! It’s all about FAITH. Faith in the storms,
Jesus's first two miracles in Ch 6 are about FAITH.
The woman with the issue of blood – Jesus says “Daughter your faith has made you well”
Jairus’s daughter – She died because Jesus was delayed – Jesus says
“Have faith – she is not dead but asleep.
When the storms come Jesus wants us to have faith in him and trust him – he has got this!
John Ortberg says this
“Peace doesn’t come from finding a lake with no storms: it comes from having Jesus in the boat with you through those storms”
Questions
1. Why do you think the disciples struggled to have faith whilst in the boat?
2. What are some of the reasons we struggle when the storms of life hit us?
3. If we don’t have faith - what’s the opposite?
4. Why does the story about the demonised man help
