The Mighty Power Of Christ Series

The Mighty Power of Christ – Mark 4:35-41

BACKGROUND: Please open your Bibles to Mark 4:35. As we look into our next section of Scripture from the gospel of Mark, I want you to remember, that up to this point, Mark has emphasized the mighty power of Christ. Jesus Christ had a supernatural power that proved He was the divine Son of God. Mark testifies that Jesus Christ had:

1. the power and authority to cast out demons;

2. the power and authority to cleanse a leper;

3. the power and authority to forgive the sins of the paralytic and command him to rise and walk

4. the power and authority to heal a man on the Sabbath who had a withered hand;

But Mark also testifies that Jesus Christ was compassionate and merciful, and as the Divine Son of God, Jesus taught with an authority that was unlike that of the scribes and the Pharisees. Last week, we looked at how He taught about God’s Sovereign election and how He spoke to the hard hearted in parables, but to His those who were given to Him, He spoke the word of faith clearly. And so using a farming analogy, He spoke of the different soils and how the seed, which is the Word of God, falls on different types of soils of the heart:

1. Sometimes the Word of God is like the seed that falls upon the road; and Satan snatches it away

2. Sometimes the Word of God is like the seed that falls upon the rocky ground where there is very little soil and there is no depth for the Word of God to take hold

3. Sometimes the Word of God is like the seed that falls among the thorns and just like weeds around the good plants, the cares of the world, and deceptive riches, and various lusts suck all the moisture from the soils and the seed does not bear fruit.

4. Sometimes the Word of God is like the seed that falls on the good soil, the heart that has been tilled and turned by the Holy Spirit, and the seed bears the fruit of eternal life in those who will put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

So Mark paints us a picture that was true then and it is true now: Jesus Christ is the Divine Son of God, mighty in power, possessing all authority, and merciful to those who will call upon His name.

In our text today, we find the Lord Jesus has finished up with His teaching for the day. He was in a boat by the water’s edge, and the crowds were there, listening to Him. Some were on the land and some were in boats around Him, but we find now that the sun is waning and Jesus has a lesson, not for the multitudes, but for His twelve disciples. But it is also a lesson for you. It is another lesson about faith. This is my translation from the original Greek. Will you follow along and hear as I read from Mark 4:35 – 41?

35 And on that day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us pass through into the beyond."

36 And having left the crowd, they took Him as He was in the boat, and other boats were with Him.

37 And a great wind storm came and it cast the waves into the boat, so that now, it was filling the boat.

38 And He Himself was in the stern sleeping on the cushion. And they raised Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?

39 And having been aroused completely, He rebuked the wind, and He spoke to the sea, "Quiet! You be silent!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

40 And He said to them, "Why are you cowardly? You still have no faith?"

41 And they feared with great fear and they said to one another, "Who, then, is this, that even wind and the sea obey Him?" (My translation from the original)

PRAYER – Oh kind and merciful Father, grant that Your Holy Spirit will cause Your Word to be planted firmly in the hearts of all who are within the hearing of my voice. I pray that the soil of their hearts will be softened and furrowed to receive the seed implanted; that You will tenderly water and nourish the seed to full maturity and that the fruit will bring honor and glory to Your Son, Jesus Christ. And all God’s people said: AMEN.

INTRODUCTION: The people had seen all of these miraculous things that Jesus was doing and yet, most were still not believing, and even though Jesus had called His 12 disciples and they too had seen His miracle power and heard His wonderful teaching, they really didn’t understand Who He was. Jesus’ disciples really didn’t have a faith that was strong enough to trust Him completely. So we find in this text this morning that Jesus is going to show His disciples who He really is. He is going to show them how powerful He really is; and He is going to show His disciples something about themselves – that since He has the power to heal the sick, power over the demons and power over the wind and the sea, He must be the Divine Son of God, and they must trust in Him!