Calming The Wind And Waves

Mark gives us a revealing view of Christ in Mark 4:35-41 let’s review it before we begin.

MK 4:35 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!"

Jesus often sat in a boat to teach, it allowed Him to still teach to the crowd but to avoid being pressed in upon all sides. Mark 4:1 shows us that He had been teaching from a boat all throughout this chapter. Several of the 12 disciples were fisherman on the Sea of Galilee so it was not difficult to obtain a boat.

(36) Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.

When evening time came He was understandably tired and He desired to leave for the other side of the lake so His disciples simply rowed off with Him in the boat and headed for the opposite shore. This allowed Him to escape much of the crowd but some followed in boats as well. The Sea of Galilee was not that big, about 3.5 miles at the widest part so some of the crowd actually ran around the shore to meet Him on the other side as we will see in the 6th Chapter of Mark.

And thus begins a very unique story with a very unique miracle involved.

(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?"

The location of the Sea of Galilee caused it to have these sudden violent storms on a pretty regular basis. It sat low between high hills on all sides and rising heat of the day causes cool air to rush down the valleys and across the surface of the lake with considerable force. This causes a swirling wind and big waves which seem to come up from thin air. This phenomenon still occurs today.

A squall is a storm accompanied by strong winds; the Amplified Bible says the winds were “of hurricane proportions”. (Mark 4:37 AMP)

So this was no small breeze but a real blow and the boat was pitching and yawing and rolling and the wind and waves brought water into the boat; so much water that it was nearly swamped—nearly full enough of water to the point of sinking.

Jesus was in the rear of the boat sleeping on a cushion—He was sleeping through all this and those sturdy fisherman disciples of His were nearly panic stricken. How could He sleep at a time like this?

In a panic they woke Him up saying “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!"

Let’s see verse 39 in the Amplified Bible which seems to add a good dose of color and reality to the picture. And He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased, [that is, sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating] and there was (immediately) a great calm—a perfect peacefulness. (Mark 4:39 AMP)

One definition of rebuke is to keep back or turn down so he got up and told the wind to keep back or to turn down and then He addressed the sea speaking to it as though it was a child, “Hush now! Be still!” and it did just as He told it to do. There was an immediate calm.

To put it in today’s vernacular the disciples freaked out!

(40) He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"