Even though I grew up around water being from Watertown, I have a lot of fear related to water. When I was around 8 years old, I was out on Devil’s Lake (appropriately named, I might add) with my dad and some of his buddies on a home-made pontoon boat. We were night fishing for lake trout and our aim was to fish until the sun came up. After fishing for several hours, we decided to move to another location and my dad went to start the motor by pulling the rope. It started fine but proceeded to fall off the boat and sink to the bottom of the lake. My dad laughed but I got scared. We were in the middle of the lake in pitch darkness and had no oars so we had to take some old kitchen chairs that were screwed to the floor of the boat and use them to paddle our way to shore. It took hours to get to land.
A few years later I was in a small boat on Lake Michigan with my dad fishing for salmon. It was a cold, windy and rainy day. But then it got worse. Let’s just say that I turned various shades of green and ended up expelling the brats, cheese curds and Snicker bars I had consumed for breakfast.
When I was in high school I was out on Rock Lake with some friends and one of my sisters. I was skiing while my buddy drove the boat. He tried to make me fall by turning the wheel sharply. When he did, I fell and then he fell off the seat and landed on the floor of the boat. The boat made a circle and came directly for me as I bobbed like a buoy in the water. At the last second my sister (I guess I do like my sisters) grabbed the wheel and turned it, moving the boat away from me.
Then, days before I graduated from high school, I was out swimming with some friends in the Rock River right below a power dam when my friend Tim drowned before my eyes.
To this day I’m wary of water and would rather be a bum on the beach than wander into the waves. Our text for today takes place on some water and we’re going to find out that the disciples had some pretty intense aquaphobia as well.
Please turn to Mark 4:35-41. Let’s climb in the boat with Jesus as He takes us to the other side. Jesus obviously has some plans for His disciples that they don’t know about. In this passage we’ll discover five truths about God’s plans for modern-day disciples. We’ll see that if Jesus is who He says is, then we have nothing to fear.
1. His plan may be puzzling. We learned last week about the parable of the soils when Jesus used a boat as a pulpit because there were so many people crowding around Him. Check out verse 35 - “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’” I wrote down some reasons why I think Jesus may have wanted to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee with his disciples.
• To escape the crowd and get some rest.
• To free a man in bondage (more about this next week).
• To reach a different culture with the gospel (again, more next week)
• To teach and train the disciples.
I want us to focus on this last one but first a little background. While the Sea of Galilee is mentioned 53 times in the Gospels and is the setting or backdrop for many of the stories and miracles of Jesus, hardly any focus is on “the other side.” That’s primarily because that side of the lake was where the Gentiles lived and Jewish people would avoid that area at all cost. The Pagan people lived there and it was commonly believed that the devil himself had is dwelling there.
The “other side” was unsettling and uncertain so they’d rather stay away. As I thought about this, it applies to what our family is doing and also to what God’s calling the PBC family to do. We’re all called to follow Jesus’ plan even when it doesn’t make sense. Just as Jesus called His first followers to go with Him to the other side, so too each us must go where He goes. Incidentally, this is not a suggestion but a command of Christ. We see this in Matthew 8:18: “…He gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.”
The disciples don’t hesitate. If that’s where Jesus wants to go then that’s where they’ll go. We see this in verse 36: “Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him.” They took Jesus “just as He was,” meaning they didn’t make any preparations or gather any provisions. If the Savior said it’s time to sail it’s time to sail to the other shore. Their resolve is about to be tested, however. You see, it’s easy to sail when the seas are calm but when storms come, it’s another story.
2. His plan often includes problems. The Sea of Galilee was really a lake but was called a sea because it had a lot of the same characteristics. It was 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. It’s the lowest fresh water lake in the world and was known for its severe storms. Cold wind would whip down from snow-capped Mount Hermon and combine with the warm lake air causing explosive thunderstorms and gale-force wind. It was not uncommon for the waves to reach a height of 10-12 feet and sometimes up to 20 feet. One commentator writes: “The Sea was known to swallow entire ships and gulp down people.”
It was a common superstition to see the water as the abyss, where demons lurked in the deep.
Besides that, the lake was thought to be where mysterious sea creatures, known as leviathan, lived. Given these superstitions, it’s no wonder that the people lived in awe of the lake.
Look at Mark 4:37 - “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.” The word “furious” comes from the word “megas” which refers to something being huge, like a hurricane. Water is filling up in the boat with the waves spilling over the sides so much so that it was nearly swamped. Luke 8:23 adds that “they were in great danger.”
Friends, let me point out that Jesus sent them into the boat, knowing that a storm was coming. In order to get to the other side they had to go through a storm. Don’t think that just because you’re going through some choppy seas that you’re somehow being punished or that you’re being disobedient. No doubt God does send some storms to get our attention like he did with Jonah but other times the storms come because of our obedience.
And when storms come, they often are:
• Sudden. They come in a split second, seemingly out of nowhere. All it takes is one phone call, a doctor visit, an accident, a job loss or a relational rupture.
• Severe.
• Surprising. I’m often surprised when a storm hits but I shouldn’t be because 1 Peter 4:12 says: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”
In his book called, “The Pressure’s Off,” Larry Crabb argues that God is not a vending machine dispensing blessings as rewards for our good behavior. We need to reject a faith that is filled with a formula that says, “If I do ‘A,’ then God will do ‘B’ for me.” Crabb proposes that while we can’t always make life work like we want, we can always draw near to God.
If Jesus is who He says is, then we have nothing to fear. His plans for us may be puzzling and they often include problems but they come with His presence.
3. His plan comes with His presence. Where is Jesus when the storm comes? He’s taking a power nap in the back of the boat. Verse 38 - “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion…” We see here a picture of the humanity of Jesus. He’s tired so he’s sleeping. This also is a great picture of Him being in total control. He’s peaceful even though there are problems taking place; He’s sleeping while they’re sweating. He’s on His throne. He’s got everything taken care of. Jesus was in the boat with them. He didn’t keep them from the storm, but He went through it with them.
Now this had to be some storm. We know at least four of the disciples were fisherman and they’re freaking out. John MacArthur points out that “it’s a dark day when sailors call on a carpenter to get them out of the storm.”
The disciples are totally undone and so they wake Him up and scream out a question, dripping with accusation: “…Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Before we get too hard on them, don’t we often do the same thing when God doesn’t do what we want? It’s common to attack His character when bad things happen in our lives. While we’re taking on water and sinking under the waves of worry, God often seems asleep. We see this in Psalm 44:23: “Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.”
Friend, don’t confuse God’s silence with a lack of compassion. He cares deeply for you. 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” Commentator Matthew Henry says that the ship that has Christ in it, though it may be tossed, cannot sink. Here’s something that may be helpful for you. Whenever you’re sinking under problems, remember this phrase: Don’t despair, Christ is there!
It is only in the storm that we understand who Jesus really is. We learn most about Christ when we are in crisis. Remember this: Storms weren’t sent to destroy you, but to develop you.
If Jesus is who He says is, then we have nothing to fear. His plans for us may be puzzling and they often include problems but they come with His presence and a demonstration of His power.
4. His plan demonstrates His power. I love how Jesus slept through the storm but as soon as his children cried out He woke up. On this mother’s day it reminds me of how moms can sleep soundly but when they hear just a whimper from their newborn they pop out of bed. Verse 39 - “He got up, rebuked the wind and the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”
It’s interesting to me that Jesus does not specifically answer their question about whether He cared because the answer they needed was to see a demonstration of His power. All Jesus had to do was utter a command and that which He created instantly obeyed.
What a picture. When he stood up all the forces of nature took notice. What He creates, He controls. When he rebuked the wind and the waves they bowed before Him. The phrase Jesus uses means to “be muzzled and remain so.” He said the same thing in Mark 1:25 when He told the demon to be quiet. Mark is showing us Jesus’ power over diseases, over the demons and the deep. Psalm 89:9: “You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.”
With a word, Jesus muzzled a major windstorm and stopped millions of gallons of water from moving…instantly. There are really two miracles here. First, He stopped the wind. Second, He stilled the water. Normally if the wind dies down, the waves would keep rolling along. But not that night. The wind ceased howling and the waves stopped moving. The sea was as still as the offense of the Chicago Bears. I like what someone said about this passage: “No water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies.”
After preaching in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Pastor Fred Luter of New Orleans concluded his sermon with these words: “Always remember that when the storms show up, so does the Savior.” I discovered something really cool this week. The same word that is used to describe the “mega” storm is also used to describe the “mega” calm that came upon the sea.
5. His plan always has a purpose. The greatest storm that night was not on the Sea of Galilee but in the souls of the disciples. The last two verses of Mark 4 gives three purposes behind the plans God has for us.
• To deal with our fear. After rebuking the storm, Jesus rebukes the disciples by asking two questions in verse 40. Here’s the first: “Why are you so afraid?” That word means “timid, to the point of giving up.” What are you afraid of today? The presence of fear can indicate an absence of faith because fear and faith are incompatible.
• To grow our faith. And here’s His second question: “Do you still have no faith?’” Fear can fillet our faith; and faith can force out our fears. The biggest issue is not that Jesus stopped the storm but that He couldn’t find their faith. It’s ironic that it’s only the wind and the waves that are obeying Him in this passage.
• To increase our awe. One pastor has said that the only thing worse than having a storm outside your boat is to have the Lord Almighty inside your boat. After Jesus asks them two questions, the disciples are very unsettled and in turn ask a question in verse 41 - “They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him.”
You’ve heard of the calm before the storm, right? This is the storm after the calm. The sea is at rest but the disciples are all churned up. You would think they would chill when the waves were still. The storm made them afraid but the power of Christ made them petrified. This word literally means, “They feared a great fear; to be stricken with awe and amazement in the presence of one greater than self.” With deity on full display, they are twice as terrified after the storm. If Jesus did that to the forces of nature, what would He do to them?
In short, they didn’t have a category for Christ. One translation says, “What manner of man is this?” He was more frightening than what they had just experienced in the storm. They realize they are in the presence of holiness and felt like Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:5: “Woe to me! I am ruined!”
R.C. Sproul says that it was His awesome otherness that made them uncomfortable. That’s exactly what Peter said on another occasion when Jesus filled the nets with so many fish that the boat began to sink: “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ feet and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8). The woman who was healed by touching Jesus’ garment had a similar response in Mark 5:33: “Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.” Here’s the deal. Unholy sinners are not comfortable in the presence of the holy.
I wonder if we’ve overemphasized Jesus being our friend at the expense of losing our fear of Him? A reverential awe of God will keep us from being afraid during adversity. If we fear God we won’t fear other things and it’s only in the storms that we truly understand who Jesus is.
Let’s summarize what we can learn from this perfect storm.
1. His plan may be puzzling.
2. His plan often includes problems.
3. His plan comes with His presence.
4. His plan demonstrates His power.
5. His plan always has a purpose.
As I reflected on this passage this week I realized that we’re all in the same boat…pun intended. J. Vernon McGee once said: “What a wonderful lesson we learn here. He puts us into the storms of life in order that we might grow closer to Him and that we might know Him better.”
Life Lessons
As we wrap-up, let’s focus on some life lessons that come from this passage.
1. Christ cares for you and can help in your crisis. The disciples accused Him of not caring. Let’s not make that same mistake. This incident reveals both the humanity and the deity of the Lord Jesus. He fell asleep in the stern of the boat; that’s His humanity. He spoke and the storm and the sea were completely calm; that’s His deity. He can understand what we’re going through because He was fully man and He can do something about it because He’s fully God. Hebrews 4:15-16: “For we do not have a high priests who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
2. Christ is in complete control of everything. We don’t know what’s coming but Jesus does. He’s great and He’s good. What do you need to trust Him with right now? Chuck Swindoll writes, “Anything under God’s control is never out of control.” Let’s trust Jesus in the most threatening of circumstances. Every crisis we go through is really an opportunity to get to know Him better. His sleeping days are over. Psalm 121:3-4: “He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
3. We all must go through storms to get to the other side. My guess is that PBC will hit some wind and some waves. It’s OK. Our family will go through some waves as well. It’s OK. Let’s make sure that we’re focused on growing our faith and living in awe of Him. We’re not promised an easy trip but we are guaranteed arrival at our destination. Remember this - the only way to the other side is through the storms.
4. If you’re going through a storm you better have Jesus in your boat. Go back and look at verse 36: “There were also other boats with Him.” But only one of them had Jesus in it. Is He in your boat? Is the Lord in your life? We can go to Jesus in all the storms of life, knowing that the boat can never sink when the Savior is in it. Since Jesus can still the winds and the waves He can clobber your addictions, put your marriage back together and lead PBC into the future! Jesus said, “let us go over.” He didn’t say, “Let us go under.”
I love these words from Amy Carmichael.
Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow;
Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea.
What matter beating wind and tossing billow
If only we are in the boat with Thee?
Keep us in quiet through the age-long minute
While the waves are high, and wind is shrill:
Can the boat sink when Thou, dear Lord, art in it?
Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?
5. Make sure that Jesus is steering your ship. Are you allowing Jesus to be commander of your boat? It’s very interesting to read in verse 38 that Jesus was “sleeping on a cushion.” The cushion was reserved for the captain of the ship. Jesus is in the spot of the steersman. Is He steering your life? Have you given Him control…of everything?
6. Jesus won’t always calm the storm but He will calm you. The Apostle Paul went through a terrible storm in Acts 27. He may not still the storm that you’re in right now but He can still you. He may not always change your circumstance but if you surrender to Him, He will change you.
I close with the words to the song by Scott Krippayne called, “Sometimes He Calms the Storm.”
Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered peace be still
He can settle any sea
But it doesn’t mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes He calms the storm
And other times He calms His child
