Mark 4:35-41
Jesus and the creations
Creation:
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” But, John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word.” THAT WORD WAS CHRIST. Christ created and sustains the world. In the book of Hebrews, we read that He is the Son through whom God also created the worlds (Hebrews 1:2). So, Christ is seen as the Father’s agent in creation. John says that All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being (John 1:3). Paul says that for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16). Jesus Christ is the creator. Genesis 1:26 reveals that the Creator God is the Trinity. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Spirit the creator -Genesis 1:2, Job 26:13).
Creation establishes God’s ownership of all things in heaven and earth (Exodus 20:11, Deuteronomy 10:14, Nehemiah. 9:6; Psalm 146:5, Acts 14:15, 17:24, 1 Corinthians 10:26, Colossians 1:16, Revelations 4:11; 10:6; 14:7). Because all things belong to him, there is no limitation to his controlling power. God, controls every aspect of it. Whether rain or snow, cold or heat, wind or stagnant air, the Lord is the one who continues to uphold it by the mighty power of His Son. It is Jesus Christ who “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). It also establishes his authority, his right to tell all creatures what to do. Jesus shows that he himself is the creator by commanding the storm to still (Mark 4:35–41).
“Creation is an act of God alone, by which, for his own glory, he brings into existence everything in the universe, things that had no existence prior to his creative word. In creation, we see God’s lordship on display in his control over all things, his authority over all the universe, and his presence in every part of creation. There is a divine being and created being, different in their attributes, powers, actions, rights and obligations” (John M Frame).
Scripture does not view nature as a closed system operating independently of God. All its operations are God’s operations (Scottish Theologian Donald Macleod). Nature is not a closed system running by itself outside the control of God. Atheistic naturalism believes that Nature exists, and functions by itself. But the workings of nature are the work of God. Sunrise to sunset, rains, summer and winter everything as per the will of God. So, there is some impersonal mechanism called “nature” or “natural law” that governs the universe in unbiblical. So, we are clear in mind that Sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and trees are not gods as some religious beliefs.
John Frame writes in his “The Doctrine of God”: That divine control extends to the smallest details as Jesus said that Father not only makes the sun rise and sends rain (Matthew 5:45), He feeds the birds (Matthew 6:26), He clothes the lilies (Matthew 6:28-30), He accounts for the falling of sparrows, and He numbers the hairs on our head (Matthew 10:29-30, Luke 12:4-7).
Paul Tautges gives the list of the creation and controls by God: the seasons (Genesis 1:14, Psalms 74:16-17, 104:19), sunrise (Psalm 104:19), stars (Psalm 147:4, Job 38:32-33), controls the water cycle (Job 26:8-9, Job 5:10, Psalm 135:7, 147:8, Matthew 5:45, Acts 14:17, and Joel 2:23), morning dew (Proverbs 3:19-20), lightning (Job 37:1-18; Job 1:16), lunar eclipses (Job 26:8-9), loud thunderstorms (Jeremiah 10:13; 1 Samuel 12:17-18), wind to blow (Exodus 14:21, Job 28:25-27, Psalm 78:26, Jonah 1:4, Matthew 8:26-27, Mark 4:39-41, Luke 8:24-25, James 5:17-18), growth of grass and crops (Psalm 147:8), fruit (Leviticus 26:4, Job 36:26-33, Deuteronomy 11:10-15, 28:12, Zechariah 10:1, Psalms 104:13-14). He brings the spring seedtime and fall harvest (Jeremiah 5:24, Genesis 8:22, Deuteronomy 33:13-14), rainbow (Genesis 9:14-16), and earthquakes (Psalms 68:7-9), scorching sun (Genesis 8:22, Jonah 4:8), rain or drought (1 King 8:35-36, 2 Chronicles 6:26-27). He will create a new heaven and a new earth where He will forever dwell with His redeemed ones (Revelation 21:1-5).
Nature miracles in Mark's gospel:
There are four miracles in Mark over nature. In Mark 4:35-41 - Jesus calms the storms, and, in Mark 6:45-56 - Jesus walks on water. In Mark 11:12-14 Jesus cursed the Fig Tree, and in Mark 6:30-44 - Christ fed five thousand, it illustrates Jesus' authority over nature and his divine intervention on behalf of others, showing that He is concerned about both humans' physical and spiritual needs (Forerunner Commentary). Jesus's power over nature: Turning water into wine at a wedding (John 2). The miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1–11), and finding a coin in the fish's mouth is reported in Matthew 17:24–27, as the catch of 153 fish (John 21).
Jesus calms the sea and storm; Mark is showing that he is the Lord over creation and symbolically chaos. The calming of the storm was contrary to nature, and it’s the same with us. We have seen how Jesus brought the message of the kingdom, through healing the sick, and now he shows he has power over nature as well. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. The calming of the storm shows us that Jesus has power even over nature. The Jesus who stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee is the same Jesus who created the world, who sustains the world, and who continues to intervene in the world even today (Ray Fowler).
A Portuguese philosopher Benedict Spinoza argues that Miracles are violations of natural law. He further says that natural laws are immutable. So, it is impossible for immutable laws to be violated. Hence, miracles are impossible (Doug Humphrey). His argument seems to be correct. But God has the power to change the natural laws for the sake of his elect. We have seen in the case of Exodus events, such as the Crossing of the Red Sea, the crossing of Jordan, the Sun standing still during the days of Joshua, Water turned into Wine, etc.,
Creation waiting for Redemption:
Romans 8:19-22 personifies nature in order to more vividly describe the impact of sin on nature and the future redemption of creation. Paul develops two major themes: the present corruption of nature is a result of the Fall of Adam and Eve, and the eschatological redemption of nature will free it from corruption and transform it into freedom and glory. (Harry Alan Hahne, NT Associate Professor).
Matthew Henry said, “Sin has turned the earth upside down. The earth [has] become quite different from the man from what it was when God first made it to be his habitation. Sin is a burden to the whole creation; it is a heavy burden, under which it groans now, and will sink at last.” So, Paul says that the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. The creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in the hope, that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain (Romans 8:19-21).
(For my further studies in Mark, refer this cite)
