What Manner of Man is this?
Mark 4:35-41
Intro: If you will be faithful to a study of the book of Mark, you will know that the book of Mark was written by John Mark. John was his Jewish name and Mark his Roman name. The Latin name "Marcus" means hammer, which is thought to be appropriate by some because Mark was thought to be a forceful and direct speaker and writer. A trait shared by his father in the Lord, Peter. His complete name, John Mark, represents his full connection with both the Jewish people and the Gentiles. The name John was dropped as time went on because of his missionary work with the Gentiles. It is thought that Mark wrote generally for the Gentile people. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is seen as the mighty worker. In other Gospels he is seen as a servant, or as a king of the Jews, but in Mark’s gospel, He is seen as a great worker. This is evident in the scripture we will read where He calms a storm and amazes those around him.
Read Mark 4:35-41
In the verses we have just read, we see where Jesus has been teaching His disciples. He is teaching them in the form of parable, when the multitude grows large and wants to listen to them. Jesus then wants to take His disciples across the sea so that they could do some study by themselves. They are on their way to Gadara when Jesus is sleeping in the hinder parts of the boat. As they are on their way, a storm approaches and begins to rock the boat. The disciples become scared of the storm and fearful. They wake Jesus up and ask Him to do something. Jesus rebukes the wind and commands the sea to stand still. Of course, the people are amazed at the fact that even the winds and the sea obey His voice. They begin to ask themselves the question, "What manner of man is this?" I want to ask you that same question and use it to preach on the thought, "What manner of man is this?"
What manner of man is this, the type that can calm a troubled sea. This is a man who can speak peace to a broken heart. He can heal the blinded eyes. What type of man is this. He is a man like no other. There has never been another man like that. He was 100% man, and yet He was 100% God. He walked upon this earth 33 years and never sinned. He lived a perfect life in every way. He could not have sinned if He wanted to. At the very mention of the name Jesus, all of hell trembles and heaven stands still.
What type of man is this that can cause such a great reaction? Everywhere He went, He drew a crowd. Everybody wanted to get a glimpse, a touch of this man named Jesus. Through the years, many people have been beaten for this man. Others have even paid the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for Him. What manner of man is this, that He causes such a reaction? I want you to notice some things about Him this morning that will show us exactly why He causes the reaction that He does. I am preaching on this thought, What manner of man is this?
I. Saving Man
First of all, let me say that He is a saving man. The Bible says in Acts 4:12, Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. The only one that can save your never dying soul this morning is Jesus. Let me tell you friend that your salvation is not depending upon your good deeds. It is not in baptism. It is not in your good looks or your money. The only way that you will ever see heaven is through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. The first thing that I see about this man is that He is a saving man. Jesus said I am the way. He did not say that He was a way, He said He was the way.
Dear friend, the Bible teaches in the 40th Psalm that you and I were in a horrible pit. We were sunk down in the mire and the mud of this world. There was nothing that we could do to get out of that pit. We had tried climbing but we could not seem to get anywhere. There was no way for us to climb out of the pit. We tried calling for help, and some folks stopped by to try to help us out.
A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.
A SUBJECTIVE person came along and said:
"I FEEL for you, down there."
An OBJECTIVE person came along and said:
"It’s logical that someone would fall, down there."
A CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST came along:
"You only THINK that you are in a pit."
A PHARISEE said:
"Only BAD people fall into a pit."
A MATHEMATICIAN
calculated HOW he fell into the pit.
A NEWS REPORTER
wanted the exclusive story on his pit.
A FUNDAMENTALIST said:
"You DESERVE your pit."
CONFUCIUS said;
"If you would have listened to me, you would not be
in that pit."
BUDDHA said:
"Your pit is only a state of mind."
A REALIST said:
"That’s a PIT."
A SCIENTIST
calculated the pressure necessary (lbs./sq.in.) to get
him out of the pit.
A GEOLOGIST
told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.
AN EVOLUTIONIST said:
"You are a rejected mutant destined to be removed from
the evolutionary cycle." In other words, he is going to
DIE in the pit, so that he cannot produce any "pit-falling
offspring."
The COUNTY INSPECTOR asked
if he had a permit to dig a pit.
A PROFESSOR gave him a lecture on:
"The Elementary Principles of the Pit."
An EVASIVE person
came along and avoided the subject of his pit altogether
A SELF-PITYING person said:
"You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen MY PIT!!"
A CHARISMATIC said:
"Just CONFESS that you’re not in a pit."
An OPTIMIST said:
"Things COULD be worse."
A PESSIMIST said:
"Things WILL get worse!!"
JESUS, seeing the man, took him by the hand and LIFTED HIM OUT of the pit, set his feet on the solid rock to stay, and established his goings. I am glad that Jesus didn’t just lift us out of the pit and leave us hanging over the pit. The Bible says that not only did He lift us out of the pit, but He set our feet on the solid rock, never again to fall into the pit.
What manner of man is this, He is a saving man. He saved me when I was undeserving. I don’t deserve the good things that He has done for me. He has blessed me in so many ways and you would have to agree with me. There was nothing that we did to deserve being saved. Yet in His love for us, Jesus chose to save us anyway. The Bible says in Romans 5:8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were still in the things of this world, with our backs turned on God, God loved us anyway and chose to send His Son to die on an old rugged cross so that we might be saved. He is a saving man. If you want to go to heaven, you must meet this saving man or you will not get there.
II. Sheltering Man
Secondly, He is a sheltering man. We see in the verses we read this morning how Jesus takes care of His own. Nothing can get to us unless it comes through Jesus first. For example, say that this coat I am wearing is Jesus. Before anything gets to me, it first has to go through Jesus. That is how we are. We are wrapped up in His love. His shelter protects us and keeps us safe. There is not a thing in the world that can happen to us unless Jesus first approves it. You may be here this morning and you may be facing the darkest days of your life. You may be wondering where in the world Jesus is and why has He forsaken you. Don’t worry, that is only a human way to be sometimes. Let me share this with you though. Just because Jesus doesn’t calm the storm does not mean that He is not there with you. Look at John 6. The Bible teaches that a storm was brewing as the disciples were crossing the sea toward Capernaum. It became so severe, that they began to be afraid. They looked and say Jesus walking on the water. He could see their fears and so He told them, It is I; be not afraid. Now it is interesting to note that the Bible never says that the storm was calmed. Jesus simply tells the disciples to be not afraid. There is a great lesson in that for you and I.
We may be in the storm right now, but I can assure you that Jesus knows exactly where you are at. He knows exactly what you are facing and He is already walking on the water coming toward you. He may already even be in your boat and you may not know it yet. Just keep this in mind, just because the storm is raging, does not mean that He doesn’t care. He simply says to you, Be not afraid.
Look to Him and He will give you rest and shelter. Look at the Psalm 91. The Bible teaches that Jesus is our shelter. He is my refuge and my fortress. In verse 4, it says that He will hide me in the shelter of His wings. Just as a mother hen will hide her little chicks under her wings to protect and shelter them, the same is true with Jesus. He will put His wings around you and protect you from anything that the devil has to throw at you.
While you are in that shelter, He will strengthen you and make you stronger so that you can continue on in the fight. The Psalmist says that He is my refuge. That means that He is a present refuge. He is always there. Whenever you are feeling weak, like you can not make it anymore, you need to just run to the shelter. There He will wrap you in His arms of love and mercy help strengthen you back to where you can get back into the fight.
We all need strengthening now and then. Think about Elijah, as he came down the mount where he had prayed the fire of God down and slew the 400 false prophets of Baal, Jezebel told him that he was going to die. Now you would not think that a man that had the power of God on him like Elijah did would get discouraged that easily, but he did. So God took him up in the mountains and begin to feed him and strengthen him and get him ready to go face Jezebel. After Elijah spent some time being replenished by the hand of God, he went down and was able to face Jezebel. Why, because in his time of weakness, he allowed God to strengthen him.
I don’t know the problems you may be facing, but I do know that this man Jesus is a sheltering man. There have been times in my life that He has sheltered me and has taken good care of me. He is a saving man, a sheltering man.
III. Satisfying Man
I have never been disappointed in Him. Just like the woman at the well, who came looking for a bucket of water, yet left with a well of living water springing up within her soul, I looked all over this world for satisfaction. Let me say though, there is no satisfaction in the sin of this world. I didn’t say that there wasn’t pleasure, the Bible says that in Hebrews 10:25, that Moses was willing to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin but for a season. You will find some pleasure in the things of this world, but it will be short lived, and your heart will still be searching for that longing that it needs to make it feel complete.
To the artist He is the one altogether lovely.
To the architect He is the chief cornerstone.
astronomer the Son of Righteousness
baker bread of life
banker hidden treasure
builder sure foundation
carpenter the door
doctor great physician
educator new and living way
farmer sower and lord of the harvest
I don’t know what your occupation may be tonight, don’t know what your need might be, but I do know that whatever it is, He’s able to satisfy it. He is a satisfying man.
IV. Supplying Man
The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:19, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now, it is important to keep in mind that the church at Philippi was a church that supported missions. Because of their support for missions, Paul wrote to them that God would supply their needs and take care of anything that they needed. He will do the same thing for us. I don’t know what you may need today, but I know a Man who is able to supply it. This man is a supplying man.
You may be here and you may say "Preacher, you don’t know how big my need is." That is an accurate statement. However, I do know the One that can supply your need. Whatever it may be today, He waits with arms open wide, ready to take care of His children. The problem is, too many times we try to carry our burdens ourselves. We try to manage, when the load is obviously too much for us. Maybe you need to come and lay your cares down at this altar, only this time don’t pick them up when you go back to your seat. Leave them here and let Him take care of them. Maybe you are here and you have a physical need. He’s able. Maybe the need you are facing is spiritual. It is possible that you are here today and you do not know this man that we have preached about today. You can.
If you are here and you are lost this evening, your greatest need is not money, education, food, clothing, or any of the above. Your greatest need is a Saviour, one that can take care of the sin debt in your life. I know the Man who can. Come to Him today. What manner of man is this, the disciples asked? He is a supplying man, and he longs to supply your needs today, if only you will allow Him to.
You may be here today and you are thinking to yourself, that sounds like a man I would like to get to know. I have good news for you. He is here today. He longs to meet you. If you do not know this man, today is the day. If you will but come to Him, He will accept you. You simply have to come to this man.
