Jesus the Storm-Tamer

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Good morning Chapel family. We’re taking this winter to walk through the Gospel of Mark. And one of the first things that happens is that Jesus calls people to follow him—he chooses his disciples. So we’ve been saying every week that Jesus is still calling people—he’s calling us to follow him today. The world says follow you heart, but Jesus says, “Follow me.” So when you look at those early disciples, they’ve made a huge commitment to leave behind their old life to follow Jesus. They understand enough about him to know that he’s worth following. But here’s the thing: they definitely don’t understand everything—especially at the beginning. So as they spend time with him, you see then having these a-hah moments where the light goes on and they understand a little more about who this is. And it’s the same with us—even if you’ve been following Jesus for a while, there are probably some significant things about him that you don’t see yet. Or maybe you know them in your head, but not in your heart.

So in today’s passage, the disciples find out what it means to follow Jesus when we get hit by storms. Remember from last week, Jesus had been teaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and the crowd was so large that he got into a boat and went out maybe 20 feet from the shore, and he taught from the boat. So here’s what happened next—Mark 4, verses 35 to 41. Let’s hear God’s Word…

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!” This is the Word of the Lord.

You know what the temptation is? That we will look at this as a nice, little Sunday school story. There they are in the boat, and here come some scary waves! Oh no, what will they ever do?

But let me ask you something: have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were going to die? I’ve shared couple times about my near-drowning experience a few years ago—Labor Day 2020. I was body surfing at the Jersey Shore, late in the day, by myself. The waves were amazing. And all of a sudden, I couldn’t get back in to shore. I’ve always been a confident ocean swimmer, but there was a powerful rip current, which I know you’re not supposed to fight, but at the time, every instinct in me was telling me to get back to shore. And I couldn’t. And I was running out of energy. And by God’s intervention, there was a guy on the beach who saw me, and he realized I was in trouble. So he ran about a quarter of a mile down the beach to the nearest lifeguard who was still on duty that late in the day; the lifeguard ran out and threw me a flotation device; I grabbed onto it and he pulled me to safety.

You ever been in a situation like that? Where you truly feel like, “This is it!”

As I think about that day, I have some extremely vivid memories. I remember the guy who noticed me was wearing a red swim suit. I remember what I drank right afterwards (it’s not what you might think). I was sitting on the beach, in shock, and I opened a LaCroix, lemon-lime seltzer. Warm. I remember the taste of that seltzer. I remember a guy coming up to me and asking if I was okay—I can picture the guy’s face. I remember going back to the house and ordering sushi with my wife and daughter. The details are still so clear. Did you know psychologists have a name for that? They call it a “flashbulb memory.” You remember the old flashbulbs, that illuminated everything around the camera? What they’ve discovered is that when you have a very traumatic experience, years later you tend to remember the details surrounding that event with amazing clarity. If you’re older than 40, you probably remember where you were when you heard about the 9/11 attacks. Because the trauma acts like a flash bulb that illuminates that moment in time, and burns it into your memory.

Now—think about that scene in the boat again. This was a group of experienced fishermen—who had seen all kinds of storms. They had fished this lake their whole lives! And yet this storm was like nothing they’d ever seen. They were convinced they were about to die. So I mentioned the first week that most Bible scholars believe that when Mark wrote his Gospel, he got his eyewitness information from Peter. Peter was on that boat. Did you notice all the details he remembered?

He remembered it was in the evening. He says they took him along, just as he was, in the boat—which probably means that he didn’t go back to shore after he was teaching from the boat—they just left right from there. It mentions there were other boats with him. So what? That doesn’t make any difference to the story! But Peter remembered. He mentions that Jesus was asleep in the boat—specifically in the stern of the boat—the back. It mentions he was sleeping on a pillow. All these little details! For Peter, this was a flashbulb memory.

And here’s why that’s important. If you think this is legend; if you think this is religious myth that the church made up, this would be the strangest way to write a mythical story. They just didn’t write them like this back then. This truly looks and feels like the memories of somebody who was there. And if that’s true, it means that this is not a nice little Sunday School story to give you comfort. This is about something that happened to actual people, and therefore it’s about something that could happen—and in some way, will happen—to you. And when it does, you need to know the Jesus who was in that boat.

So as I studied this passage, I realized there are three questions that frame the story. So for the rest of our time, I want to look at those three big questions.

Here’s the first one; Don’t you care? Did you see that in verse 38? They wake up Jesus, and they say, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” You have to picture the chaos of this scene: the boat is pitching dangerously on the waves; they’re being pummeled with rain so hard they can hardly see, and the biggest thing is that the boat is filling up with water so fast. They’re trying to bail it out, but they’re losing the battle. Utter panic.

Back in 1633, Rembrandt tried to capture this moment in a painting—it’s called The Storm on the Sea of Galilee. It’s a pretty awesome work of art, isn’t it? You see the twelve disciples struggling to stay alive, and there’s Jesus in the back. Interesting thing about this painting—it was kept in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Art Museum up in Boston for years, but in 1990, two thieves disguised as police officers came into the museum and stole this painting, along with twelve others—it was the largest art theft in American history. And it’s still missing! And that doesn’t have anything to do with this sermon. But I will say, if you get invited to your friend’s house and they have this painting on the wall, you might want to notify the authorities.

So anyway…through all of that, Jesus is taking a nap. Which, by the way, tells us something about the humanity of Jesus, doesn’t it? He got hungry and sore…and tired—just like we do. So he must have been completely exhausted from a full day of teaching, because he actually slept through the storm. If you think you’re a heavy sleeper, probably not this heavy.

So finally, the disciples grab him and shake him, and their question is really more of an accusation, isn’t it? Are you completely oblivious to what’s happening here? We are about to die! Jesus—don’t you care? That’s a serious question. And it’s based on this assumption: If Jesus allows a storm in my life, or even worse—if he actually leads me into a storm—that must mean He doesn’t care. Because…if He cared, he would never let this happen!

And the problem is, that assumption is wrong. Sometimes, God does allow those that he loves to go into fierce storms. Sometimes he doesn’t just allow it; he actually leads them into storms—like he did on that day. Not because he doesn’t care about us, but because there’s something bigger going on.

James Dobson, the author, wrote about a parenting experience when his son, Ryan, was three years old. Ryan had a wicked ear infection that kept him awake most of the night. So the next morning, his mother, Shirley took him to the doctor. The doctor was an older man, who didn’t have much patience for squirming kids. So he examined Ryan, and he told Shirley that the infection had adhered itself to Ryan’s eardrum, and it could only be treated by pulling the scab loose with a long, metal instrument. The doctor said, “This is going to hurt,” so Shirley would have to hold her son tightly on the table. Unfortunately, little Ryan understood enough of that to make him go nuts.

So Shirley tried to hold him down on the examining table. But Ryan just wouldn’t allow it—he kept breaking loose. So Jim was nearby; she called him up, and he came to the doctor’s office. He wrapped his 200-pound frame around his little boy. And he said, “It was one of the toughest moments in my career as a parent.” Because as Ryan was lying there on the table, he was facing this long mirror. And so he could actually look directly into his dad’s eyes while the doctor did what he needed to do.

Dobson reflected on the experience later. And he said the hardest thing was looking into his son’s eyes in that mirror. Because his eyes were saying, “Daddy, why are you doing this to me? I thought you loved me. I thought I could trust you.” Whew. Don’t you hear variations of that question all the time? “How could I believe in a God who allows…you fill in the blank. If he were truly all-good and all-powerful, this would not happen.” That’s a deal-breaker for some people.

And Dobson said, “It was impossible for me to explain to Ryan that his suffering was necessary—that it was love that required me to hold him on the table. How could I tell him of my compassion in that moment? I would gladly have taken his place on the table, if possible.”

I know some of you are in a storm right now. And maybe all you can think is, “God, how could you? I thought I could trust you?” And God could never explain it to you in a way that you could understand. But his heart breaks for you.

So never, ever assume that because there’s a storm, God doesn’t care. It’s just not true.

Here’s the second question: Why are you so afraid? Right after Jesus calms the storm, and they’re all standing there drenched and hearts pounding and it’s suddenly calm, in verse 40, Jesus says, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

If I asked you, “What is the opposite of faith?” what would you say? “Doubt?” Right? Or maybe, “Disbelief.” But for Jesus, the opposite of faith is usually fear. It’s feeling deeply threatened and

unsettled by something or someone. Fear! That’s why he says, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Because if you had faith, you wouldn’t have that kind of fear.

So if you struggle with anxiety, or worry; if you tend to always be thinking about all the things that could go wrong; if you struggle with insomnia because you wake up at 3 in the morning and your mind won’t stop going (not that I would know anything about that)…if that’s you—it’s a faith issue.

I love Psalm 127 verse 2: In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves. Isn’t that a great promise? God wants to so put your heart at rest, that you can sleep—even when there’s a storm going on around you. And Jesus was demonstrating the reality of that promise—right in the back of the boat. God was granting sleep to his beloved son, whom he loved. And he offers the same thing to us.

I was recently walking with a family through the death of the husband and father of the family. Long battle with cancer, and it finally took his life. And I came into the funeral home on the morning of the funeral service, and I saw the young widow standing up front talking to people. So I waited my turn to talk with her, and you know, I know how that whole experience can rip people up. And I said, “You probably got about two hours of sleep last night, right?” And I loved her answer. She said, “You know what? I slept like a baby. God has just put my heart at rest.” And she wasn’t just trying to say the right thing—that was really what she was experiencing. Unthinkable storm…and God showed up, big time. He does that all the time.

So if you’re feeling anxious and fearful right now, stop for a minute, and ask yourself what Jesus asked the disciples: “Why are you so afraid?” Because there’s always a reason, and it’s directly related to faith. Jesus says, “If you were totally sure of who I am, and how much I love you, and how powerful I am, you could be calm…even in a storm. You could even sleep.”

There’s one more big question: Who is this? Who is this? This has always been my favorite part of the passage—and this is the real surprise of the passage—verse 41: They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Now, first of all, think about what Jesus actually did. He stood up in a boat, in the middle of a storm, and he spoke directly to the weather. He told it to stop, and it did. Not only did the wind stop, but the water became perfectly calm. Have you ever been out on a lake when the water is completely calm? I love to fish, and my favorite time is when the lake is like a sheet of glass. You can literally see your reflection in the water. And it’s hard to describe the sense of peace that comes over you.

In the ancient world, there was a widespread belief that the sea was menacing and dangerous and most of all, uncontrollable. Only God could control the sea. In fact, there’s a story from the book of Maccabees, which is part of the Apocrypha. It’s a story about Antiochus Epiphanes; who was a Greek tyrant who persecuted the Jews in the second century BC. He was arrogant, and he claimed he had power to calm the waves. You know what the Jewish rabbis said to that? They didn’t say, “You big bragger! You arrogant person!” They said, “Blasphemy!” You’re claiming for yourself something that only God can claim.

Psalm 89, verses 8 and 9 says…

8 Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.

So here’s what I’m saying; Jesus did something that only God can do! Everybody knew that! He told a hurricane to knock it off…and it happened. And just like that, they were floating on a sheet of glass.

And the disciples were…overjoyed? Relieved? Giddy? High-fiving? (“Way to go, Jesus!!”) Did you see what it says? The disciples were…what? Terrified. Literally, in the Greek, this says, “they feared with great fear.” The word “great” is the word “megas.” “They feared with a mega fear.”

That’s strange. Jesus had just rebuked them for being afraid! “Why are you so afraid?” And now, when the danger was past, and they’re all safe, it says, “They feared with great fear.” Why?

Because they’re beginning to realize something about this man that they’re following that they hadn’t realized before: he’s more powerful, and more wild and untamable, and more to be feared, than the sea. He’s more powerful than a storm. The storm was scary, but in a way, Jesus was even scarier.

Let me say this very directly: if you have never had a holy fear and reverence and awe for the sheer power of Jesus…you don’t know the real Jesus! And he will never be a strong fortress and foundation and rock and comfort for your life…if you don’t recognize and stand in awe of his power.

In C.S. Lewis’s children’s series, The Chronicles of Narnia, do you know what creature is used to symbolize Jesus? A lion. So in the first book, one of the characters has met this lion who represents Jesus. And he’s talking to a young girl about his encounter with this lion. The girl says, “Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” And the guy says, “Safe?” Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” If you are in a storm, and you’re intimidated by the danger, remember we follow a King who’s more dangerous than the storm.

Oswald Chambers said it like this: “The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.” So would you allow the Word of God today to build a holy fear and reverence for Jesus? Because when you do, your other fears will get smaller.

But Jesus isn’t just worthy of our awe, he’s also good and loving. Remember little Ryan Dobson on the examining table? His dad said, “I would gladly have taken his place on the table, if possible.” And here’s the amazing thing: Not only would Jesus be willing to take our place; he did. Here’s what I mean: the ultimate storm—the ultimate infection—is our sin. Sin is the thing that damages our lives, it damages our relationships, it separates us from God. And if nothing is done about it, it will separate us from God for eternity. And on the cross, Jesus took on our infection—Isaiah 53 says he took on our pain and carried our diseases. And in the agony of the cross, he took the greatest storm—the storm of God’s righteous judgment against sin—so we would never have to.

So if you ever doubt that God gets it—if you ever doubt that He cares—look at the cross. He didn’t stay aloof! He doesn’t just sit in heaven and command things to happen! He’s the God who came to suffer with us, and suffer for us.

He doesn’t always calm the storms, like he did here! Sometimes he allows the storm to rage, but in the midst of the storm he calms us. And he allows us to sleep.

Whatever storm you’re going through now, or whatever storms are coming, the thing that will make all the difference is remembering who you have in the boat with you.