The Storms of Life Mark 6:45-56 Justin Deeter April 9, 2017 John Newton is best known for his famous song Amazing Grace, but his story of his conversion is lesser known. Newton was born in England in 1725, and joined his father at the age of 11 voyaging the seas. He was eventually forced into the Royal Navy, and at one point tried to dessert them. However, he would be caught and punished before the crew of 350 as he was tied, stripped to the waist and flogged eight dozen lashes. Such a humiliating event brought upon a deep depression, where he contemplated murdering the captain or throwing himself overboard to commit suicide. Yet, his life continued in this darkness as he began to get involved in the slave trade, transporting African slaves over to the Caribbean and North America. In 1748, on a voyage to England a storm brewed upon the ocean. Newton woke up in a panic in the middle of the night. He realized that the ship was filling up with water, the hull had been breached! In desperation, realizing he was about to die, he called out to God! By the providence of God, the cargo shifted and covered up the breach long enough to get the ship safely to shore. However, that moment proved to be a change in his life. That event caused him to began studying the Scriptures, and by the time he arrived in England he was convinced of Christianity. The life of John Newton reminds us that God often uses storms to grab our attention, so that we can see the glories of who He truly is. Such is the case as we see in our passage today, as Jesus walks upon the water to show his disciples his true identity as the one and only God. I m sure some of you are in a season of turbulent storms in your life. Perhaps this day, God is trying to get your attention so that you can more fully trust in him. Storms are an instrument of God to produce faith within us. 1
As we study Mark 6:45-56 we will see that Jesus is the God of the storm who comes to us in our crisis to bring us safely onto the dry land. I pray that as we respond to the truths of God s word today, that you would cling to Jesus by faith, trusting in his goodness and power! First, Christ s Commands Often Lead Us into the Storm (45-46) After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus hurried his disciples to the other side of the sea. Though Mark doesn t give us the reason for this quick departure, in the Gospel of John we discover why Jesus was in such a hurry to break up the crowd. After the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, the people were amazed at Jesus and ready to make him king! John 6:14-15 tells us, When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world! Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. (John 6:14 15, ESV) Seeing the sign Jesus performed, they were ready to force Jesus to be their king. Yet, though he was the king, it was not his appointed time. The king must suffer and die before he would be enthroned in resurrection glory! So, Jesus quickly breaks up the zealous crowd. So, he made his disciples get into the boat. The greek word here is a forceful, and it could also be translated as force or compel. No doubt it was a hectic scene as the crowd presses in and Jesus commands the disciples to get into the boat. Strangely, Jesus commanded them to depart without him! Jesus remained behind to dismiss the crowd, and the disciples were in the boat out at sea. Jesus alone was on the dry land. While they were out on the sea, a windstorm brew knocking and tossing the disciple s boat. Many of these disciples were fisherman, so they had experience in dealing with these frequent storms upon the Sea of Galilee. In fact, they had already 2
encountered a dangerous storm with Jesus back in Mark 4:35. That storm was so bad that they feared for their life, as Jesus slept on the boat. Yet, as Jesus awoke and calmed to storm by his command, they were left in amazement! Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? But now, here they were, out on the sea of Galilee in another storm. Only this time, Jesus wasn t in the boat. Imagine their anger and frustration as they fought the gale force winds. "Jesus, you forced us into the boat. We were fine with staying on the land with you, but you commanded us to get on this boat, and now we are in this storm! We just wanted to rest from our exhausting ministry that you sent us on, and now here we are spending every fiber of energy left trying to survive this storm! With some imagination, I have a feeling the disciples sounded a lot like us when the storms of life appear. One of the first things we observe from this text today is that obedience to God often leads us into the storms. Sometimes the most dangerous place to be is in the center of God s will. We often think that if we obey God, life will go easy for us. When we obey Jesus, life will simply be smooth saililng. However, in the New Testament that is not the picture we receive. Sometimes our obedience to Jesus actually brings storms into our life. If the disciples had not obeyed Jesus, they would not be on the sea in the midst of this windstorm. If the apostles had not proclaimed Christ in the book of Acts, none of them would have ended up in jail or flogged. If Paul had not been obedient to Christ s missionary call to the gentiles, he would have never gone through his long list of sufferings he gives us in 2 Corinthians 12:16ff. We must reject the notion that obedience to Jesus ensures an easy life. In fact, following Christ ensures persecution and hardship. What is God commanding you to do this day? God maybe calling you to a particular mission or ministry, and you ve reluctantly dragged your feet. In resistance, you ve refused to obey him in fear of the storms that await on the horizon. Maybe God is calling you to begin teaching or serving here at the church, but such commitment involves sacrifice. It means you will have commitments here to the church body that perhaps are a bit restrictive of what you would want to be doing on the weekends. Perhaps God is calling you to a change of career or a new business, but the hardships you foresee paralyze you, so you disobey. Perhaps, God is calling some of you to vocational ministry, but thinking about the education, training, and sacrifice you d have to make to do that seems 3
insurmountable. Maybe some of you have sensed a call to international missions, but the thought of uprooting your comfortable American life to a foreign country where your life might be at risk seems to hard. Listen carefully, God doesn t call us into safety, he calls us into obedience. Your ease and comfort are not good excuses for disobeying the command of Christ! Yet, do not be naive. Anyone who gives the Lord Jesus a blank check to their life, ought not to expect smooth sailing. When we obey Jesus, storms will come. Challenges will arrive. In fact, you may find yourself sinfully wishing that Jesus would have never called you to this task! Yet, we must obey. He is our God and king. Because we treasure him so deeply above everything and everyone else, we gladly lay down our lives for his goal. So, therefore it is no sacrifice when we give up our lives for the glory of God! When we encounter these storms, we must no doubt God s goodness or care for us. I m sure the disciples thought all kinds of sinful things upon that boat. Jesus abandoned us to this storm or Jesus doesn t care about us, he sent us out here to die! In the storms of your life, particularly the storms that result form our obedience to Christ, we cannot doubt Jesus love for care, because though he s ashore he sees and prays for us through the storm. Second, Christ Sees and Prays for Us Through the Storm (47-48) Have you ever felt as if God was far away? As if he didn t care for you and the mess that your are in? I think we all feel that way at times. The psalms are filled with the prayers of Old Testament saints to God who felt as if God was far away and unconcerned. Yet, our emotions do not dictate what is true. In fact, our emotions are often unreliable guides to truth! Though God may at times feel far, he's very close; though Jesus may feel unconcerned, he's filled with mercy. We are told in verse 46, that after the disciples set sail and the crowd dispersed, Jesus went up to the mountain to pray. Jesus longed for times of 4
quiet prayer with his father, and seeing this unique opportunity to do so, he spends the evenings communing with his Father. Yet, in verse 48, the text says that Jesus saw they were making painful headway. How did Jesus see them? Perhaps from the vantage point of the mountain, he could see their little boat struggling in the titanic winds, or using his divinity, Christ knew that they were in trouble. Nevertheless, Jesus saw their difficulty and prayed for them. He intercedes their cause before the Father. The priestly ministry of Jesus continually intercedes for us. Let this be a comfort to us all this morning. Now as the resurrected king, he sits at the right hand of God interceding for us. Paul writes in Romans 8:34 that Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that, who was raised who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34, ESV) The letter to the Hebrews describes Jesus as the high priest in the order of Melchezeoik, who pleads the cause of the saints to the Father. Here up on this mountain as he sees and knows the disciples in the storm, pleads their cause to his Father in heaven. In our lives, we must never doubt this great ministry of Christ. Not only has he given us access to the Father, but he pleads our case before the Father. From his throne in heaven, he sees your struggle and knows the battle you wage upon the high seas of life. In his omniscience, Jesus knows all things and his attention turns to you in your difficulty. He is not surprised by this storm that has come into your life. He isn t caught of guard by your tribulation! If you are struggling this morning in the midst of a difficult storm, take heart knowing that Jesus sees you and he prays for you. The Father has his ear turned to his Son, and the Son brings your request before the Father. Do not doubt the Lord s care for you. As David prays in the psalms, The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18, ESV). However, Jesus not only sees and prays for us, he also comes to us in the midst of the storm! 5
Third, Christ Comes to Us in the Midst of the Storm (48-52) Seeing their peril, Jesus comes to them on the water at around 3 AM. The disciples are still fighting this storm, but Jesus comes to their aid by walking upon the water. This astonishing feat can only be explained supernaturally. Though many have tried to explain it away as myth or fable, the disciples saw it and record it in their own testimony. This is a monumental event, because Jesus is still teaching them who he truly is. The first time they were on the boat and Jesus calmed the storm they asked, Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey him? Here, as Jesus walks upon the water in this second storm, he proves that he is God. Who else could take a stroll upon the water like this? Mark wants us to be sure to get the message. Jesus walking on water isn t some cheap parlor trick, but it proves the divinity of Christ. As Jesus came out on the sea to meet them, he intentionally passes by them, coming along the broadside of their boat. Rather than sneaking up behind them, Jesus wants them to see him walking on water. The text says that Jesus meant to pass by them. Now that verb in the greek for pass by (παρελθεῖν) has a unique parallel to the greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. It s the same word that describes how the Lord passed by Moses in Exodus 33:19. Similarly, in the book of Job 9:11 as he reflects on the Lord, writes Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him. This subtle clue of the verbiage of Mark s account indicates just what this act of Jesus walk upon the water proves. This is God himself who passes by the disciples. Jesus passes by them, so they might see who he truly is, the incarnate God! So, by this stroll upon the sea of Galilee, Jesus answers the disciples question. Who is this? This is the same God who passes before Moses in Exodus. In Jesus dwelt the fullness of deity bodily. Jesus teaches his disciples, and he teaches us, that God has come to us. As the disciples look out on the sea, they think they see a ghost! Now, it s easy to make fun of the disciples for being so superstitious, but most of us would think the same thing if we saw a man strolling upon the water! At the sight of 6
Jesus, their hearts a filled with terror. They should be terrified, but they are terrified for all the wrong reasons! It is no mere ghost who approaches them on the sea, but it is God himself! Seeing their fear, Jesus cries out those beautiful and comforting words, Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid! Jesus calms all our fears with the gift of his presence. He comes to bring us peace and sooth our present angst. Whatever your situation today, look to the savior who comes to you with these comforting words, Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid! Then, Jesus gets into the boat with the disciples, and as soon as he does the wind ceases. Jesus arrival brings peace, not only upon the seas but within our hearts. In response to this, the disciples are utterly astounded. They can t believe nor do they understand what they just witnessed! Mark tells us why. The disciples still don t understand who Jesus truly is. In verse 52 he tells us for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened (Mark 6:52, ESV). In all the signs they ve witnessed from the loaves to the walking on water, they still have yet to figure out that Jesus is God. They are amazed yet, they have yet to fully perceive Jesus true identity. By the Spirit s help, may there be none here today who would leave without coming to the life altering conclusion that the man upon the water is God upon the water. Fourth, Christ Gets us Safely to Shore and Continues Our Ministry (53-56) As Jesus hops in the boat, the storm subsides and they safely come to land. They intended to arrive in Bethsaidia, but through the wind knocking them off track, they now land in Gennesaret. As soon as they get upon land, the ministry immediately picks up. The people recognized who they were, and crowds throughout the entire region bring their sick to Jesus so that he might heal them. 7
Jesus will bring you safely to the other side of your storm. In God s calling upon your life, you may be in a moment of choppy seas. In panic, you have doubted that God would get you through. Yet, Jesus will get you safe to shore. The storm will calm at his time and at his command, and he will bring you to a place where you can continue to serve him and minister to others. Remember what God has shown us in this passage today. Often our obedience to Christ brings us into the storm. Yet, Jesus sees us and prays for us in our storm, and he comes to us in our trouble to save us. The gracious savior brings us safely through the storm and to the place of dry land where we can continue to minister for his glory. Do not let the storms of the present cause you to doubt what God has revealed in the past. Do not let the storms of the present cause you to doubt what God will don in the future. In faith, we continue to trust him, knowing that he will sustain us. Final Thoughts Of course, there is another level in which we can look at this account, particularly as we gather for worship on this Palm Sunday and as we prepare to take the Lord s Supper together. In Jesus, God has come to us in the midst of our storm. Though God dwelled in the glory of heaven, the Son of God entered into this fallen and broken world in order to come to us in our need. Seeing our trouble, God came down from the heavens and entered into the turmoil of this world. His love and care for us moved him to action. Jesus, the incarnate God, came to rescue us from the storm of our own sin. Like exhausted sailors paddling against the winds of death, Jesus walks to us upon the water to rescue us. In love, the same feet which walked to the disciples upon the water, would ascend up the hill to the cross. As Jesus hung upon the cross, the storm of divine wrath against our sin would cover the land in darkness. Yet, Jesus brings us through the storm of judgement and brings us safely to shore. As we eat and drink together reenacting and remembering that last supper, may the Spirit impress upon us faith in this Christ, the man who walks on water. 8