Sunday, March 22, 2009

Who Is This? Mark 4:35-40 - Jan Darnell


Let’s go! After teaching all day from a boat on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus summoned His disciples aboard. Let us go over to the other side. A cushion was available in the stern for reclining so the Lord settled in while the disciples loosed the rigging. Most of His disciples were strong, seasoned seamen who handled the surf with athletic dexterity. A trip to the other side of this sea should have been easily managed, despite their fatigue and the pending darkness.

With the sun setting and air cooling down, a gentle breeze beckoned stillness, refreshing the disciples as they pushed offshore. Distributing oars to one another, a discussion quickly ensued over the teaching of the day. Jesus had spoken in parables to the crowd regarding the Kingdom of God while clarifying the significance to His disciples. Still, there was debate over the application. “Where is this Kingdom? What will we do there? Who is the King?” Jesus listened to their conversation before drifting off without reply, taking advantage of a rare opportunity to rest.

Caught up in their Kingdom debate, the disciples may have ignored the cumulus clouds silently moving toward them, cloaking a star lit landscape. When the moon disappeared however, a damp darkness began to penetrate and alarm them. Gusts of wind whistled above them, causing the sails to flap sharply. Swelling waves rocked the vessel, pitching sea water over the sides and filling their boat to a dangerous level.

As if that were not enough, a fierce squall suddenly descended and challenged these seasoned sailors and fishermen to keep their boat afloat. They were blinded by sheets of rain and a stinging spray blown from the rising waves. Fighting for their lives, the disciples probably shouted above the roaring noise of the winds… “We’re sinking! Can anyone see land? We’re sinking!”

Then the story peaks. The disciples awaken Jesus who is amazingly still asleep and they ask, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? An ironic question, don’t you think? Though they didn’t know it yet, Jesus came to be sacrificed so that they and we could be justified, glorified and released from sin. Yet He is being asked this question by His closest friends, Do you not care that we are perishing? True to His faithfulness to respond, Jesus answers their prayers.

Being roused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush, be still. And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. Jesus then asks, Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith? Fear had squelched the faith of the disciples and blinded them to a greater degree than even the wind and rain. But Jesus graciously opened their eyes. And they became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” In seeing Him command forces of nature to obey, the disciples realized Jesus to be more than a master teacher, Who is this?

Who then is the King of the Kingdom of God? Our heavenly Father orchestrated these events on the stormy Sea of Galilee years ago in order to answer that question for all of us, “This is He. His name is Jesus!”

Jan’s Biblical training has primarily been through Precept Ministries, International, studying and working alongside Kay Arthur in the research of Bible study materials. Jan has been a Bible teacher for 30 years, married since 1982 and raised 7 children along with her husband, Barry Darnell a nuclear engineer at Duke Energy in Charlotte, North Carolina.

2 comments:

Gail Burton Purath said...

a great retelling of the Bible story with some interesting thoughts...it was an ironic question for the disciples to ask considering the Savior's purpose in our lives. Never thought of it that way.
Gail

Gail Burton Purath said...
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