The One Who Can Control the Storm

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Psalm 107 celebrates the goodness of God and His great works of deliverance. In light of the story of Jesus’ calming the storm, verses 23-32 are especially powerful:

Others went to sea in ships, conducting trade on the vast waters. They saw the Lord’s works, His wonderful works in the deep.

He spoke and raised a tempest that stirred up the waves of the sea. Rising up to the sky, sinking down to the depths,

their courage melting away in anguish, they reeled and staggered like drunken men, and all their skill was useless.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.

He stilled the storm to a murmur, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

They rejoiced when the waves grew quiet.

Then He guided them to the harbor they longed for.

Let them give thanks to the Lord

for His faithful love

and His wonderful works for all humanity.

Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people and praise Him in the council of the elders.

These verses point to the inescapable truth for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see (Mark 4:1-34): Jesus is the God of Psalm 107 who “stilled the storm to a murmur, and the waves of the sea were hushed” (v. 29).

98This is the first of a series of historical accounts that bear witness to Jesus’ power as a miracle worker. He has authority over nature (4:35-41), over demons (5:1-20), over sickness (5:25-34), and over death (5:21-24, 35-43).

Mark 4:35-41 is marked by careful accuracy and detail. No doubt we have the reminiscences of Peter, the eyewitness authority behind Mark’s Gospel. He remembered the time of day (“evening,” v. 35), the cushion in the boat (v. 38), and the place where Jesus slept (“in the stern,” v. 38). Further, the less-than-flattering picture of the apostles—their embarrassing fear and lack of faith (v. 40)—is not the kind of thing one makes up about oneself.

God orchestrates an event in the lives of the apostles to increase their faith in the One they should already trust. Few stories have been more poorly applied than this one. It is not about Jesus’ getting you through the storms of life. He does that, of course, but this account is about the One who is the sovereign and all-powerful Lord. Demons rightly recognize Him as God (5:7), and we should fully trust Him.

Six biblical truths stand out for our consideration and edification.

God Is Working in the Circumstances of Our Lives

Mark 4:35-37

Jesus has had a full day of teaching (“on that day,” v. 35). It is now evening, and He and the Twelve need to get some rest. There is nothing unusual about this.

He tells them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea” (v. 35). He heads east toward “the region of the Gerasenes” (5:1) with a flotilla (“other boats were with Him,” 4:36; even now He cannot get away). Once in the boat Jesus immediately falls into a deep sleep.

Suddenly everything turns upside down. A “fierce windstorm” arose. The word speaks of hurricane-type winds, and they were taking on water. Many aspects of this story echo the story of Jonah (Jonah 1). Seasoned sailors and fishermen suddenly find themselves in a storm unlike anything they have ever experienced. There is a crucial detail: it was Jesus who led them into the storm! This was not accidental. This did not catch God off guard.

We should not be alarmed by surprises in our lives. They are divinely ordained moments whereby God is working in the everyday circumstances of our lives to reveal who He is, who we are, and who we need! Trials and tribulations, difficulties and desperate moments are when God does His greatest work in our lives. When He brings us to the end of ourselves, we are driven to Him and Him alone as Savior and Rescuer. If He does not act,99 we will not be saved. Would you really want it any other way? Faith answers a resounding no!

Jesus Is Human Aside from Sin

Mark 4:38

The Bible affirms, and the church has always believed, that Jesus is both fully God and fully man, two natures united in one person. He is 100 percent divine and 100 percent human in the one person, the God man.

The only qualification related to His humanity is that He is without sin. He had no sin nature, and He never committed a single sin—not one. Two texts make this clear:

Both His humanity and His deity are put on display in this story, and it is humanity that appears so clearly when He is in stern of the boat, fast asleep on a cushion. The Bible repeatedly teaches our Lord’s full and true humanity. He got hungry (Matt 4:2). He got angry (Mark 3:5). He cried (John 11:35). He died (the cross). Now we see He slept. He had an exhausting day, and He kept on sleeping right through the storm. This is the only time in the Gospels that we read of Jesus sleeping.

Yes, He is human. But there is something else. He has complete trust in the providential care of His Father. The veteran seamen may be terrified, but the Carpenter from Nazareth sleeps soundly. Lottie Moon said, “I have a firm conviction that I am immortal till my work is done” (Akin, 10 Who Changed, 64). We are all essentially immortal until our work on earth is finished. Jesus knew He had a work to complete on the cross. He was confident in His Father’s promise to see Him finish.

We Panic When We Lose Faith in the One We Should Trust

Mark 4:38

Here we see the normal human reaction to something we cannot control. We do not see the spiritual response one would expect from those who have been with Jesus.

100The apostles, in a panic, wake Jesus up. Just as the captain of Jonah’s ship chewed him out for sleeping while they were perishing, so the apostles criticize Jesus as well. Mark says they called Him “Teacher.” Matthew 8:25 says “Lord.” These are terms of respect and honor.

But then they demand, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” They question His love and concern for them. Frustrated by what appears to be indifference to their plight and facing a desperate situation they have no hope of handling themselves, they lash out in a rude outburst rather than exhibiting faith in the One who has proven Himself trustworthy.

It pains me greatly to see myself in the disciples. Jesus has proven Himself faithful to me over and over, yet when caught by surprise and squeezed in a vice of trouble, I fume rather than show faith.

Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher, said, “God is too wise to err, too good to be unkind; leave off doubting Him, and begin to trust Him, for in so doing, you will put a crown on His head” (Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons, 3:1857). Let’s crown Him in faith, not doubt Him in unbelief.

Jesus Has Authority over Nature Because He Is God

Mark 4:39

God and only God is thrice “omni.” He is omniscient: He knows all things (actual and potential). He is omnipresent: He always exists everywhere. He is omnipotent: He is all-powerful.

Jesus’ gracious humility is on display as He does not chasten the disciples for their less-than-charitable summons. In a simple, nonmagical statement He rebukes the wind and says to the sea, “Silence! Be still!”

The word “rebuke” can mean censure. It is the same word used in 1:25 when Jesus rebukes the demons! Could this storm have been demonically instigated? “Be still” carries the idea of “muzzle.” The idea is “be still and stay still.” The response of both wind and wave is immediate because their Master has spoken.

Here is our Lord’s deity on full and glorious display! Hurricane force winds are stopped with a single word. Only God could do this. Jesus must be God. This is the direction in which Jesus seeks to drive the disciples.

Trials and Difficulties Come for the Benefit of Our Faith

Mark 4:40

Jesus now turns from addressing the storm to addressing the disciples. He expresses a mild rebuke: “Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?” By now they should have a greater comprehension and increased faith in101 His person. This was a golden teaching moment, but they came up short. In the eye of the storm, rather than trusting Him, the disciples accuse Jesus of forsaking them (v. 38). Unfortunately, this will not be the last time Jesus must point out their lack of faith (7:18; 8:17, 21, 33; 9:9). Until they see the resurrected Christ and fully understand what He did for them on the cross, they are going to struggle.

We, in contrast, have no excuse. We know Jesus is all-powerful and allknowing God. We know He has taken care of all our sin. We know He rose from the dead. We know He can be trusted no matter what! Trials and difficulties are divine appointments to strengthen our faith. So why are we still afraid? Do we still have no faith?

The Identity of Jesus Is an Issue We All Must Settle

Mark 4:41

This story ends with the disciples’ asking a question every one of us must face.

The text says they were “terrified.” The fear of the disciples at what Jesus has done and who He might be exceeds the fear they had over the storm. The presence of God is far more frightening than the most destructive forces of nature. One can take your life. The other can claim your soul. They ask, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Despite their recent experiences with Jesus as He taught and performed miracles, they still aren’t sure just who He is.

This is the first of three boat scenes in Mark’s Gospel (cf. 6:45-52; 8:14-21). Each is associated with a miracle. Each is a challenge to understand and settle the identity of Jesus. Each is adequate for them to draw the conclusion we must draw as well—“You are the Christ, the Son of God.”

The famous atheist Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was asked what he would say to God if he discovered upon his death that God existed and he was wrong. His response was: “I will say, ‘Not enough evidence, God, not enough evidence’” (Dawkins, Delusion, 141). That excuse will not fly. The evidence is in and it is overwhelming. The time to settle the issue is now.

Conclusion

The parallels between Jesus stilling the storm and the story of Jonah should not surprise us. Jesus called Himself the true Jonah in Matthew 12:40. He is the true Jonah who was consumed by the stormy sea of God’s wrath as He hung on the cross. He endured the storm so that we could find peace and be saved. Jesus calmed the only storm that could truly drown us: God’s wrath102 and judgment. He went down in the storm only to emerge three days later as the One who stilled the just and righteous wrath of God against sinners. “Who then is this?” Ask the demons (Mark 5:7)—they know Him! And we can know Him and trust Him regardless of our circumstances.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Why is it unlikely that the disciples made up this story? If you were going to make up a story about being there when Jesus calmed a storm, how would you tell it?
2. How is it comforting to know that Jesus, in His sovereignty, led the disciples into this predicament?
3. How should the disciples have reacted to the fact that the Son of God was sleeping soundly in their boat during the storm? How does this help us as we face our own mortality?
4. Is it possible to show genuine respect (by calling Him “Teacher”) and disrespect (by accusing Him of indifference) at the same time? Can you think of a time when you questioned God’s love or justice?
5. Is it biblically sound to say that we drive a nail into Jesus’ hand when we doubt Him, and we put a crown on His head when we trust Him?
6. What are the differences between the way Jesus calmed the storm and the way false religions use magic and incantations in an attempt to control the weather?
7. Are you encouraged to see that the disciples who were with Jesus when He was on the earth were slow to fully understand who He was? On the other hand, do you see why we do not have an excuse to be as unperceptive as they were?
8. In what way would it be comforting to be in the presence of Jesus? In what way would it be terrifying?
9. Does something you have read in the Gospels make you stop and say, “Who then is this?” What about Christ amazes you the most?
10. How is the lesson “Jesus calms the storms of your life” an inadequate interpretation of this episode? What is the greater lesson?