The King Demonstrates Kingdom Authority

The four miracles reported in Mark 4:35-5:43 demonstrates what the “kingdom being at hand” (Mk. 1:15) looks like. Mark brings these miracles together as a unit to illustrate the victory of King Jesus over all powers hostile to God. Jesus the Christ, is the Master of every situation and the Conqueror of every enemy. If we trust Him and follow His orders, we need never be afraid. Kingdom authority and the victory of the King is the major theme that binds this long section together.

The story of the calming of the storm is the first of a series of historical accounts that bear witness to Jesus’ power as the King who brought His world with him, i.e., the kingdom of God. He demonstrated that 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).

Psalm 107:29-30 celebrates the goodness of God and His great works of deliverance: “He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.” 

Considering the story of Jesus’ calming the storm, Psalm 107:23-32 are especially powerful. These verses point to the inescapable truth, for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see, that Jesus is the God of Psalm 107 who “stilled the storm to a murmur, and the waves of the sea were hushed” (Ps. 107:29).

There are three “greats” used in this section that give us a more dynamic view of the disciple’s experience in the storm. We see in 4:37, “a great storm”; in 4:39, “a great calm”; and in 4:41, “a great fear”. The Greek word is “megale” from which we get our word “mega”. It means great, super-sized, huge.

1. The Great Storm – Mark 4:35-37

Mark has made it clear at the outset that Jesus’ presence causes an outpouring of demonic activity around him. Everywhere he goes he is confronted by demonized people who disrupt his ministry by crying out who he is. Jesus continually tells them to “be muzzled.” As the intense time of the disciples’ preparation ends, Jesus informs them that they will now proceed to the other side of the lake. Once they’ve crossed over, another demoniac will challenge them. But in crossing the lake they encounter an even more serious attack.

Matthew refers to the storm as a “shaking” (seismos – Mt 8:24 – we get earthquake from this word). Mark calls it a “great wind” (megale anaemu – 4:37). I think this was a demonic attempt on their lives. Satan has Jesus and the disciples together in a single boat on the lake. It is his opportunity to wipe out the ministry in a single stroke. It has all the hallmarks of a demonic attack. The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake. Though it is enormous (thirteen miles long and eight miles wide), you can always see the other side. It is one of the lowest points on earth, seven hundred feet below sea level. Many commentaries refer to weather patterns in and around the lake. They observe that frequent and sudden storms happen all the time. But the violence of this storm has nothing to do with meteorology. And these veteran fishermen, who had grown up on the lake, had never experienced anything like this before.

As this “Super windstorm” attacks the small group of boats, Mark says that the one carrying Jesus and his disciples is “swamped.” So exhausted is Jesus from the difficult days leading up to this moment that he has collapsed, sound asleep in the stern on a cushion. The disciples panic – overwhelmed by fear of imminent death. So Jesus speaks to the storm the same words he speaks to silence demons: “Be muzzled!” (see Mk 1:25). In an instant Mark’s great wind becomes a “great calm.”

2. A Great Calm – Mark 4:39

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. Jesus was 100 percent human in that he was exhausted from the day’s ministry. 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.

Then we see how his exercising authority over the forces of nature and the demonic forces behind the chaotic nature of this storm, reveals that he was 100 percent God. But remember, it’s not 100 plus 100 that equals two separate beings, but one God-man.

And while we must maintain a distinction between His natures, we must affirm that Jesus’s human nature and divine nature are unified. He is one person, so we don't have to specify in every instance whether Jesus performed a certain action in His divine nature, or whether it was His human nature that did it. The Gospel writers don't say that Jesus was "born in His human nature" or that "in His human nature he died." No, He acts as a unified person, even if His two natures contributed in different ways. Scripture simply says, "Jesus was born" or " Jesus died." Wayne Grudem gives the following analogy to illustrate this point: If I were to write a letter, though my toes had nothing to do with the writing process, I would still say, "I wrote the letter," not "My fingers wrote the letter, but my toes had nothing to do with it." I simply say that I wrote the letter, and the meaning is understood. Similarly, everything that is done by Jesus is unified in such a way that we don't need to distinguish between His two natures when we speak of him. It does not matter whether his divine or his human nature is specifically in view, because they are always working in perfect unity.

The “great storm” becomes a “great calm” at the word of a great Savior.

Only the Creator can command creation. The disciples had seen miracles, but nothing like this. Here Jesus demonstrates His sovereign authority over nature itself.

Jesus not only brings peace - He is our peace. His Word has the power to calm external storms and internal ones.

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 afraid? Do you still have no faith?” By now they should have a greater comprehension and increased faith in 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 (Mark 7:18; 8:17, 21, 33; 9:9). Until they see the resurrected Christ and experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they will struggle with fully grasping who Jesus truly was and what He did for them on the cross.

But in contrast, we believers today have no excuse. We know Jesus is all-powerful and all-knowing God. We know He has taken care of all our sin. We know He rose from the dead, ascended to the place of supreme power, and that all authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18). 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?

3. A Great Fear – Mark 4:41

The greatest storm that night was not on the Sea of Galilee, but in the hearts of the disciples. This storm on the sea whipped up a storm of fear and doubt within them that threatened to drown them all.

While the storm is raging around them, Jesus is fast asleep in the back of the boat. They run to Him and wake Him up. These men are fearful and have lost all hope of ever surviving this storm. Doubt has displaced faith.

They Doubted His Goodness – “do you not care” – They accused the Lord of not caring about what they were facing. Why this doubt? After all, they had already seen His compassion and goodness in action. They had seen Jesus conquer Demons, Disease, and Depravity. Mark 1:22-2:12. Now, they are faced with a storm and they are afraid.

Before we got too hard on these men, we should consider our own hearts. Have there been times, when the storms are raging in your life, that you have questioned God’s concern for you? You might not have said it out loud, but I am sure there have been times when your flesh has cried, “Lord, don’t you care about what is happening to me?” We’ve all been there at times!

They Doubted His Grace – “that we are perishing” - Remember, it was Jesus Who had sent them out onto the sea in the first place. These men had left everything to follow Jesus and now He has led them into an impossibly dangerous situation. They are afraid the Jesus is just going to let them all die.

We need to constantly remind ourselves that Jesus did not save us to abandon us when the going gets tough. He is absolutely committed to you and will never forsake you, Heb. 13:5, “…for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” The word “leave” means “to let sink”; the word “forsake” means that He won’t “abandon you, desert you or leave you under any circumstances”.

They Doubted His Guarantee – “Let us go across to the other side.” – Jesus had already told these men what was going to happen. He told them before the journey started that they were headed to the other side of the lake. If they had believed His words, they could have shouted in the face of the storm.

We act the same way! The Lord has already promised us that everything is going to be all right, Rom. 8:28; Gen. 50:20; 2 Cor. 4:15-17; Rom. 8:18. He has promised us that He will take care of us, Matt. 6:25-34; Luke 12:32. If we could just learn to take Him at His Word, then we could face the storms of life without fear. We would understand Who controls the storms and we could have peace, even while the winds blew and the waves crashed.

The Identity of Jesus Is an Issue We All Must Settle - Mark 4:41

“And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” 

The text says they were afraid of the storm, but after Jesus quieted the storm they were “terrified.”

Tim Keller asks, “Why were they more terrified in the calm than they were in the storm? Because Jesus was as unmanageable as the storm itself. The storm had immense power - they couldn’t control it. Jesus had infinitely more power, so they had even less control over him. But there's a huge difference. A storm doesn't love you. Nature is going to wear you down, destroy you. If you live a long time, eventually your body will give out and you'll die. And maybe it will happen sooner— through an earthquake, a fire, or some other disaster.

In The Chronicles of Narnia, an allegory by C.S. Lewis, the author has two girls, Susan and Lucy, getting ready to meet Aslan the lion, who represents Christ. Two talking animals, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, prepare the children for the encounter. "Ooh," said Susan, "I thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." "That you will, dearie." said Mrs. Beaver. "And make no mistake, if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knee's knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

"Then isn't he safe?" said Lucy. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king, I tell you!" 

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.

The identity of Jesus is the point of this story. The disciples were good Jewish men, and they knew that only God (Yahweh in the Old Testament) is able to direct the wind and the waves. Psalm 89:9 says, "You rule the raging sea; when its waves surge, You still them." Likewise, in Psalm 107:29 the psalmist announces, "He stilled the storm to a murmur, and the waves of the sea were hushed." Jesus' disciples marveled because they began to realize that the man in the boat with them was not just a man. God Himself was in the boat with them! That's the point of the story: Jesus is God. The authority that belongs to God is the authority that belongs to Jesus.

Having seen the point of the story, we also need to see the promise in the story. The promise is not that all the storms in your life will end soon. The Bible does not guarantee this, nor can anyone else. Your cancer may not go away, and that struggle in your marriage may not end this week, or even this year. As a believer, your confidence is not that these storms will end very soon, but that in the midst of the storms in your life, you will never be alone. God Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, will be with you every step in the midst of the storm.

Faith is not confidence that trials won't come your way. Faith is confidence that no matter what wind and waves come your way in this world, the God of the universe will be right there in the boat with you. His power and His presence will see you through. Christian, you are not alone, and ultimately you are safe in the presence of the One who has ultimate authority over all disaster.

In closing, I want to add a few extra truths about storms in the lives of believers:

1. Storms are Powerfully Hurled at Every Christian

Paul Billheimer wrote, "The impression is current that to be saved and filled with the Spirit opens a charmed life entirely trouble‑free, where all problems are instantaneously solved and where miracles never cease. 

When you are walking in Spirit‑filled obedience to God, as best you know, do you expect a reception in honor of you? When you do good and instead of a reward, suffering and sorrow come your way, how do you react? Response to adversity, to the storms of life, is the real test of the authenticity, as well as the adequacy, of the Christian faith. If it doesn't work in the furnace of affliction, in the fury of the storm, it's a fraud. Anybody can stand with a healthy body, a God‑fearing and God‑honoring family beside them, a good job, a full bank account and say, "Praise the Lord! Isn't God good!" But what about when the storms of life toss us to and fro and all we can see in any direction is the blackness of the tidal wave of troubles that come crashing in upon our lives. Are you able to declare amidst the hurt, turmoil and uncertainty of these situations, "Praise God, my anchor holds. I don't know where the Lord is taking me, but I know I am in and on the way.  I am not drifting or being tossed to and fro by the circumstances of life, nor am I going to sink. I know that I am sheltered safe in the arms of Holy God!"

2. Storms Uncover Our Life's Foundation

Matthew 7:26-27, "And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” 

In order to reveal what a person is building their life upon; God uncovers the foundation by permitting or sending storms into their life. While in the midst of one of life's “mega” storms, the tendency is to feel that it was sent to ruin us, but in reality storms never ruin anyone, they only reveal the foundation upon which we are constructing our lives.

3. Storms Uncover Our Level of Faith

Jesus, speaking to his disciples, who were convinced that they were about to be drowned amid the storm, said in Matt. 8:26, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” In Mark 4:40, “He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’”  In Luke 8:25,  “He said to them, “Where is your faith?”

Storms are ordered or permitted by God to enlarge our faith and never to endanger it. If we fold up and wilt away in the fury of the storm, then the level of our faith has been unveiled.  The Lord reveals the frailty of our faith, not to embarrass us but to edify our faith. How is He going to edify or buildup our faith?  By exposing us to truth and then allowing storms to be hurled at us so that we are provided an opportunity to exercise and thus enlarge our faith by making application of the truth.

4. Storms Cannot Personally Harm the Christian

Storms are going to be powerfully hurled at every Christian, but storms cannot personally harm them. Notice I did not say they can't presently hurt you. They can and usually do. But they can't ultimately harm you unless you allow them to make you rebellious, bitter in spirit and resentful toward God for allowing the difficulties to come your way.

Paul Billheimer said: "Nothing intrinsically evil can come to a child of God, only a wrong reaction to them can injure him.

Horatio Spafford was a Chicago lawyer who lost all his possessions in the great Chicago fire of 1871, but after a couple of years he made a great comeback. In fact, he was so successful that he was able to send his wife and their four children on a vacation to Europe. He had planned to join them in a few days after he had finished some business. The mother and four children sailed from New York on a French ship.  On November 30, 1873, Horatio Spafford received word from his wife, who was then in England, that while in mid ocean the French liner had collided with an English iron sailing vessel, the Lockhern. Mrs. Spafford had gathered her four children around her and tried to keep them together. After having prayed with them for one last time while waiting to board the lifeboat, to her horror, the ship went down so quickly that they were not able to all get in a life raft. She telegrammed back to her husband this brief message which read, "Saved alone.  All four children drowned."

In December, while on the way to join his wife, the Captain called Horatio Spafford out to the deck. It was a dark, dark night, and he said, "Mr. Spafford, I know you are grieving, but I thought you just might like to have a brief memorial service.  As best I can figure on the navigational charts, this is the approximate spot where the French liner went down. Horatio Spafford was stirred in his soul as he looked out at those tempestuous, choppy, cold waves of the North Atlantic. He went back into his quarters, and there the Holy Spirit showed up. He wrote that hymn that has been such a blessing to so many people over the years, and that one verse says it all:

"When peace like a river attendeth my soul,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say;
it is well with my soul."

The storm deeply hurt him, but it did not ultimately harm him.

What storm are you facing today? What wind and waves are filling the boat of your life? What fear is shouting louder than your faith?

This passage reminds us: If Jesus is in your boat, it can and will ultimately go under the river of death, but it will surface on the other side by the River of Life, where in His forever presence sorrow and tears of suffering and grief are wiped away and there is peace and joy forevermore!

Lift your eyes from the waves of circumstances!
Fix your heart on the One who speaks peace!
Hear again His authoritative word over your storm: “Peace! Be still!”