Mark (10)
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Introduction: How do you think most people would answer this question, “What is my greatest fear?”
Transition: Today we are going to discover some truth about Christ and see how that truth confronts fears and establishes faith. Follow along in your copy of God’s Word as we read Mark 4:35-41. Our guiding question...
What does this passage reveal about Jesus?
What does this passage reveal about Jesus?
He is fulfilling His Father’s will.
He is fulfilling His Father’s will.
a. See verse 35 and 1:38
b. Also His identity as 1:1 declares, Jesus Christ the Son of God.
He is truly human.
He is truly human.
a. See verse 38
b. The fact that Jesus is sleeping through a major storm shows His humanity. His is really tired. But it also shows how he is trusting in His Father. He knows that the fulfillment of the Kingdom is coming. But in the same way that He hushes those who would reveal Him too soon, he also sleeps while everything seems chaotic. Why?? He has a mission and its not yet time for Him to die.
He is truly God.
He is truly God.
a. See verse 39
b. Jesus has absolute authority over all creation. We see this because all He needs to do is speak and the wind hushes, and the waves calm down. Notice that Jesus isn't depended on a prayer or some mystical ritual to have the false god of weather calm the storm. No, in the same way that He speaks to a demon and tells it to be quiet so he speaks to this storm. Jesus is fully God and fully human. Which leads us to the core truth of this passage…
Core truth: Jesus has absolute authority.
Core truth: Jesus has absolute authority.
Transition: Now, what application does that truth have on us?
He is exposing unbelief, and establishing faith.
He is exposing unbelief, and establishing faith.
(38b-39) He is exposing unbelief in the statement of the disciples, “We are dying and you don't even care.”
How are the fears of my heart exposing unbelief?
Certainly there are different kinds or causes of fear, but when our fear leads us question God with contempt and accuse Him of being apathetic, surely there is a problem with our faith. To recognize the supreme authority of Christ and cry out to him in times of various trials is one thing, but to doubt His care for us is something totally different. Fear has a way of eroding our false foundations and creating space for the corner stone of Christ to be our all in all.
The truth is, Jesus really does care that these men, and you and I are ultimately perishing, dying. Our unbelief is exposed when we dare suggest that He doesn't care. Consider the truth of a verse like John 3:16 which says… The good new is that Jesus does care. He cares so much that He suffered death in our place in order to show that He has absolute authority even over our worst fear! By dying on the cross He paid the penalty for our sin, and by raising from the dead He revealed that He had the authority to pay that price in full! In Christ, death has no sting and the grave has no victory. We need not fear death when we are trusting in Jesus.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Transition: Not only is Jesus exposing unbelief but He is also establishing faith. Its kind of like a child standing on the edge of a pool contemplating jumping into water with parents. The parent is trying to exposing unbelief by promising they will catch the young one when they jump, and the child is establishing faith by actually leaving the safety of the edge of the pool and being subjected to the gravitational pull in a free fall to the arms of their parents. At some point they will have to face their fear and either trust their parent or remain in unbelief.
2. (41) He is establishing faith in the statement of the disciples, “Who is this that the wind and sea obey Him?”
When we see the rest of the story concerning these disciples we realize that Jesus is preparing their faith. He is laying the foundation of His identity before them so that their fears will ultimately be changed into faith. Case in point, when we read about these guys after the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, they walk in obedience with a new courage. Death no longer has a hold on them like it did in this boat. They face the potential of death everyday with faithfulness.
And especially consider how this truth of Jesus’ absolute authority to change fear into faith would resonate with the first century Christians that Mark’s original audience. They were being imprisoned, threaten, thrown to lions on a daily basis. They faced death at every corner… and yet the testimonies we read of these Christians is they remained full of faith.
What about us today? How is Jesus demonstrating His authority over the storms in my life in order to establish my faith? Maybe you’ve had a bad report from the doctor, cancer, long term illness. Perhaps your experiencing the trial of broken family relationships, job loss, the death of a loved one. Maybe your scared to go back to school, head off to college, or begin a new career. Perhaps you are fearful about your marriage, finances, or parenting. Whatever our fears may be, the encouragement of Jesus’ absolute authority rings true...
Closing:
Great storms expose great fears in order that we might have great peace through faith in a great Jesus!
Great storms expose great fears in order that we might have great peace through faith in a great Jesus!