Mark 4 Devotion

The land was created for man to inhabit but not the seas! The seas are dangerous and deadly. They are unpredictable and uncontrollable. If you venture on its waters, you knowingly subject yourself to its forces. The sea has been used for traveling but its most often use, now, is for the catch. Many have braved its surface and did not live to tell of its power.

Mark 4 ends on a storm-tossed sea. It violent winds bring fear to Jesus’s disciples. But the storm isn’t for nothing. It’s intended to reveal Jesus’s identity. Some like to spend their time trying to discover the weather pattern that caused these tumultuous waves but if you do you might miss the point.

Let’s cut right to the chase. The disciples are in dreadful fear of their lives while Jesus is asleep. They awake him and question whether he cares that they are about to perish. I can tell you, Jesus is far more concerned about your faith than your comfort. But with no effort whatsoever Jesus speaks to the waves and demands they “hush, be still.” The sea obeys his voice and becomes “perfectly calm.”

With Mark’s purpose in mind—The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. – Mark 1:1—what has Mark proved with this story? First, let’s hear the response of the disciples—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?” – Mark 4:41. You should be asking the same question.

You might conclude from this scene alone that only God, the Creator, can speak to his creation and it obeys. And you would be correct. That means you must conclude that Jesus is God. But maybe you need more evidence and I think you should have all the evidence possible to make your decision.

Let’s see if we can find another place to confirm our conclusions. Certainly it’s worth your time to read this entire psalm but take note of this section:

23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters;
24 they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.
25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight;
27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!

Psalm 107:23-31

The LORD raised the stormy wind that these men might come to their wits’ end so that they would then call on the LORD and be delivered for the purpose of giving the LORD thanks for His steadfast love.

First, notice the LORD is sovereign over the wind and sea. He makes it toss about and He alone calms it. If Jesus does the same thing then that means he is the LORD. But you might be thinking this whole scene doesn’t appear to be steadfast love. But that’s in fact what it is.

The most loving thing God can do is to reveal Himself to you so that you can be delivered by Him. The storm resulted in their salvation. I can’t help but think that is love. And the best gift we can have is God’s love. He loves us by revealing Himself and not withholding that which is most valuable to us.

The calming of the sea in Mark 4 reveals that Jesus is in fact the Son of God. In him our fears will be calmed and our souls will be saved. The storm was a gift for us to see who Jesus is! Let us run to him to be delivered from the penalty of our sin for he really does care for us. And when he does let us give him thanks and live for his glory!

Go and explain these stories to someone, today, so that they might be delivered and give him praise!