Faith Strengthened in View of Jesus

Fear or Faith?

Intro

If you’ve ever watched a magician or sleight-of-hand expert doing an illusion, you’ll know that they’re masters of misdirection. And so you know that while they’re doing something with one hand, you’re actually meant to be watching the other to see what they’re up to. But the problem is that they know what they’re doing far better than you do, and so even though you know you’re meant to be looking away from the misdirection, they’re far better at tricking you than you are at seeing through them. And so inevitably you won’t be able to keep a track of what you were looking at and will end up tricked.

As Christians we know that we’re meant to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, but even though we know that we still so often end up with our eyes distracted and fixed elsewhere. We know we’re meant to have faith and trust in Jesus but a sudden change in circumstances, a sudden temptation or fear comes upon us, and all we can see is that, rather than what we know we’re meant to be looking upon — Jesus.

We’re back in our series going through the gospel of Mark this morning as we jump back in to the end of Mark chapter 4. So far in Mark’s gospel we have seen Jesus begin his ministry, calling his disciples, proclaiming the message of the Kingdom of God, healing the sick and casting out demons. Last time we were in Mark we looked at Jesus’ parables about the Kingdom of God and considered how Jesus’ disciples are to trust that God is working in the growth of the kingdom even when they are not. Even as the worker is asleep — God is working and growing his kingdom.

Which brings us to our passage this morning where Jesus has finished his teaching at the shore of the sea of Galilee and heads off in a boat with his disciples across the sea. As we go through our passage this morning we’ll consider the storms that we go through in life, the nature of fear and faith, Jesus’ person revealed to us, and the assurance and hope that we can have in him.

1 - The Storms

So as we come to God’s word this morning let us first consider the storms that we face in life.

I don’t know what you think when you hear on the news that there’s a new yellow or orange weather warning happening. Some storm or another is supposedly coming and we’re to watch out. At this stage it feels like, to me anyway, that they’ve put out so many of these warnings that they’re meaningless. Just the other week there was supposed to be some storm coming and they put out these warnings and we had a lovely day instead. And it ends up feeling like a bit of a boy who cried wolf situation where you end up ignoring them so that when a real storm happens you’re not actually prepared.

Because we do get bad storms from time to time in Ireland. If you’re not familiar with Theresa Mannion’s famous video from a number of years ago, it’s a staple in Irish culture and I’d encourage you to look it up. She’s a broadcaster for RTÉ and in the midst of a massive storm she was outside in the wind and rain telling us not to make unnecessary journeys or to take risks on treacherous roads or to swim in the sea — all the while the storm was raging around her.

Because storm warnings are supposed to be helpful. They’re supposed to let us know what’s coming so we can prepare. Some of you may have experienced storms that are even worse than what we get here in Ireland.

The great windstorm that we read of in verse 37 is not just a little wind and rain. This is life threatening. Many of the disciples were fishermen. They spent their lives on the sea and knew what was dangerous or not. When they say to Jesus that they are perishing it is because they know how perilous the situation is.

And the truth is that if we are followers of Jesus we will go through storms. This is your advanced red warning if you weren’t already aware. The disciples were not aware before they set out that this storm was coming. Because of the geographical nature of the sea of Galilee storms can arise very suddenly out of nowhere. Would they have gone with Jesus if they knew the storm was coming? If we are followers of Jesus we will go through storms, and so let us be encouraged by the following truths as we consider how we think about storms as Christians.

Firstly: Jesus leads his disciples into the storm.

Look with me from verse 35: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”

When Jesus says this to the disciples he isn’t saying it not knowing that a storm is coming. Jesus knows that a storm is on the way. He leads the disciples into the storm on purpose. To test them, to challenge them, to demonstrate his power and authority, to teach them about what faith in him is, and to reveal to them his identity more clearly.

Jesus also has work to do. As we’ll see next week from the second Jesus gets out of the boat on the other side of the sea, he continues his ministry — healing and teaching. Jesus’ work was important, and despite the fact that he was tired enough to sleep through a storm, he had decided that his work could not wait.

If we are Jesus’ servants, those who seek to do his will, and his work on earth, he will lead us through storms to complete that work. We have been created to do these good works. They won’t be easy, nor will the path to them be easy, but they are prepared for us. When we experience storms and trials we must remember that though they are surprises to us, as the storm was to the disciples, they are not surprises to God. He has led us to them, and he will lead us through them.

Storms in this life will not get in the way of Christ achieving his purposes. A servant is not greater than his master. If we are Christ’s servants we must be prepared to go through storms, trials, sufferings, even as he did. The same waves which were breaking into the boat where Jesus was, will break into ours. Wherever he leads us as we follow him we must go. Jesus leaves the crowd, verse 36: but other boats were with him.

Which is better? To be on the sea in the storm, but with Jesus? Or to be on the dry land away from the storm, but alone?

Secondly: Jesus is with his disciples in the storm.

Even as Jesus leads his disciples into the storm that he knows is coming, Jesus does not send them off on their own — but he goes with them. Just as soldiers are comforted when their king leads them into battle so too can we be comforted that whatever storms we go through as we follow Jesus, doing his works, we can rejoice knowing that he is with us.

The disciples don’t even seem to realise how present he is with them, waking him up to rebuke him on their situation. Because even as Jesus is sleeping he is upholding the whole universe by his word. Psalm 121 reads: He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Our God is not sleeping when we go through storms. He is fully in control, fully sovereign over everything that is happening.

Which is better? To cross the sea with this Jesus, heading directly into a storm — knowing that he will bring us to our destination on the other side, to the heavenly Jerusalem, just as he has gone before us? Or to try to avoid the storms, and go alone our own way, or stay on the shore, and ultimately go down into the depths alone?

Finally: Jesus will calm the storm.

Look with me at verse 39: And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be Still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Notice how Jesus calms the storm. With a word the wind and sea are immediately still. And there is a great calm. This wasn’t a case of Jesus just happening to wake up at the time when the storm was petering out. Normally when a storm would end there would still be waves and tumult for a while after the storm had ended, but Jesus’ control over the storm was so great that the calm he commanded was a great and immediate calm.

When we go through life do we hear the words of Jesus amidst our storms? When we’re anxious about the future do we hear Jesus’ words not to worry as today has enough worries for itself — and have peace? When those who should be our friends or family insult or desert us do we hear Jesus’ words that he will never leave us nor forsake us and have a great calm in our hearts? When our temptations are great do we give in to them because we think they have a stronger hold over us than Jesus, or do we hear his words that he will not let us be tempted beyond our ability. When though our circumstances on the outside are as if we’re going through a storm do we have peace and assurance inwardly because of faith — or do we instead let those circumstances drive us to fear.

There is no sin too great that Jesus cannot be master over. There is no heart too weak that Jesus cannot strengthen. There is no mind so anxious that Jesus cannot put at ease. Do you think it would require a miracle to calm whatever storm you’re in? Our God is a God of miracles. If with a word he can calm the wind and sea, with a word he can calm the struggles of your soul.

Our journey with Jesus as Christians is one as, verse 35: to the other side. Most of us will, while Jesus tarries, go through death. But if we are followers of Jesus, if our boats are with him, following him in the same water, then although as Jesus suffered waves and winds and trials, and we will too, we can have faith that he can calm the storm, and that he is with us and will bring us safely to the other side. If you look at verse 1 of chapter 5, spoiler for next week, but they do all indeed make it to the other side of the sea.

But our reactions to storms in this life are more often like that of the disciples in this passage. Which is one of fear.

2 - Faith is the Solution to Fear

Which brings us to our second point, that faith is the solution to fear.

First: Let us consider the disciples’ fear.

Look at Jesus’ response to the disciples in verse 40: He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

When Jesus asks about the disciples fear he seeks to show to them how small their faith was. That although they had been with him and seen him do many miracles the fact that they still had such fear showed that their faith was so small it was as if it was nearly nothing. The disciples don’t have no faith at all. We see that they do indeed turn to Jesus in this time of trouble, waking him up. Even through their fears which are overtaking their faith God is still sustaining their faith enough to cry out to him. But their problem is just that. That their fear has overtaken their faith.

And we see though that Jesus doesn’t sternly rebuke his disciples when they wake him up. First he assuages their fear by calming the storm, and then afterwards asks them why they were so afraid.

How did this happen to begin with? I think we see in this passage a number of ways which led the disciples to be susceptible to being overtaken by fear which we can learn from.

Verse 35: On that day, when evening had come.

How much easier is it to feel fear in the dark than in the day? When it is dark around us we can’t see clearly. It affects our mind and our thoughts. Think of when you were a child and you would get scared from shadows and shapes that you would see at night. How much easier is it to despair in the darkness than when the sun rises on a new day.

We should be aware of the circumstances we’re in and how they can shape our temptations. If we are tempted with gluttony our temptations are going to be stronger or weaker whether we are in the shops getting our groceries versus when we’re at work versus when we’re in our home. If we’re tempted to anger our temptations are going to be different depending on whether we’re driving in traffic versus when we’re with our work colleagues versus when we’re on a walk outside. If we’re tempted to pride or division our temptations could be shaped by whether we’re at home alone online versus when we’re with our brothers and sisters in church. If we’re tempted to anxiety and to worry our temptations could look different at the start of the month versus the end. We need to be aware of our temptations and sins and to be even more vigilant at times where it is easier to fall into them rather than trust in Jesus.

Notice as well verse 36 that after Jesus has said to the disciples that they should cross the sea they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Jesus was not a fisherman, he was a carpenter. And after having spent time with Jesus watching him heal people, cast out demons, and teach with authority, the disciples were probably relishing the opportunity to be the ones who knew what they were doing, still not yet realising that the one they were taking with them was the very God who had made them, and the sea and everything else.

And this is another thing which would have contributed to their fear. In their own minds they were supposed to be in control, they were supposed to know what they were doing. They had pride in themselves, and this small seed of pride would then lead to a greater fear when they realised that they were not in control, that they did not have power over the sea and the wind. We must be careful not to let little seeds of pride or other sins go unnoticed and grow into bigger problems.

We read in Psalm 4: In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

To sleep, according to many passages in the Old Testament, and as seen in Psalm 4, is “a sign of faith in the protective power of God”. We see Jesus emulate this faith, verse 38: he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

When was the last time you were unable to sleep because you were anxious about tomorrow? We lose sleep when we don’t trust in God. The next time that you’re unable to sleep because of your worries why not pray to God for him to remind you that he is in control, that he is powerful to calm the storms of your life, and to ask him to give you peace and calm and a renewed and strengthened faith in him that you can sleep.

In our passage the other disciples were not emulating Jesus’ faith by also sleeping, but were driven to fear. Even seeing Jesus they don’t see his faith but rather wake him up and accuse him of not caring about them.

Verse 36: And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

See how greatly their fear has overtaken their faith. They have spent so much time with Jesus already and have seen his compassion and care for others. They do, or should, know deep down that Jesus does care about them, and would certainly care if they were perishing. In fact the reason that Jesus was asleep was because he was so tired from having spent the day teaching for the sake of others.

And so when Jesus asks the disciples why they are so afraid and if they still have no faith it’s because he wants them to reflect on why they don’t have the faith they should. Do they not trust Jesus? Did they think he would die? Did they really think he doesn’t care? Do they not know scripture?

Secondly: Let us consider that faith is the solution to fear.

Look again at verse 40: He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

The reason the disciples are afraid is because they do not have faith. And faith is the solution to our fear. If Jesus was to stand before you this morning would he say those words to you? Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith? Though you have seen Jesus’ working, his miracles, his character, is your fear greater than your faith?

Before the disciples had gotten in to the boat while he was teaching Jesus had explained in his parables that even as those who scatter the seed of the gospel are sleeping that God is still working, growing his kingdom. A few weeks ago we considered in Psalm 13 how the solution to our feeling abandoned by God is to turn again to him and trust him even when we don’t see him working. As the disciples looked upon Jesus sleeping in the boat they did not trust that he was simultaneously upholding the whole world in his hand. As the storm arose they should not have thought he had abandoned them, and did not care about them, but rather trusted in him to work.

Even when our faith is small we still must put it to use. Just as the disciples did still turn to Jesus, although out of more fear than faith, we must not be afraid to put what faith we do have to use.

But is being fearful or lacking in faith really that bad? Do we think that it’s something we would like to work on maybe, but at least it’s not like it’s one of those really bad sins or something.

We read these words in Revelation Chapter 21: But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.

If the opposite of fear is to have faith — we must have faith to be courageous. Imagine if Christianity became illegal in Ireland. Would you still have courage to gather with the church or would you be fearful and abandon faith when it becomes difficult? It is only with faith that we can say with Paul to live is Christ and to die is gain.

And we see this change from fear to faith beginning to happen at the end of our passage. Verse 41: And they were filled with great fear.

Their fear of perishing has been replaced with a right fear of Jesus. As the proverb tells us Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

In order for us to have faith in Jesus we must rightly fear him, and see him for who he is. The disciples could see their fear clearly. It was all around them. But they could not see Jesus clearly, or understand who he was. In order to have faith we need to know who it is we have faith in.

3 - Who Then is This?

Which brings us to our next point, and the disciples’ question as they look upon Jesus. Who then is this?

Verse 41: “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

First: Let us consider that Jesus is fully God and fully man.

We confess these words in the Nicene Creed that Jesus is both fully God and fully man:

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,the only Son of God,eternally begotten of the Father,God from God, Light from Light,true God from true God,begotten, not made,of one being with the Father;through him all things were made.For us and for our salvationhe came down from heaven:was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,and became truly human.

Nicene Creed

And we see this in our passage this morning clearly. Notice how these Old Testament passages speak about God:

In Psalm 93: The floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty.

Or Psalm 106 speaking of the Lord God again when he redeems the Israelites from Egypt: He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.

Or these words in Exodus 15 on the same event: At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

The gospels are not unique, self-contained narratives that are divorced from the rest of the bible, but are a continuation and climax of the whole narrative of the bible starting from Genesis. These passages, among many others in the Old Testament, all show that there is but one who has control and power and authority over the sea. And that is God.

The redemption of Israel at the Red Sea is one of the ultimate examples of God’s redemption of his people, which we see recapitulated by Jesus here. Jesus saves his followers by commanding the sea and storm to be still. Jesus demonstrates not just that he is God by his ability to do what only God can do — but demonstrates his character as that of a saviour in the same way.

And just as we see that Jesus is fully God, we also see that he is fully man. Jesus, as we have already considered, sleeps. He experienced real tiredness and weariness from his work. And because Jesus is fully man, he is able to sympathise with us in the storms we experience.

As the writer to the Hebrews says: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

When we, like the disciples, cry out to him for help, we can know that he knows what we are experiencing. And that he has told us to boldly approach the throne of God with faith, not turning distracted by our fears.

Secondly: Let us consider Jesus’ character.

If you read through the Old Testament you’ll come across two passages that sound remarkably similar to this passage we’ve been looking at this morning. One of these is found in Jonah.

We won’t read out the whole passage, although I’d encourage you to look later on, but here’s a high level summary of the similarities. Jonah, who has been commanded by God to preach to the gentiles, gets on a boat and falls asleep. A storm arises, and the others on the ship are afraid and think they will perish. They then wake up Jonah. After Jonah is thrown into the sea the storm ceases. The men on the ship respond by fearing the Lord.

At this stage the disciples still don’t seem to understand who Jesus is. And maybe they thought that he was just a prophet, someone like Jonah. But despite the similarities between the stories of Jonah and Jesus, the differences show us who Jesus is.

Mitch Chase notes these key differences between Jonah and Jesus:

Jonah was on a boat because he was fleeing the will of God; Jesus was on a boat as he continued to fulfil the will of God. Jonah’s presence on the boat was the reason the storm arose; Jesus’ presence on the boat was the reason the storm became calm. Jonah was woken up but did not call upon the Lord; Jesus woke up, and he was the Lord whom the disciples called upon for help. Jonah was on a boat in order to not go to the Gentiles in Nineveh; Jesus was on a boat in order to go to the Gentile territory that we see in Mark 5. Jonah had to be delivered from death; Jesus delivered everyone else from death.

What we would expect to see in these situations is for a person, even a prophet, to act like Jonah does. But Jesus is not just a prophet like Jonah, he is something greater.

But maybe he was a prophet that was better than Jonah, but still a prophet nonetheless. After all, the prophet Elijah healed the sick and even raised the dead. But no prophet in the Old Testament has power over nature. Elijah has to pray for rain. Moses had to be instructed by God what to do with the Red Sea, and whenever the event is spoken about again it is always only spoken of as something God had done.

We often think of among Jesus’ miracles of Jesus’ raising people from the dead as the ultimate show of his power, that he has power even over life and death, and this is true. But this passage sets the stage for showing that Jesus is both greater than and unlike anything that has come before. The disciples don’t have a category for him. At this stage he hasn’t yet even raised anyone from the dead which will happen a little later in this section of stories in Mark.

Many people think of Jesus as someone who was just a nice guy, who taught nice things, who was just gentle and loving. Jesus commanded the wind and sea with his voice. He caused a storm to still into a great calm in an instant. And the disciples’ reaction to this was to be terrified. They were face-to-face with God himself. Jesus was so much greater than the disciples had realised, and is so much greater than many people think of him now, if they think of him at all.

We know the answer to the question that the disciples ask: who then is this?

Mark told us at the very beginning of his gospel account: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

This story is part of the disciples working out who Jesus is, which culminates in a few chapters with Peter declaring that Jesus is Christ. We’re reading this knowing who Jesus is, that he is the Messiah, that he is God incarnate.

And so if we do know who Jesus is do we have faith? Do we trust him in the trials and the wilderness and the sins and temptations and storms of life? Do we think that he cares?

Thirdly as we consider “Who then is this”: Let us turn to Jesus.

The solution to our fear is faith. The solution to our faith is to turn to Jesus.

We know who the God-man the disciples witnessed and feared was. We must look upon him with the same awe and reverence as the disciples did. If we want to grow our faith, strengthen it that it would prevail against fear, we must spend time with Jesus.

Listen to his words, pray for help and understanding and courage, cry out to him, consistently and diligently study his word. All scripture points to Jesus. Just as the disciples should have known the answer to their question as it was contained in scripture, if we want to grow we must study scripture to understand what it reveals concerning Jesus.

Are you committed to truly learning more about him? Do you think you know it all already? Or is there more to learn? Turn your eyes upon Jesus, turn to him in faith. Trust in his nature and his character. Worship him in fear and trembling; and boldly approach him with confidence.

When we see Jesus like this we will strengthen our faith to overcome those fears which assail us unawares.

4 - Assurance and Hope

Which brings us to our final point, the assurance of faith that we have, and the hope that it points to.

Paragraph 4 of Chapter 18 of the 1689 Baptist Confession reads as follows:

True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin which wounds the conscience and grieves the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light, yet are they never destitute of the seed of God and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the meantime, they are preserved from utter despair.

1689 London Baptist Confession · 18.4

We considered earlier that sudden temptations, such as the storm which came upon the disciples, can be prepared for, even as they are unexpected — by readying ourselves and being aware of the situations we’re in. But as Christians we can be assured that though our faith may falter at different times, and be stronger sometimes and weaker other times, that we can know, as we sung earlier, that Christ will hold us fast.

We’ve considered this morning a lot regarding the water narratives and imagery in this passage and in the Old Testament. And water in the bible can have different meanings depending on the context. Sometimes it can be in relation to being cleansed or washed. Other times it can be connected to life and thirsting for life and water. But still other times, and especially when connected with the sea, it can be connected to chaos, sin, evil, and death. Which is the context that we’ve been looking at this morning.

And we see this context from the very beginning to the very end of the bible.

We read in the creation account in Genesis: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And this is why it is so important that we read throughout the bible that God has control and power over the sea. Chaos, evil, sin is not running rampant but must submit to the power of God. We don’t have power over the sea or that which it represents, but God does. Just as Jesus speaks the world and everything in it into existence by his mighty power, so too does he calm that very sea with his same words. It’s no wonder that the disciples were terrified when they witnessed this power of God right in front of them.

And the good news and future hope we have is seen in Revelation Chapter 21 verse 1: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

The reason there is no more sea isn’t because in the new heavens and earth God has changed his mind on oceans and sea creatures and wants surfers not to be able to have fun anymore, but because what it represents — chaos, evil, sin will not be present in the new heavens and earth. We will not go through storms and trials in the new heavens and earth.

We don’t need to fear the wind and waves of life, we don’t need to fear death, because we can have hope in our destination in the new heavens and earth. We don’t need to fear because Jesus has rebuked the chaos sea of death. He has conquered death for all that are in him. All who travel in his boat will safely reach the other side.

This is the image we see in baptism, when we are immersed into water as a sign of us dying with Christ and then raised up again out of the water as we are raised up with Christ in his resurrection.

Conclusion

We will go through storms in this life. But we can be comforted as we know that not only is it Jesus who leads his people into the storms, but that he is there with them and that he will calm the storm.

And as we go through storms and our fear overtakes us we need to remember that the solution to fear is faith. And so we must turn to Jesus, the one who is fully God and fully man, and as we see Jesus’ character remember his love and compassion for us, that he will never leave us nor forsake us, and turn to him in faith and fear.

And we can do this knowing that even when our assurance of faith is shaken, and even as we fail and let our fears overtake us that Christ is holding us fast, and that he will bring us safely to the new heavens and earth as his redeemed people.

Let me close with these words from the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 43:1–4 · ESV

¹But now thus says the Lord,he who created you, O Jacob,he who formed you, O Israel:“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;I have called you by name, you are mine.²When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,and the flame shall not consume you.³For I am the Lord your God,the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.I give Egypt as your ransom,Cush and Seba in exchange for you.⁴Because you are precious in my eyes,and honoured, and I love you,I give men in return for you,peoples in exchange for your life.