Jesus Protects His Followers from the Furious Storm
This week let’s continue in our theme of Jesus’ protection. Think through the 4 Gospels and search for events in Jesus’ life where He protects someone. Cultivating this desire to come to the Word to search for Him causes our faith to burn brightly with joy and understanding. This habit of “looking for Jesus’ goodness” may be similar to what Mary was doing sitting at Jesus’ feet (Luke 10:38).
Read Mark 4:35-41 about Jesus calming the storm on the Lake of Galilee. Look for character elements of Jesus, there are several. The full text is below. List all the character aspects of Jesus that you see on a scrap of paper. Don’t be worried if they are “right” or “wrong” just list what you find. Paul, in Eph 1:17, prays that we might “know” Jesus better.
Jesus teaches a large crowd of people standing on the land from a small boat in the water. Sometime later when it was evening Jesus instructs His disciples to get in the boats and cross to the other side. During this trip a terrifying squall or storm forms, flooding the boats with water and nearly killing all these people. Strangely Jesus is sleeping during this crisis! Jesus is entirely at peace during the greatest calamities and has the power to deal with them. You have to wonder “what was He dreaming about?” Regardless, the fact that seasoned fishermen who are familiar with the Lake of Galilee are terrified of dying reveals the severity of the storm! They wake Jesus and instantly he assesses the threat and powerfully silences the storm. The essence of the whole event is protection. I never saw that for many years because I was so hung up on His words of correction to the disciples. But once I realized He never rejected the disciples, I was free to learn from the rebuke but also free to look at the overall situation. Jesus essentially protects His disciples from drowning.
Did you notice the text in verse 36 that says, “There were also other boats with him.” Jesus isn’t just protecting the 12 disciples, or the ones in His boat, but also protecting all the other people in these other boats! Fascinating! The scope of His protection is greater than I initially recognized.
It is in one sense a “simple” theme seen in this passage. But the effects in my life are profound. I often feel just like the disciples, “God I am struggling in life against big problems and my own sin and I feel like you are asleep!” But this is not so! This in only my “perception.” My mind is limited regarding details, awareness and understanding. Nothing catches Jesus outside of His ability to deal with. He has all power to protect us! In a moment He can calm the storms in our lives (problems or sin).
Take Away
God Is Just Like Jesus:
Colossians 1:15 says, “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God…” Seeing Jesus’ protection of the disciples in the many boats in the raging storm reveals God’s protection for His followers. What you see in Jesus is an exact picture of what is in God. Combine this with last week’s protection of the woman guilty of sexual sin and how Jesus protected her. Let your understanding of Jesus’ protection grow, event upon event, and that will more powerfully reveal the Father’s protection.
1st Commandment Prayer: Father, I love seeing real discreet examples of how you protect your people. I love seeing your protection in Jesus so that I can see Your protection for me! And it continues to encourage me follow You that you protect followers “who are not perfect!” Peter’s many failures combine with your continual protection to produce great confidence in me towards You! Praise the Lord!
This week’s Text:
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:35-41
Jesus Protects His Followers from the Furious Storm