Even the Wind and Waves Obey Him
Jesus never left us anything without there was something for us to learn about Him in the story. Mark 4:35-41 is a perfect case in point “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 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?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
If ever there was a story about Jesus written solely for our encouragement, this is it. With three words Jesus demonstrated beyond any doubt just Who He really is and the power at His command. There they all were, in a small boat on a huge lake or inland sea, when a sudden severe squall blew up. Not as bad as a full storm or tornado, but certainly enough power to wreck the boat. Yet with just three words, “Quiet, be still”, Jesus rebuked the storm and it died away. It was similar but not quite so dramatic when He cursed the fig tree – Mark 11:12-14 & 20-24. With a word, Jesus stilled the storm and withered a fig tree. Later on, He gave us His authority to do the same things and “greater things than these”.
On my ministry travels, I have actually witnessed a similar incident. In Denmark we were in a meeting in a private house. The weather was terrible and it was blowing a gale so hard the authorities closed all the local bridges between the islands. Some people were scared by the storm so we prayed and the storm really did die away. We went outside to test it and prove it. Within 10 feet of the house the storm was not blowing but as soon as we stepped outside that zone, the storm was unabated. So we stayed on in the meeting until it did die down a bit and until the bridges were reopened.
As Jesus has given us His authority, we need to understand it exercise it. The source of our authority in Christ is this - Ephesians 1:18-2:7 (NKJV) “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. “
Now we can exercise this authority in faith.
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