Jesus Asleep in the Boat During the Stormby oxfordelly
4:35Mark 4:35
And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
On the evening of the same exhausting day of teaching, healing and ministering to pressing crowds, Jesus dismissed the people and ordered the disciples to cross to the solitary eastern shore to find retirement and rest, showing there is a limit to human endurance that must be renewed for future work. They took Him into the boat and set out in calm and pleasant weather with other boats following to learn more, on a night voyage across the Sea of Galilee that ran into darkness and violent storm before landing early in the morning on the beach of the Gadarenes. Because the command to cross came from Jesus Himself, the later peril did not mean He had abandoned them, and their only hope was in Him who was aboard. When the furious storm threatened to sink them they forgot He was on board and struggled in self-reliance and despair until their skill failed, when they should have remembered Him and called at once, for those who trust Him need have no fear. When they finally cried out He heard their humble plea and by His commanding voice stilled the tempest and delivered the two demon-possessed men they met on landing, revealing His power over nature and over Satan as the Son of God.
Evening Crossing Ordered
The command to pass over to the other side was given in the evening of that same day, after a day and even days of teaching and healing and ministering to pressing crowds. Jesus was exhausted and weary and hungry, heavily taxed in strength and about to faint, worn by long and arduous labor with scarcely any rest and by incessant work made more severe and harassing by the constant malicious criticism and misrepresentations of the Pharisees. Having dismissed the multitude that still remained on the shore, whom He regarded with deepest compassion, He told the disciples to go with Him to the other side, the eastern shore. He sought retirement and rest from fatigue in a solitary, comparatively deserted place away from dwellings, a sparsely settled region with little contact with Galilee and a more heathen population. His leaving the people then shows there is a limit to human endurance, and He must have rest in order to be prepared for future work.
They took Him into a boat and set out from calm and pleasant weather into night on a night voyage across the Sea of Galilee that began in calm before darkness and a violent storm came, and ended with a landing early in the morning on the beach of the Gadarenes. A number of other boats loaded with people wanting to learn more and eager to hear more of His teaching followed them across. The order to cross came from Jesus Himself. Their later peril in the furious storm therefore did not mean He had abandoned them, and their only hope was in Jesus who was aboard.
Faith Tested By Storm
When the furious storm threatened to sink the leaking ship, the disciples forgot that Jesus was on board with them and gave way to despair. They feared they would perish, as if He had abandoned them or could not help them in their helplessness. Their fear showed unbelief and self-reliance, for they tried to save themselves by their own strength and skill instead of calling on Him. They remembered only when their skill could not save them that they had set out at His own command to cross, and that their only hope was in Him who was aboard. They should have remembered Him and called on Him as soon as danger appeared rather than struggling alone, and He would have relieved their anxiety. Those who trust Him need have no fear for themselves, for He is concerned only that they distrust Him.
Even after they had wearied themselves in efforts to save themselves, when they finally cried out He heard their humble plea and saved them. By His voice He commanded the storm to cease, the elements obeyed, and His followers were saved. Though He reproved their unbelief for not seeking Him at the very beginning of the trial, He accepted them and gave the help He knew was best. He does not forsake those in danger who cry to Him, but hears and delivers them.
The passage to the other side was wrought for present believers as well as for the disciples then in the boat. It pictures tempests of temptation, with flashing lightning and waves sweeping over, when believers battle the storm alone, forget there is One who can help, and trust in their own strength until hope is lost and they are ready to perish. The pitching and tossing of the boat while the Master remains on board illustrates how circumstances test faith in crisis. Remembering Jesus and calling upon Him to save is never in vain, whether on land or on sea, sleeping or waking, for the call of faith will always meet with response. Living faith in the Redeemer smooths the sea of life and delivers from danger in the way He knows to be best, though He sorrowfully reproves unbelief and self-confidence. The lesson is to keep faith through crises, tell Him the difficulties, and move forward with hope and courage.
The little boat tossed up and down on high running waves with spray dashing over reveals the majesty of God and His works. He holds the winds in His hand and controls the waters, and at one glance beholds the highest heavens and the midst of the sea. In His sight finite beings on the broad deep waters are mere specks, yet angels are sent from His excellent glory to guard the wave-buffeted boat.
Power and Mission Shown
By His voice and commanding power Jesus stilled the tempest that threatened His followers on the crossing, speaking peace to the troubled sea so that the elements obeyed and they were saved. He trod the foaming, white-capped billows, showing His power to rescue those with Him and to command the forces of nature and control the elements. This mighty work over nature revealed Him as the Son of God. It was evidence of His Messiahship.
The crossing brought Him across the sea to two demon-possessed men, whom He delivered after the tempestuous night when they landed in the morning. In stilling the tempest on the way He showed that He had power over Satan as well as the storm. The people on the far shore heard from the travelers about the danger of the previous night and His power over the elements, yet they sent Him away because they feared further loss of property.
The disciples themselves witnessed the calming of wind and sea along with His healing the sick, opening blind eyes, unstopping deaf ears, rebuking and casting out devils, and raising the dead to life. Together with the voice heard and the glory seen at the mount of transfiguration, these works strengthened their faith that He was the Son of God. When they watched His trial they called this to mind and could not believe He would die, but expected Him to manifest His divine power to deliver Himself from His enemies, punish their cruelty, disperse the bloodthirsty multitude with His commanding voice as He had driven the merchants from the temple, and convince all that He was the King of Israel. That work on the Sea of Galilee was part of fulfilling His mission as the Pattern Man, just as certainly His mission as toiling as a carpenter at Nazareth hiding His divine mission, as raising the dead to life, and as dying as man's sacrifice on the cross to lift the whole race to a new and perfect life.
On the evening of the same exhausting day of teaching, healing and ministering to pressing crowds, Jesus dismissed the people and ordered the disciples to cross to the solitary eastern shore to find retirement and rest, showing there is a limit to human endurance that must be renewed for future work. They took Him into the boat and set out in calm and pleasant weather with other boats following to learn more, on a night voyage across the Sea of Galilee that ran into darkness and violent storm before landing early in the morning on the beach of the Gadarenes. Because the command to cross came from Jesus Himself, the later peril did not mean He had abandoned them, and their only hope was in Him who was aboard. When the furious storm threatened to sink them they forgot He was on board and struggled in self-reliance and despair until their skill failed, when they should have remembered Him and called at once, for those who trust Him need have no fear. When they finally cried out He heard their humble plea and by His commanding voice stilled the tempest and delivered the two demon-possessed men they met on landing, revealing His power over nature and over Satan as the Son of God.
Evening Crossing Ordered
The command to pass over to the other side was given in the evening of that same day, after a day and even days of teaching and healing and ministering to pressing crowds. Jesus was exhausted and weary and hungry, heavily taxed in strength and about to faint, worn by long and arduous labor with scarcely any rest and by incessant work made more severe and harassing by the constant malicious criticism and misrepresentations of the Pharisees. Having dismissed the multitude that still remained on the shore, whom He regarded with deepest compassion, He told the disciples to go with Him to the other side, the eastern shore. He sought retirement and rest from fatigue in a solitary, comparatively deserted place away from dwellings, a sparsely settled region with little contact with Galilee and a more heathen population. His leaving the people then shows there is a limit to human endurance, and He must have rest in order to be prepared for future work.
They took Him into a boat and set out from calm and pleasant weather into night on a night voyage across the Sea of Galilee that began in calm before darkness and a violent storm came, and ended with a landing early in the morning on the beach of the Gadarenes. A number of other boats loaded with people wanting to learn more and eager to hear more of His teaching followed them across. The order to cross came from Jesus Himself. Their later peril in the furious storm therefore did not mean He had abandoned them, and their only hope was in Jesus who was aboard.
Faith Tested By Storm
When the furious storm threatened to sink the leaking ship, the disciples forgot that Jesus was on board with them and gave way to despair. They feared they would perish, as if He had abandoned them or could not help them in their helplessness. Their fear showed unbelief and self-reliance, for they tried to save themselves by their own strength and skill instead of calling on Him. They remembered only when their skill could not save them that they had set out at His own command to cross, and that their only hope was in Him who was aboard. They should have remembered Him and called on Him as soon as danger appeared rather than struggling alone, and He would have relieved their anxiety. Those who trust Him need have no fear for themselves, for He is concerned only that they distrust Him.
Even after they had wearied themselves in efforts to save themselves, when they finally cried out He heard their humble plea and saved them. By His voice He commanded the storm to cease, the elements obeyed, and His followers were saved. Though He reproved their unbelief for not seeking Him at the very beginning of the trial, He accepted them and gave the help He knew was best. He does not forsake those in danger who cry to Him, but hears and delivers them.
The passage to the other side was wrought for present believers as well as for the disciples then in the boat. It pictures tempests of temptation, with flashing lightning and waves sweeping over, when believers battle the storm alone, forget there is One who can help, and trust in their own strength until hope is lost and they are ready to perish. The pitching and tossing of the boat while the Master remains on board illustrates how circumstances test faith in crisis. Remembering Jesus and calling upon Him to save is never in vain, whether on land or on sea, sleeping or waking, for the call of faith will always meet with response. Living faith in the Redeemer smooths the sea of life and delivers from danger in the way He knows to be best, though He sorrowfully reproves unbelief and self-confidence. The lesson is to keep faith through crises, tell Him the difficulties, and move forward with hope and courage.
The little boat tossed up and down on high running waves with spray dashing over reveals the majesty of God and His works. He holds the winds in His hand and controls the waters, and at one glance beholds the highest heavens and the midst of the sea. In His sight finite beings on the broad deep waters are mere specks, yet angels are sent from His excellent glory to guard the wave-buffeted boat.
Power and Mission Shown
By His voice and commanding power Jesus stilled the tempest that threatened His followers on the crossing, speaking peace to the troubled sea so that the elements obeyed and they were saved. He trod the foaming, white-capped billows, showing His power to rescue those with Him and to command the forces of nature and control the elements. This mighty work over nature revealed Him as the Son of God. It was evidence of His Messiahship.
The crossing brought Him across the sea to two demon-possessed men, whom He delivered after the tempestuous night when they landed in the morning. In stilling the tempest on the way He showed that He had power over Satan as well as the storm. The people on the far shore heard from the travelers about the danger of the previous night and His power over the elements, yet they sent Him away because they feared further loss of property.
The disciples themselves witnessed the calming of wind and sea along with His healing the sick, opening blind eyes, unstopping deaf ears, rebuking and casting out devils, and raising the dead to life. Together with the voice heard and the glory seen at the mount of transfiguration, these works strengthened their faith that He was the Son of God. When they watched His trial they called this to mind and could not believe He would die, but expected Him to manifest His divine power to deliver Himself from His enemies, punish their cruelty, disperse the bloodthirsty multitude with His commanding voice as He had driven the merchants from the temple, and convince all that He was the King of Israel. That work on the Sea of Galilee was part of fulfilling His mission as the Pattern Man, just as certainly His mission as toiling as a carpenter at Nazareth hiding His divine mission, as raising the dead to life, and as dying as man's sacrifice on the cross to lift the whole race to a new and perfect life.