The storm of Mark 6

Let's turn to Mark's gospel, please, together. Gospel of Mark in chapter 6. I had an exercise to share this passage, and then our brother Dave in his prayer mentioned that the Lord cared for those who were in the boat. So we'll read together Mark chapter 6 in verse number 45.

Mark 6 verse 45. In straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship and to go to the other side, before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling and rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them. And about the fourth watch of the night, he cometh unto them walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out. For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid.

And he went up unto them into the ship, and the wind ceased. And they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves, for their heart was hardened.

The idea there is not that they considered it not, but they understood it not. Now we have in in this little passage some things that should cause us perhaps to to consider the Lord Jesus devotionally. I see it in it in it actually a picture of the Lord and his dealings dispensationally.

If you consider the the sea to be a picture of the nations, you consider the disciples in the ship to be a picture of the nation of Israel. In that time of tribulation, when one comes to them to deliver them from the time of Jacob's trouble, and he reveals himself to them, when he says, I am. That really is the the the phrase there in verse number 50, when he says, it is I. It is an I am statement.

I believe it is a statement that claims deity. It is a statement that links the Jesus of the New Testament who was found here walking on the sea with the Jehovah of the Old Testament who is in control of all. We see in it different positions, and that's how we're going to look at it, I think.

We'll look at it where the disciples and their location and what that tells us about we as the Lord's people. We're going to look at the Lord in at least three different, maybe four different locations, and what that tells us about the Lord Jesus in relation to his people. Believers in this day as we live and move and seek to live for him.

It's very simple, isn't it? The disciples were in the midst of the sea. The sea was troubled. The sea being troubled with them in the midst, they were toiling and they were rowing.

And it's it's a picture for us of really some of the trials that we as believers are caused to go through. And there's never a time, I'm convinced, where we gather together like this and there aren't some believers who are currently going through circumstances that could be called trial. There are some believers here today, and no doubt you are mourning the loss of a loved one.

That's a trial. There are some believers here today, and you've been disappointed by family, and your family is going through difficulty. There are other believers here today, and you have come up against some health issues.

Perhaps there are older believers, and you're noticing that there are different trials and issues that come with age. Perhaps there are younger believers who are married, and they're they're seeking to raise their little family, and you have all kinds of circumstances that could cause you distress. And brethren, just in case we forget, there are younger believers even here today who are still living perhaps with their parents.

But they're going through different trials and different testings and circumstances. The first thing I want you to notice about these circumstances is that the Lord really arranged them. The Lord perhaps didn't order everything here, but the Lord allowed them at least, and he said to them, go on to the other side.

So just because they were in turmoil and in trouble didn't mean that the Lord had not commanded them. It didn't mean that they were not in the will of the Lord. That is something, brethren, that we need to be very careful with when it comes to the trials and testings in the life of believers.

We cannot be too quick to judge that what a person is going through is a result of discipline that God is carrying out in their lives, because it could very well be that that believer is in the will of God and still going through trial. That's the first thing you notice about it. The second thing we notice about it is that it was toil.

There was work and there was labor. It was difficult for these people. In the difficulty, there was fear.

I'm not sure if you fear like I fear. We all have worries, right? And we say, oh, well, if we if we were spiritual, we wouldn't worry. I think, brethren, we have to confess one to another that we as human beings all have concerns that give us worry and fear, but they were still in the Lord's will.

And we find that these men who were toiling and rowing and were fearful and frightened, they thought that everything was out of control. Now, you'll find out that I have less of a sermon here than I do what I believe to be a message, but they thought that everything was out of control and that there was going to be no hope to get out of this alive. But they had forgotten.

They had forgotten that there was one who was in the mountain. That's the first position we find Christ in. He's in the mountain and he's praying and it is just in picture, if you will, a little glimpse of the high priestly function of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How he, having now been raised from the dead and now being in the presence of God physically and bodily, is there representing us as our great high priest. And those passages in the book of Hebrews that tell us much about his high priestly work. Perhaps the key one being we have not in high priest, which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was on all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

And the first thing we need to realize is that while we are here going through the temptation and trial and testing, he is there not only representing us in the presence of God, but uniquely, unlike any other, is able to relate to us as we go through the trial. The next position we find the Lord Jesus in is that he sees them. Says he saw them toiling and rowing.

So again, picture yourself in this boat. You're in this boat, and you're fearful. You're in this boat, and you look around and you see no hope.

And there's nothing but turmoil and chaos all around you. And you think that nobody is in control, and yet the man who is on the mountain is actually watching. I think that's what we as believers need to remember.

Is that there's not one thing that happens in the life of the Lord's people that he is not watching. And he sees. He wasn't watching necessarily to see how they would react, although I believe there is an aspect of that, but he is watching because he cares.

He's watching because he cares. The next one gives me great joy and encouragement because not only was he in the mountain and he was watching, but now he comes and he's walking on the sea. You'll remember in Matthew's account, and I think they're parallel accounts with the exclusion of Peter's walking on the water, but Matthew's account, we have Peter walking on the water.

Peter looked at the Lord and he said, Lord if it be thou bidst me come unto thee in the water. And the Lord said, Come. And Peter responds by coming to the Lord Jesus.

And the Lord Jesus allows Peter a small parcel, if you want to call it, or a small piece of the water to walk on. And Peter walked on the water. That was a unique experience.

But that passage also tells us, as this passage says, that the Lord Jesus was walking on the sea. So while Peter was allowed that little piece of water to walk on, remember, the Lord Jesus was walking on the sea. He was in control of that which seemed out of control.

He was over that which seemed to be chaos and he was watching them because he cared. And he was in control of all the circumstances. And it reminds me of that passage, brethren and sisters, that he will not tempt thee above that which ye are able.

Always watching. Always caring. Always in control is our great high priest.

I'm going to over apply some things here. So I hope you don't think that I'm I'm giving you an interpretation of the passage as much as an application of the passage. And we find that he's walking and he's walking as it would be that he was going to go by them.

Reminds me of the road to Emmaus. He made as if he would go further in Luke's Gospel. But they requested that he stay.

And I think the same idea can apply here that that he made as if he was going to go right by them. But they in their fear, they cried out. Now, I know that could have been a cry just of fear.

But I take it in my application to mean they cried out to him to stop him from going past and to request that he comes in. I think it's fair to say, brethren and sisters, that there is no time that we should be praying more and that we do pray more than we are when we are going through trial in our life. They requested to him that he would stay in the road to Emmaus.

And these believers, they cried out to him, Lord, Lord. And maybe there's there is a believer here today. We were hearing this morning about weeping bitterly.

The different emotions that we feel. But you know what it is. Having gone through what you've gone through and maybe going through what you're going through, you know what it is to cry to the Lord.

And the beauty of this is that when they cried out, he came in. Take a look at it with me now. They supposed to have been a spirit, that's verse 49, and they cried out for they all saw him and were troubled.

But then immediately he talked with them and saith unto them. Now he's in the ship. He's in the ship.

Well, he's in the ship in the next verse, but he's beginning to talk to them now and he says, Be of good cheer. And he says, be not afraid. You see those two statements, don't you? That's verse number 50.

Be of good cheer and be not afraid. Two statements that are meant to comfort them. Two statements that are meant to encourage them.

Two statements that are designed to give them a sense of his compassion and his concern. But two statements that are really bookends for the most important one in this verse where he says, I am. It is I. Be of good cheer.

Why? Because it's me. Be not afraid. Why? Because it's me.

I am in control. I care. I have seen you this whole time.

I have cared about you this whole time. And now I want you to rejoice. And I want you to have your fears calmed because I am here.

Devotionally, that means a lot to me. That there's a man who cares. Not just a man who cared at one time, brethren and sisters.

Cared enough to die on the cross for our sins. Cared enough to go to Calvary so that we could be delivered from the wrath that is coming so that we could be delivered from our sins and from the punishment that was due to our sins, but he still cares. He still cares today.

And we can learn that from these, I guess it's four different positions that we find them in. The man on the mountain in his high priestly work. The man on the land watching them, seeing them, caring for them.

The man on the sea in control of all of the circumstances. And then the man in the ship comforting them with his presence. May we have this experience even if we go through and are called to go through trial.