WHO IS THIS?

³⁵ 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-

This could be a tense situation. A violent storm on the lake; the twelve disciples battling to keep their little craft afloat while their Rabbi, who was supposed to care about them, was asleep in the stern, oblivious of their danger and His! It was perfectly natural for them to be annoyed. Had Jesus been an ordinary rabbi, they would have been justified in their accusation of Him. Didn’t He care that they were at the point of sinking? They did not yet have enough evidence, or realise fully who He was.

This isn’t just another story about the miracles Jesus did. This is one of those defining moments when light begins to dawn on the mind. Jesus’ counter accusation, “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith?” puts the incident in perspective. Who was responsible for the storm? Did God whip it up or was it the result of some demonic “water spirit” plot to drown them? Could it have been a natural phenomenon that God used to drive home two lessons: for Jesus a lesson in trust and for the disciples the exposure of unbelief?

Accusation and counter accusation! What was the difference in their perspectives? The disciples were embroiled in their present circumstances. For them, there was no thought of the bigger picture. By contrast, Jesus always took the long look and related everything to the Father’s love and the Father’s purpose. Going to the other side was part of the Father’s purpose and so “going down” was not part of the equation.

This is what it meant to be ECHAD with God. Jesus spent so much time with the Father that He knew exactly where He was going, and He knew where He was taking His disciples – towards leadership in a world-wide mission. There was no possibility that a storm on the lake would take them all out. There was too much at stake. These disciples still had a lot to learn.