In the School of Rabbi Jesus

IN THE SCHOOL OF RABBI JESUS

An Exposition of Mark 4:33-41

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date: September 27, 2020

Series: Mark: Knowing and Following God’s Son

Note: Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.  

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

Holy Scripture says:

³³ With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. ³⁴ He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:33-41)

INTRODUCTION

To be a disciple is to be enrolled in the school of Rabbi Jesus. ‘Rabbi’ means ‘Teacher’, which is how the disciples address Jesus in verse 38. In our Lord’s school, there are many lessons for us to learn. The passage above puts three questions before us for our consideration:

1) Are you engaged in the learning process? This is the ‘discipleship’ question.

2) Are you learning to rest in Jesus? This is the ‘faith’ question.

3) Have you come to know and treasure Jesus as He really is? This is the ‘ultimate’ question.

THE FIRST QUESTION: ARE YOU ENGAGED IN THE LEARNING PROCESS? (v. 33-34)

Let’s begin in verses 33-34 and consider the first question: are you engaged in the learning process?Of course, we are not talking about arithmetic or language arts. We are talking about God’s Word. Are you engaged in the process of learning and seeking to understand God’s Word?

We see two distinct groups of people in verses 33-34. First, you have the larger crowd. When verses 33 tells us that “he spoke the word to them”, “them” refers back to the “very large crowd” (Mark 4:1) mentioned at the beginning of Chapter 4. This “crowd” (v. 36) is referred to again in verse 36. Jesus “spoke the word to them” by setting before them “many such parables”. Parables are word pictures, stories, metaphors, illustrations. Jesus “did not speak to them without a parable.” So this large crowd heard the parables about the seed and the four soils (v. 3-9), and the illuminating lamp (v. 21-23) and the measuring cup (v. 24-25), and the seed growing into a great harvest without the farmer’s help (v. 26-29) and the tiny “grain of mustard seed” (Mark 4:31) becoming the largest plant of the garden (v. 30-32).

Jesus spoke such parables to them “as they were able to hear” (v. 33). I am not certain what this phrase “as they were able to hear it” means, but instead of highlighting how much they could hear the phrase may actually highlight how little they could hear – and it may also highlight Jesus’ willingness to accommodate His teaching to the capacity of His hearers. Of course, there would have been a range of hearing and understanding capacities in this large crowd. Even so, we know that in general the people in the crowd did not really understand the significance of Jesus’ teaching. Two things indicate their failure to understand:

1) Even the disciples who “[had] been given the secret of the kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11) didn’t adequately understand the parables and thus needed Jesus to explain their meaning (v. 34), so the crowd at large certainly didn’t understand.

2) In the context of Mark 4, most of the members of the large crowd are regarded as outsiders who hear parables without true understanding (see Mark 4:10-12).  

Indeed, we need to understand that the crowd at large was on the outside of God’s kingdom. They were interested in Jesus because He healed the sick and cured the demoniacs. But they hadn’t become disciples yet. They were on the outside. And Jesus draws the contrast between ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ in verses 10-12:

“And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that they may see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.”” (Mark 4:10-12)

The large number of outsiders heard the parables, but they did not understand the parables. They heard the parables as nice stories or as creative illustrations, but they didn’t have a clue about the spiritual meaning. And here’s the thing: they were content with their lack of understanding; they were content with their blindness and deafness. They weren’t going to Jesus and saying, ‘Please tell us the meaning! Our hearts are burning within us to know the truth about God’s kingdom! Would you take time and carefully explain it to us?’ Of course, a relative few whom God was calling may have asked such questions, but the ordinary dull outsiders who fill up the crowds of our world don’t ask such questions. But there are people who ask such questions – and they are called disciples! ‘Disciple’ is another word for ‘apprentice’, ‘learner’, or ‘student’. Students want to study. Learners want to learn. Apprentices want to master the material. Disciples want to be discipled.

So back in Mark 4:10 it is “the twelve” along with some additional disciples who “asked [Jesus] about the parables.” And in Matthew’s account of the parables in Matthew 13, he tells us that after Jesus told a particular parable, “his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”” (Matthew 13:36) The unbelieving crowds and the earnest disciples may both have high levels of confusion and dullness, but one of the definitive marks that separates the earnest disciples from the unbelieving crowds is that the earnest disciples want to understand. They ask for insight! They say, “Explain to us”! And, equally important, Jesus graciously takes time to explain: “but privately to his own disciples he explained everything” (v. 34). Jesus doesn’t disclose the meaning of God’s kingdom to people who aren’t interested, but to those who have forsaken disinterest and become His followers He takes time to “[explain] everything.”

The pressing question of the moment is: which group are you a part of? Are you part of the large unbelieving crowd that likes bells and whistles but frankly has no inward determination to understand? Or are you part of the small band of sincere followers who are determined to grow? Are you engaged in the learning process? Or to put it another way: Is Jesus engaging you and teaching you?

Dear friends, God promises great things to those who pursue insight and understanding:

“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1-5)

Whether it is a parable or a sermon, a passage of Scripture or a devotional book, do you want the Lord to teach you? Are you content to read or hear things that you don’t understand and leave it at that, or are you compelled to ask questions and seek answers?

An Encouragement to Dig Deeper!

Consider this: I believe that what happens in our worship service, which includes the preacher delivering a forty-minute sermon, is one very important way that the Lord builds His church and strengthens His people. However, the sermon is not intended to be the “be all, end all” of Christian learning. Not at all! The sermon is one part of a much bigger picture of learning. As a church family, the Lord calls us to be involved in comforting, exhorting, instructing, and strengthening one another throughout the week. The monologue-style of the sermon has benefits in terms of unpacking a passage without interruption. But the dialogue-style of questions and answers, and back and forth interaction, is also very important to our growth process. This is why Sunday School classes, Bible studies, two- or three-person fight clubs, the smaller breakout discussion groups that have been taking place at Youth Group, and Missional Home Groups are so important – because they give us a wonderful opportunity to discover the gold together, and to delight in the honey together. Do you know what I mean? God’s Word is “[more] to be desired… than gold, even much fine gold;” and is “sweeter also than honey” (Psalm 19:10). Let’s pursue the best stuff together!

I am encouraged when people reach out to me with questions about the sermon or with questions about the Bible in general. Several months ago a man reached out to me with questions that he had after my sermon on Mark 4:10-12 – and his inquiry led to an hour-long phone conversation. More recently a lady asked me a question that related to my sermon on Mark 4:1-20 – and her question led to a half-sermon-length email reply. Two Sundays ago a man asked me a question about how to think through a verse from Matthew 18. Ask me questions! Ask the Elders questions! Ask one another questions! Ask questions of your family around the dinner table! Ask questions of your home group! And wait patiently and expectantly for the Lord Jesus, through His Word and Spirit, to explain everything that you need to know.

Brothers and sisters, being a church means, among other things, that we are a community of learners who are learning together. And the simple question is: Are you among the earnest learners? Or are you content to hear without understanding as long as you’re entertained?

THE SECOND QUESTION: ARE YOU LEARNING TO REST IN JESUS? (v. 35-40)

As wonderful as it is to learn together around a dinner table, or in a living room with coffee in hand, or on a stroll through a nice park on a warm fall day, the truth of the matter is that sometimes some of the best lessons are learned in the middle of a fierce storm while on a boat that is about to go under. There is nothing like a great tempest to call you to attention! There is nothing like an out-of-control situation to show you whether or not you are trusting in Jesus!

So let’s proceed to verses 35-40 and consider the second question: are you learning to rest in Jesus?

There is so much insight to consider from this passage. Let’s walk through it slowly and take in the fullness of the scene.

“On that day, when evening had come” (v. 35) means that we are talking about the very same day when Jesus spoke the five parables to the crowd “beside the sea” (Mark 4:1). The seaside parable talks are finished, the afternoon has turned into the evening, and now Jesus wants to cross the sea. So Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.”

Remember: Jesus is on mission. Indeed, He is on a rescue mission: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) He came “proclaiming the gospel of God” (Mark 1:14) and urged people to “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). In Mark 1, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (Mark 1:38) Now he says to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”

It is possible, of course, that one purpose for crossing the sea was to take a break and find solace apart from the crowd. If so, the irony is that the journey across the sea was most eventful, and once they got to the other side Jesus was “immediately” (Mark 5:2) confronted by a demon-possessed man (Mark 5:1-20). Jesus’ entire life was caught up in fulfilling the Father’s mission.

The disciples obeyed Jesus’ instruction to cross the sea, and off they went: “And leaving the crowd, they took him with them, just as he was. And other boats were with him.” (v. 36) Here again we see the distinction between “the crowd” and the disciples. The crowd can only observe from the outside, but the disciples are on mission with Jesus. Disciples follow Jesus wherever He leads. Jesus says, “Let us go,” and with Him they go.

Now sometimes people get to thinking that if they stay close to Jesus, circumstances will just beautifully fall into place. Sometimes people think that if they are right where God wants them to be, then the skies will stay sunny and the storm clouds will always gather somewhere else. Sometimes people think that if they keep their feet on the path of obedience, then their life will be like smooth sailing on calm waters. Well, the people who think that way haven’t read our passage, not to mention the passages about Joseph and David and Stephen and Paul.

In terms of God’s plan for their evening, the disciples were exactly where they were supposed to be. They were in the right boat, on the right sea, headed in the right direction – and we know this because they were taking their directions from the Lord Jesus. They were in the right boat, on the right sea, headed in the right direction, with the right person – they were with the Lord in the boat on the sea. They were with the Lord and the Lord was with them. And a great storm was about to break loose upon them: “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.” (v. 37) Immediately the air above and the sea below were out of control: the wind was swirling, the sea was convulsing, and the water was filling the boat.

The most significant problem, however, was not the storminess of the sea. The most significant problem was the storminess of the disciples’ hearts. Even though the sea was restless, the disciples should have been restful because the Lord was with them in the boat. But instead of taking peace from the Lord of peace, they took turbulence from the turbulent waters. Instead of realizing that the force of the storm was no match for the power of the Lord, they got to thinking that the fierce storm was about to ruin everything. Therefore, in a panic, they awakened Jesus from his nap in the stern.

Don’t miss this powerful picture: in the midst of the great windstorm, the Lord was sleeping on the cushion in the stern. While the sea was raging, the Lord was resting. While the waters were unruly, the Lord Jesus was unafraid. If the disciples had been more advanced in their discipleship, they would have seen the sleeping Jesus as a sign that they need not worry. But instead they took it as a sign that He did not care: “But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (v. 38)

They doubted the Lord’s love for them. They doubted the Lord’s care. They doubted the Lord’s attentiveness to their plight. They feared that the storm would have the last word and would cause them to perish in the sea.

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Do you not care that we are suffering? Do you not care that we are overwhelmed? Do you not care that we are sinking? Do you not care that we are on the losing side of this battle? Do you not care that everything is against us? Do you not care that we are on the brink of ruin?

So in their panic the disciples woke Jesus from his sleep. Then we read in verse 39: “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (v. 39)

Let this wonderful verse sink in. Jesus awoke to panicky disciples in a sinking boat on a turbulent sea, and he did not panic. He did not fear. Anxiety did not rise in his heart. As Corrie ten Boom said: “There is no panic in Heaven! God has no problems, only plans.” As it is with God in heaven, so it is with God’s Son on earth: Jesus has no problems, only plans.

And so the calm-hearted Jesus stands up and addresses the storm: he rebukes the wind, and he preaches to the sea. And when the wind heard the voice of its Lord, the wind hushed and paid quiet homage to the King. And when the waters of the sea heard the call of their Master, they became still and bowed low before their Sovereign. Which is to say that the wind and the sea proved to be good disciples: they heard the Lord’s command and they obeyed the Lord’s command. The Lord said “Peace!” and “the wind ceased”. The Lord said “Be still!” and “there was a great calm”.

Jesus’ authority over “the wind and the sea” demonstrates the power of His Word. Remember what we have been learning in Mark 4: it is God’s Word that goes to work in human hearts and produces a beautiful harvest of righteousness. We cannot produce a golden harvest on our own or with our own resources. But as we humbly receive the Lord’s Word into our hearts, His Word will transform our lives. His Word is powerfully effective at re-ordering the turbulent sea; and His Word is powerfully effective at re-ordering the human heart.

And let’s be clear: the human heart desperately needs to be re-ordered. In verse 39 Jesus “rebuked the wind”; now in verse 40 Jesus rebukes the disciples: “He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?””

Are you fearful or full of faith?

Notice the contrast between ‘being afraid’ and ‘having faith’; between ‘being in the grip of fear’ and ‘trusting God’; between ‘being anxious and restless’ and ‘resting in the Lord’. The hearts of the disciples were just like the waters of the sea before Jesus rebuked them: stormy, turbulent, unruly, breaking hard. That’s what their fearful hearts were like: stormy, turbulent, unruly, the waves of anxiety breaking hard upon them, their hearts filling with fear, and the feeling of doom overtaking them. Instead of trusting in the Lord who was right there with them, they were overwhelmed by the fierce storm.

In one moment they faced the unruly circumstances upon the sea, and in the next moment they faced the Lord who was asleep in the stern. And the question is: which one held sway over their hearts? The chaotic sea or the calm Jesus? They should have known deep in their hearts that because they were with the Lord Jesus on the path of obedience, and because Jesus had already demonstrated authority over demons and diseases, and because Jesus was the One who had led them on this journey across the sea, and because Jesus was asleep in the midst of the storm – they should have known that all was well, and that there was nothing to fear. They should have trusted the Lord and experienced peace and calm in their hearts. Their hearts should have been governed by the grace of the Lord, but instead their hearts were ruled by their outward circumstances on the sea.

Recently I came across a description of faith from R. C. Sproul, and it goes right along with what God’s Word is teaching us in Mark 4. Sproul said: “Living in submission to what God commands is the essence of faith.”[1] And that is right: the same attitude of faith that ‘believes’ and ‘trusts’ also ‘submits’ and ‘yields’ to whatever the Lord says. Faith is not theoretical agreement that God’s Word is true. Instead, faith is submitting to the authority of God’s Word and letting it hold sway over your heart and mind and life. The wind and the sea are model disciples because they hushed and bowed low and yielded to the Lord’s peace. As verse 41 concludes: “the wind and the sea obey him,” but the question is do you obey Him?

Friends, stormy circumstances are an inevitable part of life in this fallen world. Whether it is a windstorm or an infectious disease or a sobering medical diagnosis or tight finances or failed plans or broken relationships or experiencing opposition, the storms will come. The storms will do no more than what God permits them to do. But the question is: will you have faith in the midst of the storm? In a sinking boat on a tempestuous sea, is it enough for you that the Lord Jesus Christ is with you? In the valley of the shadow of death, is it enough for you that the Lord Jesus Christ is with you?

Our passage doesn’t teach us that the Lord will immediately calm every storm that we face. That isn’t the point of the passage. Instead, this passage teaches us that, in the midst of the storm, we ought to trust in the Lord and rest in the Lord. When Jesus rebuked the disciples after He calmed the storm, He was impressing upon them that they should have exhibited calmness of faith before He calmed the storm. They should have experienced peace in the midst of the storm. Indeed, our faith, our restfulness, our spiritual equilibrium, our peace – is to be centered upon the Lord, and not centered upon our circumstances. The Lord will address our circumstances at whatever time and in whatever way He chooses, but He wants us to trust Him on the journey across the sea. He has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). He has promised, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). He has promised, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mind. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and [when you pass] through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:1-2).

Do you believe Him? Or would the Lord say to you: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

THE THIRD QUESTION: HAVE YOU COME TO KNOW AND TREASURE JESUS AS HE REALLY IS? (v. 41)

Finally we come to verse 41 and have the opportunity to reflect on our third question: have you come to know and treasure Jesus as He really is?

The disciples should have trusted the Lord and experienced His peace in the midst of the storm, but they didn’t. They panicked. They were afraid. In a frenzy they sought the Lord’s help, and He calmed the stormy sea. And the fact that the Lord spoke authoritatively to the windstorm and that the windstorm responded with immediate obedience, completely overwhelmed the disciples. It is unnerving to be in the presence of a powerful storm, but it is even more unnerving to be in the presence of a Man who can control the storm: “And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”” (v. 41)

Who is this? That is the right question. Do you know who Jesus is?

Mark 1-4 has been teaching us about the authority of Jesus. Jesus has authority over demons: “He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” (Mark 1:27) Jesus has authority over disease: “And he healed many who were sick with various diseases” (Mark 1:34). Jesus has authority over leprosy (Mark 1:40-42). Jesus has authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:1-12). Jesus has authority over the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28). And now we learn that Jesus has authority over the wind and sea (Mark 4:35-41).

Who is this?

Well, the Old Testament has prepared us for this moment from Mark 4.

It says in Psalm 65: “[God] stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs” (Psalm 65:7-8).

It says in Psalm 89: “O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.” (Psalm 89:8-9)

And it says in a wonderful passage from Psalm 107:

“Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.” (Psalm 107:23-32)

Who is this? Who is this Man in Mark 4? Who is this who delivers from distress? Who is this who stills the storm? Who is this who hushes the waves of the sea? This is the Lord God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, who clothed Himself with our humanity and became the Man, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Lord, the Savior of all who call upon His name.

“[The] waves and the winds still know His voice,” as that wonderful hymn “Be Still, My Soul” tells us. And our Lord is able to exert authority over every circumstance that you may encounter, no matter how bleak it looks from a human perspective. But you must rest in Him, and not in the unfolding ups and downs of your circumstances.

And remember this: the greatest storm that faces humanity is, in fact, the wrath of God. God’s wrath is His righteous response to humanity’s sinfulness and wickedness. God’s wrath remains on every sinner who continues in sin and who refuses to trust in Jesus. And the Bible assures that a future day of final judgment is coming: “there will be wrath and fury” for those who “obey unrighteousness” and “[there] will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil” (Romans 2:8, 9). This wrath, fury, tribulation, and distress will make the stormy sea of Mark 4 seem like a mild disturbance. Who can survive the great day of God’s wrath?

Well, here’s the good news: the Lord Jesus Christ, full of mercy and grace, willingly went into the firestorm of God’s wrath on our behalf. He bore our sins in His body on the cross. He let the waves of God’s judgment break against Him. He let the windstorm of God’s justice carry Him all the way to death. And even there, in the midst of that unparalleled storm, He was ‘on mission’ doing the work that the Father had given Him to do. He did not waver in faith, but continued to trust the Father. And at Calvary, our Lord’s broken body and shed blood spoke forth the most wonderful words that a sinner could ever hear: “Peace! Be still!” And because His sacrificial death satisfied the wrath of God, the wind of judgment ceased, “and there was a great calm.” And now, everyone who turns to the Lord escapes God’s judgment and enters into God’s peace; everyone who trusts in the Lord gets delivered from the turbulent waters of God’s wrath and instead gets to be refreshed by the still waters of the Lord’s grace.

And when you understand this, the question of verse 38 becomes most absurd. Yes, the question “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” seems absurd when you consider how much He cares: greater care has no one than this, that a Man throw Himself into the storm to rescue His perishing friends!

Scripture says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Have you come to know and treasure Jesus, this Friend of sinners, who brings eternal life and eternal joy and eternal peace to all who believe in Him?

Or would Jesus say to you: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Let us pray. 

ENDNOTES

[1] This Sproul quote was featured on a September 22, 2020 Facebook post by Ligonier Ministries. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mark (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Vol. 2). Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017.

James W. Voelz, Mark 1:1–8:26 (Concordia Commentary). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2013.

Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.