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Jesus Calms a Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Good News Translation (GNT)

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35  On the evening of that same day Jesus
   said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the
   other side of the lake."
36  So they left the crowd; the disciples got into
   the boat in which Jesus was already sitting,
   and they took him with them. Other boats
   were there too.
37  Suddenly a strong wind blew up, and the
   waves began to spill over into the boat,
   so that it was about to fill with water.
38  Jesus was in the back of the boat, sleeping
   with his head on a pillow. The disciples woke
   him up and said, "Teacher, don't you care that
   we are about to die?"
39  Jesus stood up and commanded the wind,
   "Be quiet!" and he said to the waves, "Be still!"
   The wind died down, and there was a great
   calm.
40  Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Why are
   you frightened? Do you still have no faith?"
41  But they were terribly afraid and began to say
   to one another, "Who is this man?
   Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

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Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
(Kingsway)

Jesus Calms the Storm

     Mark Chapter 4:35-41

Jesus had taught the crowds all day from the boat. He was certainly tired. So His disciples took Him, just as he was - that is, still in the boat - across the Sea of Galilee to the other side.

In the middle of the sea a furious squall came up. Such wind often occurs on the Sea of Galilee. The boat was tossed to and fro, and waves poured into it. The boat began to sink. Though some of the disciples were experienced fishermen, they were afraid.

But Jesus was asleep. The disciples were a little upset with Him. "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" they asked, waking Him up.

Jesus, the Son of God, had complete control over all the power of nature. Mark has described, so far, His power over sickness and over demons. Now we see His complete authority over the forces of nature. At His word the wind stopped.

Then Jesus rebuked His disciples because of their lack of faith: "Do you still have no faith?" And they asked among themselves, "Who is this?" Even the disciples did not have a full understanding of who Jesus was. They were learning step by step. In Matthew's description of this event, Jesus rebukes His disciples first and then calms the storm.

Both Matthew and Mark's accounts are true. Jesus rebuked His disciples both before and after calming the storm. We must remember as we compare the four Gospels that each writer did not always write a complete account of these events.

When we study the four Gospels together, we can obtain a fuller description of what happened.

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