Sermon Synopsis
This sermon walks through Mark 4:35–41 in “slow motion,” showing how Jesus intentionally leads His disciples into a storm to reveal His true identity and to test their faith. The disciples fear the waves and accuse Jesus of not caring, but Jesus rebukes the wind and sea with immediate authority, demonstrating sovereign control over forces of destruction. Instead of consolation, Jesus asks why they have no faith, teaching that faith is practical trust in Him even when circumstances are illogical and frightening. The passage confronts us with a choice: fear the storm, or revere Jesus with awe and trust Him through life’s storms.
Please note: This transcript is provided as a reading aid and is not a verbatim record of the sermon.
Fear the Waves or Revere Jesus Greatly
Mark 4:35–41
Opening Prayer
Let’s begin with a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, Lord of heaven and earth, let Your Holy Spirit speak to us through this passage—Mark 4:35–41—and tune our hearts to hear Your Word. As Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, reminded and exhorted the disciples: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” In the name of the Lord Jesus—the greatest and highest name—I pray. Amen.
Introduction: A Familiar Passage in Slow Motion
Thank you for praying for me, and good to see you all. I’d also like to welcome friends and visitors among us who may not know the Lord Jesus Christ personally. My name is Kenneth Kong, and today our passage is Mark 4:35–41.
Before we read the Bible text, let me share a personal objective. This is a very short passage, and many of us are familiar with it—including many of the Sunday school students. So I’ve planned many short reflections in between the sharing of the message.
As an introduction, this passage is both:
So this passage is a short but important piece of the jigsaw puzzle as we continue with Mark’s written record and presentation of Jesus, the kingdom of God, and His gospel.
We will see that it is packed with action. And as we read, take note of the many details that tell us this is an eyewitness account of what happened on the Sea of Galilee—details like other boats following Jesus’ boat, the description of the storm’s formation, and many other small details.
In the last few weeks we were fast-forwarding through many events in the Lord Jesus’ ministry. Today we are in slow motion. So let’s zoom in.
Reading the Passage
Mark 4:35–41
If you have your Bibles, please turn to Mark 4:35–41.
“On that day, when evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ And leaving the multitude, they took Him along with them, just as He was, in the boat; and other boats were with Him.
And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so much that the boat was already filling up. And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’
And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush! Be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
And He said to them, ‘Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?’ And they became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’”
Setting the Scene: The Sea, the Conference, the Transition
As we look at this picture of the Sea of Galilee, it’s hard to imagine that in these few short verses there was a big storm—many boats being tossed around—and then suddenly a great calm, settled back onto the sea.
We also remember that the Lord Jesus had withdrawn to the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, and He continually taught them, including the multitudes. So can you imagine having a “Bible camp by the sea”—and after the Bible conference and camp the teacher suddenly says, “Let us go over to the other side”?
If I were you, I would have many questions. Why decide to do that at the end of the day? It’s getting dark. And that is the setting where this miracle took place.
The Lord Jesus is a very purposeful, intentional teacher. He certainly had His reason—so let’s find out more as we look at the details.
On that very day—after a long day with the multitudes, after teaching, after explaining parables—when evening had come, the Lord Jesus says, “Come, let us go.”
The disciples had agreed to follow their Teacher. So when your Teacher says, “Let’s go,” you go. But surely questions arise:
Why go at this time? In the middle of the night? Isn’t it risky? How many of you would be willing to take a ferry to Bintan at the end of the day when it is dark?
But they were not the Teacher. They simply followed.
It is also interesting that, as we studied Abraham in Genesis, “Hebrews” means crossing to the other side. The Lord Jesus had a specific purpose.
This was a marine journey at night, which adds to the danger.
And if we look at the map, they were crossing from one point to another—two green markers on the map.
Now, the Sea of Galilee is actually a small “sea.” It is more like a lake—only about half the size of Singapore. So you might think: never mind, it’s okay; it’s just a short journey—maybe half an hour to one hour.
And they left the multitude. It was a smaller company. Maybe you feel more assured: you are just going with Jesus. And there were other boats with Him.
Then think about the boat itself. This kind of boat was excavated in recent times and dated to around the time of Jesus, first or second century. It is an open boat—maybe maximum 10 to 15 people. So your confidence may drop a bit: cross the sea in this kind of boat? You need confidence in the boatmen.
Pause and reflect: What would you be thinking as you consider these things? Would you be willing to go with Jesus? And by the way, Jesus did not say what was on the other side. There wasn’t a big conference or some mission briefing. So what might be in your heart as you follow the Lord Jesus?
The suspense is over. A sudden fierce wind arises. Here it is useful to look at the Greek: it is a mega wind—super big. Think of force 10 typhoon or hurricane winds—winds that can blow down trees.
You might wonder: is this really possible on such a small lake?
The reason is the geography. There is a huge height difference. In the northwest are highlands—about 1,300 meters at the highest point—while the Sea of Galilee itself is more than 200 meters below sea level. That is a massive height difference. And because of this, strong winds can be produced, and storms can form suddenly.
There are accounts like in 1992 where storms produced waves estimated as high as 3 meters even near the shore. Imagine being in the middle of the sea in an open boat with waves that high. Your heart will be pumping.
Let’s go step by step. Surprise after surprise.
The first surprise was the mega wind on a small body of water. The next is that the waves were breaking over the boat—it was swamping, “swallowing” the boat. The boat was already filling.
And yet the Lord Jesus was asleep at the stern, on the cushion.
What kind of person can be so peaceful? Even if He was very tired after a long day, it is hard to imagine being oblivious of water coming in. The boat wasn’t very long, but He was asleep at the back.
Now imagine the disciples—frantically bailing water, trying vainly to stop the waves. How do you block waves in an open boat?
So they wake Jesus—which is normal. The ship is about to sink; at least warn Him. And perhaps seek His help, because they had seen His power before.
But then comes another surprise: they said, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
In other words, they accused the Lord Jesus of not caring for their lives. Most of us, even when desperate, wouldn’t ask for help that way. It shows how desperate they were and how close to death they felt.
And they called Him Teacher. Would a teacher help you in a storm like this? It feels like “teacher” belonged to the earlier part of the day.
But perhaps in the sinking boat, what they needed was not merely a teacher, but the Son of God.
Let’s rewind and compare Jonah and Jesus. There are similarities and stark differences:
And the key difference:
Jonah was the cause of the storm. Jesus is the cause of the calm.
And perhaps the biggest difference:
At the end of Jonah’s episode, the sailors feared God. In Jesus’ case, the disciples feared Jesus. This comparison helps us see: Jesus is God.
Pause and reflect: With all that Mark has recorded—testimonies from John the Baptist, the people in the synagogue, and even unclean spirits—what should our reaction be? As readers, we have a broader view and more evidence of who Jesus is.
Now we come to the miracle itself. Actions speak louder than words. The Lord Jesus shows sovereignty over nature beyond all reasonable doubt.
Let’s put it in slow motion:
And Mark records the words in a way that links this miracle to Jesus casting out unclean spirits earlier in Mark 1.
The same kinds of Greek words appear—words about being “destroyed,” and the word for “rebuked,” and the command to “be silent.” Putting the accounts together, we see this:
Jesus exercises immediate and absolute authority over both natural and spiritual forces of destruction and death.
The disciples may not have fully understood in the moment—but for us as readers, the evidence builds and builds: the Lord Jesus is the Son of God.
Pause and reflect: Have you ever seen a servant of God, any prophet, with so much power and authority?
After a near-death experience—after the Lord Jesus makes the raging sea perfectly calm—would you expect consolation?
“Wow, we survived. Congratulations.”
No. He says:
“Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?”
Another surprise.
The Lord Jesus expected faith from them—especially since they had just attended what we might call the “Galilee Bible Conference.”
And we see His sovereignty throughout these verses. He not only allowed them to go into the storm; it was not the disciples’ idea to cross—it was His. He tested them—an impromptu surprise exam: what would you do when a storm comes suddenly?
And the Lord Jesus was sleeping in peace. Yes, He was tired, but more than that, He was peaceful because He knew the Heavenly Father was looking after Him.
So perhaps the Lord Jesus was asking them: after hearing the parables, after seeing miracles, after listening to witnesses—who do you really think I am? I am definitely no ordinary teacher. I am definitely no ordinary rabbi.
They feared the storm more than they feared God.
From this miracle we learn that faith is practical. Faith is shown in concrete ways—trusting Jesus in the midst of the storm.
In a very crazy and illogical way, what the Lord Jesus was expecting from the disciples was: don’t do anything—just trust Him.
It doesn’t matter how much we know about God or how many messages we have heard. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the key to enter God’s kingdom and to live in God’s kingdom.
If they really had faith in the Lord Jesus, they should have been resting like Him. With Christ in a vessel, we can sleep through the storm.
Finally, Mark tells us they were very afraid—mega fear—not because of the storm, but because of what the Lord Jesus did.
“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
The Lord Jesus is more to be feared.
There is a difference between being frightened by the storm—which expressed a lack of faith—and fearing the Lord Jesus in awe, in the presence of God.
So what is our choice?
Fear the waves, or revere Jesus greatly?
Pastoral Application: Storms Do Come
As we look at the Lord Jesus, let us continue to trust Him—even as we go through storms.
Recently, from 28 April to 2 May, I was in Dubai for a conference. When I came back to Singapore, besides voting on 3 May, I attended the wake of Brother Andrew Hurst’s father. Since then, there were three other wakes I attended. And on Thursday—just the day before—two BB boys from a nearby primary school: their mother just passed on because of cancer. This is the fifth funeral week in this month.
It is a picture that after crossing the sea—after learning about the Lord Jesus and the kingdom of God—storms come. But despite all this, we thank God we have the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even in the midst of storms, we can trust Him.
Closing Prayer
Let’s close with a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, we give thanks once again for the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank You for the record in Mark’s Gospel. As we meditate and look at this short transitional passage—crossing over to the other side—most of us would not expect anything big to happen, but it did. And the Lord Jesus expects us to believe in Him.
We continue to give thanks that the Lord Jesus is the One who said He will never leave us nor forsake us. In all things we can pray and commit unto Him, for He is our great High Priest who is risen again.
We thank You that He is also the Lord who is sovereign over even the winds and the waves. And even in our daily lives, in our challenges and problems, we thank You that we can commit all things into Your hands. You are the God who knows and cares for us.
We give thanks for all this and pray in the Lord Jesus’ name. Amen.