Study in Mark’s Gospel

1. Study in Mark’s Gospel Presentation 21

2. The Struggles Of The Night Chap 6v45-56 Presentation 21

3. Introduction Jesus appears to behave very strangely towards his disciples. He takes them by the scruff of the neck and forces them into their boat, sending them over to the other side of the lake. That's the force of the language in v45 'Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat...' Last time we spoke about Jesus' concern for the whole man and of his concern that his disciples should have a period of rest. Does all of this tender concern seem to be contradicted by the picture before us? It does not fit the 'gentle Jesus meek and mild' image that many people have of him. Why this uncompromising behaviour on the part of Jesus and why does he act with such haste and so little explanation? Presentation 21

4. The Strange Behaviour Of Jesus For the answer we need to read the e parallel passage in Jn. 6.15. ' Jesus knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.' The crowd, who had been so miraculously fed, were now fired with a remarkable enthusiasm. They were all set to proclaim Jesus their Messiah king. They were ready to start a Jesus’ revolution. Herod's palace was nearby. It could be stormed and Jesus installed as king! The disciples too were being swept along by the mob hysteria. How little they presently understood the true nature of Christ's kingdom. They were thinking about crowns and thrones , Jesus knew his kingdom could only be established through the cross. Now, mob hysteria cannot be reasoned with. Presentation 21

5. The Strange Behaviour Of Jesus Mob hysteria does not operate rationally. It can induce quite ordinary individuals to behave in the most outrageous manner. Many will remember the Iranian revolution when the Shah was overthrown and Ayatollah Khomeini was installed to power. Millions of very ordinary people took to the streets chanting at the top of their voice, 'marg bar shah', 'death to the shah!'. Many of these people, under the influence of mob hysteria, behaved in ways they would not have believed possible of in the cold light of day. That same mob hysteria was set to put make Jesus king. And ironically, cause many of them to shout out some months later, before Pilate’s judgement seat, ‘Crucify him''? Presentation 21

6. The Strange Behaviour Of Jesus Our passage describes what is perhaps the greatest crisis point in Jesus’ ministry. This was an attempt to high-jack the work of God, by people, who did not understand the significance of that work. A tide of popular opinion, including that of his dearest friends, was bearing down on Jesus. This kind of pressure requires firm resolve and an immediate response. Hence the disciples are sent away! There are crucial stages in the development of God's work when a strong stand is needed to ensure its safe advance. What is it that shapes decisions and behaviour in your church fellowship? Are you likely to yield to the direction in which popular opinion attempts to push you or can you be relied upon to take a strong and unpopular stand when it is necessary to do so? Presentation 21

7. Jesus On The Hillside Jesus' reaction was to send his disciples out of that maelstrom of riot and onto the lake, while he himself drew apart to the hillside to pray. The gospel has already made it clear that Jesus was a man of prayer. Enjoying communion with his Father was part of Jesus’ daily routine. But we also find him engaged in seasons of protracted prayer at significant crisis points in his ministry. This was such a time. There were issues which needed to be wrestled through and this is what Jesus is doing here. We need to follow that example. If in crisis, Jesus gave himself in an extraordinary degree to prayer, can we believe that it is less necessary for us to do so? Presentation 21

8. Jesus On The Hillside We're not told the specific content of Jesus’ prayer. Can we speculate? Did he first, pray to be strengthened in the face of temptation. He had experience of being hailed as a popular hero but by refusing to conform to the crowd’s expectations, by rejecting the role of a mere political Messiah, he would lose a popular following. Jesus had turned his back on an easy route to kingship. When faced with the choice of cross or crown he chose the cross. It was a repeat of the wilderness temptations in a different setting. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, Satan was constantly whispering; 'Come on Jesus you can gain the kingdom without the suffering of the cross. If you chose the cross you will lose a large popular following. Suffering is not a popular route to travel'. Presentation 21

9. Jesus On The Hillside Time and again Jesus chose the cross not for his benefit but for ours. For only through the cross could our forgiveness be secured. Only through the cross could God's justice satisfied. Only through the cross could God’s wrath be averted from man and diverted to Jesus as our substitutionary sacrifice and the propitiation of our sins. Only through the cross could rebel men be reconciled to the sovereign Lord he had disobeyed. Only through the cross could we be clothed with Jesus perfect righteousness and enjoy the smile and embrace of the God who adopts us into his family. For all these reasons and more Jesus chose the cross! Presentation 21

10. Jesus On The Hillside Secondly, Jesus surely prayed for his disciples who were so easily swayed by popular opinion. They were still thinking in material rather than in spiritual categories. He must have agonised for them with a fervency of spirit that we know little of. He had seen them capitulate to pressure but he did not despair of them. He laid hold of God for them in prayer. He continues to look down on us from the hillside. He sees his vacillating church, that is so easily swayed by external pressures, frightened to defy public opinion, thinking in material categories rather than in spiritual ones and what does Jesus do? Thankfully, he prays! Presentation 21

11. The Struggling Disciples Moving from the hillside to the lake we find a group of disgruntled, exhausted disciples. By this time they had been on the lake for ten hours and had covered only three miles. The explanation is a furious gale, which is pounding their boat, making it impossible for them to make any headway. Imagine their grumbling! Jesus was responsible for their futile efforts. He was the cause of their exhaustion. If he had listened to them, he could have been wearing Herod's crown by now. Life could have been so easy. Sadly, we often respond to the storms of life in exactly the same way. “God is to blame. He set us on this particular course. We followed his guidance and look….” Presentation 21

12. The Struggling Disciples Jesus had led them into a storm once before but then he had been with them. There is great security in having Jesus in the boat in the midst of the storm. But now he is no longer with them. Had he washed his hands of them? Were they tempted to think that their behaviour had angered him and so he had removed his protection and care? This feeling of abandonment is probably one of the most painful experiences of Christian discipleship. It is what our forefather called 'the dark night of the soul'. All sense of God's presence and all assurance of his love is removed - we feel utterly abandoned in the storm. Do you know anything of that? Presentation 21

13. The Struggling Disciples The dark night of the soul has its own work to do. It often takes the form of a work of separation. In the disciples’ case they were being separated from the world's values and to Christ and his value system. The effect of this separating work is seen 24 hours later. The majority of Jesus’ followers decided that, if Jesus was going to choose the path of the cross, then they would no longer follow him. Jesus turned to the twelve and asked, “Will you also go away?” Peter replied, 'Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.‘ Jn.6v68. How do we explain that reply? The storm had done its strengthening work in the lives of his disciples! Presentation 21

14. The Struggling Disciples Samuel Rutherford the famous Scottish covenanting minister recognised the strengthening value of the storm when he wrote; “Oh if I could creep one foot or half a foot nearer to Jesus in such a dismal night as that when he is away, I should think it a happy absence... His absence puts an edge on our hunger and encourages the fingers of faith to grip what it cannot see.” While in the storm how these disciples needed to operate the fingers off faith, for the very thing which they could not see was that far from being neglected by Jesus, he was kneeling on a hillside and praying for them. Presentation 21

15. The Lessons Of The Night Jesus did more than pray. He came to them in their distress and he did so in a remarkable way, a miraculous way. He suspended the laws of nature as he walked on the surface of the water towards them. He is teaching, 'Nothing presents itself as a barrier to me when my people are in need!' The timing of Jesus’ intervention in his people's lives is perfect. Of course there is often a difference between what we think to be the right time and what he knows to be the right time. He will never allow us to become unbearably exhausted by the storm. He knows our frame. He will not test us beyond breaking point. Presentation 21

16. The Lessons Of The Night But notice what we read in v48 , 'he was about to pass them by'. Why? It is important to recognise that he will draw near to help us but he will not force that help upon us. He comes near so that we can see that help is available. He awaits our invitation and our expression of need of help from outside! Are the storms of life are buffeting you? Do you seem to be making little or no headway? Are you beside yourself with anxiety. Jesus will draw near to you through his word as it is both read and preached. Your for your part have the responsibility of responding to his presence and of seeking his assistance while gripping on with the fingers of faith. Presentation 21

17. The Lessons Of The Night Note that the disciple's initial response - ‘Its a ghost!' You can be sure they upped their rowing rate. This response owes more to superstition than it does to faith. Fear causes peoples’ deep-seated superstitions to rise to the surface. Sometimes people express their fear regarding the future by saying, 'Touch wood that that doesn't happen'! Touch wood! A bit of wood is no use to them. Instead, what is needed is faith in God. Had the disciples exercised expectant faith, then Jesus’ approach would have been a cause of great joy but instead they met him in fear and unbelief thus intensifying their alarm. Presentation 21

18. The Lessons Of The Night Mark comments upon the disciple's failure in an enigmatic manner in v52 , 'they had not understood about the loaves because their hearts were hardened.' What had they not understood? They had not learned, from the miraculous feeding the 5,000, who Jesus really was. He had shown himself that in every respect he was the shepherd of his people. They should have known he would not abandon them in their troubles. Sadly, when they should have been expressing trust - and they had been given every reason for doing so - they were expressing terror. Presentation 21

19. The Lessons Of The Night Jesus words of comfort to his disciples in v50 were also words of rebuke. 'Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid' Where might they come across that greeting before? From their knowledge of the scriptures. It is one of the ways in which God characteristically introduced himself to his frightened and needy people in the O.T. as he sought to banish their fears. The Jesus to whom they had committed themselves was more than a mere man. He is the eternal Son of God and as such he can be trusted not to let his people perish, that was a lesson they were slow to learn. He has done much more than suspend the laws of nature, he has satisfied the moral law of God, by paying the price of our sin upon the cross – that we might know eternal safety! Presentation 21

20. Conclusion Are you struggling in some area of your life ? Is your experience one of despair ? Do you seem to be making little headway and feel utterly abandoned? Hold on in faith until the approach of Christ. The absence of his presence does not mean you are out of his mind, 'he ever lives to make intercession for us‘ Heb. 7v35. He will come at the right time to deal with the cause of all our fears and anxieties. Note, the 'the wind died down' upon Jesus arrival! Let the storm do its separating work in your life and learn to take up your cross to follow him? Others may turn their back on Jesus. They may conclude that discipleship is too demanding and the way of the cross too costly but it is the storm that equips us to say, 'Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.' Presentation 21