Welcome to the “But first, Bible” daily devotional podcast with Dave Miers.
Our readings for today are Numbers 7 and Mark 4:21-41.
I’m currently attending the Acts 29 Australia/New Zealand Conference. Acts 29 is a diverse, global family of church planting churches. Our church – City on a Hill: Brisbane – is part of this network and I love being part of what God is doing around the world as Jesus is made known through the planting of churches that plant churches.
Now, the conference is on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia… and right now there is a tropical cyclone not far off the coast, with all sorts of severe weather warnings. Yesterday, all the beaches were closed along the strip because of the massive swells.
Extreme weather, wind, and waves is the context for part of our Mark 4 reading today.
Let me read from Mark 4:35–38,
[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?” (ESV)
This is a big storm! Remember – many of Jesus’ disciples were seasoned fishermen – they knew these waters, they knew what it was to be on the sea during high winds… and yet on this occasion, they are fearful that the storm will get the better of them.
Where is Jesus in the storm? He’s asleep on a cushion!
And so the disciples wake Jesus up. Did you notice they address him as “Teacher”? They know he has great authority to teach, but they want to know where he cares for them. And they want to know if he has any authority in this situation.
You can imagine the disciples bailing the water out of the boat, frantically trying to keep the boat from plunging to the depths of the sea… and yet now that Jesus is awake look at what happens in Mark 4:39-41
[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?” (ESV)
Astonishing! Three words: Peace! Be Still!
The wind that has no ears to hear, and the sea that has no brain to comprehend, hears and heeds this word from Jesus and immediately there is no more wind, no more waves. This is a miracle.
The question that is building throughout the first half of Mark’s Gospel is: Who is this man? And the disciples are left wondering… and by the end of this exchange they go from fearing the wind and the waves to fearing the one who can command them to be still, but with a word!
The disciples didn’t yet know it, but we are privileged readers and we know that the reason the wind and the waves listened to the command from Jesus is that this is the same Voice that created the heavens and the earth. In the man Jesus Christ we are meeting the Creator God who has authority over all of creation.
Have you recognised this about the identity of Jesus? If this is the authority that Jesus has over the creation, have you recognised the authority that Jesus has over your life?
Until tomorrow, keep trusting Jesus.