(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)
John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended!
Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
What Jesus did, He still does!
As we study these miracles of Jesus, I want us to remember that Jesus WANTS to move on our behalf. All He is looking for is FAITH.
(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)
Jesus Calms a Storm on the Sea of Galilee
SCRIPTURES
Before we can truly appreciate what happened in this miracle, we must look at the story of what happened afterwards. We have that luxury through the Bible.
The Decapolis was a region on the southeastern side of the Sea of Galilee that was made up of ten cities that were mainly made up of people influenced by Roman and Greek culture and very little by Jewish Culture. There was a deep influence of idolatry and paganism there as it was mostly Gentile.
On the other side of the lake was a man that had a legion of demons that had possessed him and it was terrorizing the people and holding them captive.
Mark 5:1-20 KJV (1) And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. (2) And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, (3) Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: (4) Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. (5) And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. (6) But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, (7) And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. (8) For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. (9) And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. (10) And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. (11) Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. (12) And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. (14) And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. (15) And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. (16) And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. (17) And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. (18) And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. (19) Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. (20) And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
Jesus’ ministry was getting ready to experience another breakthrough in growth and influence through this miracle. As Jesus was on His way to this breakthrough, the devil attacked.
Now let’s go and look at what happened leading up to this miracle.
Mark 4:35-41 KJV (35) And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. (36) And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. (37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (40) And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (41) And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Ephesians 6:12 KJV For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
GREEK WORDS
- “there arose” — γίνομαι (ginomai): to take by surprise; to take off guard; pictures something not anticipated
- “storm” — λαῖλαψ (lailaps): atmospheric turbulence
- “waves” — κύματα (kumata): billowing waves; one wave after another; a succession of waves (see Mark 4:37)
- “beat into” — ἐπιβάλλω (epiballo): to pick up and throw; to throw over; to throw against
- “awake” — ἐγείρω (egeiro): to rouse; to rise; to awake; to resurrect
- “perish” — ἀπόλλυμι (apollumi): to undo; to perish; to come to pieces
- “rebuke” — ἐπιτιμάω (epitimao): in context, to speak dishonorably to someone; to sternly speak against; to chide; to rebuke
- “peace be still” — φιμόω (phimoo): to muzzle; to silence; to still
- “obey” — ὑπακούω (hupakouo): to submit and explicitly obey; to fall in line when an order is given
SYNOPSIS
Another day of ministry in the city of Capernaum had just come to a close. “And the same day, when the even was come, he [Jesus] saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships” (Mark 4:35, 36). On the other side of the Sea of Galilee was the country of the Gadarenes, and Jesus had important work to do there.
Mark 5 later tells us that in that region there lived a man possessed with a legion of demons. The entire countryside was terrorized and held captive in fear by the evil forces working through him (see also Matthew 8:28). As Jesus and His disciples were heading to the area to deliver the demoniac from the devil’s grip, the enemy attacked, stirring up a storm of hurricane proportions.
A Great Storm Arose
Mark 4:37 says, “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.” Notice the phrase “there arose.” It is the Greek word ginomai, and it means to take by surprise; to take off guard; it pictures something not anticipated. This verse could be translated, “And suddenly, out of nowhere, there arose a great storm of wind that took us completely off guard; it was totally unexpected, and we had no idea from where it came.”
Keep in mind that many of Jesus’ disciples were seasoned fishermen. They knew the waterways and the weather patterns of the region very well. If a natural storm had been brewing that night, they would certainly have recognized the warning signs and never gone out in their boat. However, when they started out, the skies were clear, and the water was calm.
The Bible says that as they were en route to their destination, a “great” storm of wind arose. The word “great” is the Greek word megas, which indicates something enormous. This enormous “storm” was not a rainstorm; it was an enormous “storm” of wind. The word “storm” in the Greek is lailaps, and it describes atmospheric turbulence. Although the effects of the turbulence could be felt, the source of the turbulent force could not be seen.
The Source of the Invisible Force
A closer look at Mark 4:37 reveals that there was nothing natural about the storm that arose. It says, “…And the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.” The word “waves” is the Greek word kumata, and it describes billowing waves; one wave after another; a succession of waves. As one monstrous wave after another slammed against the ship, it was clear that Jesus and His disciples had become the target of a demonic assault.
Scripture says the waves “beat into” the ship. The words “beat into” are from the Greek word epiballo. It is the compound of two words: epi, meaning over, and ballo, meaning to throw. When the two words are put together to form the word epiballo, it means to throw over or to throw toward. This word is never used to describe the actions of nature. Rather, it is always used to describe the actions of a person or entity.
By using the word epiballo, the Holy Spirit informs us that this was the work of an invisible entity. An unseen force was piling up water and throwing it toward the boat again and again. This was Satan’s attempt to sink the ship and drown Jesus and His disciples. The devil knew that if Jesus reached the other side, he was going to lose control of the demoniac of Gadara as well as his influence in the entire region. So, he fought fiercely against the Lord and His disciples.
Where Was Jesus?
Scripture says that Jesus “…was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow…” (Mark 4:38). While the storm was raging, Jesus was sleeping on a “pillow.” This word “pillow” in the Greek describes a cushion that fit snugly in the corner of the ship. This was where Jesus was sleeping. He was nestled in the peace of God, not worried one bit about making it to the other side. He knew that God had told Him to cross over to the country of the Gadarenes, and nothing could keep Him from getting where God had called Him to be.
Meanwhile, as the storm continued, the disciples began to panic greatly, and the Bible says, “…They awake him.” The word “awake” in Greek is egeiro, which means to rouse; to rise; to awake; to resurrect. Thus, the disciples resurrected Jesus from His sleep. They jerked Him off His pillow and said, “…Master, carest thou not that we perish?” The word “master” is the Greek word epistata, and it means the one on the spot who is totally in charge. They were asking Jesus to get up and exercise His supernatural authority and power over their situation.
Interestingly, the original Greek structure of the phrase “carest thou not that we perish” actually says, “Is there no care in You toward us that we are perishing?” The word “perish” is from the Greek word apollumi, which means to undo or unravel; to perish; to come to pieces or come apart at the seams. This describes how the disciples were feeling — they felt like they were coming apart at the seams in the midst of the raging storm.
How Did Jesus Respond to the Disciples’ Plea?
Mark 4:39 says, “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” The moment the disciples called to Jesus for help, He responded. You can expect Him to respond to you, too, when you call on Him for help.
The Bible says Jesus “rebuked” the wind. The Greek word for “rebuked” is epitimao, and it means to speak dishonorably to someone; to sternly speak against; to chide; to rebuke. It is the same word that was used in judicial courts when the judgment against a criminal was being verbalized and enacted.
This tells us that when Jesus “rebuked” the wind, He didn’t stand up and say, “I rebuke you, wind!” On the contrary, He stood up and began to verbally assassinate the wind.
Jesus Addressed the Source, Not the Symptoms
It is important to note that the disciples thought their problem was the waves. Thus, that is what they focused on and fought against throughout the night. Again and again, they bailed water and wrangled with the waves. Nevertheless, by only dealing with the symptoms of the problem and not the source, the situation stayed the same.
Jesus, on the other hand, looked beyond the symptoms and addressed the source — the unseen evil entity in the atmosphere. He knew that they didn’t have a “wave” problem; they had a spiritual problem. And spiritual problems can only be solved with spiritual solutions. That is why Jesus “rebuked” the demonic force that was stirring up the wind and propelling the waves. He verbally assaulted the enemy with the words of His mouth, humiliating and demeaning it.
(Jesus understood that they weren’t having a wave problem. They were having a problem with something that cannot be seen. He went straight to the source, the root.) That is, He had a conversation with the unseen spiritual force behind the storm, and with His words He assaulted, belittled, demeaned, and humiliated it. (He pronounced judgment on the wind.)
Once Jesus was finished rebuking the invisible power causing the storm, He said to the sea, “Peace, be still.” Although this phrase is difficult to translate, “peace, be still” in effect means to muzzle; to silence; or to still. Actually, the very best way to explain it is to say that Jesus muzzled the sea, telling it to “shhh.”
Once the unseen realm was dealt with, the natural realm was easy to deal with.
When He did, the Bible says, “The wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39). Although the evening began with a great storm, it ended with a great calm. This lets us know that whatever the devil tries to do, Jesus will match it and defeat it. If you have had a great sickness, there is going to be a great healing. If you have had great financial lack, there is going to be great financial blessing.
Once the great calm arrived, Jesus turned to His disciples and said unto them, “…Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). He was saying, “Hey guys, why did you wake Me up? You could have spoken to the invisible realm and dealt with this yourselves. You really didn’t need Me. Where is your faith?”
Verse 41 goes on to say, “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” The word “obey” here is a military term, and it means to submit and explicitly obey; to fall in line when an order is given. When Jesus lifted His voice and rebuked the enemy, the wind and the waves fell in line as they were told. The natural realm was filled with peace once the spiritual realm had been dealt with.
Remember, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). If you will lift your voice when the enemy attacks, Jesus will speak through you and rebuke him.
Mark 5:1 KJV And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
The devil thought that he could stop Jesus. He cannot stop Jesus from what Jesus’ assignment just as he cannot stop you from your assignment unless you let him.
The emphasis of this lesson:
Just as Jesus had power and authority over the wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee, He has power and authority over all the storms that arise in your life. If you will call out to Him, He will hear and answer you, delivering you from the devil’s devious attacks.