Why study the miracles of Jesus? What Jesus did, He is still doing!
Why do storms come in our lives?
- It could be a result of our decisions. Repent!
Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
- It could be because we live in a broken, fallen world – use God’s Word to overcome this world.
Romans 5:12 NLT When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
John 16:33 NKJV These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
- We serve a good God but there is a bad devil.
John 10:10 NKJV The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
- Jesus said he could be trying to steal the Word from your life
Mark 4:15 NKJV And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
- The devil could be trying to stop God’s plan for your life from coming to pass.
If you are doing your very best to walk according to God’s Word and obey Him, a storm could be a very clear indicator that you are getting ready to have a great breakthrough in your life. That’s what we see in the ministry of Jesus.
Mark 4:35-41 NKJV On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” (36) Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. (37) And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. (38) But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (39) Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. (40) But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (41) And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
- Jesus determines that He needs to go over to the other side of the Lake (Sea of Galilee) to deliver a man that was possessed by thousands of demons.
- He was terrorizing the people of Gergesenes or Gadara, and causing great fear among the people.
- Jesus knew that this man’s deliverance could go a long way in affecting the people of the area for the sake of the Gospel.
- Jesus was on the verge of a great breakthrough in His ministry.
- When He was on the verge of the breakthrough, the devil attacked.
Mark 4:37 NKJV And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.
- There “arose” a great windstorm which, in the Greek, means that it came out of nowhere. The disciples (most of which were fisherman) were caught completely off guard by this unexpected wind storm.
- This is a storm of wind. Turbulence at work in the atmosphere.
- 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.
Where was Jesus?
Mark 4:38 NKJV But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
- 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.” 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.
- The disciples were so shaken by this storm, they were afraid they were going to die. They asked Jesus, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” The word “perishing” in the Greek means “to undo, unravel, to perish, to come to pieces or come apart at the seams.” Have you ever felt like the disciples? That your life was coming apart at the seams?
- When the disciples called out Jesus arose and responded. He will do that for us if we will call out to Him.
- The disciples thought the problem was the waves. They are fighting the waves, bailing water out of the boat and not winning the fight. So much so, that the boat was filling up with water.
- But Jesus got up and addressed the wind not the waves. Jesus addressed the unseen forces that were behind the wind.
Ephesians 6:12 NKJV For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
- Jesus rebuked the wind. “Rebuked” means to verbally assault, to belittle, to demean, announce judgment against. Then He spoke to the sea, and told it to be quiet.
Once the unseen realm was dealt with, the natural realm became easy to deal with.
- Jesus matched or exceeded what the devil was trying to do be there being a “great calm”. There was a “great storm”, but He topped it with a “great calm”.
Mark 4:40 NKJV But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
- Jesus was telling the disciples that it was possible for them to have done the same thing that He did. Or, at the very least, been assured that they were going to make it to the other side simply because Jesus said they were going to.
Mark 4:41 NKJV And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
- They were not afraid of Jesus. The words actually mean they were in great awe of Him.
- The phrase, “even the wind and sea obey Him!”, means that the wind and the sea “fell in line” at Jesus’ command. We can do the same thing in Jesus’ Name and the wind and the waves have to fall in line.
- The devil may try and stop you from getting where you are supposed to be, but if you will use your voice, in Jesus’ Name, with His authority, he will not be able to keep you from accomplishing what God wants you to do.
What Jesus did, He is still doing! If He was Lord of the wind and the waves then, then He is still Lord of the wind and the waves today!