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The Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
Series B
 

Option #1: "When Jesus Seems Asleep in Your Boat"
Mark 4:35-41
Rev. Wayne Dobratz, B.S., M.Div.

 
  I. Remember that He is fully human--John 11:35, 19:28; Heb 4:15-16

 II. Remember to trust His compassion for you--Matt 9:36; Mk 6:34, 14:14

III. Remember that He is the Almighty God who will help in His own way and time--Job 38:11; Psalm 89:7-9; Jonah 10:15-16; Matt 14:32; Mark 7:37; Heb 1:3

John F. MacArthur, Jr.:

The Portent: And the men marveled, saying, "what kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" (8:27)

Thaumazoô (marveled) refers to extreme amazement and can carry the idea of portending. The men could not imagine what kind of a man Jesus was, that even the winds and the sea obey Him. Mark reports that, along with their great amazement, the men were also "very much afraid" (4:41). They were now more afraid of the one who had stilled the storm than they had been of the storm itself. Many of them had encountered dangerous storms, but none had encountered such supernatural power as Jesus here displayed.

After God had declared His great power and majesty, Job exclaimed, "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees Thee; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6). When Isaiah "saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple," he declared, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isa 6:1, 5). After Daniel beheld the Lord, he testified: "No strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground" (Dan 10:8-9). When Peter saw Jesus miraculously provide the great catch of fish, "he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’" (Luke 5:8). When Paul encountered the risen Christ on the Damascus road, "he fell to the ground… And though his eyes were open, he could see nothing" (Acts 9:4, 8).

God’s majesty is so overwhelming that when He displays Himself in even a small part of His glory men cannot stand in His presence. These disciples suddenly realized that God was standing in the very boat with them, and they were terrified by His power and His holiness. On a similar and later occasion Peter walked on the water. But when the wind came up, he became afraid, and Jesus not only held up His faithless disciple but also caused the wind to stop. "And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’" (Matt 14:29-33).

The same Christ who stilled the Sea of Galilee is the Christ who keeps every atom and every star in its orbit. He keeps the universe in balance and provides for each plant and animal. One day He is coming to restore the world that sin defiled, to make completely new the heavens and the earth. Even now He is the God who gives eternal life to those who trust in Him, and who will calm their every storm and give strength for their every tragedy.

From Matthew Henry's Commentary:

When winds and waves assault my keel,
He doth preserve it, He doth steer,
ev’n when the boat seems most to reel.
Storms are the triumph of His art;
though He may close his eyes, yet not His heart.

+   +   +

A Message for Children: Mark 4:37-39
 
Object: life jacket
 
An old friend of mine really likes to go fishing. I saw him a few weeks ago and he drove all the way to North Dakota to go fishing. Another time he told me a fish story of being on Lake Michigan. Another time he had a really scary fish story and this time it had nothing to do with fish. It was when he was fishing on Lake Michigan that a storm came up. The waves flipped his boat over and all he had to hang on to was a cooler they had taken along for their food and drinks. He should have had one of these on, but he didn’t. They call this a life jacket. It will save your life by keeping you afloat if you should fall out of the boat.
 
In the Gospel story that I just read, it shows us who Jesus is and how much He loves us. Jesus was very tired from teaching people, so they got into the boat and went over to the other side of the Lake the Bible calls the Sea of Galilee. This lake is on very low ground between some mountains. It doesn’t take much for the warm air around the lake to collide with the wind and the cooler air in the mountains and you have a big storm on your hands. And it can come very quickly.
 
Jesus was so tired that He was sleeping right through the storm. That teaches us that He is a real human being just as we are. I’ve slept through some big thunderstorms and I’ll bet you have too. The disciples were really worried about this storm and they woke up Jesus with a shout: "Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?" That’s when the man Jesus showed that He is also God’s Son. He spoke to the wind and the waves and told them to sit down and shut up! And they did!
 
Jesus saved their lives that day, just the way my friend would have been saved by this life jacket. Jesus saved us by allowing Himself to be crucified. Then he rose from death and saves us from sin and death. When he calmed the wind, He told them: Don’t you have any faith?
 
So put on the life jacket that we call faith. Jesus will keep you floating your whole life and will fish you out of the lake when you fall out of the boat. After all, he is our Lord and Savior.

+   +   +

Option #2: "Reconciled Reconcilers"
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Rev. Kelly Bedard, M.Div.

 
Goal: that we would see ourselves as God sees us
 
Malady: regarding others' opinions of us more important than God's, fearing God's "Law look"
 
Means: Christ's compelling and reconciling love, making us new creations and ambassadors of reconciliation
 
Notes:
 
1. Christ not only died on our behalf but in our place--a great exchange! (The New Bible Commentary: Revised)
 
2. When we wake up in the morning, we don't just think about how we should look for work but how can we look like ambassadors for Christ today. (Timothy Hoyer)
 

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This page was revised on: Friday, January 20, 2006 12:10:33 PM