Fear in the presence of Jesus occurs in this section of Mark. Mark’s storytelling is meant to help us understand who Jesus is.
In this section of Mark, we will see how Jesus has authority.
Why does authority cause us to fear? We live in an anti-authoritarian world and we do not trust other people to exercise power. We often view authority with suspicion. The Bible, however, recognises that there is a design for authority. And as we read this section, we should see that Jesus has authority, and is to be feared.
(A) Jesus has authority over the stormy sea (Mark 4:35-41)
Jesus wanted to cross over to the “other side” (Mark 4:35) and this took place when evening had come. Jesus was seeking to move to a Gentile space, the country of the Gerasenes (Mark 5:1). Yet, when He left, the people continued to follow Him as other boats were with Him (Mark 4:36).
Once again, we see that Jesus was not interested in gaining a following. Does this surprise you? It can be easy to be a Christian and eventually make Jesus like us. We need to read Scripture and be moulded into His likeness. Read, and pray, “Show me more of yourself as I read”. What is your state of really knowing Jesus on His terms? Do you find some parts of Jesus too difficult to understand? Or too harsh/mean? But we need to rememebr that we cannot put Jesus in a box!
Mark focuses on verbs in his writing and we see this here. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling (Mark 4:37). Mark conveyed the danger of the moment and the suddenness of the waves. In contrast, notice the peace of the Lord (Mark 4:38).
The disciples woke Him and asked a question, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38b). They were not perishing but they had interpreted their circumstances in the very moment.
Is this how we interpret our own life? Do we tell God the worse case scenario that we are in?
When Jesus awoke, He did not first attend to the fears of the disciples. Rather, He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea (Mark 4:39). How kind, gentle, patient and tender He is with this group! When He is roused from slumber, He deals with their problem and did not rebuke them.
And notice what He says — “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39a). These are not harsh words, and almost anticlimactic in the chaos.
This is not the first time in Scripture that God deals with the wind and the waves. In Exodus 14:19-31, God parts the sea and His people can move through it safely to get to the other side. God delivers them. God also delivers them from their enemies, as He brought the sea crashing down on their enemies. Thus, the sea marks judgement.
This theme of deliverance and judgement is repeated in the psalms. In Psalm 18:13-19, God speaks, commands and rebukes and the sea responds. His speech is the means of that power that divides the sea, and this leads to the rescue of being drawn out of water. Psalm 89:8-11 speaks of how God calms the raging sea, and also crushes Egypt (“Rahab”). Again, in Psalm 107:23-30 we read of how the sea is unpredictable and yet, God can calm the sea nada bring His people to their desired haven.
Thus, throughout the Old Testament, the sea is known as a place of danger, chaos, death, destruction and judgement. There is One who can still it, quiet it and make safe passage. Only the God who speaks can do this.
It is to this God, that the disciples accuse of not caring.
How did they respond? In Mark 4:41, they were filled with great fear. They knew only Yahweh could calm the storm. Therefore, is it possible that Jesus is the promised one, the one who brought Israel through the Red Sea. And notice how they did not even say it to Him, but to each other.
Is your Jesus too small? Have you put Him in your lamp and rub it just to get wishes? But when we go to Him and He reveals Himself to us and that He is not what we thought He was, possessing authority even over the storm, we realise we have made Him too small and have not reverenced Him! Do we think He is a petty little God, and thus, bring our small problems to Him?
As the hymn goes,
Thou art coming to a King
Large petitions with thee bring
For His grace and power are such
None can ever ask too much
(B) Jesus has authority over mighty demons (Mark 5:1-13)
They arrive at a new setting, the country of the Gerasenes, a Gentile area (Mark 5:1). When Jesus stepped out of the boat, He was met by a man who was eager to meet Him (Mark 5:2).
Mark recorded for us in detail the extent of his possession. His suffering was perpetual and unending (“always”). He cried out night and day, continued to hurt himself, and was in constant pain. No one could control and restrain him too. Here, control and restrain are positive things, and thus, no one could bring order here. No one could bind the strong man and plunder his house (c.f. Mark 3:27).
He also lived among the tombs. This would have left him ceremonially unclean and ostracised by the community. He lived in a place of death and decay.
Jesus had left the crowds, crossed the sea, to meet this man. Notice how Jesus seemed to be the only one who stepped out of the boat (Mark 5:2).
This man addresses Jesus, but does not refer to the covenantal name of God (Mark 5:7). Rather, Jesus is referred to as “Son of the Most High God”. The man also assumed Jesus was here to torment him, to add to his pain. Mark records for us that this man was under the control of intense spiritual forces that are Legion (Mark 5:9). This is a picture of utter depravity and lostness.
Who will go to this man and show him mercy, and be willing to be contaminated by uncleanness? Who will go into death to retrieve and deliver him? Jesus does.
Jesus commanded the spirits to come out (Mark 5:9) and had to ask for permission to remain among the living, in the pigs (Mark 5:11-12). Even mighty demonic powers seek permission from Jesus! And leave at His command! THis should bring us comfort to know that demons flee at His command, and they have to obey His words.
And if even demons obey the word of the Son, what about us? What has He commanded us? What has He given us permission to do? Do you recognise His authority?
(C) Jesus has authority to commission (Mark 5:14-20)
The herdsmen fled and told the incident in the city and country (Mark 5:14) and people came to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man — “the one who had had the legion”, an emphasis here — was not clothed and in his right mind (Mark 5:15). How did they respond? They were afraid.
There is no doubt here that this must be a work of God! And they saw how they could not understand nor control Him. He could bind even the darkest spiritual forces — a legion of demons!
Is this the Jesus you are underestimating? Do you have this kind of view of Him? Perhaps you are facing a storm and no one can fix it. Let this text show you Jesus, who can bring order, sanity, healing and restoration.
Notice how the people begged Jesus to depart from their region (Mark 5:17). Jesus threatened their quiet, controllable life.
Jesus did not fight back. As He got into the boat, the formerly demon-possessed man begged that he might be with Jesus (Mark 5:18). But Jesus did not permit him and told him to go home to share with his friends how much the Lord has done for him and how He has had mercy on Him (Mark 5:18-19). Mark adds a postscript, telling his readers that he did just that (Mark 5:20).
Jesus, who has the authority to calms the storm and cast out demons, also sends him on a mission.
After His death and resurrection, Jesus. who has all authority given to Him, commands His disciples to go out in His name to make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded (c.f. Matt 28:19-20). And it comes with a promise of God’s eternal presence.
Like the demon-possessed man, we have been rescued from our darkness and death. Our commission today is to go and tell people of what the Lord has done. We are to tell them of His mercy.