The God Who Cares That We're Perishing

Mark 4:35–41 and the Question of Whether Jesus Cares That We Perish

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From Pastor Chris Roseberg. The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark chapter 4 verses 35 through 41. That day when evening came Jesus said to his disciples let us go to the other side leaving the crowd behind.

They took him along just as he was in the boat they were also there were also other boats with him and a furious squall came up and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern sleeping on a cushion.

The disciples woke him and said to him teacher don't you care if we drown. He got up rebuked the wind and said to the waves quiet be still. And then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples why are you so afraid.

Do you still have no faith. And they were terrified and asked each other who is this. Even the wind and the waves obey him in the name of Jesus. Teacher don't you care if we drown. That's our text today.

What a great text. Don't you care if we drown. Let me clean up the translation a little bit though the the word that is translated in your pew Bible as drown is the Greek word apollumi and it actually is better translated as don't you care that we perish.

It means to be ruined or destroyed or to perish. And I think that's probably a better question. It kind of gets at the heart of the matter theologically a little bit better. Teacher don't you care if we perish.

The Chaos of a Wearing-Out World and Our Inevitable Death

Now the world that we live in I don't know if you've noticed it's wearing out like an old set of clothes. You know like you get your favorite set of clothes favorite set of Levi's and you get a rip in the knee and maybe you've got that old favorite flannel shirt and the elbows blow out and maybe a pocket starts to fall off.

This is what's happening to our world. And we personally as individuals we're all wearing out even faster than the world is our world and everything in it is going from order into utter chaos and disorder.

So many of the beautiful and exquisite animals that the Lord has created they're now extinct and more becoming extinct by the day human society. And while it's far from heading into a golden age and said society seems poised on the brink of moral anarchy if you take a look around what's going on.

Right. And it's hard to believe that there was a time in my life when I was young strong then yeah. But with each passing day I see more gray hair less muscle tone and even my skin is beginning to show the signs of age and wear.

And as I approach the age of 50 and I won't tell you how long I have before I get there it's becoming very clear that the next 20 years of my life if I live that long will bring with it an advancing decrepitude and ultimately I'm gonna perish.

There's no doubt about it and my best efforts have well they've only slowed the inevitable. In other words I'm doomed. You know as scripture says the wages of sin is death. And as I slowly slide towards the jaws of death there's nothing to hold on to to keep me from being swallowed whole fact is it's only a matter of time.

Jesus Calms the Storm in Mark 4

So we return then to our texts. That kind of frames our thoughts as we approach this text I want you to kind of keep chaos in mind. So it says this that day when evening came Jesus said to his disciples let us go over to the other side.

Now if you look at the immediate context here Jesus had spent an entire day doing ministry. He had preached and preached in parables and he was spent. He was literally just dog-tired. And if you remember a couple of weeks ago Jesus you know had this proclivity at this point of really taking his ministry to the brink at least physically for himself which is rather fascinating because Jesus is none other than God in human flesh.

And so he wore himself out. And at one point you know we read this a couple weeks ago his own family thought that maybe he had lost his mind and they came to collect him and bring the guys with the little white jackets.

You know they thought he'd kind of cracked. And so here it says the evening came. He said let's go over to the other side. That means the other side of the Sea of Galilee. And leaving the crowd behind they took him along just as he was just as he was as a fine way of saying he hadn't even had a chance to shower yet.

So Jesus is dirty. He's stinky. He's beat. Right. So they all got into the boat and there were also other boats with him and a furious squall came up and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped.

Now in your bulletin I actually put a little information there regarding the Sea of Galilee and you'll notice that it's in a bowl. It's actually in a bowl geographically. And as a result of this there is a collision between hot air masses and cold air masses at the Sea of Galilee.

And that collision causes there to be furious squalls that come up. And so for a little fishing vessel like they were probably on the white caps would get about three four five feet high and they were swamping the boat.

And what was Jesus doing while all of this was going on. It says he was in the stern sleeping on a cushion. That's how beat he was. So the disciples doing what the disciples do. They woke him up and then they posed this question to him.

Teacher don't you care if we perish. Don't you care if we perish. Now Jesus gives them his answer. He does answer this question by the way. But he does not answer it with words. He answers their question with action.

Here's his answer. He got up rebuked the wind and said to the waves be quiet be still. And then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Now the way this kind of translates into the Greek you have to kind of understand something here.

I mean this happened instantaneously. All right. Think of it this way. One second there's four or five foot white caps. It's all chaos and craziness. Waters coming in they can't keep up. And it's as if Jesus snaps his fingers.

And it there's no intermediate state. It doesn't. It doesn't settle down slowly. Which is what you would expect to happen. Right. It just goes from crazy to calm. That's what happened. And Jesus of course he spoke to the wind in the waves as if they were kind of like his pet dog.

You know my dog Luther when he's misbehaving is a state sit. You know this is the way he's talking to the winds and the waves. And what ends up happening is is that this terrifies the disciples. And Jesus says to them why are you so afraid.

Do you still have no faith. And the text says they were terrified and asked each other who is this. Even the wind and the waves obey him. I keep in mind these Jewish fishermen knew their scriptures. They had it drilled into them as as youths in the synagogue.

So they were very familiar with this passage from Job that we read in our Old Testament text. And here's what the Lord says in that text. Let's read. Let's take a look back at Job 38. The Lord answered Job out of the storm.

Job 38 and the God Who Speaks Out of the Whirlwind

Now if you're familiar with the story of Job scholars really truly believe this is the oldest text in the Bible that it predates Moses and the writing of the Torah. And the best way I can describe the Hebrew in here it is like the Queen's Hebrew.

You know I had to talk about the Queen's English. This is some pretty fancy Hebrew going on in here. And in the story Job if you remember is going to be sifted tested by the devil because the devil believes that if he's able to take everything away from Job that God has blessed him with that he'll end up cursing God.

And so he's put to the test if you would. And he loses his family. He loses everything that he has and is suffering greatly even in his own body. And of course his comforters come by with really bad theology basically saying this is all your fault Job.

I mean if this wouldn't be happening to you if you hadn't have done some kind of sin you need you need to confess that you've done something wrong to bring this on yourself. And Job maintains his innocence.

But along the way Job begins to get a little bit impatient with God and kind of wants an explanation from God as to why he's suffering in a way that he believes is unjust. And so in rolls this if you would kind of like a large supercell thunderstorm with a tornado attached to it comes right.

It comes rolling right in. And God's gonna speak to Job and his comforters get put them in their quotes from out of the whirlwind. Here's what it says. Who is it that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge.

Oh yeah. That's not gonna make me feel comfortable. Can you imagine God talking to you like that. You don't know what you're talking about. Uh-huh. He says. Brace yourself like a man. I will question you.

You shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation. Ouch this question hurts. Tell me if you understand who marked off its dimension. Surely you know who stretched a measuring line across it on what were its footing set.

And who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy. Who shut up the sea behind doors when it bursts forth from the womb. When I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness.

When all when I fix the limits for it and set its doors and bars in place. And when I say this far you may come and no farther. Here is where your proud waves halt. Very clear from this text. God made the earth.

God made the sea. And so this little illustration makes it very clear if you know your Bible that when Jesus gets up and talks to the sea as if it's his pet and then it immediately calms down. Well you know who you're dealing with.

You know in whose presence you are. None other than God himself can speak to a raging sea and tell it to be silent and have the sea obey him. And so the realization of who Jesus is terrified the disciples.

The Fear of Manoah and the Angel of the Lord in Judges 13

Now it's similar to the same kind of fear that we see in the Old Testament with Samson's family. You all know the story of Samson and his and his father you know. Well let's take a look at it. It's you're gonna find this in the book of Judges chapter 13.

And so I'm gonna illustrate what this fear that the disciples are experiencing is like by looking at another passage of Scripture. And here's what it says. Judges chapter 13. The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

So the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years. There's a cycle of sin captivity deliverance. Sin kept it. Yeah this interesting thing going on there in the book of Judges. And here's what it says.

There was a certain man of Zorah of the tribe of the Danites whose name was Manoah and his wife was barren and had no children. But the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her behold you are barren and have not born children but you shall conceive and bear a son.

Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean. For behold you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head. For the child is to be a Nazarite to God from the womb and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.

Then the woman came and told her husband a man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God. Very awesome. I did not ask where he was from and he did not tell me his name.

But he said to me behold you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean. For the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

Kind of sounds like the the announcing of the birth of John the Baptist. There's some parallel stuff going on here. Now the angel of the Lord by the way when you see this in the Old Testament that's kind of code talk for the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ that's who's appeared here.

And it actually become very clear as the text unfolds. So here's what it says. So Manoah prayed to the Lord. Capital L capital O capital R capital D. That's Yahweh. He prayed to Yahweh and he said O Lord please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.

And God listened to the voice of Manoah. And the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. So the woman ran quickly and told her husband behold the man who came to me the other day he's appeared to me.

And so Manoah rose and went after his wife and came to the man and said to him are you the man who spoke to this woman. And he said I am. Right. Yeah. That's kind of a hint there. Yeah. The Hebrew hi-yah.

Yeah. This is the same language. We get Moses in the burning bush. Whom shall I say sent me. I am sent you. Right. So he says I am. And Manoah said hmm. Now now when your words come true what is the child's manner of life.

And what is his mission. And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine. Either let her drink wine or strong drink or eat anything unclean.

All that I've commanded her to observe. And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord well please let us detain you and prepare a young goat for you. And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah if you detain me I will not eat your food.

But if you prepare a burnt offering then offer to Yahweh. For Manoah did not know that it was the angel of the Lord. And so Manoah said to the angel Lord well what is your name. So that when your words come true we may honor you.

And the angel of the Lord said why do you ask my name. Seeing that it is wonderful kind of an evasive answer. Right. So Manoah took the young goat. Watch what happens here. Took the young goat the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord to the one who works wonders.

And Manoah and his wife were watching. And when the flame went up toward the heaven from the altar the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar. That had to be awesome to behold. Now watch what happened.

So Manoah and his wife were watching and then they immediately fell on their faces to the ground. Why. Because they knew that they were in the presence of God. The text says this. So the angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife.

And then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife watch this we shall surely die. For we have seen God. Now the woman's gonna speak some sense. He's clearly lost his mind here because the woman was paying attention to the fact that not only does God preach in words he also preaches in actions.

So watch this. She sees the gospel in the actions of the angel of the Lord. And here's what she says. His wife said to him if the Lord meant to kill us he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands.

Or shown us all of these things or now announced to us such things as these. So notice she correctly exegetes the actions and sees the gospel in it. And so the idea is this is that knowing that God is in our presence that's not necessarily good news.

And there's a reason for that. And each and every one of us were sinners. And we really kind of deep down fear and dread that idea of actually having to stand before God and give an accounting of our lives because we know what we've done and we know that we have fallen short.

And so the idea of being in God's presence doesn't actually provide us with comfort. It provides us with well the same kind of thing that Manoah had here a little bit of terror. But notice the woman she paid very close attention to the actions and knew that there was gospel in it and she comforted herself and her husband with the gospel actions of the angel of the Lord.

So let's go back then and take a look at what's going on in our text. So the disciples they're there in their little boat on the Sea of Galilee and the Creator himself is there among them and they are terrified much like Manoah they fear that they will surely die because they have seen God they are in his presence even though Christ has done something very gospelly for us.

So like I said it's not good news that Jesus is God. And the reason for this is because we are sinners. In fact it's our sin that has brought chaos to the earth. It is because of our sin that there are storms hurricanes tornadoes earthquakes tsunamis famine pestilence and blight.

All of these are the result of our sin. This is the undoing of the order of creation and harbingers of the impending chaos and doom caused by our sin. But let me remind us like Manoah's wife that if God in human flesh meant for our destruction and the destruction of the disciples for their sin then he would not have calmed the storm and made the sea glassy calm.

And there's the gospel it's right there in his actions. So the idea is this Jesus is not only God he is God for them and he has come to save them. And by doing this he's also shown that he's come to save us.

So he said to his disciples why are you so afraid. Do you still have no faith. Faith for what faith. That God doesn't mean you harm. That means you good. That he truly loves you that he forgives you. That he's come to save you because he cares that you are perishing.

He cared so much that they were perishing here and and let's see he cared that they were perishing and restored order and silence the chaos. And he's doing the same for you and for me. Jesus cares that you are perishing.

He cares so much that he is sprung into action and he's not sleeping. And he has demonstrated through his actions that he has great love for you. This is what Romans 5 says starting at verse 6. For while we were still weak at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

For one will scarcely die for even a righteous person though perhaps for a good person one would dare to die. But God shows or demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Well since therefore we have now been justified by his blood how much more shall we be saved from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. Well much more now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his life.

More than that we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation. So the idea is this the gospel is there in Jesus's actions and it points us to the cross.

There is God among human beings in the midst of the chaos created by our sin collectively. And they asked the question and it's a good question. Do you not care that we are perishing. And Jesus's answer is I care deeply that you are perishing so much so that I'm going to calm the sea and he's going to ultimately calm the chaos of that stormy sea which really truly represents the wages of our sin by going to the cross and bleeding and dying for our sins taking God's punishment that we have all earned upon himself in order to make things right.

The Sea of Glass in Revelation and the New Creation

And now I think it's significant then also little detail in the book of Revelation. Remember the book revelations the back of the back of the Bible. It's the last book. There's a vision of heaven there.

And there's a little detail and it's not a throwaway detail. And it harkens even to this miracle. And it harkens in a way to comfort us with the gospel that we've seen today. Here's what it says. Revelation chapter 4.

I'll start at verse 1 after this this is the Apostle John. I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard speaking to me like a trumpet said come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.

And at once I was in the spirit. And behold a throne stood in heaven with one seated on the throne and he who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and Cornelian. And around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.

And around the throne were 24 thrones and seated on the thrones were 24 elders clothed in white garments with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning rumblings and peals of thunder.

And before the throne were burning seven torches of fire which are the seven spirits of God. And here it is. And before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass like crystal. Right before the throne of Christ is a sea of glass.

It's the epitome of the opposite of chaos. You remember in the book of Genesis it says. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was out without form and void and darkness was over the the face of the to home over the face of the deep.

It says in Genesis 1 will it. To home in a sense is really represents truly chaos. And this is the way the Hebrews have always understood to home. To home is chaos. To home is the deep. This is where Leviathan is.

This is chaos out of control. It's the opposite of order. And there before the throne of Christ is not chaos but the calm glassy sea that we see figured even in our miracle. Today it's a sign to us that God is calming the chaos.

He cares that we are perishing and he's making a new heavens and a new earth. It is all gospel promise and it's all delivered to you through the preaching of the gospel received in the waters of your baptism.

God is calming the chaos and taking this world which is wearing out taking you and your body which is wearing out. And ultimately he's gonna raise you from the grave. He's gonna end the chaos definitively and restore true order in the creation.

New heavens new earth. And all of those critters that have gone extinct will be brought back and it'll be paradise forever. All because of what Christ has done. And all of this because he does care that you and I are perishing so much so that he loved us and died for us.

Because truly it's not this life that we have to worry about or this death that faces us right now that we have to worry about. It's the second death that he's truly saving us from. Think about that in the name of Jesus.

Amen. If you would like to support the teaching ministry of comes from your Lutheran Church you can do so by sending a tax-free donation to comes very Lutheran Church 15950 470th Avenue Northwest Oslo Minnesota 56744.

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