Do You Know the Man – Part 2
40. And 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 each other, “What manner of Man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Mark 4:40-41
The Big Question
We have looked at the four questions in this text and have compared the Disciples’ dilemma with our own struggles. The first question was asked by the Disciples when it appeared that their lives were threatened. They asked, “Master, do you care that we perish?” While this question certainly appeared to be disrespectful of Jesus, it also demonstrated their lack of understanding to know how much Jesus cared. They were not knowledgeable of His deep love that had sent Him to this earth to implement God’s Redemption Plan. They certainly did not consider that, out of all the likely candidates Jesus could have called, He called them. They did not remember all His miracles and outpouring of God’s power. All they could see was the immediate crisis and because their lives were threatened, they assumed that Jesus did not care. After all, He was sleeping (or so they thought – but God never sleeps). Their question demonstrated their lack of knowledge of who was on-board with them. Had they realized Who He was, they would have testified that “He is a Rock in a weary land” and “a Shelter in the time of storm.”
This prompted the second question was asked by Jesus; “why are you so fearful?” While we acknowledge there is healthy fear, we must admit that we take fear to the extreme. We allow fear to tell us: “we never have enough,” “everything is a threat,” and “we are not going to make it.” Fear not only pains us, it paralyzes us, and prevents us from moving on to other things that God has in store. As discussed earlier, we advised everyone to conduct a fear inventory or fear assessment. 1) List the fear. 2) Document the impact of fear over your life. 3) Then list the Scriptures that you can apply to every fear that is tormenting you. You can be certain that if you don’t acknowledge your fear you will never conquer it. You can also be certain that if you don’t know your fears, the devil will use your fear to destroy you. The worst outcome of fear is that it will keep you from trusting God. So the question is – Do you know the Man or have you allowed fear to dim your view of Jesus?
Jesus asked them another question, “How is it that you have no faith?” The Disciples did not answer Jesus. Why? I believe that fear had hijacked their faith and they could not respond. Jesus was demanding something of them. He wanted an answer from them as to what happened to your faith. If you and I are honest, we will ask ourselves, where did I put my faith? Did we hide it? Did we apply our faith in the wrong thing? Did we simply not use faith? This points to the fact that faith produces real results. While it may look like it is confidence in something that is non-existent, that could not be further from the truth. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17. Jesus also said in Mark 11:22, Have faith in God. That is very specific. So when He asked them the big question, there were to respond, “here it is.” They could not respond because they, like us, had their eyes on their fear rather than their faith. This in-turn brings us to the big question, did they know who was on-board with them?
You will never know Until you ask someone that does know.
At least the Disciples were honest. They spoke what was really going on in their hearts. And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “What manner of Man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” The fact that they verbalized this to each other demonstrates that they were all on the same page and experiencing the same issue. There is actually hope in their question because they are now recognizing that Jesus is unlike any other Man. They recognize that whoever this Man is, He has power to calm the wind and the sea. Whoever this Man is, He is unique in speaking a powerful Word. They admit that they don’t know Him, but they also know that Jesus is not just some ordinary Man. Sadly, there are people who are curious about Jesus, but not to the point that they recognize His awesome power. Sadly, some want to show that He was just a man. That is not true. If you get Jesus’ identity wrong, there is no way you can rely on Him for Salvation. If Jesus was not born of a virgin and born without sin, He cannot be the Man you need. If Jesus was not the fulfillment of prophecy, then He cannot be the Man you seek. If Jesus did not perform miracles to validate and demonstrate His deity, then He cannot be the Man that can save your soul. He must be the Son of God; if He is anyone else, then He is not the Man that can redeem the world. So the Disciples were honest. The Disciples, although fearful, also recognize that they were witnessing something that was Divine and Powerful. They were beholding the Man.
Some people think they know Jesus but they are basing their knowledge on limited sources. Rather than being access points to knowing Jesus, these can and will become barriers. In the end, many will find out that they don’t really know Jesus as they should.
The first is the experience barrier. This happens when people have a crisis and they find they need God. God rescues them from that crisis and of course they thank God for their deliverance. Rather than seeking to learn more about God, the experience folk limit God to that event or others. The truth is, if you only know God based on how He delivered you from trouble, then you really don’t know God. The Children of Israel did not seek God even after He delivered them from Egypt. Consequently, many of them were destroyed in the wilderness for their rebellion against God.
The second barrier is opinions about God. This barrier is not only limited, it is dangerous. This belief in God is based on thoughts or emotions that are used to validate God. The Bible says, trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean to your own understanding … in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6. Yet I have heard people say many times, I don’t feel this is right or I have a gut feeling. Rather than studying and searching for the truth about God, they rely on their own imaginations. Imagination is not the pathway to truth. Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for them that love Him … but God has revealed them by His Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. If you think you know God through feelings and opinions, then you really don’t know God.
Barrier number three is kinfolk religion. Many of the Jews assumed their relationship with God based on being Abraham’s descendants. Many today assume the same thing; they claim God based on what their Grandmother or Grandfather believed. The last time I check, there is only One who can get you into Heaven, and it was not a relative. In John 14:6, Jesus proclaimed, “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me. Kinfolk can give their testimony and even pray for you but they cannot save you. Every soul must place their trust in Christ in order to be saved.
The fourth barrier to really knowing Christ in a real and personal way is the hearsay barrier. Going on someone else’s word instead of God’s Word. Some people get their knowledge of God from Facebook, devotions, or some other form of information other than the Bible. While these sources can and are very inspirational and helpful, you must have a personal experience with God before you can really get anything out of these resources. Even my sermons are only helpful if you direct your attention to God and allow Him to speak to you personally. At one point in our Lord’s Ministry, He asked His Disciples “who do men say that I Am?” They came up with a list of Names and Titles that the masses had labeled Jesus. Then He asked a follow-up question, “Who do you say that I Am?” Peter responded, “You are The Christ, The Son of the Living God.” Jesus not only affirmed Peter’s answer, but also identified the source of the revelation. Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father which is in Heaven. Matthew 16:17.
So the Disciples’ question, What manner of Man is this, is really an important question for every person. You cannot go on hearsay. You cannot rely on kinfolk religion nor on your own experience. Everyone must ask that question and find the correct answer. So my inquiry is simple: do you know the Man? Let me forewarn you that the answer is not in you.
You must wait for God Almighty to reveal to you the correct answer. How does that work? It first begins with an honest and earnest prayer, “Lord Who are You?” God will answer the prayer of those who seek Him.
Then you must be willing to follow God rather than walking your own path in life. Many do not discover God because they are walking their own way. Nothing is familiar because their journey has not been established by God. I look at it this way, you have three options to live your life. You can live life your way and live by your own rules. At the end of life you will have no one to answer to but yourself even when you find out your way was wrong. You have another option of living your life based on other people controlling you. That option leads to bondage and much unhappiness. The third option is to follow Jesus. Notice I said, to follow Jesus voluntarily. In following Jesus, your life is transformed. He walks with you and talks you through the challenges. You will grow to love Him and love others. You will discover the Power of the Holy Spirit as your Guide, Comforter, and Strength. Then when your life has come to an end, you will be able to say, “I know the Man.”