WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.200 We live in a world where fear and terror are talked about often and where circumstances require it. 00:00:12.200 --> 00:00:19.160 ! So in Ealing we're pretty far removed from fear-inducing acts of terror. 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:24.320 ! But there are many people in our world that live with a fear that we don't understand. 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:30.500 And yet even here in glorious suburbia in Ealing, some people fear. 00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:36.500 Some people fear an uncertain future. Some people fear their secret being discovered. 00:00:36.500 --> 00:00:43.340 Some may fear a bullying colleague or a boss. You're either an abusive partner or friend. 00:00:43.340 --> 00:00:48.159 Some may fear having to live with choices they know they regret. 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:54.879 Some may fear ill health or death or the dark days that come with mental illness. 00:00:54.879 --> 00:01:00.839 Some may fear the end of a fragile relationship or the continuation of a fragile relationship. 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:05.819 Some may fear financial losses. Some may fear loneliness. 00:01:07.179 --> 00:01:13.120 Perhaps you're one of the lucky ones who's here this afternoon and you've got such thoughts running through your head or weighing down your heart. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:16.079 Perhaps this particular Tuesday you feel fearless. 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:20.000 And if that is so, well that is God's gracious blessing. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:22.100 But it may not always be so. 00:01:23.160 --> 00:01:28.000 Because there's much fear in many hearts and there are many possibilities of fear in this broken world. 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:31.100 And we don't know what tomorrow will bring, do we? 00:01:31.240 --> 00:01:32.500 We don't know what this afternoon will bring. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:36.439 And as we're done in mind, I want to reflect on these two stories. 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:39.480 Two back-to-back stories of fearful people. 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:43.300 And they show you what Jesus can do with your fear. 00:01:44.340 --> 00:01:47.640 But they also introduce us to a surprising fear that we may not have thought much about. 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:51.620 And I want to start by looking at the story of Jesus and the storm. 00:01:52.700 --> 00:01:56.060 Mark, the Gospel writer, was not an eyewitness of these events. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:57.600 He wasn't there. 00:01:58.520 --> 00:02:05.680 But there's lots of evidence in the story that he tells that he received the information from an eyewitness. 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:09.400 Almost certainly one of the disciples who was with Jesus on the boat. 00:02:09.760 --> 00:02:13.620 And the story is told from the perspective of Jesus' disciples. 00:02:14.980 --> 00:02:18.540 And the text leaves us in no doubt that they were very afraid. 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:21.319 It was the end of a long day crossing the lake. 00:02:21.780 --> 00:02:24.319 They crossed the lake in a boat from one side to go to the other. 00:02:24.600 --> 00:02:25.560 And they were very tired. 00:02:25.719 --> 00:02:28.280 Jesus fell asleep in the steering of the boat. 00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:30.659 And that's where the storm hit. 00:02:32.219 --> 00:02:35.819 And on the water, it is a very scary place to be in a big storm. 00:02:35.900 --> 00:02:36.960 And this is a furious one. 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:39.680 Waves are crashing over the boat. 00:02:39.819 --> 00:02:41.259 It seems as if they might sink. 00:02:42.259 --> 00:02:45.500 And understandably, the disciples feared for their lives. 00:02:46.699 --> 00:02:50.740 But instinctively, one or some of them knew that Jesus would help. 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:52.240 The only problem was he was asleep. 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:54.280 Seemingly oblivious. 00:02:54.460 --> 00:02:55.360 Seemingly exhausted. 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:55.920 Seemingly. 00:02:56.520 --> 00:02:57.600 So indignantly. 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:00.460 Let's try and get that out. 00:03:00.920 --> 00:03:01.400 Indignantly. 00:03:02.040 --> 00:03:03.160 The disciples wake him up. 00:03:04.100 --> 00:03:06.220 And their question is there in verse 38. 00:03:08.140 --> 00:03:12.060 Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? 00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:16.300 It is a remarkable question. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:18.980 And an ironic question. 00:03:20.320 --> 00:03:23.260 From Jesus' perspective, the disciples were perishing, weren't they? 00:03:23.260 --> 00:03:24.800 Long before the storm blew up. 00:03:26.220 --> 00:03:29.320 And the whole reason Jesus had come was to rescue them. 00:03:30.260 --> 00:03:35.200 The whole reason why Jesus had come to this earth was because he cared deeply about perishing people. 00:03:36.460 --> 00:03:38.140 People staring down the barrel of death. 00:03:39.140 --> 00:03:40.960 Not just the child disciples, but all of us. 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:46.060 And it's an understandably instinctive question, of course. 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:49.219 But it is nonetheless very insulting to Jesus, isn't it? 00:03:50.980 --> 00:03:52.540 The question, do you care? 00:03:52.539 --> 00:03:56.739 Jesus has demonstrated time and time again, is compassionate. 00:03:57.859 --> 00:03:59.079 Love, time and time again. 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:02.780 And Mark has no record, does he, of Jesus even answering the question. 00:04:02.780 --> 00:04:05.000 Jesus doesn't answer the question. 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:08.280 And instead, Jesus responds by acting. 00:04:09.539 --> 00:04:12.520 And this encounter with Jesus, it gets more bizarre by the second. 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:17.660 He stands up and instead of talking to the disciples, he talks to the wind. 00:04:17.660 --> 00:04:19.760 And he talks to the waves. 00:04:20.900 --> 00:04:25.420 And astonishingly, they, inanimate creation, seems to listen. 00:04:26.420 --> 00:04:31.040 Just by speaking, Jesus overcomes the powerful forces of nature. 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:34.420 And it seems to be, doesn't it, absolutely effortless. 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:35.360 He awoke. 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:39.460 And rebuked the wind and said to the sea, peace be still. 00:04:40.300 --> 00:04:40.980 The wind ceased. 00:04:41.340 --> 00:04:41.879 It was very calm. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:47.000 While the disciples have been fearing for their lives, Jesus calmly sleeps in the boat. 00:04:48.020 --> 00:04:52.100 And now, as it were, Jesus' calmness is transferred to the lake. 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:58.220 His tranquility is now matched by the tranquility of the wind and the waves. 00:04:58.220 --> 00:05:07.040 And in this remarkable moment, Jesus demonstrates for us that he is not subservient to the forces of nature as we are. 00:05:07.100 --> 00:05:08.080 Instead, he commands them. 00:05:09.220 --> 00:05:14.140 And any good Jew would have known in Jesus' day, that is the sort of thing that only God can do. 00:05:15.400 --> 00:05:16.160 It was magic. 00:05:16.280 --> 00:05:16.860 It wasn't coincidence. 00:05:17.160 --> 00:05:18.200 It was the power of God. 00:05:19.460 --> 00:05:22.620 And it was the power of God bent towards people's needs. 00:05:24.340 --> 00:05:28.100 And in that stunning moment, as Jesus spoke to the storm, the disciples slides. 00:05:28.220 --> 00:05:28.600 And saved. 00:05:29.080 --> 00:05:32.120 And no doubt the lives of the people in the other boats that were around them as well. 00:05:32.940 --> 00:05:34.520 It is power beyond description. 00:05:34.700 --> 00:05:35.820 And yet it's mercy and love. 00:05:37.200 --> 00:05:39.140 And it's only after Jesus acts that he speaks. 00:05:39.260 --> 00:05:41.800 And so having rebuked the wind, verse 40, he rebukes them. 00:05:43.220 --> 00:05:45.180 And he says to them, why are you so afraid? 00:05:46.640 --> 00:05:47.580 Have you still no faith? 00:05:49.180 --> 00:05:50.820 Now, of course, Jesus knew that they were afraid. 00:05:50.819 --> 00:05:55.659 The storm is legitimately verified. 00:05:55.659 --> 00:06:00.920 But he's trying to get them, isn't he, to tease out what do they know about him. 00:06:01.740 --> 00:06:03.480 Because this isn't Jesus' first miracle. 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:06.339 And no, they've already seen him do many astounding things. 00:06:07.379 --> 00:06:11.319 They've witnessed his unique blend of compassion and power many times before. 00:06:11.319 --> 00:06:12.399 They've seen enough already. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:14.540 To entrust him. 00:06:15.699 --> 00:06:19.000 To trust him in those moments rather than question him or accuse him of not caring. 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:21.560 And he longs that they trust him more. 00:06:21.620 --> 00:06:22.459 That's what faith is. 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:25.079 Faith is not hoping against hope. 00:06:26.180 --> 00:06:29.180 It's not blindly following someone despite the evidence. 00:06:29.699 --> 00:06:34.500 Instead, faith is trusting someone based on the evidence. 00:06:34.500 --> 00:06:40.079 And Jesus is reminding them, you've already been given lots of reasons for faith. 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:46.500 So once again, Mark has no record of the disciples engaging with Jesus' question. 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:48.439 No one answers questions in Mark 4 and 5. 00:06:49.860 --> 00:06:51.800 Instead, he just tells us how they felt. 00:06:53.019 --> 00:06:56.160 And what they said to each other, and this makes two perfect sentences, verse 41. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:58.420 And they were filled with great fear. 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:02.720 And said to one another, who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:04.760 They were filled with great fear. 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:06.160 It's really interesting, isn't it? 00:07:07.400 --> 00:07:14.560 Normally when someone is scared of something, and then that danger is removed, they're no longer afraid. 00:07:15.760 --> 00:07:17.340 But the opposite has happened here. 00:07:18.860 --> 00:07:22.480 That which the disciples feared, the storm, has been removed. 00:07:22.840 --> 00:07:24.620 But they're now more afraid than they were before. 00:07:26.200 --> 00:07:28.960 The first fear is given way to a new fear. 00:07:30.260 --> 00:07:32.000 And I don't think there's any other way of reading it. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.259 They were now afraid of Jesus. 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:43.920 And when you think about it, they've realised that they were in the presence of someone much more powerful than the storm which scared them a few moments earlier. 00:07:45.399 --> 00:07:47.540 If Jesus has done this, what can't he do? 00:07:47.540 --> 00:07:55.260 If the power of the wind and the waves was terrifying, how much more terrifying is someone who can command the forces of the wind and the waves? 00:07:56.960 --> 00:08:03.560 And I guess the question in verse 41 is the question that Mark is suggesting that you and I should be asking too. 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:05.579 Who is this? 00:08:07.500 --> 00:08:12.439 And with that question ringing in our ears, Mark moves on immediately to tell us when they got to the other side of the lake. 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:13.939 Verse chapter 5. 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:15.160 They arrive in a community. 00:08:16.540 --> 00:08:20.920 They arrive in a community that's been traumatised by a man full of evil spirits. 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:25.140 That is something very strange to our ears. 00:08:26.140 --> 00:08:28.520 I don't think it's so strange in other parts of the world. 00:08:31.340 --> 00:08:34.700 Even today, there's parts of the world where I don't think it's uncommon. 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:39.440 It's certainly not uncommon in the time of Jesus. 00:08:40.780 --> 00:08:45.560 He's already told us of three other encounters with evil spirits. 00:08:47.060 --> 00:08:54.000 But what is striking is that this whole community is held hostage by this poor oppressed man. 00:08:55.400 --> 00:08:56.220 And they've tried everything. 00:08:56.400 --> 00:08:57.620 They've isolated him. 00:08:57.720 --> 00:08:58.920 I told you he lived in a local graveyard. 00:08:59.620 --> 00:09:00.840 They've tried chaining him up. 00:09:01.140 --> 00:09:02.580 But he kept breaking the chains. 00:09:02.580 --> 00:09:07.280 And so his cries formed the backdrop to their existence. 00:09:08.660 --> 00:09:10.980 Listen to the very tragic note in verse 5. 00:09:11.100 --> 00:09:16.500 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 00:09:18.360 --> 00:09:22.180 Every human attempt to restrain him or to contain him it fails. 00:09:22.820 --> 00:09:25.920 Certainly no one had a clue how to relieve this man's suffering. 00:09:26.520 --> 00:09:30.860 And Mark tells us, doesn't he, verse 4, can you see that right at the end? 00:09:30.860 --> 00:09:35.080 It says, no one had the strength to subdue him. 00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:40.240 No one had the strength to subdue him. 00:09:40.419 --> 00:09:40.680 Really? 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:47.100 Given what we've just seen in Mark 4, that's overstating the case of it, isn't it? 00:09:47.100 --> 00:09:52.379 And I would want to suggest this is part of the genius of Mark as a storyteller. 00:09:53.680 --> 00:09:57.200 Because it's into this situation that Jesus suddenly walks onto the stage. 00:09:58.060 --> 00:10:02.040 And this encounter with Jesus, well I think it's even more bizarre than the end of Mark 4. 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:07.759 The first thing we're told is that the man with the evil spirit runs to Jesus as soon as he saw him. 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:10.919 And Jesus commands the evil spirit to come out of the man. 00:10:11.259 --> 00:10:15.159 And he responds by shouting at the top of his voice. 00:10:15.620 --> 00:10:16.620 Can you see it in verse 7? 00:10:17.779 --> 00:10:20.679 What do you have to do with me, Jesus, son of the most high God? 00:10:20.779 --> 00:10:23.720 I adjure you by God, do not torment me. 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:26.220 He's basically saying, why have you come to me? 00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:27.879 Promise you won't hurt me. 00:10:29.939 --> 00:10:30.759 Notice a couple of things. 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:33.399 He recognises Jesus' authority instantly. 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:35.159 He knows him. 00:10:35.220 --> 00:10:36.779 He says, you are the son of the most high God. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:38.740 And he's afraid. 00:10:40.299 --> 00:10:43.039 And so Jesus engages in the conversation. 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:48.600 And it's such an interesting story that we're never quite sure who Jesus is talking to. 00:10:48.659 --> 00:10:50.860 Is he talking to he or they? 00:10:51.319 --> 00:10:55.879 Is he talking to the man or to the evil spirit or to the multiple demons at the same time? 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:58.840 And so you can see that in verses 9 and 10. 00:10:59.460 --> 00:11:02.579 There's a mingling of singular and plural pronouns. 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:07.439 So this man's body has been occupied by many evil spirits. 00:11:07.939 --> 00:11:09.299 And that's why he calls himself Legion. 00:11:09.419 --> 00:11:11.480 A legion in the Roman army was 5,000 soldiers. 00:11:13.199 --> 00:11:16.759 And in any event, the evil spirits, they know the game is up. 00:11:17.939 --> 00:11:24.919 So they strangely plead for some kind of mercy by asking Jesus to send them into the nearby pigs. 00:11:25.199 --> 00:11:26.740 And Jesus allows that request. 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:32.019 The demons enter the herd of pigs who run down the hill and they plummet into the lake where they drown. 00:11:32.019 --> 00:11:33.319 It is weird. 00:11:35.699 --> 00:11:38.699 And I don't think anybody knows why it happened this way. 00:11:38.779 --> 00:11:41.059 They'll commonly spend endless amounts of time on it. 00:11:42.919 --> 00:11:46.159 Maybe it was a highly visible departure of the spirits. 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:50.740 That was what was necessary for the bystander to be convinced that all was well now. 00:11:50.740 --> 00:11:57.379 Maybe it was done to demonstrate how many demons there had been torturing this man. 00:11:57.379 --> 00:12:02.039 Maybe it was something about the way that demons work. 00:12:02.419 --> 00:12:06.939 That means this was the only way to protect others from a similar fate happening to them. 00:12:07.740 --> 00:12:08.220 I don't know. 00:12:08.220 --> 00:12:16.139 But what we should take from this is, there's no doubt, is it, that the demons are subject to the authority of Jesus. 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:19.340 And that's not exactly what we're told. 00:12:19.980 --> 00:12:21.840 So remember chapter 4 with the forces of nature. 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:24.940 Jesus is not subservient to the forces of evil. 00:12:25.340 --> 00:12:26.480 But he is in command of them. 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:30.240 And do you notice how effortless it is for Jesus? 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:37.759 It's not Jesus like Harry Potter standing with a wand, furiously waving around, hoping that his spell is stronger than the other's spell. 00:12:39.259 --> 00:12:47.539 Nor does Jesus walk away from this episode like Frodo walks away at the end of the Lord of the Rings, battle scarred and indelibly marked. 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:50.360 No, Jesus simply speaks and evil flees. 00:12:52.220 --> 00:12:54.259 He's utterly unharmed by the encounter. 00:12:54.379 --> 00:12:55.360 He doesn't raise a sweat. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:59.620 He has an authority in these moments that is almost impossible to describe. 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:02.379 And do you remember what Mark had said in verse 5? 00:13:02.620 --> 00:13:05.480 No one had the strength to subdue him. 00:13:06.680 --> 00:13:07.060 Really? 00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:11.159 But it turns out, no one but Jesus. 00:13:12.860 --> 00:13:14.560 And Jesus was strong enough and then so. 00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:20.820 And the result is really, the same as the storm, it's over so quickly and it's quickly calm. 00:13:20.820 --> 00:13:28.140 And the tranquility of Jesus himself is now matched by the tranquility of the oppressed man. 00:13:28.220 --> 00:13:29.920 Look at chapter 5 and verse 15. 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:39.620 They came to Jesus and they saw the depressed man, saw the demon possessed man, the one who had the legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. 00:13:41.060 --> 00:13:44.460 But that isn't the only parallel between this and the story before. 00:13:45.680 --> 00:13:48.760 Jesus has come with power and completely transformed the situation. 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:55.659 There's a new peace, but not all the people react here just as the disciples did at the end of chapter 4. 00:13:55.720 --> 00:13:57.419 Look at verse 15 at the end. 00:14:01.419 --> 00:14:07.519 Verse 17, they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:11.259 And they are afraid. 00:14:12.220 --> 00:14:14.360 At the end of verse 15, they are afraid. 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:18.059 Their first fear of the man has been overcome with a new fear. 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:26.059 And they are in the presence of someone who had complete command over that which had terrorised them. 00:14:27.659 --> 00:14:29.279 But now they found a new fear. 00:14:31.139 --> 00:14:38.039 And in the face of this raw power, they are quivering in their sandals so much that they want Jesus to leave. 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:42.259 And that is the saddest thing in the whole story. 00:14:43.659 --> 00:14:46.240 Because Jesus granted their request and he left them. 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:55.440 And it reminds us, isn't it, that sometimes the worst possible thing is for the Lord to actually grant our prayers sometimes. 00:14:56.879 --> 00:15:01.799 Isn't it brilliant that God has not answered some of your prayers in the way that you wanted him to? 00:15:02.740 --> 00:15:08.019 I remember when I was 14 asking that I would marry a certain girl and I am very, very grateful the Lord said no to that. 00:15:08.019 --> 00:15:11.840 But actually it's got a really serious point, isn't it? 00:15:11.899 --> 00:15:15.860 That it's such a dangerous thing to tell Jesus to go away. 00:15:15.860 --> 00:15:24.259 It's such a dangerous thing to see the power of the gospel and say I don't want it because Jesus may give you what you want. 00:15:27.220 --> 00:15:29.860 The man wants to go with Jesus but Jesus wouldn't let him. 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:35.600 And Jesus tells him to stay behind and testify to his community of what he'd experienced. 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:43.120 And if the community didn't want Jesus, Jesus leaves this liberated man as a signpost to his power and compassion. 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:50.700 And I call this talk the terrifying Jesus because I think that is the key observation that links these two stories. 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:59.399 In both cases, at the start the people are afraid but their initial fear gives way to a greater fear at the end. 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:08.419 And I think the point Mark is making is that whilst fear is not all that we should feel about Jesus, 00:16:08.620 --> 00:16:13.539 there's something that's eminently sensible about responding to Jesus in this way. 00:16:15.699 --> 00:16:19.259 So let me conclude with three things that happen when people are fearful of Jesus. 00:16:21.459 --> 00:16:27.179 If somebody has become fearful of Jesus, it's a sure sign that they're seeing him for who he is. 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:41.159 Because if you fear him, it will mean that you've begun to grasp how powerful he really is and how effortless it is when he exercises his power and with what authority he can change things. 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:47.879 And so often people think of Jesus as a really lovely guy who's pretty harmless, the kind of guy who you can bring home to your mother. 00:16:48.379 --> 00:16:51.539 He says great things, he did great things, and of course he did. 00:16:51.740 --> 00:16:52.779 He was kind to people. 00:16:52.779 --> 00:16:59.100 They think of him as a great example who lived a life of love and taught others to love, and that's certainly true. 00:16:59.740 --> 00:17:07.879 But so many people fail to take notice that Jesus actually offended people, and he provoked people to anger, the kind of anger that led people to want to kill him. 00:17:09.299 --> 00:17:10.779 And he did things that were genuinely terrifying. 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:19.119 And I want to suggest to you that it's not until you find Jesus unsettling that you're really coming to terms with actually who he is. 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:25.039 And the fear of God is actually a very good indication that you're beginning to grasp who Jesus is. 00:17:26.879 --> 00:17:30.179 Secondly, what flows out of that is a growing appreciation of Jesus' power. 00:17:32.299 --> 00:17:41.539 Once you begin to see how effortlessly Jesus exercises his power, and how great is his power, then a whole world of possibility opens up to you. 00:17:41.539 --> 00:17:49.159 Paragraphs like this are not just meant to provoke us, they are meant to stimulate our imagination. 00:17:49.379 --> 00:17:51.059 Jesus can calm a storm. 00:17:52.379 --> 00:17:54.240 He can liberate a man from demons. 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:56.960 What can't he do? 00:17:58.579 --> 00:17:59.700 What can't he do? 00:18:00.980 --> 00:18:04.720 What other dangers might there be that Jesus can overcome? 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:11.620 And what other situations where humans have exhausted themselves, and Jesus offers an effortless solution? 00:18:12.860 --> 00:18:18.920 In the face of what other fears could Jesus draw alongside you with compassion and strength and change things like that? 00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:25.180 And of course, these questions, they're the very questions that Mark wants you to answer. 00:18:26.299 --> 00:18:29.720 He writes his gospel to stimulate us. 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:34.360 And moments like these point us forward to what will come later. 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:38.980 They lay a crucial foundation for our understanding of the death and resurrection of Jesus. 00:18:43.160 --> 00:18:48.779 Jesus is revealed here not to be subservient to the forces of nature, but he's in command of all things. 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:53.360 And so it's possible that he could even stare down the face of death. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:19:00.240 And Jesus is revealed here not to be subservient to the powers of evil. 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:02.679 But he's in command of them. 00:19:04.299 --> 00:19:09.199 And so it's possible, isn't it, that he could even take on his shoulders the sin of his people and vanquish them. 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:16.059 These verses stretch our imaginations in the direction of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. 00:19:17.219 --> 00:19:21.039 And they lead us to believe that the crucifixion wasn't just a mere crucifixion, 00:19:21.259 --> 00:19:23.179 like it was for the criminals on either side. 00:19:24.039 --> 00:19:28.159 There was something happening on that day that was not visible to human eye. 00:19:28.579 --> 00:19:32.939 There was something happening on that day when Christ laid down his life of cosmic proportion. 00:19:34.599 --> 00:19:36.079 Something that would change the world forever. 00:19:36.419 --> 00:19:39.579 And these verses help us to imagine that his death was not a defeat, 00:19:40.740 --> 00:19:42.199 but the moment of perfect victory. 00:19:43.139 --> 00:19:49.419 And the unlikely story that began to unfold that first Sunday after Jesus died could be true. 00:19:49.420 --> 00:19:53.320 That Jesus has the power to speak stillness to the storm. 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:56.360 And if you've got power to command a legion of evil spirits, 00:19:56.440 --> 00:19:58.340 and they do exactly what you tell them, 00:19:58.680 --> 00:20:01.759 then perhaps Jesus has got the power to overcome everything, 00:20:02.200 --> 00:20:03.360 even sin and death. 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:09.779 And so these narratives breathe life and truth and hope into your soul. 00:20:09.779 --> 00:20:15.220 And there's a third thing that happens when people are fearful of Jesus. 00:20:15.379 --> 00:20:17.200 They start to enjoy his peace. 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:23.759 Jesus teaches us that he can handle anything and everything. 00:20:24.779 --> 00:20:26.680 Jesus is teaching us here that he can be trusted. 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:30.080 And he teaches us that we find rest in him. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:34.379 And so our fear of him is transformed into peace. 00:20:34.619 --> 00:20:37.099 And that, these were the first two sermons I ever preached. 00:20:37.179 --> 00:20:40.379 I preached the first time on Mark 4, 35-41, 00:20:40.699 --> 00:20:42.240 and it lasted about 18 minutes. 00:20:42.500 --> 00:20:43.879 And by the end of it, it was awful. 00:20:44.139 --> 00:20:46.899 And then I preached equally badly on the start of chapter 5. 00:20:46.939 --> 00:20:49.220 And I've known these passages as long as I can remember. 00:20:50.899 --> 00:20:52.939 And I saw something in preparation this week 00:20:52.939 --> 00:20:55.259 that really caught my attention. 00:20:55.359 --> 00:20:58.919 That in the midst of the fright and the chaos and the conflict and the anxiety, 00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:02.700 there's loads of colour in these passages. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:06.960 But actually, Jesus fills the space of this narrative with a stunning calm. 00:21:08.500 --> 00:21:09.259 I don't know whether you saw that. 00:21:09.480 --> 00:21:11.120 There's a storm raging, but he's asleep. 00:21:12.380 --> 00:21:13.940 They wake him up in a flap. 00:21:14.820 --> 00:21:15.480 But he does nothing. 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:18.340 He stands up and he speaks. 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:19.600 And the storm is stilled. 00:21:20.580 --> 00:21:22.120 And on the other side, he gets off the boat 00:21:22.120 --> 00:21:24.440 and there's an army of demons. 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:26.380 And Jesus simply speaks to them. 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:28.519 And casts evil aside. 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:30.359 So the man who is tormented 00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:34.740 is seen sitting, closed, and in his right mind. 00:21:37.059 --> 00:21:39.619 He speaks and moves with perfect tranquility. 00:21:39.819 --> 00:21:42.980 And you see that peace kind of overflow out of him 00:21:42.980 --> 00:21:44.779 into the lives of everyone he touches. 00:21:45.619 --> 00:21:48.559 There is a calm that accompanies Jesus. 00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:51.079 And that's no less true today. 00:21:51.079 --> 00:21:56.480 And so these verses function as an invitation to you and I 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.539 that you would not just see Jesus as he is. 00:21:59.899 --> 00:22:03.980 You would not just believe that Jesus can overcome anything and everything. 00:22:03.980 --> 00:22:07.160 But you'd come to him and trust him 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:09.680 and enjoy his peace. 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:14.640 And that tooth thrusts us forward, doesn't it, 00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:16.980 to the end of Mark's Gospel, to the crucifixion, 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:19.819 where you see this purposeful resolve 00:22:19.819 --> 00:22:23.359 resolve of Jesus to win peace for sinners. 00:22:24.859 --> 00:22:28.399 And Jesus' resurrection opens up the possibility of you and I 00:22:28.399 --> 00:22:30.039 receiving that peace from him. 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:33.579 Even now is he still alive today. 00:22:33.579 --> 00:22:37.079 And so any who come to him 00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:38.740 recognising their need of forgiveness 00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:40.599 and their need to be liberated from evil 00:22:40.599 --> 00:22:41.919 and their need of his power 00:22:41.919 --> 00:22:46.000 and they will find that Jesus is only too glad. 00:22:46.099 --> 00:22:49.159 In fact, he is delighted to give them his peace. 00:22:51.319 --> 00:22:52.619 And my prayer will be that 00:22:52.619 --> 00:22:54.939 that will be your experience today as it is mine. 00:22:56.500 --> 00:22:58.279 He awoke and he rebuked the wind 00:22:58.279 --> 00:22:59.639 and he said to the sea, 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:01.619 Peace, be still. 00:23:01.619 --> 00:23:05.919 And they came to Jesus 00:23:05.919 --> 00:23:07.319 and saw the demon-possessed man, 00:23:07.399 --> 00:23:09.159 the one who had the legion sitting there, 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:13.659 closed and in his right mind. 00:23:14.879 --> 00:23:15.899 And they were afraid.