Peace Be Still!

"Peace be still." That's exactly what Jesus told the waves as they rocked the boat containing himself and the disciples as they crossed the river in Mark 4:35-41. He rebuked the wind and told the waves to be quiet and be still. Right before this, the disciples woke him from a much needed rest. They became frightened by the whipping wind and the waves that crashed into the boat and over its sides. They were probably wondering how in the world could Jesus be sleeping through a storm like this. They probably thought here he is sleeping and we're about to die. The question is if Jesus was sleeping peacefully at this time, why weren't they? So, they woke him and said, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" This is the question that they asked the the very one whom they witnessed teaching and healing with such authority that everyone took notice. Jesus was preparing the disciples to be fishers of men. He was training them to do what he did. He was teaching them to have the very same authority that he did. When Jesus went to the synagogue to teach, the people were amazed at his teaching because he taught with such authority, not like the teachers of the law. His disciples witnessed the sick making their way to Jesus at all costs. They were there in Mark chapter 2 when some friends of a paralyzed man could not make their way through a huge crowd so they cut a hole in the roof and lowered him through the hole to get his healing. They witnessed such faith acts as these and still allowed the fear of the storm to get the best of them. Here they were on the boat with the redeemer of all mankind and they were consumed with fear. The disciples had a limited view of Jesus. They knew him as a teacher and a healer, because that's what they saw him do. They only believed what they could see. They had no faith. They were walking by sight. That's why Jesus responded to them by saying, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? He was essentially saying, "Do you not know who I am?" "I thought you knew!" After Jesus rebuked them, they said, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" The very ones who had traveled with him day after day and didn't know who he was. Since they didn't know who he was, how could they possibly have faith in him? Since they didn't know who he was, they couldn't have peace in him. Peace would have come from knowing who he was and trusting that he controlled the situation. They called him, "teacher." They saw him as one who instructs. They didn't see him as saviour, one who could save them from death. To take this even further, because they didn't know who Jesus was, they didn't know who they were in Jesus. Because, they didn't know his full authority, they didn't know their own. Here they were appointed by Jesus to go out into the world to do what he was doing. Any one of them could have stood up and rebuked the waves, but they didn't. Mark 3:14 states, "He appointed twelve-designating them apostles-that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons." They chose to allow this situation to almost over take them, because of their limited view. The disciples were waiting for Jesus to do something for them that they could have done for themselves. This is a wake up call to Christians. You must get a revelation of Jesus. Once you get that revelation, you must get a revelation of who you are in him. For as Jesus was in this world so are we. Today, ask the Lord to give you a revelation of who he is.