The Stilling of the Tempest

In this part of the sermon: This section details the events leading up to the storm, emphasizing Jesus' physical and mental exhaustion after a full day of ministry. He initiates the journey across the Sea of…

Martin organizes the narrative of the tempest into four 'movements' like a symphony (prelude, crisis, stilling, results) to help listeners conceptualize the flow and drama of the story.

The narrative of a furious tempest stilled, and then we'll consider together the lessons of a furious tempest. First of all, then, the narrative of a furious tempest stilled. And as I cast about in my mind how to organize the material, it became clear to me that there are basically four units of thought in the paragraph as far as the narrative itself is concerned. And I would like you to think of these four units of thought in terms of the four major movements in a great work of music, a symphony with four movements. The first movement we'll call the prelude, or the prelude, whichever pronunci...

6:34 - 7:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the events leading up to the storm, emphasizing Jesus' physical and mental exhaustion after a full day of ministry. He initiates the journey across the Sea of…

Martin uses the example of a public speaker ministering to large crowds without amplification to illustrate the immense physical, emotional, and mental drain Jesus experienced, explaining His deep weariness.

crowds without any human amplification just the sheer expenditure of physical energy in constantly sustaining the voice is enough to exhaust the man but you add to that that which only a public speaker knows who ministers to men's eyeballs the larger the crowd the greater the crowd that one seeks to hold with his own mind as he speaks to them, the more there is a tremendous drain upon all of the faculties, not only the physical faculties, but the emotional and the mental faculties. And apparently, for several hours, our Lord had been engaged in that arduous task of ministering to the vast mult...

8:50 - 10:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the events leading up to the storm, emphasizing Jesus' physical and mental exhaustion after a full day of ministry. He initiates the journey across the Sea of…

He compares the Lord Jesus' lack of privacy, even on the sea, to a harassed businessman seeking release on a yacht, highlighting that Jesus didn't even have that luxury due to the persistent crowds.

And there were other boats that were with him. Their attachment was not to his disciples, but to him. And the attachment was so intense, that they would not allow our Lord the luxury of a little privacy, even out in the ocean. Now many businessmen, who are harassed with tremendous pressures, find that the only place they can get any release from that, is when they're out on their yacht, in the middle of nowhere.

14:37 - 15:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the sudden and violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, explaining its geographical causes. He vividly portrays the disciples' terror as their boat fills with water…

Martin quotes a writer describing the unique geography of the Sea of Galilee (deep hollow, steep hills, temperature differences) to explain why sudden, violent storms are common there, providing context for the passage.

Mark says that there arises a great storm of wind and the waves beat into the boat. Literally, the waves were, as it were, attacking the boat and were beginning to fill it. Now this matter of such a sudden tempestuous storm upon the Sea of Galilee was not an unusual thing. And let me give you a little bit of palisades.

17:42 - 18:09 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Even He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. Now this word for cushion is difficult to translate. It's a word that has, in one of the parts of it, the same word that we use in the Greek for head.

He shares an eyewitness account of a Galilee storm, describing the lake transforming from 'calm as glass' to 'white with foam' and 'columns of spray,' to vividly portray the intensity of the storm Jesus and the disciples faced.

They come sweeping down the ravines upon the water. Those ravines almost form like it were a funnel for nature, down which nature pours its fury. They come sweeping down the ravines upon the water, and in a moment the lake, calm as glass before, becomes from end to end white with foam, while the waves rise into the air in columns of spray. Now that's the testimony of an eyewitness who saw one of these storms.

19:46 - 20:18 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Even He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. Now this word for cushion is difficult to translate. It's a word that has, in one of the parts of it, the same word that we use in the Greek for head.

He describes the disciples' frantic bailing efforts, imagining 'for every bucket out, two more come in,' to convey the futility of their human efforts against the overwhelming storm.

And they had a very clear understanding at what point a ship can no longer hold water without capsizing. And they begin to see the level rising and whatever they would use to bail it out. One can only imagine in his mind the fury of activity as they tried to bail. And for every bucket out, two more come in.

21:03 - 21:22 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Even He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. Now this word for cushion is difficult to translate. It's a word that has, in one of the parts of it, the same word that we use in the Greek for head.

Martin challenges a musician to simultaneously portray the tempestuous storm and Jesus' deep slumber, highlighting the impossible juxtaposition and vivid contrast Mark presents in the narrative.

And Luke makes it very plain in his account that before the storm came, in all of its fury, the Lord Jesus was asleep. And that sleep was so deep that He was, as we often say, well, the guy was sleeping like he was drugged, like he were dead. And this is precisely the kind of sleep in which our Lord was held at that time. Now, would you like to be a musician attempting to put this second movement to music?

23:06 - 23:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the disciples awakening Jesus with a rebuke, questioning His care. Jesus, fully awake, then rebukes the wind and commands the sea to be silent and muzzled…

He uses the common experience of someone being partially awake from a deep sleep and then becoming 'fully awake' to explain the nuance of Mark's description of Jesus' awakening, emphasizing the depth of His sleep.

You see the detail that Mark gives us. You've seen people. They've been in one of those deep, deep slumbers. You get them partially awake, and they come staggering out of the room.

28:00 - 28:10 Read in full sermon

The point: When you and I are in bone weariness, we need not think our God cannot identify with our creaturely weakness, for Jesus experienced it.

Martin recounts a personal story of being a 12-year-old boy on a sailboat during a hurricane on Long Island, unable to sleep due to fear, to contrast with Jesus' deep, peaceful sleep amidst the storm, emphasizing Christ's perfect humanity and trust.

don't cause him to blink. He doesn't turn over and lift up an eye and say what's going on sound asleep and even when the storm reaches its fury and what was that sleep? It was the sleep of an exhausted spent humanity. I can remember as a boy of about 12 years of age going with my father on a sailing trip from Stanford, Connecticut across to a point on Long Island.

39:39 - 40:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Be grateful to Jesus that He doesn't rub under our nose the stupid things we say in the fever of fear born of unbelief.

He points out the irony of experienced sailors calling upon a carpenter (Jesus) for help in a storm, illustrating that their faith, though struggling, recognized Jesus as more than just a man.

But then I must hasten on that is the main point of application that is where the passage takes us and that is why I wanted to work that point thoroughly because it is indeed the heart and burden of the passage but very quickly now in the second place the lesson of the furious tempest stilled is this it clearly depicts the growing faith and spiritual perception of the disciples it clearly depicts the growing faith and spiritual perception of the disciples what is it what they had previously seen and heard of the Lord Jesus had obviously created some faith in him for they had attached themselve...

46:33 - 48:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Be grateful to Jesus that He doesn't rub under our nose the stupid things we say in the fever of fear born of unbelief.

He references David, who once took on a giant but later feared Saul, to illustrate how even mighty warriors of God can experience paralysis of unbelief, yet God nurtures their faith.

and how we should be grateful to him that he doesn't rub under our nose the stupid things we say in the fever of the fear that is born of our unbelief you remember David who dared to go forth and take out a giant a little while later he says one day I shall perish by the hand of Saul held in the paralysis of unbelief but he wasn't totally unbelieving and God who implanted that faith nurtured it until once again he became a mighty warrior child of God you work out the implications if you can't draw consolation from that I don't know what to say to you I don't know what to say to you I'm determi...

50:58 - 52:28 Read in full sermon

The point: With Christ in the vessel, smile at the storm and shout hallelujah, believing His promise to be with you through waters and floods.

Martin quotes a children's ditty, 'With Christ in the vessel, we'll smile at the storm and shout hallelujah,' to encourage believers to find joy and confidence in Christ's presence during trials.

Christ is there in the vessel with you. Dare I quote the little ditty we used to say? With Christ in the vessel, with Christ in the vessel, with Christ in the vessel, we'll smile at the storm and shout hallelujah! And shout hallelujah!

53:46 - 54:05 Read in full sermon

The point: With Christ in the vessel, smile at the storm and shout hallelujah, believing His promise to be with you through waters and floods.

He recounts an anecdote from an 'eminent servant of God' about the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, noting they only lost their 'ropes' (bonds), to illustrate how God uses trials to burn away our 'creature confidence' and self-reliance.

The words of an eminent servant of God that I heard about 20, 25 years ago. He said, you know, brother, three Hebrew children went into the fire, didn't they? And they went in bound hand and foot, didn't they? He was a very animated preacher.

54:38 - 54:55 Read in full sermon