Look Again at Who Jesus Is

Mark 4:41 (ESV)

And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

The disciples’ question changes during the storm. First they ask whether Jesus cares. After he stills the wind and sea, they ask who he is.

That second question takes us to the heart of Mark’s account. Jesus is more than a comforting passenger. He speaks, and forces beyond the disciples’ control obey him. His authority—his right and power to command—leaves them in awe.

It is tempting to read this story only as a promise that our next difficulty will end quickly. But the passage gives no timetable for our troubles. It reveals the person we are invited to trust.

We can ask Jesus to change a painful situation. We can also admit that waiting is hard. Neither requires us to turn this miracle into a guarantee about when an illness, conflict, or uncertainty will end.

The wider gospel shows us his care through his death and resurrection. The one with authority also gives himself for sinners. Our confidence rests in who he is and what he has done, even when we cannot explain what is happening around us.

Before repeating your request today, pause over the disciples’ question: Who is this? Remember one truth about Jesus from this passage. Then bring your request to him again.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, deepen my trust in you. Help me see more than the problem in front of me; help me remember the Saviour to whom I pray.