Mark 6: 45-52

Theme: Jesus

WHEN GOD PASSES BY

"Who is Jesus" is a question which never goes out of style. It was the question that had to be asked in 30 AD and it is as question that must be asked and answered in the twenty-first century. The answer is so offensive that many seek to recast the question or restate the answer so that it is more palatable. Jesus has been called a good teacher, a fine moral example to follow. He has been called a cynic, a sage, a healer, a revolutionary, a rabbi, and even a lunatic. Some call him the unwitting founder of a new religion. The fact is, there are many opinions about who is Jesus. Most of these opinions are agenda driven. The people who offer them are offended at the traditional view of Jesus. They are not happy just ignoring Jesus, they must try to change his image and his person so that they may live with him.

The disciples and the crowds were trying to answer the same question. Let’s remember the context of the situation. Jesus had been trying to get away with the disciples but the crowds had followed them into the wilderness to seek his healing touch and to hear him teach. It was there that the disciples were asked to feed the multitude. They only had two fish and a few loaves of bread. It was enough and Jesus fed the five thousand with that small amount of food.

Mark abruptly has Jesus dismissing the crowd and the disciples without explanation. All it says is that he made the disciples get into the boat and sail for Bethsaida. He dismissed the crowd and went up on the mountain to pray. However, the Gospel of John gives us an interesting little tidbit of information. After Jesus had fed the five thousand, the people came to the conclusion that he was the Prophet who was to come into the world. In other words, they saw him as their Messiah, their deliverer and they rose up to take him and make him king. They saw in Jesus a divine appointment as the political leader who would free them from the rule of the Romans. Some have suggested that even the disciples were caught up in this. So, Jesus sent the disciples on ahead of him and that signaled to the crowd that it was time to go. Jesus escapes them and goes on to the mountain to pray.

It seems that every time the disciples are separated from Jesus they get into trouble. It was in the fourth watch, between 3 A.M. and 6 A.M. As they sailed across the lake, a storm rose. It was a ferocious wind. Even in poor conditions they should have been able to row across in six to eight hours. But the disciples were helpless against the storm. There is a well-known phenomenon called the Sharkia, an easterly wind that caused fear among the fishermen. Mark says that they were straining as they rowed against the wind. The word for strain is a strong word. It means "to torment." It was used to describe the torment of demon possession, to describe the suffering in hell and the pain of childbirth. So, Mark paints for us a very powerful picture of struggle. It must have been a frightening time for the disciples.

From the mountain where Jesus was praying, he could see their struggle. Jesus, in the most dramatic way, came to their rescue. Mark says that Jesus came walking on the water. Literally, walking upon or on top of the water! And the text says that Jesus was going to pass them by!

What is going on here? Was Jesus showing off? Did he go for a stroll on the sea and walked up beside them, wave, and say "hi fellows, how’s it going?" "Look at what I can do!" Is this just some cheap theatrical trick?

The disciples were well aware of the Old Testament, it was their Bible. They would have known that only God can walk upon the waters. Jesus was walking only where God could walk. Walking on water was a dramatic picture that affirms the identity of Jesus. Jesus walks where God walks.

But, this phrase"and He intended to pass them by," is more than a dramatic effect. We probably should translate it, "he was passing by." In the Old Testament, this phrase was charged with deep meaning. It was a rare moment of God’s self revelation to man.

Remember in Exodus, Moses made the bold request to see God’s Glory. God has warned on more than one occasion that no man may see him and live. When God revealed himself, it was often in a sign or symbol of himself. God agreed to Moses’ request but Moses would not be allowed to see God’s face. He could only see the glory of God. God placed him in the cleft of the rock. There in that crevice, God covered him as he passed by and Moses was only able to see the back side of his glory as he passed by.

Or do you remember when Elijah was so tired and was running from Jezebel. He ran to the wilderness to find God and God asked him why was there and he began to pour out his heart. God told him to go to a particular cave. At that cave the word of God came to him and said stand on the mountain before the Lord. And behold, the Lord was passing by! A great and strong wind blew rending the rocks but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake but God was not in the earthquake. And then there was fire but God was not in the fire. Suddenly there was the sound of a gentle blowing, a whisper, and Elijah covered his face because God was there! God was passing by.

Job confessed that God, Alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea . . . Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. "Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?' ( Job 9: 8, 11-12, NASB)

It is God who walks upon the waves and his passing by is a mystery and no one can perceive it unless God makes himself know as he passes by.

As Jesus passed by, he said to the disciples "Take courage, it is I" The Greek is ego eimi, the same used by God at his self disclosure to Moses–I AM. Not only does Jesus walk only where God can walk and not only does he pass by, he does not pass by in silence, he identifies himself as the I AM. Now, the mysterious God who, in the past, was majestic and awesome but unknowable face to face, is made known face to face to the disciples in the person of Jesus. Jesus was God in the flesh. ( James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark, 198-199)

What a grand moment it must have been, except, the disciples didn’t get it. He got into the boat with them and the storm ceased. They were astonished, they were perplexed and they have absolutely no understanding of what has just happened. Why? Because they had learned nothing from the incident with the loaves, because their hearts were hardened. They refused to understand.

They had their categories of thought and they would not think outside the box. They walked with Jesus and they saw the great things that Jesus had done and they were without faith! You can know all about Jesus and have no faith! Being in Jesus’ presence, hearing his word, seeing his actions does not mean that you have faith. The disciples were astonished but they hardened their hearts and did not understand that God had passed their way!

I wonder if that is not our problem? I have to say that God has done great things among us. He has passed our way. It seems that we are nothing more than astonished. It is possible for Jesus to be in our presence and we completely miss him. We see Jesus as a teacher or as a provider or a revolutionary or even as messiah and king. But we refuse to see him as the majestic and awesome and mysterious yet unknowable God who has made himself known to us face to face. Unlike Thomas, we have yet to fall before him and exclaim, my Lord and my God!

The difference between the church where revival comes and the church where nothing happens is that some people see Jesus pass by and they are more then astonished, they fall before him in faith.

Today, Jesus is passing by. What do you see? Do you see God passing by?