Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 5 Study # 5
March 1, 2022
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: Jesus' response to the plight of the disciples was without regard for the downline conditions of their hearts and minds because they, at a minimum,
could "see" Him.
Introduction: In our last consideration of Mark's record, we looked into the question of why Jesus "was [reluctantly] willing to pass them by" and why He did not. My conclusion was that, though there were a great many flaws in the disciples, Jesus saw that their determination to maintain a focus upon their own abilities had been effectively shattered so that He did not "pass them by". At the very heart of the message of the entire Bible are these connected truths: 1) if a person is caught up in his/her "pride of functional capacity" there will be no salvation from God; and 2) if a person is willing to "repent", God will respond with the gift of salvation.
Now, as we approach the final statements by Mark regarding this event, we are going to look a bit more carefully at the fact that Jesus "got into the boat" (He did not "pass by them") in spite of all of the "other" problems that existed in the hearts/minds of those disciples. The beginning of the reception of the "seed" by faith (so that it is 'planted' in the soil of the heart) are the twin truths mentioned above and all further developments so that that "seed" sprouts, is nourished, and grows, rooted in the truth that Mark presents to us in a careful description of the on-going "condition" of The Twelve and the fact that Jesus got into the boat with them in spite of that "condition".
- I. The Description Of The "Condition" Of The Twelve.
- A. They could "see" Jesus.
- 1. It was stormy with the sea tossing spray into the air.
- 2. It was the fourth watch of the night and, to some degree, "dark".
- 3. They thought they saw a "phantom"; i.e., a mix of "solid body" and "ghostly form" [Note Luke 24:37-39].
- a. The word used in this text signals, in secular literature, some level of illumination.
- b. Mark does not elaborate except to say that they "saw" enough to be terrified enough to "cry out with a loud sound".
- B. They did "misinterpret" the significance of what they "saw".
- 1. Their "interpretation" was that what they saw was a demonic being with great intent to do harm.
- 2. This "interpretation" was not terribly different from Mark's record of the "official" decision regarding the roots of Jesus' abilities in 3:22.
- a. This is no small issue.
- b. The distinction between the disciples and the "officials from Jerusalem" consists of their "immediate jump to conclusion without thought" and the "officials'" deliberate conclusion designed to reduce Jesus' identity in the eyes of the "populace" so that He would not be "believed".
- c. It is given a "mirror" in the interpretations of the rider on the white horse in the Book of The Revelation (6:2), for some claim that the rider is The Antichrist and others that the rider is Jesus.
- C. Their misinterpretation was the root of a significant level of "death" that existed in their souls.
- 1. This is an illustration of the fact that "misinterpretations" of God's words often lead to great levels of death in the soul, whereas legitimate "interpretations" lead to peace and joy.
- 2. There is no question that the Bible teaches that "great peace have they who love Thy law and nothing shall offend them" (Psalm 119:165).
- D. They were subject to an on-going "hardness of heart" that was blocking their "understanding", but Jesus did not "pass by them" for that cause.
- 1. The "hardness" is a word that indicates a "stone-like condition".
- 2. This "condition" was already in place by reason of things that had already occurred in their lives [Perfect Tense, Passive Voice]; note Romans 11:7.
- 3. This description of the condition of the disciples strongly implies that the ways in which Jesus dealt with the disciples were to be understood to be "hammer blows" upon the "rock-shield" that had come into being by reason of their previous experiences.
- a. This is very likely the answer to all of the "why did God do this to me?" questions of people who have been subjected to circumstances which have been misinterpreted in the past.
- b. Before "great peace" can descend upon the heart, the "Love" of God must reside there.
- II. The Resolution Of The Disciples' Immediate "Condition" By Jesus.
- A. He spoke: laleo; focus upon the sounds being made, not the content being expressed.
- B. He said: lego; focus upon the content being expressed, not the sound being made [Note that in John 20:16 it was not the sound of His voice that revealed His identity to Mary, but the content of her identity as Mary, which she recognized in her soul].
- C. And He got into the boat.
- 1. As soon as He got into the boat, the wind "died down".
- 2. As soon as the wind "died down" the disciples were gripped with a kind of "insanity" (Note the use of this same word by Mark in his description of the "family's" characterization of Jesus in 3:21).
