By Major Beth Desplancke
Territorial Women’s Ministries Program Secretary
Bible Study on Mark 4:35-41
Opening Questions:
- What is the worst storm you have ever experienced?
- What is a strange childhood fear that you have overcome (or maybe still have)?
- What do you think makes fear such a powerful emotion?
Fear is a natural response as a human. But if we are in Christ, we need not let fear control us. We can have freedom from fear, because of Jesus. In Mark 4:35-41, we read of a time when a literal storm rocked the boat of the disciples, and they were fearful.
Read Mark 4:35-41. [You may also want to read the parallel passages in Matthew 8:23-27 and Luke 8:22-25.]
- What had Jesus and His disciples been doing (33-34)? Take note of where Jesus has been (see 4:1).
- When evening came, what did they do (35-36)?
Notice that Jesus said, “let us go over to the other side.” Jesus didn’t say, ‘Let us perish in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.’ He promised His disciples they would go over to the other side. Bible commentator Warren Wiersbe notes, “Jonah ended up in a storm because of his disobedience [see Jonah 1], but the disciples got into a storm because of their obedience to the Lord.” Just because we walk with Jesus, does not mean we will never experience storms in our life. But with Jesus we can walk in freedom from fear.2
- What serious problem arose (37)? How did the disciples respond?
According to William Barclay, the Lake of Galilee is thirteen miles long at its longest and eight miles wide at its widest, and it is known for sudden, violent storms. Remember several of the disciples (Peter, Andrew, James and John) were experienced fishermen on this very lake, and yet they were frightened and were fearful that they were going to drown.
- What do you make of the fact that Jesus was asleep during the storm?
- How would you feel if you were frantically bailing water and someone was asleep in the boat?
- What do the disciples’ actions and words expose about their relationship with Jesus in the midst of the storm (38b)?
- What did Jesus do when He awoke? What happened? What does this reveal about Jesus’ identity, authority and the power of His words?
When Jesus rebuked the storm, he said “Peace, be still.” In Greek, it literally means to be silent and to be muzzled! Just as God spoke creation into existence (see Genesis 1), Jesus spoke to the storm, and it stopped. Immediately it was calm.
- What do Psalm 65:5-8, and Psalm107:28-30 say about God’s authority and power over the sea?
Christian author Cindi McMenamin writes, “Jesus words, ‘Peace, be still’ invites us to calm our anxious hearts and trust in the One who can not only sleep during the storm, but can help us do the same.”
- How did Jesus rebuke His disciples (40)? What problem did Jesus point out? Based on Jesus’ response to them in verse 40, how should the disciples have responded in the midst of this storm?
David Guzik in the Enduring Word Commentary writes, “It was not their fear of the storm that made Jesus say they had no faith. A small boat in a big storm is a scary place, and the initial fear itself isn’t wrong. What the disciples chose to do with the fear made all the difference…. When we think Jesus doesn’t care about us, it shows we have no faith, because we don’t believe the truth about Jesus. It takes great faith to trust the sleeping Jesus, to know that He cares and works for us even when it does not seem like it. But this is the kind of trust God wants to build in us.”
- How did the disciples respond (41)? What new discovery did they make about Jesus? Why is it so important to know who Jesus is?
- What does Psalm 89:8-9 proclaim?
We will face storms in life, there will be fearful times, but we can be free from fear because Jesus is near! Whatever fearful storm you are facing in life, Jesus is in the boat with you! You never face life alone. He is Immanuel – God with us. Read Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 23:4, Matthew 1:23, Hebrews 13:5.
When we are fearful, the best thing to do is go to Him immediately. How long did the disciples try to row the boat, and bail out the water, before they went to Jesus in desperation? Go to the Lord first with your fears. Read Psalm 34:4, 56:3-4.
Don’t question if He cares – because He does. Read Matthew 10:29-31, 1 Peter 5:7.
Remember that He has power and authority over everything – including the storms in our lives. He is the Prince of Peace and He can give us peace over any fearful situation. Read Isaiah 9:6, John 14:27, John 16:33.
Life Connections:
- Are there things in your life that you feel as if Jesus is sleeping through? Do you struggle to believe God cares about your needs?
- Do you trust that Jesus is fully God and in control of storms? If not, why not? If so, how is that helpful to you and how do you exhibit that kind of faith in difficult times?
- Do you trust that Jesus loves you and cares for you even as He allows you to endure the storms of life? If not, why not? If so, how is that helpful to you and how do you exhibit that kind of faith in difficult times?
In closing, listen to the song, Still by Hillsong United:
Prayer:
Lord, thank you that we can be free of fear, knowing that whatever we face, You are with us, and You provide peace even in the storms. May we not let fear overwhelm us, but may we turn to You, asking for Your comfort and peace through the fiercest storm. When we are fearful, still our anxious hearts. May we be still and know that you are God (Psalm 46:10), and may You, the Lord of Peace, give us peace at all times and in every way (2 Thessalonians 3:16). In Jesus name, Amen.
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June 2025 Newsletter