Who Is This?

Scripture Reading: Leviticus 22-23; Mark 4; Psalm 46

Storms can be terrifying. They remind us of how small we are and how little control we have. In Mark 4, the disciples find themselves caught in one, overwhelmed by fear—until Jesus does something that leaves them in even greater awe.

As the waves crash and the wind howls, Jesus lies asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat. His disciples, frantic with fear, wake Him, asking, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). At His command, the storm ceases. The sea is calm. The wind is still. And the disciples are left with a question more unsettling than the storm itself:

“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41).

If this scene sounds familiar, it should. Last week, I wrote about intertextuality—the way Scripture connects and echoes itself. This moment in Mark’s gospel should remind us of Jonah. Like Jesus, Jonah slept through a raging storm while everyone around him panicked. Like Jesus, Jonah had to be awakened. And like Jesus, Jonah played a role in calming the storm—though in a vastly different way.

But the contrast between them is just as important as the comparison. Jonah slept in disobedience; Jesus slept in faith. Jonah was thrown overboard as a consequence of his sin. Jesus, by contrast, simply speaks—and nature bows to His authority.

In Jonah’s story, the storm ceases, and the sailors are so awestruck that they worship the Lord. In Mark 4, the disciples have a similar reaction—not of relief, but of reverent fear. Who is this?

That question is the most important one we can ever ask.

The gospels give us the answer. Jesus demonstrated His power over Satan and demons, casting them out and demanding their submission. He showed His power over disease, healing even the most hopeless cases. He displayed His power over death, raising the dead—including Lazarus, who had been in the grave for days. And here, He reveals His power over nature itself—commanding the wind and waves as effortlessly as He breathes.

Later, Jesus would turn to His disciples and ask, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter, speaking for them all, declares, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

They had seen enough to believe.

Have you?

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