In Mark 5:1-21 we learn that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, and we learn it’s implications.
Jesus had been teaching in parables by the sea of Galilee. His platform was a fishing boat.
When He had finished, He asked the disciples to push out in to open water and cross to the other side. This is Jesus on mission. He knew where He was headed.
When the storm picks up we have a scene not unlike Jonah. Boats, violent storms and a sleeper. One was fleeing God’s mission, the other fulfilling it. “Who are you?” is also a question both Jonah and Jesus face.
Jesus calms the storm. This was something that God had often done – control the weather.
…who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the Gentiles (Psalm 65:7).
When Jesus reached the shore He is met with more violence. The first storm was “natural”, this one was supernatural.
Everything about this place is unclean. The man is unclean, he is living among the dead. We are surrounded by pigs and this region, known as the Decapolis, is largely Gentile turf.
Jesus promised to bring down the kingdom of darkness, and here it is.
Just how much authority does Jesus have? The demon needed to be “sent” by Jesus in to the herd of pigs.
Afterwards we have a scene that parallels the first storm. We have a man, clothed, at peace, and in a right state of mind.
From demonic violence and foaming at the mouth, we now have a trembling evangelist laying lost sheep at the Saviours feet.
And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. (Mark 5:20)
In Psalm 46 we have a very similar scene to these two events. There, we have raging Gentiles depicted as a roaring and foaming sea (Psalm 46:3, 6), and we have God Immanuel (Psalm 46:7, 11), God is with us, and so we are not afraid.
But He is not with us as a silent onlooker.
He who brought the storm upon Jonah did so in order to show mercy to the nations. He who brought Jesus down to the grave did so in order to show peace and mercy to the world.
He who brings the storms in to our lives is also the one who brings the stillness and the rest.
He comes to lift us out of the tomb, out of the madness. He restores sanity and puts us into a right mind.
How can we be sure He will do this for us? We know because we serve a Saviour who knows His way out of the tomb.
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