The Anamorphic Jesus

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you. not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” -Mark 4:35-41

When I was a teenager one of my favorite things to do, like most teenagers, was to go to the mall (remember those?). Now I loved going to the mall because this particular one had an art gallery that specialized in a very particular kind of art called anamorphic art- which is a kind of art where there is an image you immediately see, but then there is another image below the surface of the painting which could only be seen when one looked usually from a different angle with a lot more concentration. Now what would usually happen to me is I would see the first image on the surface quickly, and then I would try to find the second image and after a while I would call one of the workers and tell them I couldn’t find the second image, and they would simply smile and respond how it’s there and demand I look closer.

What we have before us in this story is a beautiful portrait of Jesus, a kind of portrait which could quite be labeled anamorphic art. As Americans who have a very individualized way of seeing things, the immediate image we see of Jesus is clear; but I want to challenge us to look much closer at this portrait Mark gives us, because there’s an even more stunning image of Jesus beneath the surface. So what I want to do is to look at both of the images of Jesus here in our text. We will begin with the immediate and obvious image of Jesus, but this obvious portrait of Jesus, while a great secondary application to this story is not the main reason for the story. The main reason is the Jesus we see beneath the Jesus we see. Let’s dive in.

Historical Context
We are in the section of Scripture known as the gospels, which are really like four authorized biographies on the life of Jesus. This particular biography, or gospel, is the oldest of the four, and it is also the shortest. The gospel of Mark can be read in about an hour. Mark’s gospel is fast paced. While Luke reads like a romantic comedy, and Matthew like a drama, Mark is more like an action movie. What’s really important for us to see is that most scholars believe that Mark is getting his information from the apostle Peter who had a front row seat to the life of Jesus.

The details in our text point this out. Mark is careful to note the time of day- it’s evening. He tells us there are several boats on the sea. In fact, in 1987 they found a boat in the Sea of Galilee from the time of Jesus, and they estimated it could seat about 15 people, which adds veracity to this story since the disciples could be in the same boat with Jesus. Mark goes onto say that Jesus isn’t just sleeping, but he is sleeping on a cushion in the stern of the boat. See the detail? Now Mark wasn’t there for this, so the only way these details make sense is if they were the recollections of an eyewitness, which only serves to give veracity to the story! The point is clear: This story isn’t some myth, it actually happened. Which means Jesus did these things. He is real, and that completely changes everything for us!

The great American novelist, Flannery O’Conner wrote a book of short stories called, A Good Man is Hard to Find. In one of these selections she tells the story of someone she calls “Misfit,” who says when it comes to Jesus we have one of two options. One is to say Jesus didn’t exist, and if that’s the case then there is no reason to try to do good because none of that will ever matter. Just live life on your terms, which changes everything for us, right? But on the other hand, the Misfit says, if Jesus did actually exist that changes everything for us in the opposite direction. We better give up life as we know it and go all out and follow him, the Misfit says. What we don’t have the option to do here is to take Jesus as some nice person who offers nice advice that we can either take or leave.

This was exactly C.S. Lewis’ point in one of his most oft quoted passages: 

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to”- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

I hate to back you in a corner if you are undecided about Jesus, or have taken this middle view of him being a great moral teacher, but that is not an option.

Jesus on the Surface

Now if you have been around church for a while you probably either heard this particular story taught, or another one like it in one of the other gospels on Jesus. And the basic teaching goes like this: A great storm arises, the disciples are in a panic, Jesus is sleeping, they wake him up and he calms the storm. In the same way, we all go through storms and Jesus can calm the storms in your life. This is the immediate image we see, and so let’s deal with this first before we get to the image beneath this image.

Storms are Unpredictable
The events of our text take place on the Sea of Galilee which sits about 700 feet below sea level, and off to the north about 30 miles away is the great Mount Hermon which is about 9200 feet above sea level. Now what all of this means is that the Sea of Galilee sits in a bowl where the cool air from the mountains would collide with the warm air of the sea and create this very turbulent environment where storms would come out of nowhere. We get a hint of this in our text where Mark notes in verse 37 that “a great windstorm arose”. This points to the sudden and unpredictable nature of storms, which was what the Sea of Galilee was known for.

In academic speak, the Sea of Galilee is like a pop quiz. Tests are predictable, right? They are on the syllabus. We know about mid-terms and finals. But boy do I hate pop quizzes. They come out of nowhere. And that’s the nature of storms- they are unpredictable. We get that don’t we, living in the midst of a pandemic. I mean we literally go from being able to do whatever we want one day, to being quarantined, forced to wear masks and have to cancel plans. This period has been filled with a lot of pain for many of us. Many of you have experienced the loss of loved ones. Some of you have contracted COVID, and you know the struggles physically, mentally and emotionally. Your marriages have been through the ringer. There’s been racial trauma and great division. This has been a long storm that like the Sea of Galilee, seemingly came out of nowhere. Storms are indeed unpredictable.

Storms can be Amoral
But storms can be amoral. What I mean by this is that just because you are in a storm doesn’t mean you have done something wrong. Please notice, these disciples are exactly where Jesus wants them. He told them to get in the boat and go to the other side. What’s more is Jesus is with them! This storm was not a result of God correcting them due to some disobedience. Some of us remember a bible character named Job who went through like the worst storm ever. God described Job to Satan as being perfect and upright. In other words, his storm was not his fault.

But isn’t that what keeps so many people from following Jesus? In academic circles we call this theodicy, which has to do with the question of how can God let good people go through such horrible storms? Elie Wiesel wrestled with this, didn’t he? In his book, Night, he talks about standing in the Nazi death camp and seeing all of the suffering. He says it was that night which “murdered my God.” I can’t tell you how many AA’s who I would have said were strong followers of Jesus Christ, are now deconstructing their faith because of the racial storms.

Storms are Revealing
And that leads me to a final thing this story shows us about storms- and that is storms are revealing. Look at verses 37-38. In essence they are saying to Jesus, “We are dying and you don’t care.” These men are thrown into a deep panic and anxiety. They are undone. And at the end of the story what does Jesus say to them? He critiques their lack of faith. The storm revealed they really didn’t have much faith. They weren’t as strong as they thought. If you really want to know where you and Jesus stand, that can’t be discerned on sunny days- only stormy one’s.

I have a friend of mine- we grew up together in Atlanta. Strong Christian, or so I thought. He was an amazing Bible teacher. Well, he came to live with me in Los Angeles some years ago, and really tried to get into the music industry. He got really close, even signed a deal, but his stuff never got released. He was so disappointed. He then goes onto marry a woman, and they end up divorced. What a storm. One of the last times I was with him, he let me know he is not a Christian- that God could not be real in allowing him to go through all of this heart break. Now what did this reveal? It revealed his faith was never in God. His faith was in music. His faith was in love. His faith was in another person. And when God didn’t facilitate those dreams he gave up on God and moved onto another administrative assistant who could help to facilitate his true desires. And this brings me to the question of you? Is God who you worship, or is he just your assistant to help facilitate your true desires?

Jesus Beneath the Surface

Okay, so we see Jesus getting up and calm the storms, and the panic and worry subsides along with the wind and the waves. But this is just a surface way of looking at Jesus. If all Jesus is to you is someone who exists to calm your storms, then this places you at the center and Jesus as your assistant. And this is why we must understand there is so much more to Jesus, that there’s another picture of Jesus, far more stunning and beautiful beneath the surface.

In the early 1900’s, fingerprinting was used as a way to identify criminals. We know how this works. We all have a unique set of ridges and patterns on our hands that no two are alike. Because of this fingerprints are very key in determining a persons identity. The gospels give us the fingerprints of Jesus. Now this is really important, because in every story we must ask a basic question- what does this story teach me, not ultimately about me, but about who Jesus is? And over and over again, Jesus and the gospels show us that his fingerprints, his identity, is not just some good teacher, but he is God.

Jesus himself said in John 10 that he and the Father are one. What a statement of his deity or God-ness. Two chapters earlier in John 8, Jesus said of himself that before, “Abraham was, I Am.” This was such a profound claim to his deity that the Jews picked up stones to kill him. Ever wonder why the religious leaders got upset when Jesus forgave people of their sins? Because they knew only God could do that, and therefore Jesus was staking his claim to deity. Or take the Sermon on the Mount, where he constantly cites the law and then goes, “But I say to you.” What he is doing here is saying that his words are as authoritative if not more than the law of God.

And we see the deity of Jesus at play in our story. Now to get this, I need you to look really hard at this story, not as a 21st century American, but as one of the ancients. The ancients saw the sea as the most unpredictable, most untamed element in the universe. There was an 11th century Danish king who was concerned that his followers were making a god out of him. He finally asked them, “Am I divine?” Before they could respond he walks to the sea and says to the sea, “Stop,” and of course nothing could happen. His point was that only God could stop the sea. Or take 2 Maccabees 9, which covers the period between the OT/NT. Here we see King Antiochus Epiphanes, a Syrian dictator known to be an evil man, invaded Israel and declared he had the power to calm the sea. All of the Jewish rabbis and prophets accused him of Blasphemy. Only God could do that, they reasoned.

So now we see the stunning image underneath the surface coming into view. The ancients would read this story and would see far more than a Jesus wanting to calm the storms of our lives. They would see this as a profound statement of the deity and authority of Jesus Christ- which has been Mark’s whole point all along. Read this section and you will see Jesus exercising divine authority over the sea, demons and disease. This is why the disciples respond the way they do in our text. They are filled with great fear and wonder because they understand only God could do this. Jesus is far more than just a teacher- he has all authority. 

Authority
Okay, Bryan. Thanks for the lesson, but what in the world does Jesus being God have to do with me and the depression I’m battling? What does this have to do with me and the intense loneliness I’m feeling as the reality of being in the bay is settling in? And what does Jesus being God have to do with me and the uncertainty of my marriage or finances? Everything! Because if Jesus is God that means he has authority over my life!

When we say a person has authority we are saying that they have the final say over everything under their rule or domain. In sports the one with authority isn’t the big buffed athlete, but it’s the referee or umpire. In the classroom it’s the teacher who with a stroke of her pen can change the trajectory of your grades. In the corporate world it’s the board of directors who can decide the fate of the company. In San Francisco, the one with authority is the Los Angeles Dodgers who ended your season (just kidding). And in the home it’s the parents. You know what’s interesting in our story? When Jesus says to the storm, “Peace be still,” in the Greek that could be interpreted, be quiet and don’t say another word. Ever said that to your kids, parents? Jesus is talking to the storm like it’s a child because he has the final authority! What this means, and I need you to hear this, is that your situation or circumstance does not have the final say, Jesus does! He has the final say over your finances. He has the final say over your marriage. He has the final say over your children. He has the final say over your career. He has the final say over your health!

 As we close, how are we to respond to this wonderful truth that Jesus has the final say? If Jesus has the final say then that means that no matter what I am going through my response must be one of faith. Remember he rebukes them for their lack of faith. Why do they have a lack of faith? Well, because they refer to him as Teacher, and not God or LORD. Never forget the depth of your knowledge of Jesus determines the depth of your faith. If all Jesus is, is a good luck charm or an assistant you will never walk in faith.

I have a friend of mine who decided to take his wife on a cruise, and not long into the cruise they encountered a pretty rough storm. The boat was rocking and people were really getting sick. Most concerning to my friends wife was the lack of communication she was getting from the deck. So she took it upon herself to call and demanded to speak to the captain. The woman at the other end of the line told my friends wife that the captain was busy navigating the ship through the storm but she would gladly take her questions. My friends wife gave in and started hitting her with questions as the lady waited patiently. Finally they hung up and a few minutes later the woman called my friends wife back. She said the captain wants you to know a few things. Number one, go to sleep. He will be up all night navigating us, and because he knows what he is doing and you do not, no sense in both of you being up. Secondly, you can rest easy because this ship was built with this storm in mind. The architects designed the ship and the builders built the ship with the reality of the storm in mind. We will make it. When they got off the phone, my friends wife went to sleep in complete faith, because she hand heard from the authority. And that’s how we must respond to the authority of Jesus- in faith.

Gospel Conclusion
But there’s one final thing. If you were a Jew hearing or reading this story I promise you, your mind went to the story of Jonah. Too many similarities here. Both Jonah and Jesus are in a boat. Both in a storm. Both are asleep. Both have to be awakened by sailors. Both see the intervention of God. But Jonah says to the sailors, throw me into the storm and there will be peace. Jesus in Matthew 12 says that he is the true and better Jonah. Jesus would be thrown into the greatest storm on the cross, and it’s called death. But he would defeat death, which means if we are in Christ, we need not fear life’s greatest storm, because it’s already been defeated. Jesus invites you to follow Him.

The final question to you, is what will you do with this Jesus and his claim to be God? One more time, C.S. Lewis, for the people in the back: 

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to”- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.