Who Is This Man?

   The disciples had been with Jesus for some little time now, hearing Him teach, seeing Him heal, and enjoying the inside information on the meaning of the parables He was using to speak to the crowds of people that were coming to Him. They knew He was special, but did not really know Him in all His power.

   From the narrative in Mark 4, I read about Jesus retreating from the crowds by getting into a boat with His disciples and starting for the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The disciples at this point were pretty secure in their knowledge that Jesus was a great teacher and miracle worker, and they were privileged to be included in His inner circle. After all, the crowds saw them with Him all the time, and their status rose with each new miracle and each great teaching. Things were going pretty well.

   But they did not know Him. They were close to Him, they knew what He taught, they knew He was able to heal people and knew He was special. But then came the storm, a big storm. They were being tossed about by the angry waves, and they feared for their lives. As they fought the wind and waves, they realized that Jesus was not helping them, He was asleep in the back of the boat. Who was this guy who could sleep through all of this? Waking Him, they chastised Him for not caring about their situation. They were about to go under. This could be the end for them. They knew the sea, it was bad.

   So Jesus spoke to the sea and told it and the wind to be still, and it calmed. Just like that, the bad situation was erased, and all was as it should be for these twelve. All was calm, except for their emotions as they experienced the power of this Man, firsthand. They must have suddenly realized, they did not know Him at all. "Who is He anyway?"

   The disciples were in the boat with Jesus. They had left their old lives behind and followed, and their identity was in being followers of this Rabbi, but they still did not know the whole story. Their individual reputations might be on the line, but not their lives, at least not until now.

   So, the questions come to me also. Am I so comfortable in my role as a disciple that I forget who Jesus is? Do I trust Him in all of life's situations? Is it just my reputation at stake or is it my very existence? How would I measure up in a genuine life or death experience? Am I willing to put myself out there for Him, taking a risk, that if He does not show up, I am a goner?

   Christians around the world experience those kinds of experiences daily, so who am I to feel so snug in my own life?

   The most important question is not "Who am I?"

   The question is "Who is He?"