Corona Chronicles - Crown of Thorns

Good morning again and welcome to the corona chronicles. We're just coming to the end of Mark chapter 6. And what a what an action packed chapter in Spain, and hope you've enjoyed this week's walk through walk through some some great stories, great miracles. And we're looking today at verse 45 verse 45 chapter 6. Immediately, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to better say that.

While he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountain sun to pray. Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake and he was alone on the land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn, he went out to them walking on the lake.

He was about to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately, he spoke to them and said, take courage, a desire. Don't be afraid.

Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed for they had not understood about the loaves. Their hearts were hardened. When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.

They ran throughout that whole region and carried those who were ill on Max to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went into Village's towns or countryside, they placed those who were ill in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his globe. And all who touched it were healed. So it I mean, it starts off, doesn't it?

Like Jesus is making decisive Like, he's he's telling people to do stuff. Right? So he sends the sock he makes the disciples get into the boat, sends them out then he goes and discusses the crowd. So he's, you know, he's in control. He's in control.

Yeah. And he again, it sort of just shows you that he knows he's got a plan. Yeah. And he's he you know, he's got a plan and he's putting that plan into action. These these 12 men He wants them to learn stuff.

He wants he wants to show himself to them. But the the only way he can do that is by sending them into of this situation. Yeah. Absolutely. And I think that's the amazing that's the amazing thing about this is Jesus is gonna come to them in the storm.

Yeah. But it's the storm he himself sent the ticket with all the queue. So, you know, he's going to reveal something of himself -- Yeah. -- in stormy seasons, which they might otherwise not flirt Yeah. And that's quite a hard thing to take isn't it?

It is. It is. So those storms can be real. Those storms can be real. Yeah.

And, you know, even before we get into the story, if we think about, Yes. You say these real storms, storms have suffered in terms of darkness. The storms, we go through in life. Yeah. This whole COVID thing.

Yeah. Exactly. The COVID store. Yeah. And and, you know, it it is in the end comforting to know that Jesus sovereign over that -- Mhmm.

-- and will come to meet his people during crisis crisis. Yeah. And as I say, they they would they would because there are things perhaps that really can only be learned about Jesus when he sends us into and then comes to me, so I said -- Yeah. -- you know, storms. Yeah.

And that's what the disciples are are gonna learn. But but I just love that sort of, you know, you can't help but just in imagine this or see this. I'm like, you know, in verse 47, the boat was in the middle of the lake. He was alone on the land. He saw the disciples straining and it's later that night.

So I just saw a picture of this boat. He can see it. He's alone on the land. It's dark. But light enough to see, you know, both.

Yeah. You want you want you want Chris Nolan to sort of -- Yeah. -- shoot that, don't you. You know, wide angles. Yeah.

Like, you know, get, like, broody clouds. You know, it's setting sun and stuff. And he's there looking looking out and, you know He leaves him in it, doesn't he? He leaves him in it, doesn't he? It's not until dawn like, just before dawn that he goes out.

Yeah. So so they're straining those oars for a few hours. Yeah. Yeah. You know, and he doesn't go out straight away, you know.

He's he says, nope. You know, the time will come. Yeah. But for now, you know, you need you need yeah. You need this.

Yeah. You do. I know who I am. Yeah. And you you've got this you've got you've got this.

So he leaves them in there as I say, and shortly before, Don went out walking like, he was about to pass by a little bit. And that's interesting. Because I think last time, last time you were picking up on this idea that Well, we we know we're both chatting about it, but Jesus often in these stories is is is throwing little seeds and to show that he is the the promise 1 of the old testament. And this Moses, you know, this idea of pass by them. Yeah.

Yeah. You know, that you know, would have just probably, you know, struck a chord with at least the first readers of this gospel who who were used to those, I'll test they would think, yeah, when the doors when they're all passed by Moses, you know, and revealed himself to Moses. That that pass by then -- Yeah. -- is a is a revelation term, isn't it? Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. But by which I mean, not the book of revelation. Oh, yeah. But God's way of showing his character and that phrase is quite evocative, isn't it?

Oh, yeah. From the old testament. Yeah. So Yeah. Miss Dan, yeah.

Correct. Yeah. And then and then, you know, they they they think it's, you know, who is who is this? What is this? Like, they're scared out their minds and they're terrified.

Because they think they think they see a ghost and they're crying out. And you think partly partly things Don't don't they remember the storm that they just, you know, sort of recently been in, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

But but it it does also sort kind of made me think, yeah, no. But they knew that he wasn't in the boat. Yes. You know? They they knew that, yeah, he he sent us into this on our own.

Thanks, Mahid. Yeah. Couldn't stop that. Yeah. Yeah.

They know he's not there. So you know, again, it sort of shows that they they don't they they don't think this it's possible for him to come out to them where they are. And -- Yeah. He does. Yeah.

-- while they're terrifying exactly. And he does. It's interesting thing. Well, it was a ghost like If anyone knows what the first century beliefs were of ghosts, so I'd be keen to hear. Did they they decide to believe in ghosts?

Yeah. Someone know and what, you know, Was that did they have the same sort of spooky stories we have? Yeah. Yeah. Yes.

I thought that if it's gonna be you know, if we sort of said to them, is it is there a white sheet? You know. Yeah. They they probably can. Yeah.

Yeah. But, you know, like, they've they've seen evil spirits. They're talking about and shouting out in in cinematics I ask a good point. You know, so Yeah. Yeah.

But then then, you know, then then we get the I mean, again, I I can't help but Think of that old beer commercial, then the beer effort, take courage. Yeah.ourage best, you know, because that's what that's that's the word. The first words out of Jesus' mouth and it take courage is I. Don't be afraid. I mean, those words are just, you know, tremendous And that's the most common command for all to men in the bible, isn't it?

Yeah. Don't be afraid. Yeah. And, you know, you you can't really obey that and that, you know, Jesus is with you and he's he's in you and he's in the boat with you. And -- Yeah.

-- and then and then and then, of course, you have this the wind died down. So as you say, come in with the storm and stuff is there again. They were completely amazed but why were they amazed before they had not understood about the loads -- Yeah. -- and their hearts were harder. So This this is a kind of This is the kind of wrong side of amazement.

In other words, I think the point that's been drawn out in this story is they they really in 1 sense, they really ought not to have been amazed. Yeah. You know, because they've they've seen and experienced enough of Jesus in miraculous power. That this sort of thing shouldn't surprise them -- Yeah. -- that there still seems to be a clouding -- Yeah.

-- of their understanding. Doesn't there? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, that little comment, they they had not understood about the lobes, their hearts were hard.

Again, so I just think it makes you, yeah, answer the question, why didn't they get it? You know? You know, they hadn't they hadn't learned from the lows. They hadn't, you know, And and you think, well, yeah, that's that's the human condition, isn't it? You know, without Jesus reopening our eyes, without him revealing himself to us.

We we we we Yeah. We're hard hearted. Yeah. Yeah. We just when we don't get it, you know, we need we need him to open our eyes and and and, you know, that's that's encouraging, isn't it?

Because you sort of think, you know, you can you can do your best talking to someone. You can do your best trying to explain who Jesus is. And and yet, we know that in our own strength in our in our own power -- Mhmm. -- it's impossible. Right.

You know? But but God does hope and give us new hearts. And that's where this is going, isn't it? So we're we're coming towards Mark chapter 8 when that when that great confession and realization is gonna be made, but but still, we're supposed to get, oh, you know, when are we gonna get when are we gonna get it? When are we gonna get it?

And and I don't think there's a real Yeah. As we said at the start, I think there was a really encouragement here for people who are suffering, isn't there? Yeah. And, you know, as you said, to some extent, that's gonna all of us dreams for older moms. But, you know, it's in the end, it's not comforting to know that the Lord isn't in control of yeah, hardships.

Yeah. So for instance. Yeah. It it is more comforting for the people go to know, yes, go to sovereign. And, yes, he does send.

He sends us into difficult times, and he sends difficult times. He doesn't just allow them. He actually sends them, but he will he will he will come to me people and reveal himself and show his grace in fresh ways, which in the end we will see -- Yeah. -- was for our good, you know. And -- Yeah.

-- yeah. So don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Yeah. Take courage.

Yep. Joining Jesus. Join for chapter 7. Next week.