Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: Mark 4: 35-41    August 10, 2025

Message: “How People Reacted to Jesus!” 

by Pastor George Gnade

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Introduction:

1. As most of you know, we have been studying the Gospel according to Mark, looking for details we may have overlooked in the past. 

2. Today I would like us to consider how different people reacted to Jesus and what He did. I found this to be interesting because different people have different reactions even today.

3. As I have said before, Mark liked to use action words that you could almost visualize. That will become even clearer as we study the reactions of different people.

A. One of the first reactions that Mark brings to our attention is found in Mark 1:21-27. It is a miracle that occurred in a synagogue in Capernaum.

1. We already talked about this story in my message about demons and how Jesus knew them and they knew Him.  

a. To begin with, in vs. 21-22, it says Jesus “started to teach them. The people were amazed at His teachings because He spoke as one who had authority, and not like their scribes.” To say they were “amazed” means this was different. It caught them off guard.  Jesus had their attention.

b. Then in vs.23- 26, we learn of a demon possessed man who spoke up and said: “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.” Jesus sternly spoke to a demon inside of a man and said: “Be quiet and come out of him!” And the spirit “shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek!”

2. In vs.27, it continues: “The people were so amazed that they said to each other: ‘What is this? A new teaching – and with authority. He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey Him.’”  

a. So the reaction goes from “amazed” to “so amazed.” How much more amazed can you be? 

b. Now they are not only amazed by His teachings, but by His power to command evil spirits to obey him. From this time on, Mark tells us how amazing Jesus was over and over again!

B. Consider Mark 1:40-45. This time a man with leprosy fell on his knees and begged Him saying: “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

1. And in vs.41, Jesus “filled with compassion, reached out His hand and touched the man” and said: “I am willing. Be clean!” Just like that, it happened as Jesus said. 

a. This man had not been touched by anyone for a very long time. Imagine how that felt! Now he was clean! His whole life was changed in the twinkling of an eye.

b. Jesus asked him to be quiet and simply report this to the priests. But the man couldn’t keep it to himself.

2. Notice the reaction! In vs. 45, it says: “As a result, Jesus could no longer go into a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere.” 

a. In the story of the demoniac, we can almost visualize the faces of the people – filled with shock and amazement.

b. In this story about the leper, imagine people coming from everywhere! His privacy and home life were shattered. All Jesus could do is escape into the mountains at night to pray.

C. In Mark 2:1-12, we have the story of the paralytic. 

1. Most of you probably know this story. One of the few times He came home, His house was filled with people. Four men carrying this man couldn’t get in. So they climbed on top of the roof and let him down in front of Jesus.

a. Jesus surprised everyone by saying: “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  When they reacted to that, challenging His right to forgive sins, Jesus replied: ‘Which is easier? To say “your sins are forgiven,” or to say “get up, take your mat and walk?” 

b. “But that you may know the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins, He said to the paralytic: ‘Take your bed and walk.”’

2. Again, notice the reaction! In Mark 2: 12, it says: “This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying: ‘We have never seen anything like this!”  Can you imagine a crowd singing and praising God because of all the wonderful things He was doing?

3. O that God might restore our enthusiasm!

D. Finally, let us consider Mark 4: 35-41.  This is the familiar story of how Jesus calmed a great storm.

1. The day was almost over, night was drawing nigh. One way to get away from the crowds was to get into a boat and go to the other side. 

a. Jesus was so tired after a long, hard day’s work, that He fell asleep on a cushion.

b. In vs.37. it says: “A furious squall came up and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.”

2. Jesus was so tired He slept through all of this. So they finally shook Him and woke Him up and said: “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

a. Doesn’t that sound like us? How fear can often rob us of our faith!

b. But Jesus was not worried at all! “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!”

3. And you know how the story ends. “Then the wind died down, and it was completely calm. He said to His disciples: ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

a. Now listen to their reaction! “They were terrified and asked each other: ‘Who is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!’”

b. Did you catch that! First they were afraid they would die from the storm! Now they are terrified of Jesus!

4. In plain words, now they are amazingly terrified! In the midst of our problems, maybe we should be more con-cerned about God than about the problem itself. 

In conclusion: 

1. In April, we celebrated Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

2. On Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified, the disciples were so scared of the Jews and the Romans that they hid in fear. 

3. But when they saw the living Christ, their fears were replaced with hope and joy and a new kind of peace. Suddenly the problems of this world no longer seemed so big. They finally learned that Jesus is greater than all our problems. 

4. Let me close with the words of a song I like. 

a. “I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean.”

b. “O how marvelous, O how wonderful, and my song shall ever be, O how marvelous, O how wonderful, is my Savior’s love for me!”  

c. Praise God for our Savior’s love. Amen