“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41)

Who then is this, you ask? Our Lord is the only one who dominates storms and seas with a word, who wraps his arms around their turbulence and makes them heed his voice.  Like his disciples, our full attention is often fixed on the condition of the water rather than his promise to be with us for the long haul. His presence quiets our racing hearts and strengthens our weak knees. That’s who he is!

Who then is this, you ask? He is our Savior who understands our weariness when demands exceed our capacity, who sleeps soundly in the storm because nothing paralyzes him. He is not alarmed or undone by the unexpected wind and worry obliterating our peace. Unfazed by what fills us with dread, he is supremely in charge. That’s who he is!

Who then is this, you wonder still? The only one with absolute authority over demoniacs, disease and death (See Mark 5). He frees us from whatever things fill us with dread. He is never preoccupied with his own agenda or indifferent to our alarm. He is the one who still soothes fear-filled disciples screaming today for his attention. That’s who he is!

Who is this man who walked the earth two thousand years ago? He is our Savior who chose to do the Father’s will rather than his own. He is the one who endured the soldiers’ relentless onslaught and then carried a cross to Calvary to shoulder the sin of the world. That’s who he is!

With his life and in his death, he answers the question the disciples flung at him in the storm: “Do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). He responds: “I care. I am the one who went to the cross to show you how deeply I care.” He is the only one who not only cared we were perishing in our sin, but who made a way to rescue us and give us life everlasting. That’s who he is!

Who then is this who will never abandon us, will never leave us to figure things out on our own? This is the Savior who saves us, the Prince who forges peace in our troubled hearts, the Friend who sticks closer than any brother ever could.

He is our God. He is my God. That’s who he is!

Elizabeth A Mitchell

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