Stop Jesus!

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In Mark 6:48, there is a small little phrase, “and would have passed by them”. The disciples are in a storm that Jesus sent them into, they are in trouble, alone, tossed by the wind. The disciples see Him walking on the water, yet they don’t know it’s Him. And He would have passed by them. Why would He do that?

I started studying this out and I love how all the references give us one big picture.

Mark 6:48 – He would’ve passed by

Vs. 49 – They cried out

Vs. 50 – He calmed them

• Here I see that God wants us to cry to Him in our storm.

This passage of scripture is referenced to Luke 24:28.

Here, two people are walking the Emmaus road and meet Jesus, only they don’t know it’s Jesus. He had died 3 days prior, and they were heartbroken. Jesus asks them what is going on and they think He is a stranger because He doesn’t know. He began to expound scripture to them and as they got to their village, verse 28 says, “and he made as though he would have gone further.” Why would he go on without them, and not tell them who He was?

Luke 24:28 – He would’ve gone further

Vs. 29 – They constrained Him

Vs. 30-31 – He communed with them

• Here I see that God wants us to constrain Him in our sorrow.

This passage is then referenced to Genesis 32:26

This is Jacob’s wrestling match. He wrestles with a man (whom He doesn’t know) until morning. The man says in verse 26, “Let me go”. Again we see here that this man is the Lord, but He hides this from Jacob. Why would He just leave Jacob there, crippled?

Geneses 32:26a – He would’ve left Jacob

Vs. 26b – Jacob clave to Him

Vs. 28 – Christ changed Jacob

• Here I see that God wants us to cleave to Him in our struggle.

There is so much in each one of these stories but we find a common theme. Jesus only revealed Himself for who He was after the disciples stopped Him. Jesus only revealed Himself to this couple after they constrained Him, and their eyes were opened as He broke bread with them. Jacob only realized that He had seen God face to face after He surrendered.

Sometimes we try to go through our storms, our sorrow, our struggle on our own.

But a lot of the times, God calms us instead of the storm because He wants to reveal who He is in our lives.

We know the scriptures, but it’s usually only when sorrow comes that we constrain Him, and really dig deep into His Word, that He communes with us.

Sometimes in our struggles, we push Him away. But when we cleave to Him, He changes us. Jacob left crippled and with a different name. But there is no way he could’ve faced his brother, without the Lord’s strength. And that strength came from the struggle.

But do you see God’s mercy? He could’ve walked on by the disciples, but He allowed them to see Him. He didn’t have to be walking the same Emmaus road, but He knew this couple needed comfort. He didn’t have to wrestle with Jacob, but He knew Jacob needed to be changed.

And so He stopped. He stayed. And He still does. The storm, the sorrow, the struggle. All were and are allowed to enter with Jesus’ permission. But what happens next is up to us. Today, you’ve seen Him. He’s met you in your sorrow. You may be struggling with what He’s trying to get you to do.

STOP HIM!!

Cry out to Him. Let Him calm you.

Constrain Him. Let Him commune with you.

Cleave to Him. Let Him change you.

It made me think of this song, “I’ve Gotta Get To Jesus”. Oh how He wants us to run to Him. To call on Him. To let Him take our heartache and pain. If we’ll just get to Him, He’ll take it all.

Bring Him all my problems

Only He can solve them

Mend the broken pieces

Gotta get to Jesus.