At the end of Mark 4, lies a story that illustrates what Mark calls “the secret of the kingdom” (Mark 4:11). In this story, Jesus sleeps in a boat filled with incoming, crashing waves. Just a bit later than his disciples expect, he rises to speak peace to creation. This story illustrates the point of the parables that fill chapter 4. The whole chapter works together to explain the secret of the kingdom and resolve the tension building throughout chapters 1–3: How can Jesus truly be the Messiah who brings in the kingdom when he and his message meet constant scoffing and rejection?

In this post, I’ll provide some context that sets up the problem (chapters 1–3) and Jesus’s two part explanation, illustrating with words (4:1–34) and with actions (4:35–41). I think it’s important to read the concluding story as an illustration of the same point Jesus is teaching in the stories/parables.

The Problem

Mark makes clear to the reader right away who Jesus is: Jesus is the Messiah who initiated the new creation that the prophets envisioned (Mark 1:1–11). John is the Elijah who is to come and Isaiah’s voice in the wilderness.

By the time the first chapter comes to a close, however, it is clear that there is a disconnect between what people were expecting from Jesus and who Jesus actually is. At the end of chapter 1, Jesus is unwilling to go into cities and towns. He’s working on the outskirts of society. Why? Because he’s not the Messiah people expect him to be. God’s king and kingdom have come, but it’s so different than what people were expecting.

These two questions drive the story forward: What does it mean to call Jesus Messiah? What does it mean to be his disciple? The stories of chapters 2–3 are united by this theme: constant conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders. By 3:6, they’ve already decided they have to find a way to kill him. How can Jesus be the Messiah?

Illustration with Words

In chapter 4, Jesus begins to explain what he calls “the secret of the kingdom” to his disciples (4:11). He begins telling stories that provide analogies to illustrate how the kingdom can be truly present yet grow into fruition slowly over time.

Not everyone understands his stories, and that’s by design. If he were to speak too plainly, he would only accelerate the plots, already hatched (3:6), to eliminate him. Jesus’s stories buy him time to teach his disciples. He doesn’t want his disciples to be confused. It’s real. The kingdom has come in his body and through his teaching, and he wants his disciples to understand that only a small minority will accept him and his word.

Here’s a brief summary of the stories:

• The Sower (4:1–20): Only a minority will recognize Jesus and his words.
• Light (4:21–25): Even if the kingdom seems covered up for the time being, make no mistake about it — lights aren’t designed to be covered. The king and his kingdom will be revealed.
• Farmer’s Seed (4:26–29): Just like a farmer plants seed and then sleeps and rises, day and night, so also the kingdom is coming really and truly but only over time.
• Mustard Seed (4:30–32): The slow growth of the kingdom doesn’t change the reality or the end result — not one bit. New creation will be just as glorious as the prophets envisioned, even though the start of the kingdom is marked by humiliation and suffering.
  

Interpretive Key

There’s one interpretive key to all these stories: The stories are first and foremost about Jesus. The sower sows “the word” (τὸν λόγον, 4:14), and “the word” is the good news about Jesus (τὸν λόγον, 1:45; 2:2). Jesus, his teaching and his kingdom, are the seed that goes into the good soil and bears fruit over time. If you miss this, you miss the point.

With this teaching in place, we move to the final story in chapter 4, which illustrates the secret of the kingdom with actions.

Illustration with Actions

In 4:35–41, Mark tells a story where Jesus wakes from sleep to calm the wind and waves with a word. In this story, Jesus acts out his teaching in the seed parables.

As the storm hits, Mark makes clear where Jesus is located. He’s buried beneath water, like seed beneath dirt:

A huge storm of wind developed, and waves were crashing against the boat so that the boat was already filling up. And he was in the stern of the boat sleeping on a pillow. (Mark 4:37–38a)

In the boat, covered by waves, Jesus is like seed covered by dirt. The disciples think he has forgotten them, but just a few moments after they think that he should have already woken up and done something to save them, he does just that. He rises, and the reality of his presence and power is revealed. This story makes clear that the kingdom can be truly present in the world, even if the presence and power of the king is revealed later than we think it should be.

Jesus rises, he speaks, and creation responds. This is what the seed parables illustrated with words. It’s real. It’s happening, but not as one might expect.

Conclusion

In chapter 4, Mark explains the “secret of the kingdom” to readers, resolving the tension that had been growing across the first three chapters. The stories Jesus tells provide analogies that explain one point: The messianic king can truly be present even if he is overlooked for a time. The kingdom, like seed planted in the ground, will come to fruition in time.

The final story is the climactic illustration, this time with actions. Jesus is covered with incoming water and waves. His disciples think all is lost. He lies buried beneath, not just incoming waves, but the misunderstanding of his own disciples. Nevertheless, he rises and reveals his presence and power in time. Creation responds. It’s real. It’s happening. The story provides a resounding answer to the question that brings chapter 4 to a close:

Who is this? Even the wind and sea obey him! (Mark 4:41)