Warning - this was my plan, what I said was a little different (check the audio version)
I've just been on holiday - and thanks to a very generous gift from some relatives, it's been the the "holiday of a lifetime", to California, to visit Clare's sister and her family.
And while we were out there, we saw some brilliant surfers - What dudes they were - it was almost as if they could walk on water. But they couldn't of course, that's impossible.
Unless, that is, you happen to be this man called Jesus - not in California on the Pacific Ocean, but in Israel on the sea of Galilee.
So what's it all about? And why would he want to walk on water, anyway?
As we examine the passage this morning I want us to notice three things, and answer two questions.
In the previous passage, Jesus has just miraculously fed over 5000 people from a few loaves and fish. And now, v.45 he sends the Disciples (that's his close companions) off in a boat, across the lake to Bethsaida. He dismisses the crowd back to their own towns and villages (which is a serious disappointment to anyone who thought that this Messiah was gathering an army to storm Jerusalem and defeat the Romans.) And v.46, he goes up the mountainside, on his own, for some serious private fellowship with his Father.
What happens next?
vv.47-52 The disciples in the boat in the middle of the lake get into some trouble - and Jesus walks out to them, on the water, at about 3am - the time a Roman guard would begin the fourth watch of the night.
Imagine you're one of them, in the boat - it's dark, it's the middle of the night - you should have reached land hours ago, but the wind has held you back, you're exhausted, but still rowing as hard as you can. Jesus did the best thing - he's safely on land - but... "Arghhh!!" - there's a person walking by the boat on the water, it looks like Jesus - "It's a ghost! It's a ghost! argh!!!"
But it's not - v.50 - "Take courage, it's me!" - and Jesus climbs into the boat with them. The storm calms down, and (v.53) they land at Gennesaret - a few miles further West than they had originally intended.
And there's no peace for the righteous - v.54-56, immediately, the crowds descend on Jesus, and wherever he is, whether that's a small place, a big place, or even out in the country the sick are lined up to meet him, and whoever gets near is healed.
So let's notice, in all of this, three things - first of all, Jesus' power.
Look at his authority over the disciples and the crowd - you lot, off in the boat - you lot, off you go home. And they do it.
And then he really does walk on water. He's not on the bank, he's not on a sandbank, he is v.48 "walking on the lake" - that's why they're shocked, and why they think he's a ghost - real people don't walk on water. That's why Jesus climbs into the boat, instead of getting them to climb out - they're in the middle of the lake (as Mark says in v.47) and Jesus has walked there - what incredible power.
And then vv. 53-56 he heals everyone who comes near. They've obviously heard about what Jesus has already done, and we're reminded as Mark tells us about it. v.55 They brought the sick to him on mats - just like that paralysed man back in chapter 2; and v.56 - they just have to touch his cloak, and they're healed - just like that woman in the crowd in chapter 5.
This all shows us Jesus' power.
It's not normal - and the people there know it - they're terrified, they're amazed, and they crowd to see that power in action.
It's not normal, so it points to who Jesus really is - the divine Son of God - truly man, but also truly God.
Look at v. 50 - what does Jesus say to his disciples in the boat? "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
Simple words - but loaded with meaning
"It is I" translates more literally: "I am" - words which do mean "It's me", but words which echo what God called himself in the Old Testament - Yahweh - "I am"
That could be just coincidence, if it weren't for the rest of the sentence: "Take courage, It is I, Don't be afraid" - these are divine words, from the OT: for example, Isaiah 41:13 "For I am YAHWEH, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."
Jesus uses divine words to reassure his disciples about his power - divine power.
Then notice, second, Jesus' popularity. - look at v.54: "As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognised Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was."
When has this happened before?
Look back to v.32-34 - just the same - people came running, the moment they knew where Jesus was. Back again - 5:21; 4:1; 3:20; 3:7; 2:13; Jesus is very popular - and this actually stops him doing what he wants to do.
Uh, surely he wants to gain this great popularity?
Well we've already been told what Jesus wants to do - Remember 1:38? (1:35) Jesus prays in a solitary place, Simon finds him - "everyone is looking for you!" - and Jesus says: "Let's go!" - "Let's go somewhere else -- to the nearby villages -- so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come."
And we've been told the heart of his message: back in 1:15 - "The time has come," Jesus said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
And the trouble with his popularity, which is enormous, is that it masks the reality of what's going on in people's hearts - and that's the third thing to notice:
The disciples' blank faces.
The disciples still don't understand who Jesus is.
They still don't respond to Jesus in the way he calls them to.
And if they don't, how many people in those crowds will?
Imagine a Christian, standing with those disciples, in the boat.
"But what do you mean, David, they were Christians, weren't they?" - not yet.
Think of my great made-up friend Fred - Fred is a Christian, a believer.
Fred is someone who lives a life of repentance and faith.
Repentance: He's turned from going his way - he now recognises the living Lord Jesus Christ as boss in his life - he reads the Bible almost every day to find out about that Lord Jesus, who he is, what he wants of him, and so on.
And Faith: Fred accepts that it's true - that Jesus is God, alongside the Father and the Spirit, that Jesus dying on the cross is the only way that Fred can be right with God, and that without that Fred would be doomed to eternity without God, the darkness of Hell. And Fred accepts that it's true that Jesus is risen from the dead, so that he's alive and so that Fred can be alive with Jesus forever.
Now let's put Fred in the boat with the disciples.
It's wet, it's blowy, it's stormy, he's in trouble with the rest of them - but what's he doing? Yes he's bailing the boat out, or he's rowing, or whatever he can do to help - and he's praying - to God the Father, with the help of God the Holy Spirit, with direct access made possible and sustained by the Lord Jesus Christ - "Father, help us, please, in Jesus' name"
And then there's a shout - "look!" - there's someone out there, on the water, walking past.
Now Fred, coming from the 21st century, has more options to check than the disciples - is that person waterskiing? is he on a Jet-ski? Is he surfing?
No - he's walking - and then, just at the same moment that it dawns on the disciples, Fred realises that that person is Jesus.
What does he do? "Yes! hooray! It's Jesus! We're safe! Yeah! - Jesus, Jesus, over here! Alleluia"
And he looks around, and what does he see - all the rest of them, Jesus' disciples - "It's a ghost, Oh no!"
Fred might not have been there to hear Jesus' teaching first hand like the disciples, but God has worked in Fred's heart to bring him to repentance and faith - and so responds to Jesus with Praise and Thanksgiving, where the disciples just... well - have a look at v.51 - "Then Jesus 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."
This little section we're looking at, at the end of chapter six, is a summary section - Mark is showing us where we've got to so far in his book. So where have we got to?
We've had lots & lots & lots of evidence that this man Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" - as Mark claimed in the first verse of the gospel - but so far, very few people, even amongst the disciples, have twigged. They've seen, but they haven't understood.
v.51 "they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened." that is - the miracle of feeding 5000 people was just a marvel to them, not a sign.
When you think you're seeing a marvel, you say to Jesus: "wow, dude - that was great, do another one" - it's a bit like being at a magic show - big round of applause, and then you wait for the next trick.
But when you realise you've seen a sign, you say to Jesus: "My Lord and My God" -
And everything we've seen so far in Mark's gospel, are presented to us as signs - the first half of the book is begging the question: "who is this man?" - we're supposed to look, and see, and realise: "He's God" - and then repent and believe.
But so far, the disciples seem to have missed the point.
So here's three things to notice in this summary passage in Mark's Gospel.
Jesus' power - evidence of who he is;
Jesus' popularity - because of what he's done, but hindering his teaching, and possible only skin deep
and the disciples' blank faces - seeing marvels, which soon they'll realise are signs.
By showing this, I reckon Mark is forcing two questions on us.
First: we need to ask: "Have I seen Christ's glory?"
Have I seen how magnificent and awe-inspiring this man Jesus is?
American TV was even more rubbish than British TV. On holiday I've had 60 channels of rubbish to choose from, instead of just 5 (channels of rubbish).
One or two (or three) channels had local news on them - and over the last few days we've watched shark reports from a beach just to north of our beach; news of the coastguard's search for a downed helicopter just off our beach; and brush fires burning in the town where Clare's sister lives. We rang Clare's sister up - she doesn't watch those channels, and knew she nothing about the excitement that surrounded us, and her.
And many people haven't watched this channel (the Bible), and they know nothing about the glory of Jesus Christ.
Or maybe they have fourth hand interpretations that try to do away with the miraculous side of Jesus; or just memories of the picture-bibles of childhood.
But Mark, and the other three Gospel writers, present their material to us as evidence, as testimony - so that we can see what they saw: "There was this man who taught these things, and did these things, and was executed on a cross, and came back to life again - and we want you to know that."
In our sermon series here at Holy Trinity, we keep coming back to Mark's Gospel every few months - and we'll do that til it's finished, and then we'll look at another Gospel every so often. Why? So that we can keep on seeing Christ's glory - how magnificent and awe-inspiring the Lord Jesus Christ is.
In the meantime, why not read them for yourself? Matthew, Mark, Luke, John - four great books in the Bible - why not start with Mark?
Then you can say "yes" to the question - "Have I seen Christ's glory?"
But more importantly, here's the second question Mark forces on us: "Have I understood Christ's glory?"
Contrary to the catch-phrase: seeing is not believing.
Michael May is a medical pioneer - he lost his sight at the age of three because of a chemical explosion, and then, aged 46 (three years ago) he had an operation that restored sight to his right eye. He can see and identify simple shapes and colours, he can interpret objects in motion, he can play football with his sons, he can enjoy movies - but: he can't recognize his family by their faces alone. He sees their faces all right, but his brain can't turn the image into recognition. There's more to recognising someone than just seeing them.
And Mark the Gospel-writer wants us, not just to see Jesus, but to recognise him as well - to understand his glory: with the inspired help of God the gospel writers give us the evidence and say to us: "because of this, we believe that he wasn't just a man, he was God as well, and he died for us, and he lives for us, and he calls you to repent and believe"
Jesus has just fed 5000, walked on water, and healed the sick - why? Is it so that we know he'll make bread for us, rescue us out of every difficult situation, and heal every illness we have?
No - The point of these amazing goings on is to help us to recognise that Jesus is the one who can say, who is able to say, because he is the Son of God, our Saviour: "Take courage, I am, don't be afraid"
Jesus has not come to make us comfortable - he has come to make us faithful disciples: walking with our Lord Jesus Christ is not going to be easy - in fact it brings with it trouble and persecution, on top of all the other problems of this fallen world - but Jesus calls us to faithful disciples who understand His glory, and so who take courage, and who are not afraid.
So: Have you seen Christ's glory?
We've had a glimpse of it this morning, with his power shown in walking on water, and healing the sick - defying scientific analysis, because it was the extraordinary power of God.
If we are to believe in Jesus, we need to see what he's about - let's read the Gospels.
And: Have you understood Christ's glory?
We've seen how popular he was - but we've also seen the blank faces of the disciples.
Jesus calls each one of us to deal with him personally, and receive him as my Lord, and my Saviour - let's make sure we have, and let's give others the opportunity to as well.