That You May Know - Pt 9

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (Matthew 8:23-27 ESV).

The story of Jesus calming the storm is told in the three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Jesus had been teaching near the Sea of Galilee. Afterwards, He wanted a respite from the crowds so decided to take a boat with the apostles to the opposite shore where there were no large towns (cf. Mark 4:35-36). The Bible reports not long after they sailed, Jesus fell asleep and a storm arose (cf. Luke 8:23). There are two things we learn about the character of Jesus from this miracle. First, we see the true humanity of Jesus. Notice he was tired and needed some rest away from the crowds of people (v. 24). Even the storm did not wake him. This should help us realize that Jesus was genuinely human with the same basic needs we all have. Christ’s humanity is part of what qualifies Him to be our merciful intercessor between us and God the Father. I often find myself closest to the Lord when I am able to withdraw from the “noise” that seems to surround me. Regardless of how you find the peace of Jesus, please spend time each day doing just that. He knows what your circumstance really feels like. He’s “been there and done that”! Trust Him to calm the storm. I also find it surprising that the disciples were so afraid. When Jesus “gave orders to go over to the other side” (v. 18), He knew the storm was coming. He is omniscient (cf. John 2:25); even with a storm brewing, He decided to launch out to sea. The Lord never promised we will never see a storm in life. In fact, He has told us to expect trouble (cf. John 16:33). However, He has promised that He will be with us in the storm. He will never leave His children alone in the midst of trouble. His promise is to get us to the other side (cf. John 14:1-6). Second, this also reveals the divinity of Jesus. Only God can make the “winds and water obey” (cf. Luke 8:25). With one quick word from Jesus, the storm abated and the sea became calm (cf. Mark 4:39). The apostles marveled at this powerful display of Jesus’ supernatural ability over the elements (cf. Luke 8:25). This can be immensely comforting to the Christian in a storm. Faith in Christ is never misplaced. If He can calm the storms of the sea with one word, He can calm the storms of life as well.