"In fear and amazement, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him” (Luke 8:25b).
Luke tells us that one day Jesus told His disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake” (v. 22). They got into a boat and began to cross the Sea of Galilee. Jesus fell asleep, and while He was asleep, a ferocious storm arose on the lake and threatened to swamp the boat.
Such storms are not unknown on the Sea of Galilee. Due to the position of the hills around the lake, the weather patterns are such that tremendous windstorms sweep into the area from time to time. Though Jesus’ disciples included several seasoned fishermen, they were all afraid. They woke Jesus and told Him they feared they might drown. Jesus “got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm” (v. 24).
Some have suggested that Jesus slept so soundly through the storm because He was exhausted. Another theory is that because He was sinless, He was not out of sorts with God’s creation and thus was not threatened by it. For whatever reason, the storm that so greatly frightened these fishermen made no impression on Jesus at all.
This must have been some storm to defeat and terrify seasoned boatmen like Peter, Andrew, James, and John! Fearful as the storm was, however, the disciples were even more afraid after Jesus’ display of power over nature. They asked each other, “What kind of man is this?” The answer: He was the sinless incarnation of the second person of the Godhead.
Many people want to classify Jesus only as a “great religious teacher.” It is ridiculous, however, to put Jesus Christ in the same category as other “great religious teachers.” Did Mohammed ever command the sea? Could Gautama Buddha raise the dead? Does anyone claim Confucious was without sin? None of these men can be compared to Jesus Christ. The disciples were properly in a state of awestruck fear and reverence. They were afraid because they sensed in Him the presence of God Incarnate.
Where have you sensed God’s power unleashed in an extraordinary manner? Was it connected to answered prayer, a dramatic conversion, or a radical change of circumstances? Recall whether you had Peter’s good sense to be awestruck at the revelation of His presence.
