Key Verse:
Matthew 8:26 NASB
26 He *said to them, “Why are you [a]afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and [b]it became perfectly calm.
Where to begin?
Matthew 4:12-17 NASB
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:
15
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
[e]By the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the [f]Gentiles—
16
The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light,
And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death,
Upon them a Light dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to [g]preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven [h]is at hand.”
To put this week’s lesson in context, we must briefly review the timeline for Jesus’ ministry. Because of some of the questions that occur in the frame of the lesson and because of it’s proximity to the Sermon on the Mount, there is a misconception that the disciples have little to no exposure to the miracles and wonders that followed the ministry of Christ. That’s not accurate.
By the time of the event in the Sea of Galilee, all of the disciples but Matthew had answered the call to ministry. They had baptized new converts in the Jordan river. They had transversed the area between Judea and Cana several times. And they had seen the crowds grow to massive size in response to Jesus’ preaching that , “...the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” They had witnessed numerous miracles. They saw lepers cleansed, the sick and lame healed. By now they had witnessed the resurrection of the widow’s son at Nain. By the time of the Sermon on the mount, Jesus and some of His disciples had been involved in ministry for between fourteen to eighteen months. The events surrounding the first storm on the Sea of Galilee occur during Jesus’ second Galilean tour. Without question, the disciples were well versed in the wonders that followed the ministry of Christ. So then…
The Lesson
Matthew 8:18 NASB
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea.
So now we know why they got on the boat...
Matthew 8:23 NASB
23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
Interestingly, Jesus enters the boat before His disciples. The symbolism here is beautiful. Jesus will not ‘send’ you anywhere He is not willing to go. Take comfort in the thought that the lesson begins with Jesus’ followers following. A simple, yet profound example of how we, the Body of Christ should respond to the prompting of the Word of God, as inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, what happens as the evening unfolds before them will provide to us equally profound truths that are simply learned, but … are they? Hmmm?
Matthew 8:24 NASB
24 And behold, a [a]violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep.
The words ‘violent’ and ‘storm’ are translated from the Greek words; ’mega’ and ‘seismos’, respectively. While ‘mega’ is used to describe something ‘large’ or ‘great’, we must not miss the fact that ‘mega’ is an actual unit of measure equaling a million units. Thus, when mega is used as a prefix to any unit of measure, it serves as a multiplier to the original measurement by a factor one million. In strictly human terms, the magnitude of the storm was’immeasurable’.
In addition, the word ‘seismos’, in every other scriptural instance, is used to refer to earthquakes. Thus, we can infer that the storm the disciples encountered that night reached a magnitude greater than the disciples, many who were experienced fishermen, had ever encountered, essentially an inland hurricane.
Finally, in describing the magnitude of the storm, allow me to define one more term from the Greek: ‘kalypto’, which is used for the word ‘covered’. The word kalypto means ‘to hide’ or, ‘to veil’. The implication here is that the boat was completely hidden by the swell and violence of the waves against it. Literally, the disciples, these former fishermen who were becoming ‘fishers of men’ were lost at sea.
It’s important to understand the hopelessness of the situation the disciples found themselves in. Just as important is the fact that in all of this, in juxtaposition to the dire situation unfolding via the storm, Jesus was asleep in the stern of the ship. Sound asleep. This compounded the frustration of the disciples. In a moment where every able body, every extra hand was needed to combat the horrific situation that encompassed them, Jesus slept. And while Jesus slept, the disciples options were dwindling. Their time was running out.
Matthew 8:25 NASB
25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!”
Engulfed in utter darkness where, most probably, the disciples could not distinguish their own hands in front of their faces, the disciples awaken Jesus and plead with Him, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” Their plea so rings of the place many of us who are now Christians, found ourselves in when we cried out to God. Personally, I was in a place of utter despair. I did not know how I would subsist from day to day. Bleak did not sufficiently describe the outlook I had for my future before Christ. Trust me on that one. What must one do to be ‘saved’? They must first realize the hopelessness of their own effort at self-salvation. That’s where the disciples find themselves. These professional fishermen are completely out of answers. It is then that they turn, wholeheartedly’ to Jesus.
Romans 10:13 NASB
13 for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
(If you can relate to any of this and you do not know Christ as your Lord and Savior, now would be the time to call on Jesus…”
Matthew 8:26 NASB
26 He *said to them, “Why are you [b]afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and [c]it became perfectly calm.
Think of a photograph, a snapshot. In the previous verse, a snapshot would have revealed the disciples in despair and… Jesus, fast asleep. In this verse think of a video recording being replayed moment by moment, in slow motion. As He is awakened by the disciples, Jesus’ demeanor is one of calm, even while a storm rages all around. Imagine, for a moment, the very lack of calm Jesus observed on the faces of His disciples. Conversely, consider what the disciples must have thought as they observed Jesus’ very, very calm demeanor. In the midst of the storm. It is here that I posit to you (the reader) the following thought. Jesus’ question to His disciples actually represents the last half of a complete thought, that thought being, “I am...not afraid. Why are you afraid?” Focus. Did you catch that? “I am...not afraid…” Beloved, God is Love. There is no fear in Love. Allow me to encourage you in this. God is never, ever afraid. Ever! And if God is not afraid, why should you be? I’ll wait. And remember, all of this while the storms of life are seemingly engulfing you.
Let me offer this observation. Rather than emotionally shutting down as Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith, this next snapshot had to have served as an ‘A Ha!’ moment for the disciples. Imagine how their light bulbs of...hope must have began to brighten as the revelation of Christ as the Master of every conceivable circumstance unfolded before them. Yes. A paradigm shift is actually supposed to challenge all existing presuppositions. With God nothing is impossible.
Finally, a last snapshot. As turns His attention to the storm and simply speaks. Scripture does not say that He yelled or shouted, but that He simply spoke. After all, would God have to shout in order to be heard over the storm? No, Jesus’ words, simply spoken, softly spoken, confidently spoken, spoken in faith are able to accomplish that which exceedingly, abundantly surpasses our ability understand, or even conceive. God is able.
Another snapshot as we close this verse. The Greek word, ‘mega’ is used to now describe the magnitude of the peace that Christ’s words have established. As great as was the storm, so now is the measure of peace that Jesus has provided. His power knows no boundaries. So,... why are you afraid? Beloved, be encouraged. You can trust God completely. He always has your best interests at heart. He loves you. Without measure.
Matthew 8:27 NASB
27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
We are done. And our amazemnt should rival the amazement of Jesus’ disciples. “What manner of man is this (Jesus)?” We should be ever reminded as we face the obstacles that life sends our way, both great and small. There is no problem too great for Christ to manage, nor any concern so small that He is unconcerned for you. You are loved. He will not allow you to perish. Be encouraged. Give Thanks!
Selah
wb
Psalm 107:23-32 NASB
23
Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters;
24
They have seen the works of the Lord,
And His [a]wonders in the deep.
25
For He spoke and raised a stormy wind,
Which lifted the waves [b]of the sea.
26
They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths;
Their soul melted away in their misery.
27
They reeled and staggered like a drunken person,
And [c]were at their wits’ end.
28
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
29
He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves [d]of the sea were hushed.
30
Then they were glad because they were quiet,
So He guided them to their desired harbor.
31
They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy,
And for His [e]wonders to the sons of mankind!
32
They shall also exalt Him in the congregation of the people,
And praise Him at the seat of the elders.
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