Jesus Calms the Storm

“After Jesus left in a boat with his disciples, a terrible storm suddenly struck the lake, and waves started splashing into their boat. Jesus was sound asleep, so the disciples went over to him and woke him up. They said, ‘Lord, wake up! Save us before we drown!’ But Jesus replied, ‘Why are you so afraid? You surely don't have much faith.’ Then he got up and ordered the wind and the waves to calm down. And everything was calm.” - Matthew 8:23-27 (Contemporary English Version)

The disciples’ reaction in the boat resonates with my own life. As this year began, I have felt an increased sense of fear and worry, and an overwhelmed spirit. I’ve wondered how I or the ones I care about are supposed to live in the middle of our physical and metaphorical storms.

But unlike the disciples, I know how their boat trip ended. I read how asleep or awake, Jesus remained calm and possessed the power to rebuke the storm, calm the waves and wind, steady the boat, and save the people aboard.

When Jesus calmed the storm he taught us three essential truths:

1. God is in control. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 reminds us, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.” By God’s authority over all that is in the heavens and the earth, Jesus was able to calm the storm. Everything is under his charge — including you and the trials you're facing.

2. God’s favor is with us. I read a commentary on Matthew 8:23-27 that said, “Christ may sleep when his church is in a storm, but he will not outsleep himself.” Jesus may have been asleep in the boat, but when his disciples called, he awoke and spoke peace over the storm. The psalmist wrote, "You will wake and have compassion on Zion, [the city of God’s refuge]. For it is time to be gracious to it, for the appointed time has come," Psalm 102:13. God desires to send you help and comfort. His peace is yours, in the midst of the storm.
3. The storm can strengthen our faith in God. The human side of me would like to bypass this teaching method, but the spirit side of me sees the benefit. When I’m facing a storm do I call on Jesus or is he the final call when all else fails? God took something the disciples were familiar with (the sea) and used it to show them more about himself and his power - calming a storm instantly and completely with just a word. The disciples had never seen that done before. God shows his power and provision in our storms, so we can experience more of who he is.

When we’re wrecked by the storms we’re facing, and it feels like Jesus is asleep and can’t see us struggling, I pray that we are reminded God is in control, his favor rests upon us, and he is redeeming us amid our trials. 

May we grow in our trust in God and experience his peace from the beginning of the storm through to the very end.

Author

Vanessa Jahn

Director of Culture and Community

Graduate School of Education and Psychology