Who Is This?

When the disciples were in a boat with Jesus on the Lake of Galilee, a sudden storm engulfed them. Exposed to the full force of nature’s elements, the disciples panicked and woke up their Master, who was resting peacefully. The disciples knew Jesus was no ordinary Rabbi. They knew that if anyone could save the day it was Him, although they had no idea how. But they were unprepared to see Jesus speak to the storm like a father would to an unruly child: “Quiet, Be Still.” The wild storm instantly died out.

The Jewish men would have known from the Scriptures that it was God who had parted the Red Sea to deliver the Israelites. He had also stopped the waters of the Jordan to let the Israelites pass. God wielded His power over nature to rescue His people. Moses and Joshua were just instruments, prophets of God.

But here was Jesus.

Jesus ruled over the seas and the storms. He had authority over sicknesses. He cast out demons. He was far more powerful and authoritative than the prophets of Israel. Yet, He was also fully human, like them. Jesus was an enigma. The disciples could not fully trust Him in the midst of a raging storm because they had not yet grasped the true nature and identity of Jesus.

The Bible affirms that Jesus was both human and divine. As fully man, Jesus can identify with us in our suffering and joy. As fully divine, He is sovereign and all-powerful, more than capable of delivering us from all our troubles. Jesus is still a mystery to us, but we can depend on Him in times of trouble not only to empathize with us, but also to miraculously rescue and restore us.

Respond

• Has God recently delivered you from a “storm”? Who will you share your testimony with?
• In which current situation do you need to patiently wait on the Lord and trust Him?