Luke 8
Read: Luke 8
Yesterday we read about how Jesus raised a widow’s son to life and forgave a woman’s sins and the people said, “God has visited his people.” Today we will see more spectacular things as Jesus controls the wind and waves, demonstrates authority over demons, and again heals and raises the dead. To those who were witnessing these events, this must have been an exciting yet fearful time. They knew Jesus was no ordinary man, and no ordinary prophet.
The main event I want to talk about today is when Jesus calmed the wind and the waves. First, notice that Jesus was asleep. Jesus had been going and going as he healed, helped, and served people all around the area. He was apparently wore out! Think about it, he was sleeping through a storm big enough to scare fishermen. These fishermen weren’t scared by just any storm. They had seen many storms before this one, but this time they say, “Master, Master, We’re going to die!” After being awakened, Jesus just got up and rebuked the wind and waves… and all was calm!
Jesus then said, “Where is your faith?” Jesus has a mission to complete. He is the Messiah! He’s not going to go down in a sinking ship. So that’s one thing that the disciples should have had more faith in. But another thing is that Jesus had already been demonstrating who he was and does so again by rebuking the wind and waves. The disciples said, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!” Who else in the history of the world has had that kind of power? Moses may have split the Red Sea with the Rod of God, but Jesus just made a storm stop by rebuking it! The God of Jonah had power over the weather and so does Jesus. Jesus is no ordinary prophet, he is the Son of God.
The main purpose of this passage is to show who Jesus is. He has authority and power of divine proportions! Throughout the book of Luke so far, he has repeatedly demonstrated that to us. If Jesus has authority and power over the weather, death, and sin; how much more does he have power over your circumstances? So when you are in fear, anxiety, depression, or whatever you face… when you feel like you’re going to die or lose it, you can go to him and he will calm your soul. He will carry you through whatever you are going through if you are willing to trust him to do so.
