Sea Made Calm Series

Harmony of the Gospels

-AD 28-

Sea of Galilee

Title: Sea Made Calm

Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25

-Matthew-(Matt 8:23-27; KJV)

23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

His disciples prepared a ship according to His directions. And when He went aboard, they followed Him. He wanted to be alone with them, and so the crowd was dismissed, and the ship moved out on the sea.

“And, behold, there arose a great tempest”-The Sea was thrown into an awful turmoil by a great wind storm, and it shook the ship violently. The Sea of Galilee was responding to the hand of God; not to Satan or to chance. The storm had begun suddenly and without warning, and in a very unusual way it came down and lifted up the waves. The waves came over the sides of the ship and it began to sink. But Christ was sleeping soundly in the stern of the Ship. No doubt, He was exhausted from the day’s activities; but the storm had been brought by God for a purpose; to strengthen the faith of His disciples.

The disciples woke Jesus with their loud cries and repeated calls for help. They said to him, “Master, master! Save us, we perish!” They thought they were lost, because there was no foreseeable escape. So they appealed to Christ, believing that He was their only hope; for they had seen the miracles that He had performed earlier that day.

“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?”-They had some faith, but not enough. He called it “little faith," small like a mustard seed. They had very little faith that He could help them, if He slept; but if they woke Him, they believed that He might help them. And so Christ rebukes them, mildly, for their lack of faith, because as Eternal God He was able to save them whether He was awake or asleep.

“Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.”-Jesus got up from His resting place and with a majestic voice and in an authoritative manner He reprimanded the wind and the sea with these words, “peace, be still.” At His command the wind ceased and the sea became calm and the ship moved quietly on.

The disciples saw what happened, and they were amazed by it. The scene that they witnessed convinced them of his power and deity. They asked, “What manner of man is this.” He had to be more than a man; only God could order the forces of nature, and have them obey. He can be none other than the most high God.

-Mark- (Mark 4:35-41; KJV)

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Jesus was worn-out, because of the demanding work that involved the crowd that followed Him; for He tended to their needs and answered their requests. He needed to rest and to spend more time teaching His disciples, therefore He wanted to pass over to the thinly settled region on the east side of the Sea of Galilee.

He went aboard a ship and left the multitudes on the shore; but there were other ships there and they accompanied His ship when they launched out into sea. Therefore, there were a number of witnesses to the miracle when Jesus subdued the tempest.