Jesus Napped

How many of you would say you’re tired right now? (Pause, let hands raise and smiles show.)

We live in a world that celebrates exhaustion. We wear busyness like a badge of honor.

• We brag about how little sleep we got last night: “I only slept four hours, but I still made it to work.”

• We glorify the hustle: “I’m grinding. I’ll rest when I’m dead.”

• Some of us even compete over who has the most chaotic schedule—like it’s a mark of importance.

But let me ask you: What if our exhaustion isn’t a trophy, but a warning sign?

Let me paint a picture for you.

You’ve had one of those days—kids are screaming in the house, the dog just threw up on the carpet, your boss is still texting you at 11 p.m. asking if you can “jump on a quick Zoom call,” and the laundry pile in the corner is tall enough to qualify as a mountain range.

And in the middle of all that chaos—you decide to lie down on the couch and take a nap.

Now imagine your family’s reaction: “Really?! You’re going to sleep right now? Can’t you see everything that’s falling apart around here?”

Sound familiar? (Pause, let people laugh/nod.)

Well, believe it or not, that’s exactly the scene we find in the Bible. The disciples are in a storm so violent that professional fishermen are convinced they’re about to die. And what’s Jesus doing? He’s asleep. On a cushion. In the middle of a hurricane.

And His disciples react just like your family would: “Jesus! Don’t you care that we’re about to drown?”

The Bible gives us a beautiful, almost humorous detail about Jesus: He took naps.

• In Mark 4:38, while the disciples were panicking in a life-threatening storm, Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the boat.

• In Matthew 8:24, the waves were sweeping over the vessel, and Jesus was… snoring.

I don’t know about you, but that both comforts me and challenges me. Think about it:

• The Son of God, who came to save the world, who carried the weight of humanity’s sin, who knew His time on earth was short… took naps.

• He didn’t live like a workaholic, rushing from one thing to the next. He lived at the Father’s pace.

And here’s the truth: If Jesus, the Savior of the world, made time to rest, then maybe we need to rethink how we live.

Because for many of us, rest feels unspiritual. Rest feels lazy. Rest feels irresponsible. But in Jesus’ life, rest wasn’t weakness—it was worship. It was trust. It was part of how He carried out His mission.

So today, I want us to lean into this thought: “If Jesus took naps, maybe we should too.” And I don’t just mean physical naps—though some of us need those! I mean learning to rest in the Father’s care.

We’re going to look at Jesus’ nap in the storm and see four truths about what His rest teaches us:

And by the end of this message, my prayer is that you’ll walk away not just encouraged to take a nap, but invited into a deeper rest for your soul—because the One who calmed the storm still gives peace today.

Point 1: Jesus Rested Because He Was Fully Human

John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully human.

He got hungry (Matt. 21:18) 18 Early in the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry.

He grew tired and weary (John 4:6) 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

He cried (John 11:35) Jesus Wept.

He slept.

On the boat that night, Jesus wasn’t acting holy by napping—He was acting human. He had been teaching crowds all day, healing the sick, pouring Himself out for people. And His body needed rest.

Bible parallel: Elijah (1 Kings 19:5–7). 5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree.

Suddenly, an angel touched him. The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 Then the angel of the Lord returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”

After his great victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah collapsed in despair under a broom tree. He prayed to die. God didn’t lecture him. God let him sleep and sent an angel with food. Sometimes God’s most spiritual prescription is simple: “Eat something. Take a nap.”