Wind and Waves Obey Jesus
22 One day he and his disciples got into a boat, and he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set out,
23 and as they were sailing he fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger.
24 They came and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!”
Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm.
25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!”
Commentary
(the following is from Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary, 1706 -- www.christianity.com)
"1. Christ ordered his disciples to put to sea, that he might show his glory upon the water, in stilling the waves: They that observe Christ's orders may assure themselves of his presence. If Christ sends his disciples, he goes with them.
2. Those that put to sea in a calm, and at Christ's word, must yet prepare for a storm. Perhaps the devil, who is the prince of the power of the air, and who raiseth winds by the permission of God, had some suspicion, from some words which Christ might let fall, that he was coming over the lake now on purpose to cast that legion of devils out of the poor man on the other side, and therefore poured this storm upon the ship he was in, designing, if possible, to have sunk him and prevented that victory.
3. Christ was asleep in the storm, v. 23. The disciples of Christ may really have his gracious presence with them at sea, and in a storm, and yet he may seem as if he were asleep; he may not immediately appear for their relief. He will try their faith and patience, and quicken them by prayer to awake, and make their deliverance the more welcome when it comes at last.
4. A complaint to Christ of our danger, and the distress his church is in, is enough to engage him to awake, and appear for us, v. 24. They cried, Master, master, we perish! The way to have our fears silenced is to bring them to Christ, and lay them before him. Those that in sincerity call Christ Master,and with faith and fervency call upon him as their Master, may be sure that he will not let them perish."
5. Christ's business is to lay storms, as it is Satan's business to raise them. He can do it; he has done it; he delights to do it: for he came to proclaim peace on earth. He rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and immediately they ceased (v. 24); not, as at other times, by degrees, but all of a sudden, there was a great calm. Thus Christ showed that, though the devil pretends to be the prince of the power of the air, yet even there he has him in a chain.
6. When our dangers are over, it becomes us to take to ourselves the shame of our own fears and to give to Christ the glory of his power."
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