Introduction
Have you ever been so tired that you slept right through a storm? That is where we find Jesus today. As the movement continues to expand, Jesus finds it harder and harder to find a place to rest or even get a bite to eat. In Mark 3:20, Peter notes “Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.” Luke records, probably from Mary’s memories, “Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd” (Luke 8:19). Can you imagine how hard it must have been to constantly come back to a full house and growing crowds? Where could Jesus escape or get away from the crowds? Come and see!
Reading [You can read as much as you can, depending on your availability]
Luke 8:22-25
(or)
Matthew 8:18-27
(or)
Mark 4:35-41
Meditating [Use these questions to start your thinking]
- List what you feel are the major details of this story (look at all three passages carefully).
- What did the “other side” mean to the disciples (Mark 4:35)? Who was there?
- What was the real problem in this story? List all the small and large problems in the disciples’ minds.
- Why do you feel God allowed this storm? What are the life lessons from this story that the disciples needed to learn?
- What other questions do you still have?
Sharing: Text ONE of your answers to the questions above to your team. Each team should post a sharing from a team member in the comments below.
Wow! Jesus must have been completely exhausted to be able to sleep through a storm where professional fishermen thought they were about to lose their lives just sailing in it! Can you see the humanity of Jesus through it all? Yes, Jesus got tired just like we do. He got hungry and thirsty, just like us. He experienced things physically, emotionally and spiritually. Jesus was fully human. God fully became one of His own creations, like us in every way and yet without sin (Heb. 2:17). The God/Man needed a break, a rest from the ministry. Mark it down — the bigger the ministry gets, the more intentional you will need to be in getting time away to rest. Ministry can be all-consuming and extremely demanding. You will get tired and need to escape as Jesus does to get refreshed.
As the movement grows, we will see Jesus using the Sea of Galilee as a place to escape and recuperate with His leaders. Much of the next year of ministry will happen on and around the shore of this body of water. Jesus often gets in the boat, not to get to the other side of the lake, but to simply escape the pressure of the crowds. This didn’t happen because He did not love the people, but because He wanted to be alone with His leaders to make a point. Both are the case today as you read about the storm. Mark records that Jesus left the crowds and that there were a number of boats on this excursion. Jesus goes immediately to the stern of the boat and falls asleep on a cushion. He was sound asleep in minutes. As they move across the lake, there was a strong wind that started to make the water pour into the boat. [Based on Ps.121:4, I think at some point, Jesus must have been awakened by all the water pouring on him, but he probably stayed still to see what his leaders do]. The leaders were scared for their lives. Can you imagine the conversation between the leaders? “You wake Him!” “Not me — why don’t you wake Him?” “I’m not going to wake Him up now.”
Finally, it is too much and they are sure they are going to drown. They scream, “Lord, save us!” (Matt. 8:25). These are words Jesus loves to hear. All you have to do is cry out, “I can’t do this! Save me!” And He is right there for you. One of my favorite verses is Zephaniah 3:17, which says “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Wow!
After saving the day, Jesus looks at them and says, “Guys, where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25). He questions their faith. He didn’t expect them to still the storm. He just expected them to know Him well enough by now to know that He is never too busy or too tired to save the day. No matter how much you call on Him, He never grows weary of helping you. That is why He came to earth!
Got any storms in your life? Maybe you have a stormy relationship or a storm at work? Stop fighting the storm and worrying about it; instead, fall on your knees and admit you need Mighty Warrior to save you. He waits every day for you to come to the end of yourself and start depending on Him. Spend some time today talking to one of your disciples about living by faith in dependence on and obedience to the Father. Practice saying “God, save the day!” in the midst of the storms in your life.
Why do you feel God allowed this storm? What are the life lessons from this story that the disciples needed to learn?
I think God allowed this storm to let the disciples learned about how to rely and trust on Jesus when they are in a storm. Many times we can feel overwhelmed by the storm we are facing, like what the disciples did here. Maybe it’s God intention to put that storm in your life. No matter what, you should always put faith into Jesus that He will deliver us out of it. So many times when trials and challenges happen, after it I learned to rely on God more. I learned new things about God everyday despite how hard the storm can be.
“Why do you feel God allowed this storm? What are the life lessons from this story that the disciples needed to learn?”
I think God allowed the storm to show His authority and power over everything. He definitely demonstrated that not only can He make the raging waves, but He can also calm them with His power. The disciples were scared, but Jesus showed them that He was in control. I think the life lesson of Jesus calming the storm shows us that God is with us even when we don’t realize it.
I wish when I was facing trials I could be as relaxed as Christ was during this storm. Lately in my life it’s been a lot of thinking about next year and where God wants me. It’s definitely been very stressful because whatever choice I choose will definitely be new and challenging. It’s definitely caused me a lot of stress these past few weeks and not only that but school as well school is always hard for me because of my lack of focus and drive for it so got an exam tomorrow and Thursday. But i gotta patient and trust god through the process because at the end the storm always passes
Today’s message was a reminder of how powerful Jesus is. In verse 25 we see how terrified but amazed the disciples were by Jesus. This indication helped me to imagine how we see God. We also got to see that Jesus is not only fully man but full God by doing something that only a being like God can do. When Jesus calmed the storm the instant reactions that he got from his disciples were fear and amazement. And although they did not have much faith in the beginning their faith was later recognized more through their interaction with the calming of the storm. I can definitely see myself acting like the disciples initially and this is just a reminder for me to continue trusting God and His abilities.