Jesus needs to stretch the faith of his disciples to strengthen and prepare it for the trials ahead. They really need to grasp that he means what he says about God’s kingdom. So he decides on a trip across the lake to Gentile territory. However, en route a storm threatens their lives whilst he sleeps in the back of the boat, leading them to wonder once again if he knows what he’s doing. Jesus, however, awakens to recognise the storm as a God-given moment to demonstrate the deeper realities of his kingdom. Like the Lord in the Old Testament, he rebukes the sea and calms it. His disciples are left terrified, beginning to see that the Rabbi they follow and trust is far more than they have realised. Here truly is the Son of God.
Frontpage/MP3 photo by Harshil Gudka on Unsplash
And here is a short talk based on the same passage: He Changed The World (Episode 12)