As Jesus and these disciples are setting off across the Sea, Jesus is exhausted from the events of the day and falls asleep in the back of the boat on a cushion (Mark 4:38). Then, a great storm catches them unprepared.
Matthew records that it came upon them suddenly (8:24). Although the Sea of Galilee was a small sea, it was about 5-7 miles across and getting to the shore was evidently not a possibility. The great windstorm is pushing the waves all the way over the boat and beginning to fill it with water (Matthew 8:24, Mark 4:37). As the waves lap over the side of the boat, however, Jesus continues to sleep the sleep of an exhausted man who trusts the Father. Luke records they were in jeopardy (Luke 8:23). They believed they were about to die.
At this moment of terror and panic, when the disciples didn’t know what else to do but wake up Jesus, there is a multitude of thoughts and emotions flowing from the mouths of the disciples. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each record different statements, probably spoken by different disciples.
Emergencies reveal what kind of men we are. Pressure squeezes out what’s really inside us. The storm on the Sea of Galilee wasn’t just about weather—it was about how the disciples responded in crisis. Their mistakes are warnings for us. The story (Mark 4:35–41; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25) is a case study in the wrong ways to face pressure, fear, and hardship.
1. Panicking Like You’re Already Defeated (Luke 8:24)
“Master, Master, we are perishing!”
Some of the disciples panicked and gave in to fear. Their voices shook with panic. Jesus had already told them they were going to the other side, yet they doubted His word. Did they really think God was going to let the Messiah die in some storm on the Sea of Galilee? Fear is the enemy of faith.
The truth is, faith isn’t just believing in Jesus—it’s believing Him. There are many who recognize that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is the promised Messiah, that His blood was shed for the remission of our sins. They call Him “Lord, Lord,” but they do not do what He says (cf. Matthew 7:21-23). Why? They don’t believe Him. They don’t believe Jesus when He says the way is difficult and narrow (Matthew 7:13-14). They don’t believe Jesus when He says you must be born of water and the Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:3-5). Since they don’t believe Jesus, they don’t obey the will of the Father and they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. It is just as important to believe the words that Jesus spoke and taught through the Apostles as it is to believe in Jesus.
When we let fear run unchecked—whether over finances, health, or family—we act as if God’s word is empty. Jesus said they were going to the other side. They didn’t believe Him. Do we?
2. Doubting God’s Care (Mark 4:38)
“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
These men doubt the love of God. They see the danger they are in and they see Jesus sleeping and they question His care for them and their situation. They should have known better. This day they had seen Jesus work Himself to exhaustion helping and teaching others, and it wasn’t the first day they’d seen it, either. In addition, it wasn’t that long ago that Jesus taught them in the Sermon on the Mount that God would take care of them (cf. Matthew 6:25-34). They, like many today, need to realize the presence of trials and difficulties in life do not mean God is absent or uncaring.
In Romans 8:38-39, Paul says: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul’s point is not to say we will never have these problems, but that these problems cannot separate us from the love of God.
We often fall into this same trap. When hardship comes, we ask: Does God really love me? Has He abandoned me? But trials don’t prove God’s absence—they reveal our need to trust His presence.
When storms hit, we assume silence means neglect. But hardship never equals abandonment. As Paul said, nothing—nothing—can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Doubting His care dishonors the One who proved His love at the cross.
3. Crying Out in Overblown Desperation (Matthew 8:25)
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
Some disciples simply cried for help. They didn’t know how Jesus would save them—they just knew He could. Their faith wasn’t strong, but at least it looked in the right direction.
But notice: even here, Jesus calls this little faith. Their cry was tinged with exaggeration—“We are perishing!”—when in truth, they weren’t. Stronger faith would have realized the situation was not out of control.
Yes, prayer is the right instinct. But frantic, faithless prayer still shows immaturity. God doesn’t want men who only call on Him in fear. He wants men who call on Him with steady trust, knowing the storm is never stronger than His presence.
4. Forgetting Who’s in the Boat (Mark 4:39–41)
And then there’s Jesus. He stood and rebuked the wind and waves, and a great calm fell. As great as that storm was, the peace that Jesus brought was greater. It was a peace so great it stunned these men. They were fishermen, lived in this area, spent their lives on the water. They had not seen such a great storm end so abruptly and they knew it all happened by the command of Jesus.
In fearful awe they ask, “Who can this be?” The question is left up to the reader to ponder, but one thing we know: this is one who can save. He can save physically and He can save spiritually.
That’s the man we need to follow—the one who brings peace greater than the storm. He doesn’t promise a life without trials, but He does promise His presence and His power.
The disciples’ biggest failure wasn’t the storm—it was forgetting who was with them. Jesus rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was great calm. The storm wasn’t their greatest threat; unbelief was.
Too often, we treat Christ like a last resort instead of the Lord of every situation. Forgetting who’s in the boat will always leave us afraid.
Jesus’ Rebuke
Even after saving them, Jesus rebuked His disciples: “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). Fear had drained their courage. Worry had robbed their trust.
He seems frustrated at their cowardice and lack of faith. They had little faith because they were afraid. Fear is the enemy of faith. It sapped away their faith in the Lord. Before we criticize these men too harshly, however, we need to consider if we are guilty of the same. Jesus has commanded us not to worry even about the necessities of life because God will take care of us (Matthew 6:31-32).
Yet, how many of us still worry? We are afraid our future is not secure and our needs will not be met, so we worry. We are letting fear sap our faith from us just as it sapped the faith from these men in the boat. We then are the ones with little faith. We have been commanded to go into all the world and make disciples, but we often let cowardice prevent us from carrying out the command of Christ. When this happens, we are the ones with little faith.
But Jesus calls us to more. He calls us to stand firm when the storm comes, not because we’re strong enough—but because He is.
The Right Way
The story isn’t just about storms—it’s about how men respond. Jesus calls us to:
- Trust His Word instead of panicking.
- Rest in His love instead of doubting.
- Pray with faith instead of desperation.
- Remember His presence instead of forgetting who He is.
Storms will come. That’s guaranteed. The only question is: will we handle them like fearful men of little faith—or like men who trust the Lord who still calms the sea?
Conclusion
The storm on the Sea of Galilee was more than a weather event—it was a mirror held up to the disciples’ hearts. Their fear, doubt, desperation, and forgetfulness revealed how men often fail in trials. But Jesus’ rebuke wasn’t meant to crush them—it was meant to grow them.
The storms in your life will expose you too. They will reveal whether you treat God’s Word as truth or suggestion, whether you doubt His care, whether you pray from fear or faith, and whether you truly remember who walks with you.
The good news is this: the same Lord who calmed the sea is still in the boat with us. He hasn’t changed. The question is not whether the storms will come—they will. The question is whether you will let fear strip your faith, or whether you will stand as a man who trusts the One who commands the waves.
Storms are guaranteed. The question is whether you’ll cave like a men of little faith—or stand like a man who trusts the Lord of every storm.
Knights of The Father 