Jesus was a man with like passions and trials as all of us and he had experienced a great day of preaching and teaching. He had healed many and even had some to volunteer to follow Jesus. But Jesus knew himself -- his mission and the hearts of those who truly want to follow him.

After such a tiring day, Jesus needed to get away and rest his spirit and renew time with his Father. In order to do that, he gets into a boat and asks to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. However, even in the sea of Galilee he cannot seem to get away from those who wanted to be around him, as Mark tells us that many small boats were with him. But they do not remain, and they may have left because they saw the gathering storm.

Storms come quickly on the inland Sea of Galilee. The mountains that rise above it cause the winds to come down like a funnel on the Sea of Galilee and such winds at such a force whip the sea into a turmoil very quickly.

In the boat as they were sailing across the sea, Jesus was asleep in the stern, at peace with God, and exhausted. He was tired, worn and weary. Truly he understands what it is like to be tired, and he knows that we humans need rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Yet even his peaceful slumber was soon to be disturbed.

As they continued across the Sea, the fishermen who guided the small craft were used to storms, but the boat slowly filling with water as the waves crashed upon it and in it. It was enough to cause even these seamen to panic.

They wake Jesus up, and ask the question, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" In their panic they thought all was lost. These cries of the fishermen and seamen would be enough to test a man's mettle -- how will he react? Will he, too, be afraid? What would he do? What could he do about a storm? Jesus did not come to die in a storm or due to a shipwreck. He came to die a purposeful death on a cross for the sins of mankind.

And that is what makes the question they ask take on a special meaning. "Do you not care that we are perishing?" YES he cares. He cared about them in the boat, but he also sees mankind lost, adrift on the sea of hopelessness, and he heard their cry from heaven -- "Do you not care that we are perishing?" YES, he cared enough to come from the glories of heaven and live upon this earth as a man, to perfectly keep the demands of a righteous God, and die so that man could live. His resurrection vindicated the fact that God cared and continues to care for mankind.

Jesus calmed the storm at a word -- Peace be still! It was a stupendous miracle that many try to explain away or say didn't happen. Rationalists and modernists, who do not believe in miracles because they have not seen one (who were not there and do not know) says the story was made up; after all, no man can control the elements. Others try to find some rationalistic explanation. There is none.

If we believe God rules and Christ rose from the dead; if we believe he is in control and that all things are done for the completion of his ultimate will we would have no problem believing this miracle. Nor will we be disturbed at the doubts of those who do not believe.

Jesus came to bring peace to the storms of our lives; he came to bring peace between God and man and to help man seek peace among his fellows. Only Jesus can do that. Only one who is able to still storms can truly bring peace!