You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.
Does that sound familiar? Oh yes, it is in the New Testament, but, it seems that the Holy Spirit, in inspiring the Old Testament, wanted to lay a firm foundation (no pun intended) for this additional testimony as to Jesus being God. He used sea waves. Let’s explore the OT first.
Job 9 finds him lamenting his situation and responding to the Bildad’s “comforting words” that God rewards the good, so, by inference, Job must not be “good.” Job begins a long defense of, not himself, but God. Job 9 records it, but we will excerpt portions.
5 “It is God...8 And tramples down the waves of the sea....”
Psalm 107:29 continues our thought. That is even more explicitly mirrored in the NT.
He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
Now let’s follow this thought into the Gospels. Matthew 8:26, 27
He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Matthew 14 gives us a second instance. This is the well-known time that Peter walked on the water. V. 32, 33
When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
Mark 4:39, 40 repeats this.
And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
This is notable, because Peter, who was probably the source of Mark’s account, did not include the water-walking episode. I am convinced that it was omitted, not to save Peter the embarrassment of admitting his lack of faith, but to downplay his valor in the incident. He was the only one who stepped out of the boat. But I digress.
Luke 8:23-25 is the final version.
But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 24 They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”
The answer to their query, “Who is this?” is very simple. Just glance back to the Old Testament. Clearly, the Holy Spirit was preparing the path for these guys to “get it.” Jesus, in their presence, performed acts that only God, Himself, could do.
The answer, is, that He is God. A casual reading of the Old Testament, Psalms in this instance, just leaps out of the page calling out, “Who did this?” Or, “Who could do this?” Our quick search removes all doubt as to the identity of the One Who literally did this.
The Old Testament writers were speaking theoretically. They had not seen this happen. It reminds me of chemistry class. I would give the students the concept, then we would conduct an experiment to observe it in action. God, in principle, can do these things. But the disciples literally went into the lab and did the “experiment.”
The Lord graciously opened the book of proofs, the answer book for educators in our group, for us to know beyond doubt that Jesus Christ is Lord–God. Glory, what a Savior.
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