Matt 8:23-27, 23 “Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?””

Jesus was exhausted from the work of His ministry, preaching, teaching and healing the sick. He wanted to cross the sea of Galilee to go and rest and be quiet for a while.

The sea of Galilee is not very big. It is only few miles across. But the sea of Galilee is surrounded by high mountains.. The water of the sea is very clear and clean but also very deep. Because of the distinct conditions with the high mountains and valleys where wind can pass through, violent storms can suddenly form on the sea of Galilee.

Being exhausted, Jesus fell asleep in the fishing boat as they crossed the sea of Galilee. Jesus became poor so that we can become rich. He had no place to lay down His head as we read in Luke 9:58, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” He willingly clothed Himself in weakness and human flesh, so that He can help us and deliver us from sin and the power of the devil.

The Lord's suffering did not start in the garden of Gethsemane, but already when He started His ministry. We read in 1Pet 2:7 that “righteous Lot, was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked” of Sodom and Gomorrah. Now if Lot suffered so much how much more did our stainless Lord suffer as He beheld the wickedness while He was on earth!

Even today He is wearied and suffers because of your sin. We read in Isa 43:24b, “you have burdened Me with your sins, you have wearied Me with your iniquities” and in Mal 2:17, “You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?””

This boat is a picture of your life. Is Jesus in your boat? Have you invited Him into your boat and has He agreed to go with you? Woe to you if He is not there when the storm comes. Maybe you know that He is not with you but you trust in Grace and Peace and Joy and Riches. The Bible says in Jer 17:5, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD.” Unless Jesus is with you when the storm arise you are doomed. Even your husband or wife cannot help you. Only Jesus can. Even when death comes (and it will come), you need not fear if Jesus is in the boat with you.

When the disciples started their journey across the sea of Galilee, they had Peace and Joy with them, but when the storm arose Peace and Joy was nowhere to be found. Only Jesus could help, and praise God, He was in the boat and helped them and saved them!

The sea of life might seem quiet and peaceful, but storms will surely arise. Woe to you if Jesus is not with you then. Make sure that Jesus is with you in the boat.