Matthew 8:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing."

NIV: The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!"

NASB: And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing!'

CSB: So the disciples came and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We’re going to die!"

NLT: The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, 'Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!'

KJV: And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

NKJV: Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

A boat carrying Jesus and His disciples is beginning to "swamp"—to take on water—amid a sudden and violent storm on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23–24). At least a few of the disciples were experienced fishermen who had encountered storms before. And yet, in this situation, they are alarmed at the waves pouring into the boat. This is not simply an instance of irrational fear; there is real danger that the boat will sink, and the passengers will drown. Finally, the disciples wake Jesus up and cry out to Him, fearing for their lives.

In Mark's telling of the story (Mark 4:35–41), the disciples wake Jesus with an accusation, "Do you care that we're dying?" It is likely that different disciples said different things. What's universal is that they were sure the end was near, and they did not understand how Jesus could sleep through it. They wanted Him to wake up and save them before it was too late.

Matthew 8:23–27 demonstrates Jesus' authority over nature. Out on the Sea of Galilee in a boat, Jesus is sleeping soundly. A sudden and violent storm springs up, pouring water into the boat from the waves. The disciples fear for their lives and wake Jesus to ask Him to save them. He asks them why their faith is so small and then immediately calms the storm with a rebuke to the wind and waves. The disciples marvel and wonder what sort of man Jesus is if even the wind and sea obey Him.

Matthew begins a series of stories revealing Jesus' authority over sickness, demons, and even the weather. Jesus heals a humble man with leprosy and great faith. He then heals the servant of a Roman centurion who understands that Jesus does not need to come to his home; He can just speak a word. Jesus praises the Gentile man's amazing faith. After healing many more, Jesus and the disciples get caught in a deadly storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus stops the storm with a word. Later, He casts demons out of two men and into a huge herd of pigs.

Matthew 8 follows the conclusion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). He turns to telling a series of dramatic stories to show Jesus' power and authority over every kind of disease, over demons, and even over the weather. Jesus also gives brief teachings about the hard road of following Him on earth. He calms a violent storm with a single command and casts demons from two violently possessed men. Matthew will focus mostly on miracles until shifting focus to Jesus' teachings and parables in chapter 11.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 11/21/2024 7:08:09 AM