Jesus Calms the Storm

Scripture Reference:
Luke 8:22-25

Suggested Emphasis:
Jesus has power over nature. We can trust Jesus is in control.

Memory Verse: “The followers were afraid and amazed. They said to each other, ‘What kind of man is this? He commands the wind and the water, and they obey him!’” Luke 8:25b, ICB

Story Overview:

After an exhausting day of preaching to the multitudes, Jesus got in a boat and told the disciples to sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus went to sleep. A squall arose, and high winds and raging waters put the boat in peril. Jesus slept through it all! When the frightened disciples woke Jesus, He simply ordered the storm to stop. Everything immediately became calm.

Background Study:

You can read the same story in Matthew 8:23-27 and Mark 4:36-41.

The Sea of Galilee is in a basin surrounded by mountains. Furious storms often come up quickly. Although it is called a sea, it is actually a large lake that is just over 11 kilometres (7 miles) wide at its widest point east-west and 21 kilometres (13 miles) long from north to south. Its deepest point is only 141 feet (43 meters).

Jesus had been preaching to the crowds all day in the area of Galilee. Mark 4:1 records that the crowds became so large that Jesus climbed into a boat and taught from it while the people crowded on the shore. Although He spent much of His time with people, even Jesus needed time to be alone and rest. He and His disciples used the boat to sail to the other side of the lake to the region of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes, as Matthew records).

The boat could have belonged to Peter or one of the other disciples. Peter, Andrew, James and John all came from fishing families. It would have been large enough to hold Jesus and the twelve. Usually, fishing boats could be rowed or sailed.

Jesus slept soundly while a storm came upon them and increased in intensity. Things became so dangerous that the boat was swamped. There were experienced fishermen among the group. For them to wake Jesus and tell Him that they were all about to drown informs us that this was indeed a terrible storm.

Isn’t it amazing that Jesus continued to sleep? Perhaps this was because He knew that this was not His time to die. John records Jesus being very aware of the timing of His life (John 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 17:1). God did not send His son to die before the time was right.

Perhaps the disciples woke Jesus because they thought He could help bail out water or be ready to jump overboard if the boat went down. Their faith was not strong enough to be certain of their safety when Jesus was with them. They certainly never expected him to do what He did next. He spoke to the wind and water, and the storm immediately stopped.

Jesus was with God in creation when they spoke the wind and water into existence (Colossians 1:15-16). Commanding it now seems to be no problem at all.

“No one has seen God, but Jesus is exactly like him. Christ ranks higher than all the things that have been made. Through his power all things were made—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, all powers, authorities, lords, and rulers. All things were made through Christ and for Christ.” Colossians 1:15-16, ICB

These men thought they might die, but it wasn’t until after the storm that they became truly afraid (verse 25). They were awestruck by the presence of one who could control even nature.

Additional Bible Verses to Consider:

• Luke 8:22-25
• Colossians 1:15-16
• Psalm 89:8-9
• Psalm 107:23-32
• Job 38:8-11

Way to Introduce the Story:

Lead the group in a discussion about some of the storms any of you have experienced. Talk about thunder, lightning, rain, flood, waves, etc. Talk about your feelings during the storm. Were you frightened? Discuss the fact that you could only protect yourself; you could not actually stop the storm no matter what you would have done. Today we are going to talk about some people who were in a very bad storm.
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The Story:

The people loved to hear Jesus speak. Sometimes, huge crowds gathered to hear Him. Once, He was preaching by the Sea of Galilee, and many people crowded around Him. The crowd was so big that He got in the boat and preached back to the people still standing on the shore.

At the end of the day, Jesus and His disciples said goodbye to the people and then sailed the boat out into the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was so tired that He found a bed cushion and fell asleep.

Some of the other men on the boat were fishermen. They knew all about sailing on a boat. They were happy that the water was nice and calm and peaceful. They could relax. But soon, things began to change. The wind began to blow, and the waves pushed the boat around. Soon, it all turned into a very bad storm. The waves became so big that they were filling the boat with water.

During all of the excitement, there was only one person on the boat who was not worried. Guess who that was? Jesus! He was not worried because He was fast asleep.

The storm became so violent that the men began to think that the boat would sink. They thought they might all drown. They woke Jesus up and told Him that they were going to drown.

Jesus saw the storm, but He was not afraid at all. He looked at the waves and the water and said, “Quiet, be still!” And guess what? The storm stopped. The water became calm, and the wind stopped blowing.

Jesus looked at the disciples and said, “Why are you so afraid? Where is your faith?”

The disciples were amazed. They knew that Jesus was very special. Jesus was the only one who could make even a storm obey him.

Storms are very strong, but Jesus can even make them stop. Jesus is the Son of God.
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Ways to Tell the Story:

This story can be told using a variety of methods. Always remain true to the facts found in the Bible but help children connect to its meaning by using drama, visual aids, voice inflection or other group participation.
Click here for visual aids and story-telling methods.

Click here to download these illustrations and the slideshow. Be selective. Each teacher is unique, so only use the illustrations that best relate to how YOU tell the story in THIS lesson. Too many illustrations can be confusing, so eliminate any that cover other stories or details you do not wish to emphasise in this lesson.

Review and Reflection Questions:

Review questions help children remember and know the facts of a story, while reflection questions encourage them to internalize its meaning and implications for their lives. Asking at least one of each type of question can help strengthen a child’s spiritual development and help them connect to God. Click here to learn more about review and reflection questions.

Review:

1. Who was in the boat with Jesus? (His disciples)
2. What was happening all around Him while Jesus was sleeping in a boat? (There was a storm)
3. What happened to the boat? (It began to fill with water)
4. What did the disciples do when they were in danger? (They woke Jesus up and said they would drown)
5. What did Jesus do to the storm when he woke up? (He told the storm, “Be Quiet! Be Still!”)
6. What happened to the storm when Jesus told it to stop? (It stopped)
7. What did Jesus say to the disciples after the storm stopped? (“Where is your faith?”)
8. What did the disciples think after they saw Jesus calm the storm? (They were amazed that the winds and the waves obeyed Jesus)
9. What did the disciples learn from this experience?
10. What did you learn about Jesus from this story?

Reflection:

1. Have you ever been in a storm?
2. What do you think the storm the disciples were in looked like? What did it sound like?
3. How would it feel to be in a storm on a small boat?
4. Why do you think Jesus fell asleep during the storm instead of helping the disciples?
5. How did the disciples feel after they saw Jesus calm the storm?
6. How would you have felt in this storm? How would you have felt if you saw Jesus calm the storm?
7. Is there something you’re afraid of that you want to tell Jesus about? Pray and ask Jesus to help you.
8. What part of this story is most interesting to you?
9. What is something you wonder about in this story?

Prayer:

It is important to guide children in learning how to pray. In prayer, children can connect with God and learn that He hears and answers them. God can become a life-long friend who is with them every moment of their lives. Try using a variety of prayer methods from time to time so that the children can learn to connect with God in different ways. Note that you can pray at any time throughout your lesson. A variety of prayer methods are found here.

Song Suggestions:

• Sea of Galilee Song
• My God is So Big Song
• With Jesus in the Vessel (Smile in the Storm)
• Peace, Be Still (found in some church hymnals)
• Who’s the King of the Jungle?
• Refer to the Song Page on this website for more options.

Activities and Crafts:

(How to choose the best learning activities for my teaching situation)

Activities:

• Divide a large paper or chalkboard into two columns. Write “nature” at the top of one column and “Jesus” at the top of the other. Ask the children to compare the strength of nature with the strength of Jesus. There is power in nature, but it does not control anything.
• Provide a large blue bed sheet or tarpaulin and ask the children to stand in a circle or square, stretching the sheet out while holding its edges. Place a toy boat in the centre of the sheet and let the children “make a storm.” You could make a game out of it with one team trying to make the boat fall off onto their side and the other trying to make it fall on the opposite side.
• Invite someone to the group who has been in a really bad storm. Let them describe it to the children.
• Obtain a video containing a storm at sea. Show that portion of the tape to the children.
• Invite the children to respond to this story using the adaptable “God’s Story” printable reflection page. Free printables for this story.

Crafts:

• Discuss the weather. Make a weather chart and let the children take it home to keep track of this week’s weather.
• Use finger paints and paint a storm.
• Help the children make wind catchers with streamers so they can wave them in the air to act out the storm scene.
• Print bookmarks, trading cards or timelines (printable pages).
• Visit the Teaching Ideas page for additional activities and crafts.

Other Online Resources:

• Colouring page and worksheets about Jesus calming a storm (Calvary Curriculum)
• Craft: Boat picture (DLTK)
• Craft:Cork and paper boat (Enchanted learning)
• Craft: Ocean in a bottle craft (Activities for kids)

https://www.pinterest.com/marynnz/jesus-miracles/
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