1. This lake was a center of Jewish life.
It is Israel’s largest fresh water lake, 8 miles by 13 miles, also known as the Gennesaret, after a nearby plain. The lake, part of the Jordan Valley rift, is on the edge of the Africa and Asia plates. It is the lowest fresh water lake in the world. The Dead Sea , the lowest lake, is salt water.

2. The lake was a center of commerce and trade. We think of a lake as a country retreat, but this was on the trade route from Egypt to the great civilizations of Asia, and had much trade. It is listed in Isaiah as ‘Via Maris’

3. This was the locus of Jesus’ ministry, including miracles ‘feeding the five thousand’, source of apostles, Simon, Andrew, John, and James, and teaching ‘sermon on the mount’. The apostle Paul spent more time in salt water, and had many storm stories as well.

4. The boat was likely a fishing boat, possibly also used for transit. One has been recovered, and is in a museum, in Israel. A thirty foot long wooden sailboat, with oars, and ballast in bags, this may have been the size and style of the boat in this story. There were hundreds of small fishing boats in the Sea of Galilee at this time.

4.The Sea of Galilee is low and tropical, and is surrounded by hills several thousand feet high, with cooler air. The lake’s depth is only 200 feet, so the frequent storms, caused by the temperature clash, can produce strong winds and short choppy waves very quickly.

5 Since these storms arrive suddenly, small open vessels can be caught out in the open, even on such a small lake, and the waves can be quite dangerous. Similar conditions can be found on Lake Erie.

6. Why was Jesus asleep. The phase “just as he was” is similar “he was tired” in John 4:6. The cushion may have been one of the bags of sand used for ballast. There can be a small covered area near the stern of the vessel, and perhaps Jesus was partly under this small deck.

6 Miracles are the main part of Jesus’ ministry. The parables and teaching of Jesus are supported by frequent miracles that give him the authority to claim his identity as the messiah. This miracle saved the boat’s crew from disaster, and also stilled the waves and water, a supernatural event, as the usual course would have been for the wind to subside first, and for waves to remain for a while.

7 After the miracles, there were two rebukes. - Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?". The rebukes established that Jesus was frustrated with the weak faith of the disciples. He rebuked them here as elsewhere for acts of disbelief, or for their willful disagreement with his plans.

8 There is an implicit understanding that the disciples had a faith that was weak under stress. The apostles statement about Jesus not caring is a rebuke to Jesus for ignoring their peril.

9 There are three greats in this story. There is a great storm, then there is a great miracle, followed by a great fear and respect of Jesus’ supernatural power.

Lessons
1. Jesus expects us to have faith in his divinity. The miracles are tools to provide Jesus authority.
2. His sleep when the storm begins, and pointed rebuke after performing his miracle are good examples of Jesus’ dual nature, both human and divine.
3. Jesus actively wanted to prove his supernatural nature while on earth by doing miracles. He had a plan, the miracles were frequent, they were the foundation of his ministry, and Jesus had little good to say about folks who, after seeing the miracles, still had no faith.
4. His final miracle from the resurrection is available to us today, and offers us eternal life with the father.