One day, after ministering to huge crowds, Jesus and the disciples went sailing when the Lord, being tired, fell fast asleep.
Then the winds picked up a little.
And the sea became choppy.
It wasn’t enough to worry those seasoned fishermen, though.
And Jesus didn’t stir.
Then the winds became a storm. Waves splashed hard across the bow, spraying the disciples. They prepared to ride out the storm. They also began to worry.
And Jesus kept sleeping.
Then came the tempest. The boat lurched and swayed. Crashing waves filled it with water. They wouldn’t make it to shore. They were going to drown!
And Jesus kept sleeping.
The disciples couldn’t wait any longer. They went to Jesus and shook Him awake:
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!” (Matt 8:25).
The Lord opened His eyes, looked around, looked back to the disciples, and calmly asked:
“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. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matt 8:26-27).
Have you ever seen a grandmother hush a crying child? That’s what I imagine Jesus did. He looked around at the bothersome storm and told the wind and the sea to “Hush!”
And they did!
The great tempest gave way to a great calm. The disciples were amazed! Of course, prophets such as Elijah had prayed for the rains to come. Moses parted the sea. But no one had simply commanded nature to hush!
So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matt 8:27).
How could Jesus do what He did?
What kind of a man has that kind of power?
Who is He?
Everyone who knew Jesus asked those questions. It was asked by the disciples, by Jesus’ enemies, and by the early Christians. Those questions were debated for centuries across the Christian world and are still hotly debated today.
What do you call the branch of theology that studies questions about the person, nature, and work of Jesus? Christology.
How familiar are you with Christology?
Do you know what the ancient and current debates are?
Do you know the differences between what Christians, Mormons, and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe about Jesus?
Do you know why Jesus has the authority to give believers eternal life and to command their total allegiance to Him?
Do you know why Jesus should be worshipped?
Those are all questions answered by Christology. And we’ll be exploring them together.
