What did Jesus mean when He said, ‘Peace! Be still!’? from Compelling Truth
Jesus says the phrase “Peace! Be still!” in Mark 4:39 as a command to the wind and waves in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. After teaching the multitudes all day, Jesus was ready to switch locations and rest. While the disciples and Jesus were sailing across the Sea of Galilee, a large storm arose.
The full story is found in Mark 4:35–41: “When evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'”
When we read this passage, we see that Jesus was asleep while the storm raged—it wasn’t bothering Him one bit. The disciples, on the other hand, were the ones who were alarmed and afraid of the storm, which led them to wake Jesus up by saying, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). This shows their level of desperation. The irony within this moment is that they questioned Jesus’ character by insinuating that He didn’t care about them, but at the same time, He was the one they all came to for help. It was a moment when doubt and faith converged, much like in the Christian walk. The disciples came to Jesus in fear and also in faith that He could change their situation, and He gave them greater understanding into who He was. They saw that He had authority over the wind and waves. He could command the sea, “Peace! Be still!” and the sea obeyed.
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