Matthew 8 tells one of my favorite stories about Jesus. He and his disciples get in a boat to sail across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is tuckered out from preaching and healing and ministering, so he falls asleep. While he’s sleeping a storm sweeps in, threatening to drown them all. The disciples wake Jesus in a panic and ask him to save them. With a word he calms the storm. And then we get to my favorite verse, 8:27: “And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
This is exactly the right question to ask about Jesus. In fact, this is the question we should be moved to ask over and over again.
What sort of man is this who fulfills the law and the prophets? (Matthew 5:17)
What sort of man is this who befriends sinners? (Matthew 11:19)
What sort of man is this who prays for his followers? (John 17)
What sort of man is this who lays down his life for his sheep? (John 10:11)
Every encounter we have with Jesus in the Bible should stir our hearts to ask what sort of man is this. And every answer we find will only lead us deeper into wonder and awe at him.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.
