Jesus Calms the Storm: An Animated Re-Telling

from Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25

Imagine the peaceful sounds of a boat sailing quiet waters.

The almost-silence of the hull cutting through the silent seas. The gentle whisper of the wind coming up behind, filling the sail. The rippling sound of the sail as it tightens and tugs. The calming creak of the ropes pulling against the mast. The distant call of a bird winging its way through the darkness.

Now, imagine the feeling you’d feel as you rested your back against the rim of the boat, listening to these sounds, watching the gray clouds against the night sky. How wonderfully restful and relaxed you’d be feeling. How you might turn to a friend and strike up a nice, nighttime conversation. How you’d stretch your legs in front of you, feeling sleepy, feeling content, feeling the warm west wind as it played across your face…

Well, that was all twenty minutes ago. 

All that peace and rest is over now.

Now, an unbelievable storm has descended off the hills, rushing wind from the heights, and the water around you is boiling and pitching and troughing and smashing. Where before the sounds were silence, whispers, ripplings, creakings and calls, now the night is full of SHOUTING, SCREAMING, TEARING, CRASHING and FEAR. Now your boat is tumbling down a wave’s face into a pit of dark water; the next, you are rising, rising, rising up another. The waters are coming over both sides of the boat – you see your friends bailing it out with buckets – and you’re starting to hear a scary sound that sounds like the mast beginning to splinter and break. All at once, lightning suddenly flashes. For just that split second, you can clearly see all the chaos around you.

What will you do? What can you do?

And that’s when you remember that Jesus is in the stern – there in the back of the boat – and you wonder what He’s been doing during all of this? Finding your balance, you hold the edge of the boat and you’re walking back, stepping over the seats and tackle, and you’re hoping He hasn’t been thrown overboard…

And there He is: asleep. 

ASLEEP! 

He is lying on a comfortable cushion, asleep, despite all the wind and the waves. There’s the slightest hint of a smile on His lips – perhaps He’s dreaming – you’re almost feeling badly as you grab His shoulder; shake Him awake.

He makes that funny face He always makes when waking. Blinks His eyes a few times, trying to get His bearings. Then He yawns. Stretches His arms high over His head and sits up. And now He’s looking at you, like, “What? What’s the meaning of this midnight wakeup?”

“JESUS,” you shout, “DON’T YOU CARE THAT WE MIGHT DROWN?”

He doesn’t say a word in response to your question.

Instead, He stands up to His feet, puts His hands on His hips, and stares out into the wind and waves and lightning and sprays and darkness.

“Hush,” He whispers under His breath. All He does is whisper that one word.

And if you hadn’t been there, hadn’t seen what happened next, hadn’t experienced the whole thing for yourself, you’d never in a million years believe what your own eyes now see for themselves.

Glassy waters.

The drip-drip of droplets falling from the sailcloth.

The absolute silence of a slack wind.

The twinkling of a million-billion stars in a clear sky.

Looking at Jesus, you watch Him as He turns around, sits back down on His comfortable cushion in the stern, and smiles with that funny half-smile of His. “Why were you so frightened?” He asks you. “What has happened to your trust in Me?”

And that’s the very first moment – the moment He settles Himself back down to sleep the rest of the night on His comfortable cushion – that you realize that Jesus created EVERYTHING. 

That the whole entire world came from His command. 

From His Word. 

Including you.

That’s what you’re thinking about as you fall asleep on the calm waters…

Lets Talk About It

• Have you ever felt as scared as the disciples in the storm? What made you afraid?

• Picture that scary moment in your imagination, but this time picture Jesus there with you. Is He scared? What is He doing? What is He saying?

• How do you feel about that situation now that He’s there with you?