JESUS calms the storm - the elevated perspective

Jesus Calms the Storm - 
From The Elevated Perspective

MATTHEW 8   23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm
27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”
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I'm going to challenge you to take a look at the the story of Jesus calming the storm from a different perspective. We are going to look at this from the perspective of a Son/Daughter, not from someone who is unsure of their identity. Most (if not all) of the time that I hear this story told, it is told from the perspective of the disciples. When the boat began to rock and water began to fill the boat, they began to run around in a panic because they didn’t yet understand who they were, or who Jesus was for that matter... but Jesus was able to sleep through the storm because He knew who He was. He knew He was a Son and knew that He had the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of Him.

We too often live life without this powerful realization. We have the very same Spirit living inside of us that raised Jesus from the dead. The same Spirit y’all. Not a similar spirit, not a spirit kinda like the one Jesus had, but the SAME Spirit. This is exactly why Jesus said we would do even greater things than He did. When we settle it in our hearts that we have this same Spirit dwelling inside of us, it’s a game-changer.

The Bible doesn’t tell us the names of who was on the boat with Jesus during this storm. We can assume that at least a couple of the disciples who used to be fisherman may have been on the boat at this time. During this storm, they reverted back to what the world told them they were, not who they were in Christ. Matter of fact, they couldn’t have fully understood who He was quite yet. Their fear and distress was a direct result of their lack of identity. They didn’t know who they were and they allowed the atmosphere to control them because of that.

When they came to Jesus for help, He was asleep in the boat. Upon awakening He got up, spoke to the wind and the waves, and the storm stopped. He knew who He was and He knew the power of the Spirit that was living inside of Him…. and when a Son or a Daughter is secure in their identity and is walking with the realization that the Holy Spirit is active inside of them, they can sleep during storms. They can speak to the winds and waves of life and calm the atmosphere.

Sons and daughters change the atmosphere, the atmosphere does not change them.

Recently I heard the song "Carrier" by Nathan Isaacs and the lyrics are as follows (paraphrased):

• because I live in my home it can no longer be the same
• the streets can no longer be the same because I walk on them
• my city is no longer the same because I live there
• The world can’t be the same because I live in it...

I call this viewpoint the elevated perspective - as opposed to the whiny, defeated, “poor pitiful me” Christian perspective that seems to constantly fill my facebook feed. Sons and Daughters who are secure in who they are don’t allow the atmosphere to change them. Sons and Daughters who are secure in who they are speak to the atmosphere and things change. Sons and Daughters aren’t what the world tells them they are. Sons and Daughters carry Father’s authority. The identity of a Son or Daughter isn’t wrapped up in what they used to be… Their identity is secure in who God says they are. Be a Son. Be a Daughter. Sleep unphased during your storm. Speak to your storm. Speak to someone else’s storm.



“And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:18