A place where Jesus stood
The Sea of Galilee, Where He Stilled the Storm
The Sea of Galilee is really a freshwater lake, a broad blue heart set low among the Galilean hills, ringed by slopes that rise steeply on nearly every side. By day it can lie calm and shining, dotted with fishing boats. But those same hills funnel the winds down onto the water without warning, and in minutes a flat lake becomes a churning storm with waves that swamp a boat. The fishermen who worked here knew its moods and feared them. On these waters Jesus called His first disciples, taught from a boat pushed out from the shore, and did two of His most astonishing acts. Feel the wind pick up off the hills and you understand why the men in the boat that night cried out in terror.
“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”Mark 4:39
“And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.”Matthew 14:25
The place
The Sea of Galilee is a large freshwater lake in northern Israel, about thirteen miles long and set roughly seven hundred feet below sea level, fed and drained by the Jordan River. Its low position surrounded by higher terrain makes it prone to sudden, violent squalls, as cool air rushes down the slopes and collides with the warm air over the water. In the first century a thriving fishing industry worked its shores, and towns like Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Magdala ringed the lake. Boats were essential to daily life and trade, moving people, fish, and goods around the water. The lake was the setting for much of Jesus's ministry, the place where sea and shore and hillside met in the ordinary business of Galilee.
What happened here
On this lake, one evening, Jesus and His disciples set out by boat, and Jesus fell asleep. A fierce storm rose, waves breaking over the boat until the seasoned fishermen feared for their lives. They woke Him, and He stood and rebuked the wind and the sea, telling it to be still, and at once there was a great calm. The frightened disciples asked one another what kind of man this was, that even wind and water obeyed Him. On another occasion, after the disciples had rowed out into the night and a storm arose, Jesus came to them walking upon the water, and told them not to fear. Peter stepped out toward Him across the waves before his fear made him sink and cry for help.
What this place reveals about Jesus
The Sea of Galilee reveals the Lord of creation. Only the God who made the seas can silence a storm with a word and walk upon the waves as though on solid ground. In the Scriptures it is God alone who rules the raging waters and stills their roar, so when Jesus does this the disciples are right to be filled with awe. He is no mere teacher but the Creator in their boat. Yet He is also the Savior who comes to His people in the storm, saying do not be afraid, and who reaches out and catches the sinking Peter by the hand. Here is a Christ mighty enough to command the elements and near enough to hold a drowning man. The wind and the sea know their Master, and so may we.
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Questions people ask
Is the Sea of Galilee a sea or a lake?
It is a freshwater lake, though it is traditionally called a sea. It goes by several names, including the Sea of Galilee, the Lake of Gennesaret, and the Sea of Tiberias. It sits far below sea level and is still an active fishing lake today, ringed by towns and remembered as the setting for much of Jesus's Galilean ministry.
Why does the Sea of Galilee have such sudden storms?
The lake lies low, surrounded by hills and, to the east, higher plateaus. Cool air from those heights can rush down the slopes and collide with the warm, moist air sitting over the water, whipping up violent squalls in a very short time. This natural pattern fits the Gospel accounts of storms that arose quickly and frightened even experienced fishermen.