Matthew 8:23 – 27 ESV And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
When the storm was raging, Jesus was asleep. How could He sleep through such a major storm? Because He was probably exhausted. It is possible that the events recorded in chapters five through eight all took place in one day. If so, it had been a long and tiring day for Jesus. He was spent and needing rest.
The humanity of Jesus is an aspect that often gets overlooked or downplayed. Yes, all Christians know that Jesus was fully man while still being fully God, but have you ever thought about just what it means. God became human with all the frailties and weaknesses that are associated with it.
Jesus was (is) God. He was omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He willingly surrendered all these attributes to become a man. During the incarnation, he was no longer all-powerful. He only had the strength of a man. He was no longer all-knowing or all-present. He knew only what His senses, and sometimes the Holy Spirit, revealed to Him. and He was limited in time and space.
Christians often talk about the crucifixion as the sacrifice Jesus made for us. It was a sacrifice for sure. The sacrifice started 33 years before that. Just being a human was a sacrifice for One who was God. His whole life here on earth was one huge sacrifice.
Christians are called to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). This means becoming living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), just as Jesus did. The example Jesus gave us was a life devoted to serving God by serving others.
Lord, show me what it means to be a living sacrifice. Give me the strength and a proper attitude to serve You in a manner that imitates Christ.