Truly you are the Son of God
Why did the disciples say, “Truly you are the Son of God” after He calmed the storm in (Matthew 14:33)?
Throughout His ministry, Jesus revealed His deity by His actions. He healed many people with diseases (Matthew 8:14–17), He calmed a raging storm (Matthew 8:23–27), and He expelled demons (Matthew 8:28–34). After feeding the 5,000, Jesus calms another storm. In response, the disciples exclaim, “Truly you are the Son of God” and worship Him (Matthew 14:33). Jesus’ actions reveal He is truly the Son of God, and the disciples respond accordingly. Recognizing Jesus for who He is leads to a life of faith and worship.
After the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, Jesus sends the disciples away by boat while He goes to pray (Matthew 14:22–33). Throughout the night, the wind and waves rage, and the boat was “buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it” (verse 24). Shortly before dawn, Jesus walks to the disciples on the water. Mistaking Him for a ghost, the disciples are terrified. Even though the disciples had been with Jesus throughout His ministry, they do not recognize Him. There are times when we, too, fail to recognize the Lord’s presence in the midst of our storms, though He is right there with us. Fear clouds our vision, whereas trusting in Him leads to peace. Isaiah 26:3 tells us that He “will keep in perfect peace all who trust in [Him], all whose thoughts are fixed on [Him]!” (NLT).
Fear also heightens our attention to our circumstances rather than increasing our trust in the God who is in control. After Jesus assures the disciples it is He and not a ghost, Peter walks to Jesus on the water and is able to do so until he becomes fearful of the wind and starts sinking (Matthew 14:30). When we focus on our circumstances instead of trusting in God, we, too, become overwhelmed by what we see. Jesus is the One who calms the storm. Jesus takes Peter by the hand, and they climb into the boat. Seeing the storm calm when Jesus enters the boat, the disciples respond by worshiping Him and saying, “Truly you are the Son of God” (verse 33). When we recognize Jesus for who He is, the proper response is worship—acknowledging God in all His power and glory—and praise—joyfully recounting what He has done.
On a previous occasion, the disciples had seen Jesus calm a storm (Matthew 8:23–27). At that time, they were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:27). This time, the disciples know that Jesus is not a mere man, and they exclaim, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). This declaration reveals that the disciples had grown in their faith to realize that Jesus is truly God. His actions revealed His identity. Only God could walk on water, and only God could make the wind and waves obey Him. This is the first time of many that the disciples address Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 16:16; 26:63; 27:40, 43, 54). In calling Jesus the “Son of God,” the disciples were acknowledging His deity; the designation Son of God was a way of saying Jesus possessed the same nature as God.
Jesus is truly the Son of God. He is God Almighty over the wind and waves and over the storms of our lives. Our response to Jesus should match that of the disciples: trusting in Him, praising Him for who He is, and worshiping Him with our lives. When our focus is on Jesus and not on our circumstances, we can say, “Truly you are the Son of God,” just as the disciples did after He calmed the storm.
