He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The disciples' cry of wonder, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?" isn't just about the storm ending. It's a dawning realization that Jesus isn't merely a great teacher, but a divine authority whose word carries absolute power over creation itself. This moment reveals their faith in his ability was overshadowed by their fear, prompting Jesus' question about their trust.
He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus had just calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, startling his disciples. In the aftermath, he gently questions their lack of faith during the crisis, leading them to a profound realization and awe regarding his true identity as they witness his absolute authority over nature.
When the waves are crashing and your boat is filling, where does your faith go? Jesus asks his disciples this pointed question, and it reveals something crucial about how we access our faith when we need it most.
Faith Isn't Absent, Just Untapped
Jesus asks, “Where is your faith?” (v. 25). This isn't a condemnation of total unbelief. The disciples did call out to Jesus for help – that’s an act of faith! But their faith wasn't ready or active in the face of overwhelming fear.
Think of it like an emergency fund. You know the money is there, but in a panic, you can't remember where you put it or how to access it. The disciples had faith in Jesus, but the terrifying storm caused their faith to feel distant and inaccessible.
Jesus highlights that faith, even when present, needs to be actively relied upon, especially when circumstances are frightening.
In the midst of their fear, the disciples’ terror turns to awe. The storm doesn't just reveal their lack of faith; it forces them to confront the unbelievable identity of the one they are with.
Awe in the Face of Authority
After Jesus calms the storm with a word, the disciples aren't just relieved; they are terrified and filled with wonder.
Their question, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” (v. 25) is profound. They had seen Jesus teach, heal, and cast out demons. But witnessing His absolute authority over the natural elements is something entirely new and staggering.
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This moment shifts their understanding. It's no longer just about a great teacher or prophet; it's about someone with divine power, someone who holds the very forces of nature in His hand. This encounter with Jesus’s supreme authority is meant to solidify their trust and awe in His true identity.
Understand the original words
pistis · Greek Noun
Confidence and trust in the person and power of God; it is not merely intellectual assent but an active reliance on God's character and promises, even in the face of impossible circumstances.
This event highlights the disciples' struggle to reconcile Jesus' human presence with his divine authority, showing how even those close to him were still learning to trust him fully in moments of crisis.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus' Galilean Ministry
Jesus traveled extensively around the Sea of Galilee, teaching and performing miracles. His disciples, including fishermen, accompanied him on these journeys.
Early 1st century AD
Storm on the Sea of Galilee
During a boat journey across the Sea of Galilee with his disciples, a violent storm suddenly erupted, threatening to capsize their vessel.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus Calms the Storm
Jesus, awakened by his frightened disciples, rebuked the wind and the waves, bringing immediate calm to the sea. This event demonstrated his authority over nature.
Early 1st century AD
Disciples' Astonishment
The disciples, witnessing Jesus' power, were filled with awe and fear, questioning amongst themselves who he truly was, given his command over the elements.
This passage echoes the disciples' astonishment, highlighting God's absolute authority over the seas by stating He has decreed their limits, a power Jesus demonstrates directly in Luke 8:25.
Psalm 107:23-30This psalm describes sailors crying out to the Lord in a storm and how He calms the waters, paralleling the disciples' desperate plea and Jesus' immediate, powerful response.
Matthew 14:31Similar to the wonder expressed in Luke 8:25, Peter's moment of doubt and subsequent sinking after walking on water prompts Jesus to exclaim, 'O you of little faith,' revealing a recurring theme of tested faith in His disciples.
Mark 4:39-41This account, from another Gospel, shows Jesus rebuking the wind and sea, followed by the disciples' fearful wonder and questioning, 'Who then is this?' – a direct parallel to the awe and questioning in Luke 8:25.
Isaiah 40:26This verse points to the immensity of God's power by declaring He 'brings out their host by number, and he calls them all by name,' emphasizing the Creator's sovereign control over the vastness of creation, including the very elements Jesus commands.
gillLuke 8:25: "And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him."
And he said unto them, where is your faith?.... That is, he said so to his disciples, who had professed faith in him, but now discovered very little: and they being afraid, wondered; being filled with awful sense of his majesty, were amazed at his power and authority, in rebuking the wind and se…
ellicottLuke 8:25: "And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him."
(25) What manner of man. —Better, Who then is this? And water.—Better, and the water.
The disciples' cry of wonder, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?" isn't just about the storm ending. It's a dawning realization that Jesus isn't merely a great teacher, but a divine authority whose word carries absolute power over creation itself. This moment reveals their faith in his ability was overshadowed by their fear, prompting Jesus' question about their trust.
Jesus had just calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, startling his disciples. In the aftermath, he gently questions their lack of faith during the crisis, leading them to a profound realization and awe regarding his true identity as they witness his absolute authority over nature.
Jesus had just calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, startling his disciples. In the aftermath, he gently questions their lack of faith during the crisis, leading them to a profound realization and awe regarding his true identity as they witness his absolute authority over nature.
"He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”" — The disciples' cry of wonder, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?" isn't just about the storm ending. It's a dawning realization that Jesus isn't merely a gre…
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Last reviewed October 2026