What Kind of Man Is This?

This morning, I dove into the Gospel according to Matthew. I was reading the account of Jesus calming the storm as He and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee. It’s found in Matthew 8:23–27, and if you haven’t read it before, I encourage you to take a moment and read it for yourself. That way God can speak to you just as he spoke to me.

Here’s a quick summary:

Jesus and His disciples get into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. As they sail, a furious storm breaks out — the waves are crashing, the boat is being swamped, and the disciples are terrified. Meanwhile, Jesus is asleep.

In their panic, the disciples wake Him up and cry out,
“Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

Jesus responds,
“You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”

Then He gets up, rebukes the winds and the waves, and suddenly, everything becomes completely calm.

The disciples are stunned. They’ve just seen something impossible. And in awe, they ask:
“What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

That question stuck with me. What kind of man is this?

We might be quick to say, “Well, He’s the Son of God, of course He can do that.” And while that’s very much true, I wanted to dive deeper into the nature of Jesus. Who exactly is He? How do we understand someone who is both powerful enough to command the winds and waves and yet tired enough to fall asleep in a storm?

Clearly, Jesus was divine, the miracles, the authority, the power all point to that. But He was also human. He got tired (as we see in this passage), He ate, He felt emotions, He was born, and ultimately, He died.(Spoiler alert 3 days later he Rises from the dead)

So how do we hold those two truths together? Was Jesus a divine being who only appeared human? Or was He just a man whom God worked through in powerful ways?

This isn’t a new question.

In the early centuries of the church, leaders wrestled with this very issue. The debates were so serious that in 451 A.D., Emperor Marcian and Pope Leo I convened a council to address it. Over 500 bishops gathered near what is now Istanbul, Turkey, at what became known as the Council of Chalcedon.

The outcome was a clear affirmation of what Scripture teaches: Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. This theological truth is known today as the Hypostatic Union — two distinct natures, divine and human, united in one Person.

Why does this matter?

Because if Jesus wasn’t fully human, He couldn’t represent us.
And if He wasn’t fully divine, He couldn’t save us.
But in Christ, both are true — and that’s the heart of the gospel.

Chalcedonian Definition (451 A.D.)

For those who want to explore further, here is an excerpt from the Chalcedonian Definition that shaped what Christians have believed for over 1,500 years:

“Following the holy fathers, we all with one voice teach the confession of one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ:
the same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity,
the same truly God and truly man,
of a rational soul and body,
consubstantial with the Father as to his divinity, and consubstantial with us as to his humanity;
like us in all things but sin.

He was begotten from the Father before the ages as to his divinity, and in these last days, for us and for our salvation,
was born of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos, as to his humanity.

He is one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten,
acknowledged in two natures
unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably;
the distinction of natures being by no means removed because of the union,
but the property of each nature being preserved and concurring into one person and one hypostasis —
not as though he were parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son and only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ.”

So What Does This Mean for Us Today?

It means that when you feel overwhelmed by life’s storms, when you’re anxious, afraid, or exhausted. The Jesus we cry out to isn’t distant or indifferent. He’s not just a powerful God looking down from heaven, nor is He merely a man with good intentions.

He is Jesus, the God who put on human flesh. 
He understands your fear, because He was one of us. 
And He has the power to calm your storm because He is God.

That changes everything.

So the next time you’re facing chaos, uncertainty, or hardship, remember the disciples question:
“What kind of man is this?”
He is the only One who can fully understand your struggle and overcome it.

He is Jesus — fully God, fully man, forever worthy of our worship, love, and praise!

Prayer:

God I’m in awe that you care for your creation so much that you would go to the extent in becoming one of us to fully understand us. You knew that was the only way we could be redeemed to be able to be with you in eternity. Thank you for giving us your son Jesus to die in our place so that we could live and Lord I thank you for your Holy Spirit that convicts us and guides our every step. We pray these things in the matches mighty name of Christ Jesus. Amen!

Worship Song: