Fishermen on the lake of Galilee still experience sudden violent storms which can sink a boat and drown a man in a few minutes. The Old Testament, particularly the Psalms, can help us to understand this nature miracle. Control of the raging waters was understood as one of the signs of divine power (Psalms 89:8-9, 93 :3-4, 106:8-12). The comparison of deep, dangerous waters with evil forces is found in Psalm 69: 1-2 and 14-15. Trust in God is expressed by saying that even in the greatest storms, God's power will save him who trusts in God (Psalm 46: 1-3, Psalm 107 :23-32). We may also notice the significance of untroubled sleep in the Old Testament, in connection with Mark 4:38. Untroubled sleep is a sign of perfect trust in God (Proverbs 3 :24, Psalm 4 :8, Psalm 3 :5, Leviticus 26 :6).

In calming the storm, Jesus demonstrated his divine power to the disciples who were to be the leaders of the Church but whose lack of faith had led them to rebuke Jesus for his untroubled sleep in the midst of the storm. When they saw his power, they were filled with great awe, realizing how little they understood about Jesus (4:41).