The Storm Within - The Gospels

In this Bible Story, Jesus shows his authority over wind, rain, and sea. With a word of might, he calms the raging storm and saves the apostles from certain death. Once the storm has subsided, Jesus faces a man who is plagued with a Legion of demons. The man rages and thrashes with the unholy spirit controlling his body, and Jesus calms the man’s soul just as he did the storm. This story is inspired by Mark 4:35 – 5:20 & Matthew 8:23-33 & Luke 8:22-39. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is Matthew 8:26 from the King James Version.

Episode 189: Jesus, weary from a day of teaching and ministering, went aboard Peter’s boat to sleep while he and the rest of the disciples made preparations to sail to the other side of the sea. However, a great storm was on the sea that night and the boat began taking on water by the bucketful. Frighted Peter woke Jesus up and as Jesus spoke, the wind and waves became silent. When they finally arrived at the shore of the Gerasenes, a broken, bloody, and demon-possessed man ran to Jesus. Not even a legion of demons could stand against God’s power as Jesus set this man free!

Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.

Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.

Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.

Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.

Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard

Producer: Ben Gammon

Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham

Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith

Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, and he saith unto them. Why are
ye fearful, O, ye of little faith? Then he arose
and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was
a great calm. Matthew six twenty six. Peace be still.

(00:22):
In the same way that Jesus spoke these words over
the waves in the storm, I too speak these words
over the storms in my life. Peace be still. When
others come to me to bring up the magnitude of
the storm I may be facing, I will, in all boldness,

(00:44):
remind them of the magnitude of my God. For there
is nothing that I can't conquer, because Jesus, who lives
inside of me, has already conquered this world and every
trouble in it. No matter the demonic attack around me,
I will not be moved when I am standing face

(01:06):
to face with Satan and his traps. Because of Jesus
and his sacrifice, I now possess more power than the
darkest of enemies. Thank you Jesus. Thank you that I
am set free, and that I also have the power
to point people to You and your absolute freedom. In

(01:30):
Jesus name, Amen, Thank you for praying with me to day.
Continue listening for an incredible Bible story brought to you
by Bible in a Year dot com.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
The Storm Within. In our last story, Jesus told parables
on the Kingdom of Heaven. He told earthly stories with
heavenly implications. His disciples were greatly impacted by the seemingly
backwards Kingdom of God. Now we see Jesus showing his
might and power. The same voice that spoke the universe

(02:10):
into existence, will calm storms and defeat over a thousand demons.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
With just a word.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Inspired by the Gospels.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
Hello, and welcome to the Bible in a Year podcast,
I'm Jack Graham. In our last episode, we heard Jesus
teaching about the things of Heaven, God's mercy, and the
incorruptible value of the Kingdom of God. The disciples marveled
at their master's words of wisdom and insight, desiring more

(02:41):
for understanding of the things of God. Today we'll see
as Jesus, once more, with only his words, rebukes the
seas and waves, bringing calm and safety into a place
of fear and despair. We'll see the same power over
the waves demonstrated against the evil spirits that held a
man captive. As Jesus calls out demons, who shudder at

(03:02):
the sound of his voice. So let's listen now to
the reading of God's word.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Dark clouds rolled in from the middle of the Sea
of Galilee. Jesus looked upon the waters towards the other side.
The mountains could be vaguely seen. About five miles across
the sea. There were dark and ominous. There were rumors
of a violent demoniac dwelling in the caves on the
other side. Let us go to the other side, Jesus

(03:29):
said confidently. So the twelve disciples and Jesus boarded Peter's
fishing boat. The skies grew darker as the clouds became thick.
The gentle breeze of the sea became more and more violent. Peter, James,
and John knew what was coming. They were fishermen and
knew all the signs of a tempest. Jesus, being weary

(03:50):
from a day of serving and preaching, went below to sleep.
The winds tore against the sails. There was a sharp
whistle coming from the north and south of the sea.
The two winds collided against one another in the middle
of the waters. It was as if the disciples were
caught in the middle of a cosmic war. The waves
thrashed and the rain began to drum against the boat.

(04:12):
James and Andrew leaned both their bodies against the rudder
to keep it in place. As Peter and John tied
in the sails. The others desperately emptied the boat of water,
but to no avail. The ship would sink in minutes
if the wind and rain did not cease. Jesus was
still sleeping soundly at the bottom of the boat. Simon
looked down at Jesus, astonished that someone so powerful could

(04:34):
sleep through such a nightmare. Master, he yelled. The boat
was jolted by a wave, and Simon was sent tumbling
into the side of the boat. He crawled to the
small space where Jesus was sleeping and shook him awake. Master,
do you not care that we are perishing? Jesus looked,
stood up, and walked towards the front of the boat.

(04:56):
The wind howled like a mighty titan. The disciples were
tap lost all around the boat from the waves, but
Jesus's feet were sturdy. As he marched, the wind whipped
at his back and the rain fell down like gravel.
Jesus looked at the storm like an adversary. The waves
were relentless and smashed against the bough to rock Jesus overboard.
God's hero stood firm. He stretched out his hand and said, hush, now,

(05:20):
be still. He spoke to the wind and waves like
disobedient children, like a lion. Finally tamed the wind and
waves subsided and calmed. The sun peered in through the
dark clouds, and the sea became still as glass. The
scattered rays of light fell on Jesus's face. He closed
his eyes and breathed in deeply. Jesus turned back to

(05:44):
his disciples and said, where is your faith? The disciples
could not answer him. They were dumbfounded by what they
had just witnessed. They had seen Jesus heal the sick
and turn water and wine, but they just saw him
command the untamable wind and unbeatable waves. With a word,
he made the rain cease. They thought they knew who
Jesus was, but they had not even begun to scratch

(06:07):
the surface. Peter released the sails and James took hold
of the rudder. They sailed gracefully to the country of Girasines,
which is opposite of Galilee. The boat came closer, and
the men could hear a deep, painful cry echo from
the mountains above the shore. Its sound was blood curdling,
the sound of screaming mixed with broken chains rattling against stone.

(06:30):
They pushed the boat onto shore, and Jesus stepped off
to see a man running towards him. He was naked
and screaming. Blood dripped down his mangled chest, and broken
chains were still attached to his wrists and feet. He
was like a rabid beast seeking prey, and the disciples
began to run back to the boat, but Jesus stepped forward.

(06:50):
As the beastly man leaped towards Jesus, he fell short,
with his face to the rocky sand. He yelled with
intense pain. Sand and blood covered his naked body. His
pupils were wide with rage and sadness. Tears fell down
the man's face, and he scowled at Jesus, Why do
you come to me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God.

(07:12):
His voice was deep and piercing, but behind the voice
was a man in great pain. He was possessed by
a demon, so it was no longer him who spoke.
He had a storm raging within him. What is your name,
Jesus asked, calmly, I am Legion. The demon replied for
I am Many. The demon's attempt to intimidate Jesus failed.

(07:34):
Jesus stepped forward, and the demon retreated backwards in fear.
Do not cast me out into the nothingness, Legion begged.
Jesus nodded and gestured to a herd of pigs grazing
on the side of the mountain. The man's body jolted backwards,
and all of the sudden, painful cries could be heard
from the pigs above the mountain. They ran in circles,
eventually tossing themselves off the side of the mountain into

(07:57):
the sea. When the pig herders saw this, they ran
back into the city and gathered people to come and see.
Jesus knelt down to the man's still body. He was
breathing but unconscious. Jesus gestured for one of the disciples
to bring water, and the man was restored to consciousness.
They clothed him and fed him. When the pig herders

(08:18):
came back with members from the city, they saw the
man at Jesus's feet, speaking his right mind Jesus smiled
and waved towards the group. They approached him with pitchforks
and swords. Please, they said politely, we see you have
done a kind thing, but do not come back here.
We want no more dealings with demons. They did not

(08:40):
understand who Jesus was. All they knew was that he
had authority over demons. The unknown frightened them. The healed
man begged Jesus to take him in. He wanted to
join Jesus and follow him. Jesus smiled and gave the
man a big hug. No, Jesus said warmly, you must
stay here and tell everyone what has happened. Your testimony

(09:02):
will change lives. As Jesus said these things, he waved
the group and took off back to Galilee. The disciples
were silent as they looked at Jesus. He stared at
the horizon, and the sun began its descent beyond the waters.
Jesus had calmed a great and mighty storm before their
very eyes. However, he was also able to calm the

(09:23):
storm within. They marveled and thanked God that he had
finally sent their promised hero.

Speaker 3 (09:33):
We begin today on the Sea of Galilee in a
fishing boat where Jesus and his men have set sail
for another shore. On the other side of this lake
lie an opportunity for the Lord's power to be demonstrated
in yet another astounding, amazing way. The disciples didn't know it,
but Jesus knew exactly what he would do. Of course,

(09:54):
they wouldn't have to wait for the next shore to
see their master's power. Galilee was known for sudden squalls
that would rise suddenly out of nowhere, and they could
be deadly to unsuspecting fishermen caught in a storm. Not
long after Jesus went to the back of the boat
to rest, one of those storms arose. The clouds darkened

(10:14):
the skies, and the wind whipped the boat to and
fro like a rag doll. The disciples, many of them
seasoned sailors, were terrified. They'd seen these storms before and
how vicious they could be now they were caught in
the middle of a raging sea, and they panicked. It is,
in fact a picture of the storms of life. The
realities of life. Disaster and danger often come unannount seemingly

(10:39):
out of nowhere, and no matter how seasoned we are,
as followers of Jesus. Even then, fear can grip us
and leave us paralyzed in those moments, just as it
did the disciples. Jesus was sleepy. How could this be true,
they wondered. They woke him and asked if he didn't
care that they were about to die. Mark four point

(11:00):
thirty nine gives us his response, and what happened next.
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to
the sea, peace be still. And the wind ceased, and
there was a great calm. It is often easy for
us to ask the same question the disciples ask, Lord,
do you care? Do you care what's happening to me?
Do you care what's happening around me? And our Lord

(11:23):
still has the same power to speak into the storms
of our lives, saying peace be still. In fact, we
are promised in God's word, a peace that passes all understanding,
an inexplainable, inexplicable peace that comes only from God. For
the Disciples, this peace meant that the waves and the winds,

(11:44):
the storm actually stopped and they were delivered. This, of course,
is not always the case in our lives. Sometimes the
storms we face can continue to rage, but God's voice
his loving peace be still can calm the storms within
us us and give us confidence that He is with
us and that he cares with the seas under control.

(12:06):
Jesus turned to his men and asked, why are you afraid?
Do you still not trust me? The disciples marveled at Jesus.
They were beginning to see that there was no limit
to his power. It excited and terrified them at the
same time. They continued to sail to the other side,
to a place called Garacnes. This was enemy territory both

(12:29):
literally and spiritually. It was Gentile land, but it was
also a place where a man lived among the tombs
like an animal. He was filled with demons who tortured
him daily and made his life a living hell. This man,
truly was a tragic and terrible sight. The depth of
his demonization separated him from God. This was all caused

(12:50):
somehow by his sin. He was far from God, far
from other men, cut off, he was not in his
right mind. He was completely alone and tortured by the enemy.
But when he saw Jesus, the demons within him cowered
in fear. Though many people could not recognize Jesus for
who he was and is, Satan's army had no such confusion.

(13:12):
The demons spoke to Jesus, asking why he had come.
Even in their fallen state, these fallen angels demons could
not help but call Jesus who he really was and
is the son of the most High God. Jesus responded
and asked the demon's name, to which he responded Legion,
to indicate there were many evil spirits in this man. Jesus,

(13:36):
once again, with just his words, called the demons out
of the man, sending them into a herd of pigs
that immediately hurled themselves off a cliff. This man was
freed from his torture, but the pig herders weren't too
thrill at what they had lost. They begged Jesus to
leave because they did not know who he truly was.
The man now delivered, clothed in his right mind, to

(14:00):
go with Jesus, but Jesus told him to stay and
tell others what the Lord had done for him, And
so the message of God's power to heal the most
demonized and wicked heart spread throughout the Gentile region as well.
Today's reading shows us, as it showed the disciples then,
that Jesus has power to calm the storms of life,

(14:22):
be they storms around us or storms within us. And
as we are transformed by His word, that we are
called to share the good news of Jesus, of what
he has done for us. Less always be ready to
tell people just how good our God is and what
he can do for all who will put their faith
and trust in him. Thank you for listening to today's

(14:44):
Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
You can download the Prey dot com app and make
prayer a priority in your life, just like over twenty
million people have done to this date. If you enjoy
this podcast, share it with someone you know and love,
because by sharing this message of the Word of God,
you can make an eternal difference in someone's life. And

(15:08):
I want to encourage you to go to Jack Graham
dot org. That's me at Jack Graham dot org. God
bless you and we look forward to joining you again
the next time.