Sea of Galilee
Those who visit the Sea of Galilee today are surprised to realize that it is not a sea at all but a lake. And the mountains that surround much of this body of water can always be seen in the distance, at least by day. We can imagine that back when lighting consisted of simple candles and fires, the darkness in the middle of the lake would have created a profound sense of isolation. That body of water is not so much a symbol as a location where some startling events occurred in Bible times.
The name translated as the Sea of Galilee means “circle.” In some translations of the Old Testament this sea is called Chinnereth. In the New Testament it is sometimes translated Lake of Gennesaret, Sea of Tiberias, and “the lake.” It is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, nestled in the hills of northern Palestine. It is approximately thirty-three miles in circumference, about thirteen miles long and eight miles wide, with a total area of sixty-four square miles. The Sea of Galilee is nearly seven hundred feet below the level of the Mediterranean (sea level), some thirty miles to the west, making it the lowest freshwater lake on earth and the second lowest lake overall (after the Dead Sea, a saltwater lake). Though fed partly by underground springs, its chief source is the Jordan River, which flows into it at its northern end and out of it at its southern end.
Several of the disciples were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee.
The Abyss
Although the Sea of Galilee often looks beautiful and calm, it is quite deep and is one of the large bodies of water that biblical writers describe as an abyss. The term abyss is a Greek word meaning “depths,” but is translated depth or deep in the Old Testament (Gen. 1:2; 7:11; Job 7:12; Ps. 42:7). Symbolically, the abyss is the abode of the demonic beings who oppose God. Clearly, it is a fearsome place of darkness and chaos. In the New Testament, the depths of the sea are seen as the home of demons, a place called the Abyss, the home of evil spirits according to Jewish tradition. The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the “bottomless pit” (Luke 8:31), but he did.
Furthermore, the Jewish people were not seafarers; they were desert people—nomads and Bedouins. They were comfortable in the wilderness, wandering the land. They rarely ventured to the seacoast. They saw the sea as an alien and threatening power. Few could swim, and even fishermen avoided deep water. For them the sea was a place of terror and danger.
The Storms
Due to the hills surrounding the Sea of Galilee, it is subject to sudden and violent storms that are usually short in duration. We now know that these storms often developed when an east wind dropped cool air over the warm air rising from the lake. This sudden change produced surprisingly furious storms (see Matt. 8:24) that could endanger people in boats.
The Sea of Galilee is very deep for its size and is known for violent storms that rise up without warning.
While the disciples feared the wind and the waves of the sea, Jesus always displayed confidence that his power was greater than any evil in the sea. Jesus acted to demonstrate his authority over the sea and its destructive power. He walked on the stormy water (Matt. 14:22–33; Mark 6:47–50; John 6:16–20). He calmed the storms on the sea (Matt. 8:23–27; Mark 4:35–41; Luke 8:22–25). He even empowered one of his disciples to walk on the water (Matt. 14:28–32). Peter’s cry of “Lord, save me!” as his lack of faith caused him to sink into the deep takes on intense meaning in light of the symbolism of the sea (Matt. 14:30). The reaction of the disciples was profound. They were amazed (Matt. 14:33; Mark 6:51) and terrified (Mark 4:41) at Jesus’ power. They recognized that his power was more than just authority over the elements of nature. God controls the Abyss. The stilling of the storm produced not only awe at the power of God within Jesus, but also the realization that he was God. The sea and what it represented gave Jesus opportunities to demonstrate that he was truly God.
Key Verse
They were overcome with fear and asked each other, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the sea obey him!” (Mark 4:41)