What sort of man is this, this Jesus?

What sort of man is this, this Jesus?

Matthew 8:23-34 ESV
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marvelled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So, they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.
33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.”

In the two stories that we read, we encountered once again the power and compassion of Jesus Christ. Matthew, the evangelist, wants to sketch for us a picture of Jesus Christ that is captivating. Think about what we have just read. Have you ever heard of a man who by saying just a word, makes a great storm to be still? Have you ever met a man who can tame fierce and ferocious demon possessed men by speaking a word?
Now you may have watched movies where you hear and see men do miraculous things, like Superman, or the Jedi’s in Star Wars or Batman. But never in history was there a man who could calm a ferocious storm or fierce men by speaking a word. We know of Moses, who by holding his staff parted the Red Sea. We have heard of Elijah who made fire come from heaven. We have heard of angels shutting the mouths of lions. And all these things happened by the word of God.
But never have we heard of a man who can still a violent storm or demon possessed, untamed men. How long did these demons possess these men? What caused the possession? What did they actually do to people that passed by that place? How fierce was that storm on the lake? The disciples realized the danger they were in.
We can speculate about these things, but the Bible does not give us all the information, so we won’t find conclusive answers. But the point of the evangelist is clear. He is sketching for us a picture of Jesus, a picture that makes Him, to the believing eye, irresistible. And this picture is based on actual events, not just stories or fables. They are not deception. The gospels of Mark and Luke contain these stories as well. They emphasize different, important things, but the message is the same. If you read this today and get the impression that there is nobody as powerful and compassionate as Jesus, Matthew, the evangelist, has succeeded in his message. But if you think like unbelievers and beg Jesus to leave your region or life because you are more concerned about pigs or your own business, then it would be a sad day.