Jesus had worked hard all day, teaching and healing the people. When evening came, He went with His disciples across the lake. He was exhausted. Hardly had they begun their journey when He fell asleep in the back of the boat.

The disciples hardly noticed. They were fishermen–not teachers. All day long Jesus had done His work; now it was time for them to do theirs. They might be awkward trying to minister to the people as He did, although they were learning. But things to do with the sea and ships were in their department, and they were confident they could handle whatever might happen.

They didn’t worry about the storm at first. They had seen many storms on this particular sea, and they had weathered them all. Fighting to keep control of the boat absorbed their attention, and by the time the storm was at its worst, they had actually forgotten that Jesus was on board. It seems incredible, doesn’t it? We wonder how they could have forgotten.

But how many times have we forgotten Jesus? Have you ever had it happen? Have you ever had a near-accident on the freeway and found yourself depending upon your driving skill to save you, rather than crying out for help from above?

Have you ever been in a family crisis, when tempers were high and words were sharp, and you tried to calm the storm–and remembered to pray afterward? When one of your children is the victim of injury or sudden illness, whom do you call first–the family doctor or the Great Physician? It’s possible even today for us to forget that Jesus is on board, isn’t it?

The experience of Jesus and His disciples that night on the lake is a parable for us today of how Jesus overcame temptation. The Desire of Ages, page 336, describes it this way:

“When Jesus was awakened to meet the storm, He was in perfect peace. There was no trace of fear in word or look, for no fear was in His heart. But He rested not in the possession of almighty power. It was not as the ‘Master of earth and sea and sky’ that He reposed in quiet. That power He had laid down, and He says, ‘I can of Mine own self do nothing.’ John 5:30. He trusted in the Father’s might. It was in faith–faith in God’s love and care– that Jesus rested, and the power of that word which stilled the storm was the power of God. As Jesus rested by faith in the Father’s care, so we are to rest in the care of our Saviour.”

Ellen White goes on to make the connection between the storm at sea and the storms of temptation that come upon us.

“How often the disciples’ experience is ours! When the tempests of temptation gather, and the fierce lightnings flash, and the waves sweep over us, we battle with the storm alone, forgetting that there is One who can help us. We trust to our own strength till our hope is lost, and we are ready to perish. Then we remember Jesus, and if we call upon Him to save us, we shall not cry in vain. Though He sorrowfully reproves our unbelief and self-confidence, He never fails to give us the help we need.“– Ibid.

It is good news that Jesus overcame in the same way that we can overcome. It is good news because He lived life as we have to live it. He did not have an advantage over us in living His life of dependence upon His Father. It is good news because He gained the victory–and through Him we also can gain the victory. Through His justifying grace, His victory is placed to our account when we come to Him for forgiveness.

But He makes more than vicarious victory available. Through His power in our lives, we can know His victory by experience as well.

“Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was.” – Ibid., p. 664.

And in Selected Messages, book 1, we find these words,

“He [Christ] withstood the temptation, through the power that man may command. He laid hold on the throne of God, and there is not a man or woman who may not have access to the same help through faith in God. Man may become a partaker of the divine nature; not a soul lives who may not summon the aid of Heaven in temptation and trial. Christ came to reveal the source of His power, that man might never rely on his unaided human capabilities.” – Page 409.

Christ laid down His divine power when He came to this earth. Yet it was through divine power that He was victorious. He gave up using His inherent divinity and depended instead upon power from above Him. And the same power is available to us. Divinity can be combined with humanity in our lives as it was in His, and by becoming “partakers of the divine nature,” we can be overcomers. 2 Peter 1:4.

“whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”