Mark 4:35–41
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 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. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
This whole scene is strikingly similar to the story of Jonah. Both stories depict a great tempest. In both accounts the main character is asleep in the midst of the storm (not an easy thing to do). When Jonah and Jesus are awakened they are met with sarcastic questions. In both instances the sailors express fear and wonder at the cessation of the storm.
The differences in the story are also striking. Instead of running from God's will Jesus is going about doing God's will. Jonah is a terrible example of a prophet; Jesus is the Son of God. In the case of Jesus the sea is not stilled by tossing overboard the disobedient prophet but solely by Jesus' word. It's this difference that would strike the reader who was familiar with the story of Jonah. In the story of Jonah it is stated that the LORD sent the storm. After Jonah is thrown oveboard the sea is calmed so it's implied that the LORD also caused the storm to cease. This is obvious by the sailor's response of fearing the LORD and offering sacrifices to him. So if the parallel here is intentional, which it seems to be, we should see that Jesus is doing what only God can do, and has done in the story of Jonah, again emphasizing the main point of this text that Jesus has authority that only God possesses.