Who is this Guy?

I was reading in Matthew 8 today and came across this verse. This occurs after the disciples were afraid of the storm, and they wake Jesus up and He merely speaks and the sea returns to normal.

And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"

Can't you picture them... these guys in a boat who have maybe gotten used to Jesus healing sickness and diseases. Yet they realize they are at the utter mercy of the sea at this point and could die. In terrifying fear of the sea, they turn to Jesus for help. And in His helping them, they transfer that fear to Him and recognize that it's Him they should be fearing.

And when I say fear, I don't just mean reverential awe. I mean fear. He has the power to cast all of you (material and immaterial) into hell (Matthew 10:28). I think the disciples experienced this first-hand. I see them after it becomes calm, they're all totally still and quiet, they begin looking at each other, and then whisper with terrified voices, "Who is this Guy?"

It's like cold water to their faces. We feared the storms, but we should have been fearing the Man below the deck sleeping. I just get chills every time I read that passage.

And what should accompany our response of fear? A casting of ourselves at His mercy. That is the only proper response for Him. A few verses later He casts demons out of two men and sends a herd of pigs tumbling off a cliff into the Sea of Galilee, and the people freak out, are afraid, and what's their response?

And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

It's like discovering a fire that will absolutely consume you if you go near it. What you need is a flame-proof suit that will allow you to pass through it and enjoy it. We need a righteousness not our own. And He gives it freely in exchange for complete dependence upon Him.

Who is this Guy?