There are three “quakes” in Matthew. Twice the earth quakes, at the cross and at the resurrection (27:51; 28:2). The other quake is a quaking of the sea (8:24).
The quake of the sea in chapter 8 foreshadows the resurrection. Jesus is in a boat, on the sea, sleeping; later, he will sleep the sleep of death, having been tossed into the Gentile sea, tried, and executed. Jesus “rises” from sleep (8:25-26), as He will “rise” from the dead (28:6-7). Jesus demonstrates His authority over wind and sea by rebuking it, just as He will proclaim His authority in heaven and on earth after rising from the tomb. When the boat gets to land, they are in Gentile territory, where Jesus casts out a legion of demons from two demoniacs; after Jesus rises from the tomb, He will send the disciples out to make disciples of the demon-infested Gentile nations, the Roman empire with its legions.
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