Tag Archives: miraculous signs

THESE WERE WRITTEN – 30

Bible Study, ,

John 20:30 – 31 NLT‬
[30] “The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. [31] But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.”

In no other gospel but John’s did the writer state so clearly the purpose of his book. One of John’s themes was “believe”, recording some of the miracles Jesus did that led people to believe in Him.

Jesus’ miracles were not primarily intended to produce faith. We know from Scripture that even God’s own people did not trust Him despite His miracles. The religious leaders in Jesus’ day rejected Him in the face of the overwhelming evidence of what He did. They repeadedly demanded signs to prove His claims but they refused to believe the many obvious signs to His deity.

So, what, then, was the purpose of His miracles? In John’s final words, he remarks that all the books in the world could not contain all the miracles Jesus did!

‭John 21:25 NLT‬
[25] “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.”

Now that’s a very bold statement! John was probably attempting to convey the magnitude of the demonstration of His miracle power during the time of His earthly life. Why did He do miracles? He was certainly not trying to create a sensation or to win a popularity contest. Quite the opposite! He often tried to escape the attention of people who clamoured after Him for miracles.

However, if His miracles were not intended to produce faith, what was their purpose apart from helping suffering people in their distress or even overriding nature like storms and water? Miracles certainly demonstrated His compassion for people in distress but… there was no way He could heal everyone who was sick or disabled.

John points us in the right direction. The miracles Jesus did were evidence that He is who He claimed to be… the Messiah, the Son of God. You see, faith in Jesus because of miracles does not save us. Faith in Jesus because He is who He is, the Son of God, is the bedrock of our salvation.

Our faith in Jesus, unlike the attitude of many who try to use Him for their own ends, is a commitment to Jesus as our Lord, our supreme authority, who rules in every detail of our lives. We submit unconditionally to Him, believing in His right to rule over us because He made us and because He bought us with His own blood.

This perspective is what puts Jesus in His rightful place. Miracles fit into God’s greater purpose to recreate us in the image of Jesus. If He chooses to intervene miraculously in our circumstances, it is His will that
overrides our desires, always working for our good in all things, good or bad, to hone our unwavering confidence in Him.

Unfortunately, this truth that miracles are signs, not reasons for faith in Jesus, is what exposes so much deception behind the “healing campaign” ministry that attracts many unsuspecting people today. “Come and get your healing!” they proclaim, as though healing is the be-all and end-all of who Jesus is – a servant who waits on us when we need Him, and nothing more.

If Jesus’ miracles do not lead us to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then they have not served their purpose. Saving faith, producing new birth and miraculous transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit, comes through faith in Him and issues in what Jesus called “life”.

Life is, for God’s people, a new dimension. We have been transferred from “death” to “life”, from the death zone where Satan dominated and drove us to live by the dictates of our old sinful nature. Our sinful way of life proved that we were spiritually dead and under God’s judgment.

“But now…” we have life if we believe in Jesus. Our union with Him passes His life into us like branches in a vine, producing the fruit of that life, His own nature at work in us. This is a miracle but it is the fruit, not the root of faith.

So, let’s put Jesus’ miracles in their correct perspective. Miracles are the witness that Jesus is God’s Son, and we believe in Him, unconditionally, to be to us….

‭Hebrews 12:2b NLT‬
[2] “… the champion who initiates and perfects our faith….”

We believe in Him, not because of His miracles but because His miracles convince us that He is who He is, the Messiah, the Son of God.

‭1 John 5:11-12 NLT‬
[11] “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”

A WORD OR A MIRACLE?

Christian Life, ,

A WORD OR A MIRACLE?

“Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things…. After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret, and they brought the boat to shore and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, They ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

Mark 6:34, 55-56 NLT

O, how we love miracles! Crowds flock to “healing campaigns” at the invitation, “Come and get your miracle.” When things go wrong in our lives, we plead with God for a miracle. We crave lives that are uninterruptedly smooth and blessed, kept calm and peaceful by God’s intervening miracles.

We whine, “Why me?” when obstacles and struggles confront us. We want God to restore order and calm in our lives so that we can jog along on our comfortable, trouble-free journey.

So, we beg for a miracle!

The people were so excited about being miraculously fed that they ran after Jesus for more.  However, He had something to say to those who treated Him like a miracle-dispensing machine.

“So, when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

John 6:24-27 NLT

The crowd wanted more bread while Jesus came to give them the bread of life.

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 6:35 NLT

How like the crowds we are. We crave bread to keep us alive. Jesus offers us “the Bread of Life” so that we will live forever.

“During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:3-4 NLT

How do we receive God’s intervention in time of need? Don’t ask for a miracle. Ask for a word. A miracle is open-ended. It may or may not happen. God’s Word is infallible. What He promises, He will do, no matter how long it takes. Miracles may solve a temporary crisis but God’s Word wil live in our hearts forever.

PRAYER

Father God, forgive me for seeking your hand for miracles more than for seeking your face for fellowship. You desire worshippers who worship you in spirit and in truth, not parasites who cling to you for blessings.

Help me, Lord Jesus, to gaze on your face, to contemplate the beauty of your life on earth. I see the Father in you. The more I think about you and your perfection, the less I think about myself and my imperfection.

You are everything I need and want to transform my life and take me to the Father. Teach me, Lord, to live by your word because your word feeds my hungry soul and lights my way to the Father.