Signs, Miracles, and Wonders

Are you still looking for a sign?  Why not thank Him?

Psalm 136:1

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever.” (NLT)

 

Throughout this Psalm we find the phrase “his faithful love endures forever”   It is important that this phrase stick with us for we never have to worry that His love for us will run out because that love flows from a well that will never run out.

Hebrews 2:3-4: 

“So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.” (NLT)

Miracles were a part of the ministries of Moses, Elijah and Elisha, and of course Jesus and the apostles, and their miracles primarily served the purpose of confirming their message as being from God.

Today, many people still seek to experience the miraculous, and some will go to great lengths to have that experience. There may be many reasons for such a desire, and Scripture gives us at least three:

1. Some people looking for confirmation of the Truth still seek signs.  We have eyewitness accounts that have been handed down to us by the teachings in the Bible.  Second generation readers like us did not see Jesus personally.  We base our belief in Jesus on the eyewitness accounts recorded in the Bible.  See John 20:29 for Jesus’ encouragement to those of us who believe without ever seeing Him. “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Faithfully following His Word is so much more meaningful in God’s eyes, like the Samaritans became believers by hearing John 4:41 when Jesus remained for 2 extra days “long enough for many more to hear his message and believe.” (NLT) Then a few verses later John 4:48 to be exact Jesus rebukes the Galileans when He said “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” (NLT). You see unlike the Samaritans the Galileans required a sign!

2. Others look for signs because they do not believe that those signs have already been given, or miracles performed.  Such were the Pharisees that asked for a Miraculous Sign on Matthew 12:38-39  “One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority. But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” (NLT)

 

These Pharisees were wicked they refused to believe the signs and were adulterous in a spiritual sense that they had already decided not to believe in Him and more miracles would not change the way they felt. Not even the “sign of the prophet Noah” THE RESURRECTION would cause them to believe.

Instead of looking for additional evidence or miracles, accept what God has already given and move forward.  He may just use your own life as evidence to reach another person.

3. And then others look for signs hoping to gain something for themselves like the Galileans who were rebuked by Jesus because they wanted to follow Him not because of the sign but because of His having fed them John 6:26 “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.” (NLT)  The Galileans desire was not to follow Jesus or to witness more miracles; they just wanted to be fed.

Many are wondering what God wants them to do.  The religions of the world are humankind's attempt to answer this question.  But Jesus’ reply is brief and simple – Believe in Him whom God has sent.  Satisfying God does not work from the works we do based on the signs we pursue, but of whom we believe.  The first step is accepting that Jesus is who he claims to be.  All spiritual development is built on the affirmation, declaring to Jesus: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” as Simon Peter told us in Matthew 16:16 as we embark on a life of belief that is satisfying to our Creator.

Rather than looking for a sign or another miracle I chose to live by faith which is more pleasing to God than my relying on a sensory experience, and if I look closely I see not bigger sign than His work on my own life.  John 20:29 once again tells us “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” (NLT)  And for this sign and miracle not only do I thank Him every day but praise His Name at every opportunity that I get.

Pastor David J. Barberis

Rayed Redemption Ministry