"Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
John 10:37&38
"And many people came to him. They said, 'Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true.'"
John 10:41
When Jesus walked the earth, he faced a basic problem: Virtually no one believed he was the Son of God. He spoke with such wisdom that he could not be refuted. By the witness of the Pharisees themselves, there had never been one who spoke with such wisdom. Although he could speak with all the wisdom of heaven, it was not enough to persuade the people to believe in him. Even the miracles he performed failed to convince the Pharisees of his deity.
Jesus told the Pharisees that if they would not believe in him, at least they should believe in the miracles he did. What he said to them 2000 years ago, is still true today. Thousands of people around the world have come to know Jesus and believe in him as the Son of God because they saw the miracles that were done. This is why it is so important that we, as Christians, believe that he is still doing miracles. Although Jesus is not physically present in the world today, he is present through us. His promise to us is that we will do greater things than he did, is still intact. He makes himself known through us, and if he wants to use us to perform great miracles, he will. Miracles and healings are still happening today. The author of these is Jesus, but we are the vessels he uses to perform them. This was the way it worked in the days of the first century church and it is the same today.
There are many who have never seen a miracle. It seems to some that the miracles of God have gone away. Although this is not true, there is another way in which people will be drawn to Jesus. John the Baptist who preceded Jesus and announced his coming, never did one miracle. All he did was proclaim the coming of the Son of God, Messiah, Jesus. For most of his time on the earth, John didn't even know who the Messiah was, yet he remained faithful to the call. He proclaimed him and baptized people in preparation for the day of his coming.
Today, some are called to be like the great apostles of the early church. These people will perform miracles and heal the sick, not by their own strength or merit, but by the hand of God. All these miracles are done to draw people to the one true God through Jesus Christ. Others are called to be like John the Baptist. Though they may never perform a miracle, they will faithfully proclaim Jesus. Is one better than the other? Are miracles the only way people will believe in Jesus? Is the proclamation of Jesus the only way? Miracles, in themselves will not lead everyone to believe in Christ. The faithfulness of those who proclaim his name will not win every person for Jesus. We need both. We need each other. The miracle worker is no greater in the kingdom than the proclaimer. In the end, the argument does not matter. What matters is that God's word is being confirmed and lost souls are being brought to Christ. Believe in the miracle working power of God, but believe also, in the power of the proclamation of Christ. God is using all of us to be his hands, feet, and voice in the world. Join the team, that many will believe in Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment