John 4:48-53
“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.“
John 4:48-53 NIV
The same is true today for many people. Unless they see signs, they will not believe. Most of the people in the crowds in Jesus day needed signs and wonders to be repeated again and again to help them continue believing. The truth was Jesus would never be able to do enough signs and wonders to cause them to believe.
Yes, they were thrilled with Jesus’ magic show, but they were unwilling to believe in Jesus. There have always been churches filled with those who seek a show or signs. Some pastors give their congregation a good show with exciting preaching filled with watered down biblical content.
Other pastors and teachers repeatedly promise their people signs and wonders to encourage them to believe that God is present and at work. Jesus had a different approach, He rebuked the crowds for seeking a sign. There was something more important than a sign or a wonder. It was choosing to believe in Jesus and do what He said. Jesus was not saying that we should avoid looking for objective proof that He was the Messiah, the Living God, the Savior of the world.
It is encouraging and enlightening to examine the lives of men and women in the life of Jesus and observe His method of dealing with them. Each situation and method of Jesus’ ministry with them was different. However, there is also a pattern in how He worked in the everyday affairs of men to do the Father's will.
God was at work in every one of these individual’s lives. Every encounter was a God-sized experience. When God invites us to join Him in His work it is always too big for us to accomplish in our own strength. Our response will always reveal our true relationship with Him.
We will either trust and obey by stepping out by faith and joining Him. Or we will halt and not go any further in obedience to His leading. How tragic when we choose to do nothing.
The words of Jesus in response to the request are almost harsh. "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe." It is a reflection of the attitude of the people who had to seek the evidence before they would believe Jesus. They were insincere and shallow. Seeing is not believing. Seeing is seeing. They wanted to see "signs" or miracles that pointed to God's glory before they would believe. The stubborn refusal of people to believe in Christ without miracles. These were attesting signs such as changing the water to wine showing that only God can do it.
The sign always affects the divine purpose and shows God at work. Give us miraculous signs and then we will believe. The word wonders means something so strange as to cause it to be watched. It is something beyond explanation. They are miraculous in nature.
God does not work that way. He calls us to come and follow and then He gives the evidence later. Our pragmatic humanism dictates that we see the evidence and then we will respond. That is not faith. That is a reaction to the work of God. When He is going to do something, He commands that we believe, and this leads to a crisis of belief. He demands that we take Him at His word and obey. The evidence will come later.
These people were lacking in a deep commitment to Christ and were only looking for sensationalism. We miss out on the blessings of God because we wait and look for the evidence before we will believe. The royal official believed and experienced God at work in his life.
God will provide because He is faithful to accomplish His will. He cannot fail. He has never failed to provide for His people when He invites them to come and join Him. He will open the doors. He reminds us that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He will sell the cattle off when the need arises.
God is 100% faithful to what He is doing. He will always provide where He is at work. When we look for something other than Jesus, we will ignore the clear teaching of scripture. Just like the crowd, truth was not found in Jesus but in something else. Just like the crowd, Christians ignore the holy standard called out in scripture for pastors, leaders, and the people in a church. Just like the crowd, we are not men and women of the Word of God but followers after that which appeals to us. We refuse to believe what we read from the Bible. We tend to be seekers after the appealing and dynamic.
What Jesus is asking for is trust. If the boy is that close to death, there is no time for the man to make a second trip. Either he trusts that Jesus can heal his son from here, or he does not. Walking away without Jesus right by his side will require the man to trust Christ's healing power and His words.
Here is what the journey of faith looks like. Faith often begins when knowing very little, but being deeply aware of our need, we come to Jesus. Faith grows as we learn to trust him by resting on his word. One day, faith will be turned to sight. Faith will be vindicated and all that you have taken on trust will be yours to enjoy forever.
This was written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And that by believing you may have eternal life in His Name and live it abundantly now!!!
Father, thank You for this day and the breath of life we find in Your Word. Lord, we are grateful for how it speaks to us in our situation today. Please pour out Your abundant blessings over my friend and family today. Lord, grant that we may go back to that situation with renewed encouragement, renewed trust, a renewed sense that You know what You are doing in our lives. And You are strengthening our faith in the process. Lord, use us to be the light of Your love to all today.
Father, we love You. Amen !
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