Signs and Wonders?

Lessons from John: 15

“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” John 4:48

I think I have heard it too many times to count. Why doesn’t God just show Himself and prove that He is real? Wow! I even hear that statement from believers, and it makes me sad. Let’s just look at a brief history of why it saddens me. In Exodus God delivered the Israelites from Egypt with many signs and wonders. But when they got to the other side of the Red Sea, they belly-ached and cried and moaned that Egypt was better and even made themselves a golden calf and called it god. Signs and wonders did not convince them. Centuries later Elijah called for God to send fire from heaven. God did and the people believed and followed God for about a month. Signs and wonders again didn’t do the trick.

Jesus showed signs and wonders all the time. Just count up how many miracles He did. What did the people do with Him? The crucified Him! Today’s verse wasn’t a commentary on what the people needed; it was a sad criticism of what they thought they needed. And people still ask for the same things today and then still don’t believe. Paul wrote to the Romans, “The just shall live by faith.” What God desires from us is faith that He is true, that His Son was the perfect sacrifice for sin, and that Christ’s resurrection from the dead provides eternal life to all who will believe in Him. Signs and wonders are not the means to salvation. Faith is.

Dear Father, help me to live by faith in the truth of Your word and in the death and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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