Jesus miracles causes wonder also

Jesus performs mighty acts to underline, highlight, and bold the font of his monologues. The inbreaking of the kingdom of God through mighty deeds cast divine light on his sermons. They proclaimed, “Here is the heaven’s King; listen to him.”

• We find the Good Shepherd seating the crowds and feeding them multiplied bread and fish to prepare them for the sermon entitled “I am the bread of life.” He tells the paralytic to rise and walk to prove the other, more scandalous claim, “Here stands one who can forgive sins.” 
• He raises Lazarus from the dead as the exclamation point to the sentences, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
• At his voice, the water blushes to wine, the storm stills, demons beg to depart and enter swine — all to provoke the question, “Who then is this?” (Mark 4:41). 

Miracle-Working Preacher
In the middle of the most vivid prophesy of the Savior’s atonement and subsequent resurrection, Isaiah pens these words:

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). This suffering servant of God would choose to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. How?

Matthew indicates the fulfilment of this verse happened when Jesus went to Peter’s house and healed his mother-in-law who lay sick with a fever (along with many others who they brought to him later that evening, Matthew 8:14–17).

The point? 

esus is a compassionate Savior toward the ills that plague us in this life. He gladly took detours, inconveniencing himself on his way to redeem humanity, to heal the likes of Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever. He doesn’t only heal to tell about eternal life; he genuinely desires and delights to carry what afflicts us. He cares about our bodies and souls, our now and eternity.

But Jesus’s primary mission was to preach good news and then bear our iniquities upon the cross. 

At the beginning of his ministry, he confounds his disciples by leaving the town in which many were seeking him for more miracles, saying, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:38).

He withdrew from the town — and came out of heaven — for this purpose: not to entertain or even heal all suffering in Galilee, but to preach good news to lost souls.

His wonders, signs, and mighty works bid his hearers sit eagerly and take notes. Nicodemus realized this when he said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2).

The miracles confirmed him to be a teacher sent from God, not just a travelling miracle-worker.

Better Than We Wanted
In this, Jesus is a better Savior than we would have wanted. Although his miracles come with teaching that makes thousands say, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” and turn away (John 6:60), a few remain with him because the Father has revealed to them that he has “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

Although Israel too loved the idea of a king who fed them, healed them, and amazed them with wonders, they — and we — made him a different crown when he called us to repent of our sins, pick up our crosses, love him above all, and come to him as the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life.

We liked the prophet who brought some of heaven’s comforts to earth; we hated the God who exposed our nakedness and offered his righteousness instead. When the wine ran out, the meal was over, the entertainment done, when we decided he had said enough, we chose Barabbas.

When Miracles Return
Why does this matter? One reason is that a day of public, undeniable miracles will come again. The false god of naturalism (to which much unbelief prostrates itself in the name of science) will fall. Supernaturalism will become normal again. Miracles, undeniable. Bellies will be filled by means that natural reason cannot explain.

And this, to the harm of many.

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9–10)

• False christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24)
• “Great signs” will come, such as “making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people” to deceive many (Revelation 13:13–14). 
• False prophets will continue to do real signs and real wonders until the coming of the lawless one himself. He will be the saviour the world always wanted. 
• He will amaze, heal, prophesy, feed — all without those sermons our flesh hates. So persuasive, so winsome, so awe-inspiring and charming will the lawless one be that if possible, even the elect would be deceived.

What will be our safety from the evil one on that dangerous day?

Loving the truth now. Those who have swept away and deceived “refused to love the truth and so be saved.” We must be lovers of what Christ taught as he performed gracious and powerful miracles, signs, and wonders.

Let the miracles lead you, like the star of Bethlehem, to the Son of God, to hear what he says about himself and, in hearing and believing, have life in his name: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30–31).

Greg Morse