THE WORD: “Then said Jesus unto him, except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” John 4:48
“There shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:39-40
THE POINT: In this high tech world everyone seems to want the latest and the greatest. People are always looking for some new thing to stimulate them.
It usually must be entertaining, thrilling, or exciting. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just the way we’re wired . . . by our Master Designer.
God Almighty has designed our human senses to enable us to enjoy various facets of life on planet Earth. That’s part of what makes miraculous signs and wonders so interesting. Biblical signs and wonders definitely get our attention.
Whenever God miraculously responds to the needs of hurting humanity, it should be classified as a sign or a wonder. Such occurrences are signs that point us to the true and living God who is real, alive and mighty in our midst.
These are also wonders in the sense that what is impossible with man, is possible with God because nothing is too hard for Him. Yet, some people get so caught up with signs and wonders that they miss the greatest sign and wonder of them all—the sign of the cross and the wonder of the resurrection.
The sign of the prophet Jonah signified Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. There is only one sign and one wonder that should consume us.
It is the sign that Jesus Christ gave through His death upon the cross and the wonder of His resurrection from the dead.
This does not mean that Jesus is against signs. Jesus did many signs and wonders during His earthly ministry (John 20:30, 21:25). However, the evidence of the cross and resurrection remains supreme. And that’s all the proof you need!
THE APPLICATION: The question is, “ What are you doing about it?” Are you still focusing on signs and wonders, constantly waiting for the next big thing from God? Are you always asking Him for more signs? Or, have you gone beyond that to the one sign and wonder to which they all point—Jesus Christ, the sign of His crucifixion upon the cross and the wonder of His glorious resurrection! Even though Paul’s ministry was accompanied by many signs and wonders (Romans 15:19), his focus remained upon Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul gloried in the cross and eagerly proclaimed the resurrection of the Christ.
However, too many of us are more like King Herod; we want to see Jesus, not for who He is, but for our personal amusement. “And when [King] Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad . . . because he had heard many things of Him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him” (Luke 23:8).
Christ wants to do far more than just entertain you, make your life exciting, or cause you to feel good. While He can certainly do all of that and more, what He really wants to do is give you Life . . . His Life for all eternity!
This requires a revelation of the cross—you must see that you’ve been crucified with Christ! It also requires a revelation of the resurrection—you must see that you’ve been raised up with Christ to walk in newness of Life! So don’t get caught up with signs and wonders.
When they occur, thank God for them and glorify God because of them, but don’t seek them, seek Him! Stay focused on the cross and the resurrection of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Thank God for that, and glorify God because of your co-crucifixion/co-resurrection with Christ.
THE PRAYER: “Dear Jesus, I seem to have such a hard time trusting You. I sometimes think I need a sign to reassure me, but now I realize that I already have the greatest sign of all—Your death and resurrection.
The cross shows that You are all loving, and the resurrection shows that You are all powerful. That’s all the proof I need. Thank You, Lord, that I have been crucified and resurrected with Christ! Therefore, I gladly trust You with my life.”
