Signs and Wonders

 For years now, I have been praying that the Lord will give the world special and even supernatural evidence of His presence so people would come to Him and believe.  This morning, I was, yet again, convicted by a minister I listen to daily who challenged me to question my desire for "signs." He asked why do we spend so much time and energy looking for these "signs" when the most important and greatest of signs we have already received in Jesus and His love and forgiveness.

Sigh...

Jesus knew this about the nature of humans...John 4: 48 recorded Jesus' words lamenting that,

“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

Not that knowing the fact that people want to "see" to believe kept Jesus from performing signs and wonders, not at all.  Jesus continued to do all kinds of signs and wonders as an act of mercy...because He knew that about us, and because He wanted us to believe...but, in reality, the truth is so much bigger than the supernatural acts of Jesus.  And that's why Jesus was troubled by the small-mildness of mankind.  The true and most important "sign" was Him walking on this earth...but we are too confused to see it...to see Him.

Jesus actually warned us about the signs and wonders of the last days,

24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time. Matthew 24: 24-25

So, signs and wonders can actually be tools of the great deceiver, performed to bring us over to his camp of destruction.  Of course, God is bigger than the one who is in the world, and God's signs and wonders can never be confused with those of the devil...but our focus should not be on such signs and wonders.  Our eyes should be fixed on the revelation that has been provided in Scripture, which keeps us with our eyes on the face of Jesus, armed with the knowledge of the truth so we can spot the counterfeit and the lies.

Jesus is the only sign we need.  If one won't come to God through Jesus...no amount of signs and wonders will do the trick.    

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14: 6