Jesus Words in Red Signs and Wonders

Jesus Words in Red

Signs and Wonders

"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,"

Jesus told him, "you will never believe."

What is Jesus saying?

Jesus confirmed His Word with miraculous signs and wonders

Many seek Signs and Wonders but never come to the truth and do not believe

Jesus points out that there is one sign above all signs

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Him,

"Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."

He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

Matthew 12:38-42 NIV

How do we discern whether we have the right perspective of Sign and Wonders?

Do they point to the cross and from the cross?

Signs and Wonders

"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,"

Jesus told him, "you will never believe."

What is Jesus saying?

Jesus certainly did a lot of miraculous signs and wonders.

John says in John 20:30 -31…

Jesus did many more signs than were recorded.

 The ones recorded were to help us believe.

The Apostle Paul says…

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:22 

Paul in both cases is pointing out the

negative of seeking signs and wisdom.

Paul is not saying signs and wisdom don’t have their place.

What he is saying is…

But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 

but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God 

and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, 

and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

1 Corinthians 1:23-25

All the miraculous signs and all wisdom that does

not point to the cross and from the cross is foolishness. 

Jesus says the same thing when the Pharisees

and Sadducees came to test Him.

He said you can read the signs in the

earth and heaven to predict the weather,

but cannot discern the signs of the times.

Then Jesus says…

  

“A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign,

but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”

Matthew 16:4 NIV

The sign of Jonah Jesus is talking

about is His death, burial and resurrection.

Jonah spent three days in the belly of the great fish

and Jesus spent three days in the belly of the earth.

There are many reasons we want miraculous signs.

The Pharisees wanted to make it look like He did

them by demons or to make a task too great for Him.

Matthew 12; 16

Some want a sign only to get their needs and wants met.

John 4:47; 6:26

Miraculous signs have their place, they confirm

the Word of Jesus and those who follow Him.

Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:19-20; John 4:48; 14:11

It is interesting to view the context of John 4.

Just before the story of the royal official asking Jesus

to heal his son, is the story of a woman seeking wisdom. 

She and her town do not see a miraculous

sign but believe Jesus words.

Then when Jesus speaks to the

royal official He speaks the word…

 "You may go. Your son will live."

Miraculous signs and wonders

were and are a part of Jesus’ ministry.

The Words of Wisdom were

and are a part of Jesus’ ministry.

How do we discern whether we have the

right perspective of Signs and Wisdom?

Do they point to the cross and from the cross?

The death, burial and resurrection of

Jesus Christ is the proof of the Gospel.

It is only through the cross we can

enter into eternal life with Christ.

If we use signs and wisdom for personal needs and

gains or even to build our churches, we missed it.

The power of the supernatural and

true wisdom comes from the cross.

  

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,

but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

Scripture Reading NIV

John 4:43-5:1

43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." 

49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.

54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."  

20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.