Title: Jesus Performed Signs
Contents
The text is from John 4:46-54
Jesus began his public ministry when he was about 30 years old (Luke 3:23). The three years of Jesus' public ministry were full of signs and wonders. How many signs and wonders did he perform during his public life? In John 21:25, would he say, “There were many other things that Jesus did, and if they were all written down, I know that even the world would not be enough to contain these books”?
In particular, the signs of raising the dead from the dead during Jesus' public life are recorded three times in the Gospels. ① Lazarus ② Daughter of Jairus, ruler of the synagogue ③ Son of a widow. Their death and resurrection is a great sign. But when their days were over, they died again in due time. But Jesus Christ, the life-giving Spirit, died and rose to life and became the first fruits of the resurrection, giving us the hope of resurrection. This is one of the biggest targets. Jesus is the signs and wonders themselves, such as the coming of the Word to become flesh, God becoming like a man, coming down from the throne of heaven to the stable, performing numerous miracles during his public life, and rising from the dead to become the firstfruits of the resurrection. Therefore, signs and wonders are very important to understanding Jesus. Today's text is also one of the miracles that Jesus performed.
Beloved saints, don't be a sign-seeking signist like the Jews. However, I hope that signs and wonders will appear in your life of faith and will become a great energizing force in your faith.
Today's text is a scene where the king's servant asks Jesus to heal his sick son.
First, prayer is important (verse 47). Even though the king's servant has a high status, he personally comes to Jesus and asks. The distance from Capernaum to Cana of Galilee is 34 km and is about 80-90 li. It is a long road that takes almost all day from early morning to late at night when there were no cars. Although it was very difficult, he heard the rumor that Jesus had healed many sick people and came to Jesus. Dear saints, I hope the word of the church goes well. Even at the time of Jesus, there were good and bad rumors about Jesus. The bad news was that Jesus had a demon (John 8:48), and the good news was that the Word had power, cast out demons, and healed the sick. The king's servants heard good news. Therefore, his son received the grace to be healed (verse 50). After a long journey, he did not hesitate to ask, “Lord, heal him.” He received the grace of being healed. It is important to ask through prayer. (Mark 9:29)
Second, it is important to believe (verse 50). It is important to believe in the Word. I trusted him and came back to life on the way. I came 80-90 miles and couldn't even take Jesus with me. I believed in the words, "Go, your son is alive" and went, and a sign appeared from that faith. Seeking a sign is a misconception of the signists, and it is a normal form of faith to follow a sign through faith. Faith in the Word is important. (Mark 9:23) The Word is accompanied by signs. (Luke 5:5) Faith and prayer are accompanied by signs (Mark 9:23).
Third, it is important to live centered on Jesus. If you have seen signs and wonders, you must not end with what you have seen, but live for Jesus. In particular, if you have been healed of a terrible disease, you must think that you are dead then and lay down your life for the glory of the Lord in order to fulfill the life God has given you and live a healthy life. Even if you receive such great grace, you must not become a dragon head. Then, if the disease recurs again, the white medicine is often invalid, so I hope you will buy it for the Lord. The signs of healing in Jesus' life were universal. We testify in Isaiah 53:4-6, Matthew 8:17, and 1 Peter 2:24. The signs introduced in this text are only the smallest of the signs that Jesus performed. The greatest sign was the life of Jesus itself. The events of the incarnation and resurrection are great signs. Demons are cast out, the sick are healed, and the dead come back to life, but these are only shadows of the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus is the life-giving Spirit. He himself is life. He could not be bound by death. So he broke the power of death and came back to life, becoming the first fruit of the resurrection, the main character.
I pray that the signs and wonders that are beneficial to your life of faith will continue to all the beloved saints who hear the news of the resurrection of Jesus, the greatest sign this morning.