Can Signs and Wonders Make You a Believer?
Paul said, "The Jews ask for a sign. The Greeks sought knowledge. (1 Corinthians 1:22) The Jews used to ask for a sign to believe in God. Even though they had seen many, the Jews still could not believe. The Israelites Here on earth, the people who saw and experienced miraculous signs from God the most were the Israelites. When they left Egypt, they saw ten miracles from God. What they saw were not the kind of magic shows performed on roadside either. Those were the kind of signs that actually brought good fortunes to them; things that showed God's power; and things that no human could ever perform. Parting the Red Sea in one night and bringing hundreds of thousand of people and including animals to the other side was extraordinary (Exodus 14:19-31). However amazing that event might have been, three days later, the Israelites were complaining because the water was bitter in the place called Mara and put the blame on Moses (Exodus 15:24). God fed them for forty years with bread of manna from above and water from the rock, which they did not make. They thrived amidst that kind of environment full of miraculous signs. Moses said to them, "The clothes you wore for forty years did not wear out, Your feet are not bruised.” (Deuteronomy 8:4) . There was not a need to fear their enemies because God would fight for them. They were always safe. But did they believe in God? The psalmist said, "Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. 10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” (Psalm 95:8-11) Although the Israelites saw the signs of God's work, their hearts were hardened and could not believe in God. Because they did not know God's way, they lost their entry into the land of Canaan. Quoting that same passage, the writer of Hebrews says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” 16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief." (Hebrews 3:15-19) They had hardened their hearts. They did not want to believe in God. This is a good lesson to learn and it's a warnings for us. Many so-called Christians today are Christians in name only. They do not believe in God. While they profess with their mouth that they believe in God, their lifestyle and deeds show otherwise. Therefore, just as the Israelites could not enter the land of Canaan, most Christians today would not be entering the kingdom of heaven. It is sad to see that they will fall down into the lake of fire. For that reason, do not harden your heart. Asking for a sign When he was in this world, Jesus was asked for a sign. "The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away. "(Matthew 16:1-4) Why did Jesus say that the Pharisees and Sadducees who asked for signs were hypocrites? Even though they could distinguish the sign of the sky, Jesus said, why could they not discern God's timing, or the end of time? The Pharisees were scribes. They should know God's timing because they studied the Bible carefully. They should also know God's plan. They should also know and accept Christ's first and second comings. However, because they did not know God's plan, they did not know Jesus was the Messiah they were waiting for. That's why Jesus called them hypocrites. (Hypocrites are 'Do as I say not as I do" kind of people) Many Bible schools trained ministers today are like the Pharisees; they do not practice what they preach. Although they mention about the coming of Christ, they are not prepared. They do not do what is asked of them but are pretending to be running the Lord's ministries while being greedy like the Pharisees. Should you be that kind of person? A Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ (Luke 18:11-12). Although the Pharisee tried very hard to appear godly, he did not understand God's will. Nowadays, everyone who has the zeal for God are admired and praised. But Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. " (Matthew 23:13-14) " Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." (Matthew 23:33). Not only would they not enter to heaven, according to Jesus, the Pharisees were the ones who prevented people who wanted to enter from entering. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."(Mathew 6:5) The Pharisees were fond of standing in the synagogues and at crossroads, saying long prayers. Therefore, not being shy or afraid of praying in front of people does not necessarily indicate that the prayer will reach the heart of God. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." (Matthew 23:23-24) The Pharisees were fond of giving tithes on everything, even as small as mint, dill and cumin. Therefore, not every enthusiastic giving of tithes cannot be considered the act that would please God. The Sadducees were leaders of Israel who mixed politics and religion. Some of them were even priests. But "the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things."(Acts 23:8) They were like the liberals of today who use human reasoning. Paul wrote that if you do not believe in the resurrection, there is no benefit. "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied..." (1 Corinthians 15:13-19) The Sadducees did not believe the existence of angels. They did not believe in the existence of spirits either. Since according to Jesus, "God is a spirit” (John 4:24), the Sadducees essentially were believing that God did not exist. Without God, faith is useless. Even though the Sadducees are no longer here today, there are many Christians who believe like the Sadducees. Are you that kind of person? Because the Sadducees were not at all enthusiastic about God, they did not argue with Christ as much as the Pharisees did. Although the Sadducees were not interested in God, they were getting involved in the affairs of religion half-heartedly. It is the same with most Christians today who are not interested in the thing of God. They don't even think about going to heaven; There is no reliance on God; They only worship God as a formal practice. Therefore, if you are like that, you might be interested to know that you are a Sadducee. Why did Jesus said to the Pharisees and the Sadducees who asked for a sign, "Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky but cannot discern the signs of the time of trouble?" Why did the Pharisees and the Sadducees keep their mouths shut when Jesus called them names as such? It's because although they said they believed in God, they did not know God. They did not understand God's plan either. Because they did not know Christ, they did not welcome him when he appeared. Suppose a husband comes home from a long distance travel but his wife would not come out to welcome him, it cannot be said that she loves her husband. Even if she said she loves her husband, it would only be a lip service. In the same way, there are many people today who consider themselves to be believers and are worshiping Jesus, but they do not understand his salvation, do not want to know his plan, nor pay attention to his return. These people are hypocrites who are giving only lip service. Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Matthew 12:38-39) Why did Jesus call them wicked? In Matthew 25:14-30, the Lord Jesus described about a man who entrusted three young men with gifts of money and asked them to invest and make profits. “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest. (Matthew 25:24-27). The young man dared blaming his master. His master called him wicked and lazy servant. Therefore, those who do not do the work that Jesus asked them to do are wicked people. The Pharisees also dared to blame Jesus in various ways. That is why Jesus called them wicked. Why did Jesus said of the scribes and the Pharisees adulterous generation? (Matthew 12:38-39) A person who does not know the times and season and God's plan is an adulterous person. Why? If a woman would not understand her husband's plan; would not know when he would return from a long distance; and would not prepare to welcome but just ignores him, that woman doesn't love her husband at all. She is an adulterous woman because she has another lover. Therefore, one who loves or cares about something other than Jesus is an adulterous person. Are you an adulterous person also? People asked for a sign to believe As found in John 6:1-14, the Lord Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread. After the crowd was done eating, twelve baskets full of leftover were collected. The next day, they looked for Jesus. " When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe..." (John 6:25-30) The bible said the Jews sought after Jesus because they were fed with bread and fish until they were full. "Rather than looking for the bread that could perish," Jesus said to the crowd, "try looking for the bread that lasts for eternity." Many Christians today are seeking God for their livelihood, or to accumulate worldly possessions. As the Lord Jesus advised the Jews, let us rather seek to receive spiritual food, which is the bread of eternal life. A day after eating bread in abundance, it is incredibly insulting to Jesus for the Jews to ask, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe." Was it not already a great sign by itself that the whole five thousand people could be served two fish and five loaves, leaving twelve baskets of left over? What kind of sign do they still need to see? Today, we do not see God's grace or signs any more than the unbelievers. The reason why could be found in what Jesus taught the crowd, saying, "that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). Having the experience of sunrise and falling rain are enough signs of God's grace. But humans consider them natural occurrence instead. You don't have to ask for anything else like the Jews did. Lazarus and the rich man "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19-31) In the above incident, the rich man assumed that his brothers would of believe in God if Lazarus were resurrected. However, Abraham said, if they would not listen to the words of Moses and the prophets (meaning the scriptures), the brothers still would not believe even if the dead were to rise again. The death of Jesus From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (Which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matthew 2:45-54) The death and resurrection of Jesus are among the greatest miracles in the world. When he died, there was darkness over the land for three hours starting from noon. While that alone was incredibly remarkable and scary at the same time, as the ground shook, even rocks were broken and graves were opened. Not only that, many holy people who had died were resurrected, appearing to many people after entering the city. The curtain in the temple was torn apart by the earthquake, but it was a miracle that the temple itself did not collapse. But then, did the event leave the people of Jerusalem amazed and did they come to believe in Jesus? No, they did not believe him at all. Only Roman commanders and soldiers were awestruck by it and came to believe. The resurrection of Jesus After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” 11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. (Matthew 28:1-15) The earth shook not only when Jesus died, but also when he was resurrected. However, the people there did not take notice of that. The guards were shocked and scared to death because they saw the angel themselves. After the chief priests bribed them with lots of money to lie, they said, 'while we were sleeping, his disciples came and stole the body. ' No matter how many of them heard and saw the sign, the priests managed to not believe in Jesus. The guards were forced to tell their manufactured lies. In fact, if Jesus' body was actually stolen by his disciples while they were asleep, the guards would have to be executed for sleeping while on duty. The Jews even thought about persuading the governor. That was incredible. The truth is that Jesus' disciples were not only in the minority but were also weak. That's why the disciples were used as the fall guys. Thus, the impossible lies were invented, and the Jews also fell for that lies. Therefore, it is very clear that the Jews could not be made to believe by showing signs. If you are unable to believe, know that you also have the unbelieving Jewish blood inside of you. Handicaps healed One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. (Acts 3:1-8) The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand. 5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. (Acts 4:1-18) Not only when Jesus did, but when his disciples healed a man crippled from birth, the chief priests and officials would not repent nor come to believe at all, even though they could not deny the miraculous signs. Instead, they threatened the disciples, forbid them from preaching in the name of Jesus. Therefore, it's clear that although the Jews asked for signs, they were determined to not believe. Therefore, Jesus was not keen on showing signs and miracles to people who would not believe no matter what. Are you an unbelieving person like the Jews of those days? Paul said, Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:1). He did not say believing comes as the result of seeing miracles. Therefore, let us start reading from now on so that we may come to believe. (c) Moses R Cung
