The Gospel Part 4
“Seeing is believing” Is it true?
In Part 3 of our study of the Gospel, we saw multitudes that followed Jesus in boats until they found him in Capernaum. This was the day after he fed five thousand with bread and fish . They were willing to risk crossing the sea for loaves of bread. In their eyes the days of the ‘manna’ miracles were back again.
But Jesus had this to say to the multitudes “…I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” John 6:26-27 NLT
The signs and miracles were supposed to help these people believe in Jesus the Messiah, not for them to seek after physical nourishment. After Jesus had told them that all they had to do was believe in him, here was how they responded:
“…Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.” John 6:30-31 NLT
The children of Israel saw the greatest of God’s miracles yet they still did not believe. They murmured, cried for bread and water, meat, garlic, leeks and all the material things of Egypt. God had given them favour to borrow the riches of the Egyptians on the night of the Passover. With these riches God wanted them to worship him and build him a tabernacle. But with the same riches they asked Aaron to make them a golden calf, and they worshipped the idols made by their own hands. Idolatry plagued them until the coming of the Messiah.
As believers we should not seek or follow after miracles rather miracles will follow the preaching of the true gospel and here is why; miracles are what God does to confirm his word, he does them at his own pleasure, we cannot pressure God to make them happen for our own pleasure.
Here is what Jesus said about those who seek and ask for a miracle or a sign , “…Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign;…” Matthew 12:39a NLT
If we cannot be persuaded to believe by the hearing of the word, no amount of miracles will generate faith in us. This is the reason Jesus would charge most of the people he healed to keep quiet about it.
Jesus said this to Thomas when he doubted his resurrection , “Thomas, now that you’ve seen me, you believe. But there are those who have never seen me with their eyes but have believed in me with their hearts, and they will be blessed even more!” John 20:29 TPT
We rejoice in Christ Jesus, whom we have never seen, yet we still love him, having believed the report of those who saw and of those who heard, “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” I Peter 1:8,9 NKJV
The greatest sign and miracle is the resurrection of Christ through which he brought the salvation of our souls. And in this we rejoice!!
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