Daily Bread 3/23/2022

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Daily Bread – March 23, 2022 (The Fourth Day – Genesis 1:14-19) John 4:48 – Then Jesus said to him, “If you do not see signs and wonders, surely you will not believe.” The Gospel Jesus preached and delivered to His Church was one of signs and wonders (semeia kai terata). Signs and wonders were characteristic of the ministry of Jesus (Acts 2:22, 10:38). The ministry of signs and wonders also became characteristic of the ministry of the apostles (Acts 5:12, 14:3; Hebrews 2:4; 2 Corinthians 12:12, Romans 15:19). The apostles put a special emphasis on signs and wonders as the means to deal with the opposition they faced (Acts 4:29-30). There is nothing negative in Jesus’ statement here. Signs and wonders are the result of God breaking into the world of men to deliver them from their sin, sickness, and disease. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil – and sickness and disease are the work of the satanic (1 John 3:8). Jesus came to lay hold of our sicknesses, and to carry off our diseases (Matthew 8:17). The display of God’s presence and intervention should produce repentance. Signs and wonders represent the ultimate undeniable display of God’s passion to reach out and touch man right where he lives; and as such, testify definitively against anyone who would persist in unbelief after experiencing them. Jesus said if these mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. He also said Sodom would have remained until this day had they seen such a display of the power of God (Matthew 11:21-23; Luke 10:13-14). John further emphasizes the astonishing lack of response to the display of God’s power and grace by saying, “But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him.” (John 12:37). When miracles take place, the glory of Jesus is manifested (John 2:11, 16:13; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11). Because of the miracles, many followed Jesus and listened to the words of life (John 6:2,14, 7:31, 12:18; and Matthew 4:24-25, 12:15, 14:14, 15:30-31). Signs and wonders are as much a part of the Gospel as the preaching of the Word; and without them, we will not be effective in reaching the lost (Mark 16:20; Acts 8:6; Romans 15:19; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; and Matthew 4:23, 9:35, 24:14). Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen