Miracles - Do You Believe In Them?

Can you think of a time when you were part of an unbelievable moment? Can you think of a time when you saw a miracle?

Throughout my time as pastor here at SEBC I have experienced many miracles. One that immediately comes to mind occurred a few years ago. I received a call from a man's family that they were going to pull the plug on him and they would like me to come and pray with them. Linda and I went to the hospital and met with the family in the ICU. The medical staff and doctors had declared this man to have no brain activity. So, the machines were the only thing keeping him alive. When the time came for them to take him off all the machines, we gathered with the family in the room around the patient. We prayed and we placed him in God's hands and asked for His will to be done. The family was very saddened and crying and holding on to each other. The staff came in and looked at all of the vitals on the machines. When they came to the moment of disconnecting this man from the life support, they noticed his eyes moved. The technician asked the patient, can you hear me? The patient's eyes moved again. The technician asked, “If you can hear me can you squeeze my hand?” The man lightly squeezed the technician's hand. Within 10 minutes the man had his eyes open and was communicating with the family. God's will was done and that man is still alive today. That is a miracle.

Have you ever wondered why miracles occur? I believe that miracles happen to point us to Jesus and bring God the glory. I believe that miracles can open people's minds and hearts to be receptive to Jesus Christ. Prayer.

Jesus was a powerful speaker. Many people believed in Him because He spoke and taught with authority. It wasn't just His words that got people's attention, He often performed amazing miracles in their presence. But just like today, a lot of people seem to have a limited capacity to retain what happened when a miracle occurred. Somehow some people can ignore what's right in front of their faces if it doesn't correspond to what they already believe. Let's get into our story.

John 10:22-24 – “Then the Festival of Dedication took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for the festival of dedication. We know it as Hanukkah or the festival of lights. As Jesus walked down Solomon's colonnade, he was approached and asked if he was the promised Messiah they had been waiting for. Jesus reminded them of the things He had already taught them. He went on to explain that the miracles he had performed gave witness to who He is. They had heard His teachings and had seen His miracles, but they didn't believe or consider those things as a testimony of who Jesus is. What else do they need to know to be assured of who Jesus is? He didn't hide His identity.

Years back at a fall festival here at the church I dressed as an old man with a mask that kept my identity hidden. When people tried to get me to talk, I disguised my voice as well. So, I looked like an old man in overalls and a cane. The whole evening went by. I finally revealed my true identity at the end. Everyone was surprised to see that it was me.

Have you ever doubted someone's identity? That's what the Jews were doing in our passage here as they questioned if Jesus was really who He said He was. Many of them had heard his teachings, seen Him heal, witnessed several of His miracles, and yet they still asked for proof that it was Him. They were obsessed with knowing if He was the promised Messiah, and they were focused on asking Him about that. They just couldn't bring themselves to believe what He was teaching. The reason they were having a difficult time believing Him was because He wasn't giving them an answer that corresponded to their concept of the Messiah. Even though many of these people had actually seen Jesus perform miracles, or at least heard about them, they still weren't sure.

Hindsight is 20/20. If we met Jesus on the street today, would we ask Him who He was? What would we expect Him to say? Would we believe Him if Jesus came through these doors now and told us who He was? He probably wouldn’t look like the Jesus we have pictured in our minds.