When Jesus was on earth about 2,000 years ago, it is recorded that he did many miracles like: healing all types of diseases, calming storms and raising dead people back to life. Jesus explained that those who followed Him would do even greater miracles. Since we do not see such miracles today, it is time to ask why.
THE PURPOSE OF MIRACLES.
Jesus explained many things including God’s desire that we: (i) be reconciled to Him and (ii) learn to love and forgive each other. He explained that there was a fallen angel among us, one satan, who wants to harm humanity, including by targeting leaders who then oppress and deceive those whom they lead. He also explained that if we rejected God’s offer of reconciliation in this life, we would find ourselves eternally separated from Him in the next.
Jesus explained that the purpose of miracles was to convince people to believe His words so that they may be reconciled to God. He trained His followers to proclaim the same message of reconciliation and gave them power to do miracles to support that message, specifying that miracles were to be done freely. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He explained that they were to teach others in all nations what He taught them and that they would receive power to do so.
SPREADING THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION.
Jesus’ message spread widely after His resurrection and it continues to be spread today. This may suggest that the message is sufficient on its own to convince people to be reconciled to God and love each other. However, there are still many who do not believe His message and it is for them that the miracles were intended.
Jesus asked His followers to pray that others would choose to spread His message of love, forgiveness and reconciliation. But He asked that persons count the cost of doing so. Since satan’s influence to harm mankind was significant, this cost included the cost of being tortured and executed – as Jesus was.
ALL IN.
While many claim to follow Jesus, few are prepared to follow Him completely – to that end. They are unwilling to let the Shepherd lead them into the valley of the shadow of death in: North Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq or Iran where torture and execution may be certain. They much prefer the safer practice of spreading the message of reconciliation among a community of those who already believe.
Sometimes a rare miracle may be observed in a church. However, rather than interpreting that as a sign to go outside and do such miracles among those not yet reconciled to God so that they may be convinced, they insist on habitually trying to repeat the experience within their congregations – the rarity of the experience seems not to be sufficient evidence for them to change that habit.
WORDS AND ACTIONS.
Since miracles are part of the toolkit of those who chose to follow Jesus completely, the absence of such miracles suggests that few are actually following in that manner. Given the personal risks involved and their responsibilities to their families and employers, most seem to have determined that the cost of being ‘all-in’ is presently too high for them.
While this justification for finding the price too high may appear reasonable, at some time in their life-journey, every believer in Jesus must choose to be an ‘all-in’ follower. This would include caring enough for those not yet reconciled to God, wherever they may be in this world, to convince them through words and miracles to do so – before their and your time runs out.
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