The author outlines the purpose of miracles for Israel
The word “miracle” is not found in Matthew’s Gospel; rather, the miracles that the Lord performed are referred to as “signs.” Signs of what? His miracles were signs of the times and were a direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Isa. 29:18-19; 35:4-6). The signs witnessed by Israel were irrefutable evidence proving that Christ was who He claimed to be—the Messiah. The kingdom message to the Jews was composed of both the Lord’s preaching and His signs. His miracles were not simply exhibitions of power, or manifestations of God’s grace; they were sermons in action. In this way, His miracles supplemented His preaching in an evidential manner. And for this reason, Israel was the primary beneficiary of Christ’s miracles.
But on at least two occasions His miracles directly benefited Gentiles, while at the same time profiting on-looking Jews as well (Mt. 8:5-13; 15:21-28).
The Lord often appealed to His teaching and miracles as credible evidence to the nation of Israel that He was the Christ. “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness, and every disease among the people” (Mt. 9:35).
While in prison, John the Baptist’s faith wavered concerning the Messiahship of Jesus. What was the Lord’s response when John’s doubts were conveyed to Him by John’s disciples? “Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Mt. 11:4-5). John the Baptist was exhorted to examine the evidence—Jesus’ miracles and message proved He was the Messiah.
Notice the Lord Jesus’ exhortation to His disciples as they departed to evangelize the Jewish nation: “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons; freely ye have received, freely give” (Mt. 10:6-8). They were to proclaim the kingdom message and do the supernatural to validate the message. Miracles were an integral part of the kingdom message.
On this point Arthur Pink writes: “[The miracles] are among the most important of ‘the signs of the times’ concerning which the Messiah reproached the Pharisees and Sadducees for their failure to discern (see Mt. 16:1-3). Similar miracles of healing shall be repeated when the Messiah returns to the earth (Isa. 35:4-6).”1 At that time the kingdom message will be heeded.
Peter declared the following to the nation of Israel at the feast of Pentecost: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know” (Acts 2:22).
Peter emphatically proclaimed that the miracles which Christ did were undeniably of God and a sign to Israel that Scripture had been fulfilled—Jesus Christ, whom they crucified, was indeed their promised Messiah.
During the next few decades, until Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70, numerous signs, such as speaking and interpreting tongues, would confirm to the Jews that the message of the apostles was an extension of Christ’s ministry and that there was imminent national judgment if they did not repent (Deut. 28:49; Jer. 5:15; Isa. 28:11-12). But towards the end of the apostolic age, judgment came upon the Jews, and the signs of the times ceased.
Though the Lord knew that the Jews would not believe in Him through signs alone, He understood the need to fulfill Scripture and work wonders before them. The miracles served to establish the Messiah’s credentials. Therefore the Lord referred to the signs He had performed accordingly: “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me” (Jn. 5:36). To the religious Jews He pleaded, “If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him” (Jn. 10:37-38).
No signs needed now
Paul acknowledges the natural propensity of the Jewish people to be guided by sight rather than faith, “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom” (1 Cor. 1:22). The Lord Jesus called them “an evil generation” because they sought a sign (Lk. 11:29). Though the signs provided proof that Jesus was the Christ, they would prove insufficient to cause the Jews to trust Him as Messiah for salvation. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him [God]” (Heb. 11:6), and faith requires the soul to venture beyond what the senses can naturally verify.
The Lord Jesus stated that it was the unrighteous who wanted to see a sign or a wonder in order to believe in Him, and He called these sign seekers an evil generation (Mt. 12:38-39). Even those people who had witnessed the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 were found pestering the Lord the very next day: “What sign showest Thou, then, that we may see and believe Thee” (Jn. 6:30)? Had they not recalled the miracle the day before? Did they not fill their bellies with a boy’s multiplied lunch?
The Israelites saw miracles every day in the wilderness for forty years, yet it did not increase their spirituality—for they constantly murmured against God and His leadership. This shallow spiritual mentality was clearly evident while the Lord Jesus was hanging on the cross: “Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe…” (Mk. 15:32).
Peter shows us that true spiritual faith opens our eyes to understand the spiritual things of God. When the Lord asked His twelve disciples if they, too, would turn away from Him, as many had done, Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (Jn. 6:68-69). The unrighteous want a sign to believe, but the righteous believe, then understand. Thus, until we exercise faith, we will not understand from where we come and to where we journey. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3). Oswald Chambers summarizes the matter of believing and understanding this way: “I must know Jesus Christ as Saviour before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of an ideal which leads to despair.”2
Consequently, John recorded only seven public miracles of Christ in his Gospel account, but emphasized the necessity of believing over a hundred times. So what was his main purpose in writing? “Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name” (Jn. 20:30-31). We need no signs to believe this message; and for those who do believe the most wonderful miracle of all will be experienced—new birth.
C. H. Spurgeon once said, “God never works needless miracles; if His purposes can be accomplished by ordinary means, He will not use miraculous agency.”3 When it comes to salvation, there are no ordinary means; there is only grace through Christ—no sign, no miracle will induce saving faith!
God will not do for us by miracle what we may do by simple obedience. Boyd Nicholson
Endnotes
1. Arthur Pink, Why Four Gospels?, (Fincastle, VA: Scripture Truth Book Co., no date), pp.46-47
2. Edythe Draper, Draper’s Quotations from the Christian World (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., electronic copy)
3. C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings, (Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library), Sept. 17 evening