December 10 Miracle Man?

John 4:45-48 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there. 46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 48 “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
 
JESUS returned to great excitement among the people of Galilee. This is home to him. He grew up in Nazareth, a small village in Galilee. As any Jewish man, he had attended synagogue, associated with friends and relatives, and worked as a carpenter with his father Joseph. People personally knew him. Even though John has warned a prophet has no honor in his own country Jesus is warmly welcomed here. Was John mistaken?    
   See, though, why people welcomed Jesus. “They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast.” What Jesus had done there is recorded in John 2:23b many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. The signs of healing stirred the people to great excitement. They believed in the miracles. But John also wrote in John 2:24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.
   What was wrong? The Jews did not realize the healings were only a sign of God’s saving eternal life. The physical healings stirred a “physical faith” – a belief in God as long as God did amazing work. This limited view of God’s work restricted their “spiritual faith”.   Very quickly, then, the people of Galilee and Cana came to welcome Jesus. “Welcome him, Miracle Man!” But they seemed to have little or no expectation to say, “Welcome, Son of God, our long-awaited Savior.” Jesus’ first recorded encounter on his return is with a man whose son is dying. The man is right to seek Jesus for such a great need. Certainly, we would and should seek the Lord’s healing. Jesus, though, wants his people to seek the eternal God.
   In the coming months and years, many people of physical faith in Galilee would come to hold Jesus accountable for what he did and didn’t do for their health. He would lament their continual desire for signs as they missed his eternal life power: Mark 8:12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.”
   Many Jews then and too often the church today base their faith on the “Miracle Man” in heaven. Do you hold God accountable for what he does and doesn’t do? Rejoice, instead, he has given to you life forevermore. As you call him, “Lord and Savior”, humbly praise the Lord for his eternal sign in your redeemed soul. Celebrate the signs of the cross, the empty tomb, the ascension and the gospel. See your repentance, confession and baptism as the Spirit’s miraculous signs in your life. These are the only signs that matter.
 
Prayer: Lord God, forgive me for the times I have held you accountable to my desires. I pray my only desire is you. Amen.