"Signs of Healing"
Feb. 16, 2019
This was now the second sign that Jesus did when He had come from Judea to Galilee.
~ John 4:54 (ESV)
It's easy to get caught up in the big "splash" of an event, isn't it? The right-now impact of some incident might not always be the big thing, however. Jesus and His miracles are a case in point. As spectacular as they were, they were frequently a means to an end, and not an end in themselves. There was something more than the wow-factor of the immediate circumstance that made them so vital.
Let me demonstrate by citing portions from John 4:46-50. where we find a miracle from Jesus early on His ministry. John says. "So He (Jesus) came again to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, 'Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.' The official said to him, 'Sir, come down before my child dies.' Jesus said to him, 'Go; your son will live.' The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way."
John wraps up the story with these words: "This was now the second sign that Jesus did when He had come from Judea to Galilee."
The important word here is "sign."
A sign can direct you to some destination, someplace where you are not now but want to be. Jesus used His healing miracles as signs, directing you and me to where He wants us to be. In other words, Jesus' miracles were not the goal any more than signs are a destination. The sign directs us and, likewise, Jesus intended His miracles to direct people to a greater goal. That goal —that destination —was so people would believe in Him as their Savior. The official we just heard about did. After Jesus said, "Go; your son will live," the Bible reports that in addition to the man's son getting healed, the man's entire family became believers!
You see, Jesus' healing miracles are signs pointing to Him as the Savior sent into the world by God the Father.
Sadly, not everyone got that message in Bible times, and many don't get it today. In Luke 17 Jesus cured 10 lepers. Only one of them came back to Jesus to give Him thanks. The other nine thought their healing was the goal. Jesus did commend the one leper who returned, the one who read the sign correctly, the one who came to Jesus.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You use signs to get our attention and point us to Your Son as Lord and Savior. Sharpen our spiritual awareness, so we do not miss the signs You lovingly place in our lives. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
From "Healing Miracles by Jesus," a sermon excerpt from Dr. Dale Meyer, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
It's easy to get caught up in the big "splash" of an event, isn't it?
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