Messiah, not just Miracle-Worker

Lily’s Story

Our miracle.

There’s the impossible and the highly improbable. God is no less responsible for a blessed outcome.

Tuesday I get home from church around 4:45...

I put flyers up w/ her picture in the P.O, restaurant.

6 Days go by, she was lost in the forest

No food, water, no match for the wild animals

I was prepared for, “We found her, but it’s not good news.”

We never lost hope, but the light grew dimmer each day.

Dave knocked on my door.

This is what Jeff found:

The next day I sent Dave and Jeff an update on Lily. This is the response I rec’d back from Jeff

“This situation reminds me of something that happened about 7 years ago.  I was doing some mission work in the Philippines with my wife for our non-profit.  We hosted a lunch at the local church when a woman approached me with her child and asked if we could help her with medicine and a Nebulizer.  (I didnt even know what that was)

We gave kind of a 'we'll see what we can do' answer.  Next day I flew back home.  I couldn't sleep that night and had just purchased a house I was planning on flipping when I got back.  So in the middle of the night I went to the house to have a look.  It was a hoarder house filled with junk.  I noticed a Fedex box under a pile and took it home.  When I opened it, there was a brand new Nebulizer inside!”

[Picture]

The deputy sheriff sits in the Pinewood Realty parking lot clocking drivers. Dave asked him to come up to the parking lot where we were waiting for Jeff to come out of the forest w/ Lily. Maybe he could open the gate to the forest so we could get out to meet Jeff and save him from carrying her the whole way back.

We couldn’t. But, after I left w/ Lily he said this to Dave and Jeff:

" you know, that wasn't just a coincidence that that dog was found and still alive" he then said " I know your pastor has a better word to describe what just happened".

And he’s right! What were the odds? Only God can overcome odds like that and we call it a miracle.

Not a regular.

Think about how many people this episode involved and were touched by it?

How many of you actually went out looking for Lily for us?

Commented or asked for an update on FB?

Every time in the PO Enid, Joy, Terrell would ask.

The restaurant, Sonja and the wait staff would ask.

I know it wasn’t just b/c it was us. This community helps look out for all of our pets. We all feel it when one is lost.

Here’s the point. God still does miracles. They don’t happen in a vacuum, there is a broader context.

They have a profound effect on the principals involved. But for everyone else paying attention, the effect is no less profound.

When God does something miraculous there is a broader context, bigger picture, larger message. While the miracle is powerful and life-changing, the message it supports has a broader impact and changes more lives.

I’m starting a series teaching thru the miracles Jesus performed that are written about in the Bible.

We’ll look at most of them individually, and in every case look at the broader context and message they support.

To start off w/ we’re going to look at the first 2 miracles he performed. They are described in John ch. 2-4.

I’m going to show you how John used these 2 events in context to communicate a much more important message.

First, though, I’m going to overview all the miracles and give you some interesting details about them.

The Miracles of Jesus

Some numbers

There are 35 written about in the Bible

17 are healing

9 are over nature

6 casting out demons

3 resurrections

18 no mention of faith is involved

“If only your faith was stronger” is a misrepresentation

10 times Jesus just spoke

7 times Jesus touched them

7 times both word and touch

7 times no mention of the method

1 time the recipient touched Jesus

3 times at long-distance

5 women

21 men

5 non-Jewish

5000+ Jews, 4000+ non-Jews ea at one time.

4 times the miracle itself isn’t recorded at all. Like “Water into wine” they just go get the pots and the miracle has already happened.

If the miracle was that important don’t you thing they would have given the details?

A definition

A miracle is a providential act of supernatural power that cannot be explained otherwise.

Impossible odds. Improbable odds. Only God could have done it.

John uses the term “sign”. A sign has a point, is NOT the point, but points to the point.

Every miracle that Jesus performed proves something. He is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do.

Jesus said, “I will raise the dead.”

Prove it. “Lazarus, come out.”

Faith

What’s faith got to do w/ it?

As I said, 18 of the 35 there is no mention of faith.

Jesus performed more miracles in Capernaum than anywhere else. Therefore, there must have been rapid church growth, critical mass and momentum there, right?

NO.

Matthew 11:22–24 NIV

But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Matthew 11:22-

Miracles do more to strengthen the faith of believers than establish faith in those who don’t believe.

You’d think it would be the opposite. If someone sees a miracle they ought to be moved in a way to consider something they had never considered before.

In a way they are. The obvious conclusion is that Jesus is a Miracle-worker.

But, if that were the priority, we’d become enamored with the notion that Jesus came to make our lives here more comfortable.

Yes, He does. And some He heals. But He came for much more than this.

In John ch.2-4, he uses 2 miracles as parenthesis in grammatical tool called a “Chiasm” to make the point that Jesus came to be our Messiah, not just our Miracle-Worker.

Chiasm

Grammatical tool that an author will use to help make his point.

Based on the letter, chi or “X”

Remove the right half of the “X” and it looks like a “greater than sign from our early math classes.

Authors like John will describe different, but obviously related events and use them as parentheses, top and bottom. Then, what comes between is the point of the passage.

Westerners are used to building a point in a linear fashion.

The main point comes in the middle of the chiasm.

So the way it looks is:

A.

B.

C.

B’.

A’.

There can be any number of parenthetically related events in the chiasm that lead to the point.

Many proverbs are very small, 4-point chiasms

A.

B.

B’.

A’.

I have in a file in my office a diagram of a chiasm that shows that most of the book of look is a chiasm. It goes all the way to P. and then back down to A’.

When you study the Bible you find clues like this that cause the message to jump off the page and into your life and it changes you.

Here is the Chiasm of

The reason why I’m starting here is to show you an example of the bigger point miracles point to. I taught through the individual passages 2 years ago when I taught through John.

Rather than teach it the same way again, I’m taking a higher approach to the larger passage to show what God inspired John to do.

We’re going to take the verses in these chapters out of order. I’ll do my best to explain as I move back and forth.

We’re going to study through almost all of the miracles in chronological order. The first two, water into wine and the official’s son, are only included in John’s gospel.

A. Water into Wine ()

Wedding in Cana

Private miracle, only the disciples and servants know.

Mary says, “Do whatever He says.” Be okay w/ it.

Fill up the ceremonial water pots. Messing w/ tradition!

Law, rules, religious practices that supposedly make you right w/ God.

Changes the water into aged wine. Brand new, but aged.

Life: Juice of a living fruit from water, non-living.

1st Sign.

A’. The Official’s Son ()

2nd Sign. John ties them together. None of the other miracles in John are given an order.

Back in Cana after traveling to Jerusalem.

Royal official, probably Jewish?

Private miracle. Disciples, official, and few others.

You’d think to start a brand new movement you’d take advantage of every opportunity to display miraculous power.

But remember, Jesus didn’t come to be a miracle worker

His son was sick, as good as dead.

He’d heard rumors, bel’d Jesus was a miracle-worker

Jesus chastised him, and others, for needing signs

The miracles aren’t the point.

He thought Jesus had to go w/ him to heal his son.

But, he has to be okay w/ whatever Jesus says or does.

And, he didn’t go w/ the father back to see the son.

Servants brought the message of the healing. Life.

Most of the time Jesus uses those low on the social ladder to bring His message much more than He uses a powerful figure.

Back to the top

B. “Insiders” reject Him (2:14-25)

After the wedding, it’s the Passover, Jesus headed to Jerusalem and to the temple to worship. Keeping tradition.

You’ll see 2 lines of similarities. One, top to bottom. The other, from top to bottom.

The Passover is coming so Jesus joins the Jews, insiders.

Racketeering business in the courtyard.

Only temple-approved animals for sac.

Only temple-approved currency for offerings.

All sold and exchanged at a premium.

Making it harder on the poor, servants, low social standing.

Who is this NEW GUY? By what authority? Show us a sign.

Irony, He is! They’re missing it.

“Destroy this temple and I’ll raise it in 3 days.”

It took 46 years to build the building (7-sevens). But He was talking about His body (It is Passover!)

They angered Him. He angered them. They kicked Him out.

Now, He’s already becoming an outsider.

To the bottom:

B’. “Outsiders” receive Him (4:39-43)

Before he returns to Cana, where He will heal the official’s son, He stays in Samaria.

Samaritans. Half-breeds. Accepted by no one. Outsiders.

Many bel’d in Him. Welcomed Him and asked Him to stay 2 more days.

Here the similarities are in their oppositeness.

Back to the top

C. Nicodemus (3:1-21)

After they chase Jesus out of the temple and out of Jerusalem he has to camp out in the wilderness. He’s not welcome inside the city walls.

Nic, an insider among insiders, sneaks out under the cover of darkness so as not to be seen, to see Jesus.

Middle of the night.

Private convo. Evangelistic.

Hiding, afraid ppl will talk.

“You must be born again. Born of water and Spirit.”

Nic: “How?!” Jesus: “Seriously, you’re a teacher and you don’t get this?!”

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world but to save the world. If you’re a believer, you’re not condemned.

The Light has come into the world but the ppl love the darkness. No one can see what you’re doing in the dark. Right, Nic?

Nic was literally and spiritually walking in the dark but He walked into the Light when He met Jesus.

Nic, then, hid his convo w/ Jesus b/c he was afraid of his colleagues’ response.

Back to the bottom

Woman at the Well (4:1-38)

After leaving Jerusalem Jesus walks thru Samaria and stops at Jacob’s well for a drink.

It’s noon. Bright, high sun. The heat of the day. Bright light.

He meets a woman there.

She an outsider among the outsiders. A social outcast even among the Samaritans. Married 5 times.

She condemned herself b/c of her past.

Came after everyone else left so no one would see her. She was always hiding, tired of the talk.

They shouldn’t be seen together. Man/woman. Jew/Samaritan. Rabbi/outcast.

Private convo. Evangelistic.

“Ask and I’ll give you living water” Born of water.

Her ancestors worshiped on that mountain while the Jews worshiped in the temple.

“the time is coming, and now here, when it won’t matter where you worship.” It will only matter Who you worship.

She became a believer that day and was no longer condemned by God or herself!

She reported her convo to her villagers and they believed in Jesus and welcomed Him. (Nic was afraid of his villagers).

Based on the testimony of an outcast!

This is way early in Jesus’ ministry. There is no overt intent to communicate that He is any more than the Messiah to the Jews.

John is foreshadowing the truth very early in his Gospel.

Which brings us to the point. This is the point of the chiasm, the message of

D. The Point (3:22-36)

John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus.

“I am not the Messiah. Jesus is.”

John 3:34–36 NIV

For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Whoever! believes in the son has life. Whoever doesn’t, doesn’t.

Compare this w/ what John later says is the message of his entire Gospel. These are his theme verses.

John 20:30–31 NIV

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Jesus is not a Messiah, He’s THE Messiah.

Jesus is not just a Miracle-Worker.

The miracles all have a point, but they aren’t the point. They point to the point that Jesus is Who He says He is and will do what He says He’s going to do!

Notice, He performed many other miracles that are not recorded anywhere.

If He came to be the miracle-worker, or if the miracles were the point, there would be a book just of all the miracles He performed. Everything, in detail.

And don’t you think that if you were trying to start a new religion, you want some momentum, you’d create a firestorm of the miraculous and ppl would jump to follow.

But, not Jesus. He obviously hasn’t read the leadership books I’ve read about creating momentum.

It’s like He’d create a spark with a miracle, then, rather than fan it into a flame, He dowses it with a message about how to be saved.

Afterall, that is why He came. He came to save us by preaching the gospel and the miracles are support material.

They aren’t the point.

Applications

Never give up hope

Lily’s story. Even to the last possible day. What day was that? I don’t even know. But, I think we were close to it.

God’s timing is perfect. He directs our steps and circumstances to accomplish exactly what He wants us to get done.

Rein in expectations. And never give up hope.

God is still in the miracle business. They are rare, that’s why we don’t call them regulars.

Against huge odds. God will do things that will remind us that He is still very much in control and loves us more than we know.

Whatever He chooses to do

Don’t try to figure out what Jesus needs to do. Just ask Him to help.

We pressure ourselves in our prayer lives to try to figure out how to fix our problems then we give Jesus a multiple choice option.

It didn’t matter that He didn’t go w/ the scared father. And, He might have chosen an entirely different approach at the wedding.

Either way, whatever he chose to do was okay.

Be okay w/ whatever He chooses to do even if it’s not what you would have done if you were God.

God uses Outcasts

If anyone should feel like they are less likely to be used by God it would be the wealthy, capable, powerful.

God does more w/ those of us who are outsiders and outcasts than anyone else.

That way, only God can get the credit.

Seriously, He uses me of all people!

Perspective

Be careful about expectations. Be okay w/ whatever He does b/c it’s the right thing, the best thing, even if it’s not exactly what you want.

Miracles still happen. They are rare.

Miracles aren’t the point. He came to save you and everyone around you. So He’ll do whatever is best to give all of us every opportunity to be saved.

Including, he may heal you, or find your dog. Or, he may comfort you, and not find your dog.

Jesus came to be our Messiah, not just a miracle-worker.

The greatest miracle of all is getting us into the next life.

No matter what happens here, it’s not the point. Getting us there is.

This series will look at most of the miracles individually and the point each one makes. They have a point. They aren’t the point. They point us to the One who can save us.