If Jesus Performed a Miracle on Live Television in the Middle of Times Square....
would it make a difference? Would the world believe?
[Technical difficulties kept this from being mailed out on the normal day and time. My apologies. —AF]
Instead of miracles, John likes to talk about the “signs” that Jesus performs. Why? Because signs point to something else. The miracles that Jesus performed were meant to point to his identity: that of the only Son of God.
If you have the eyes to see, miracles can certainly be signs that point beyond themselves. The problem, however, is that often we prefer to focus on the miracle and not the miracle-worker. We are entertained by the power and miss the point.
Which is precisely what the strange story of the healing of the royal official’s son is about.
John tells us that Jesus knew that a prophet was never welcomed in his hometown, and then precedes to tell us that the Galileans “welcomed him,” which seems like a contradiction. However, Jesus has just come from Samaria, where the Samaritans trust him as the Messiah. What we will see as we read through the rest of John’s Gospel is that the Galileans—Jesus’s own people—are quick to appreciate his miracles but slow to recognize him as Messiah.
This explains why Jesus says what he says after the royal official begs him to come to Capernaum and heal his son: “‘Unless you people see signs and wonders,’ Jesus told him, ‘you will never believe.’"
To his eternal credit, however, the royal official himself decides to take Jesus at his word. He has wanted Jesus (ordered Jesus?) to come and heal his son, but when Jesus says, “Go, your son will live,” he goes.
The boy is healed, of course.
I like what John Calvin has to say about this incident:
“It is also worth noticing that although Christ does not grant his desire, He gives him far more than he asked. For he receives the assurance that his son is even now well. So our heavenly Father often does not comply with our prayers in every detail but goes to work in an unexpected way to help us, so that we may learn not to dictate to Him in anything.”
—John Calvin, as quoted in The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: John
The Point
We tell ourselves that if the Lord would only do this or that, then we would be filled with faith.
But that’s not true, as the Gospel writers tell us over and over again: the miracles were impressive, but they didn’t lead everyone to trust in the Messiah. And this is precisely why Jesus says what he says to the royal official: he knows that signs and wonders can attract a crowd, but they will not necessarily lead that crowd to faith in Christ.
The lesson for us is clear: just as with the royal official, Christ demands that we believe in his word without a sign. And when we do so, two things happen:
We learn that Jesus performs miracles to teach us about himself.
And we learn that he is always trustworthy.
So today, don’t be afraid: just believe.