Signs and Wonders

“An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign.” (Matt. 12:39a)

In the Old Testament the hallmark of the supernatural was signs and wonders, but in the New Testament the hallmark of the supernatural is a Holy Spirit-filled life.

Since the creation of humanity it’s clear that God’s desire has always been for intimacy with His people.  Unfortunately, we have a history of turning aside and seeking separation.  

“Then they (the Israelites) said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die’… So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached God.” (Ex. 20:19, 21)

The challenge, though, is that we have an instinctive desire to reciprocate intimacy with God, but due to our selfish sin nature (and the all-too-present influence of the enemy) we want to build our “relationship” with God on our own terms, and usually that looks like us doing life alone, while occasionally receiving gifts from our “genie-god”.

While our true heart-cry is for relationship with our Creator, our selfish sin nature recognizes what this will require of us – humility – and that’s not something the selfish sin nature is willing to do.  

And so instead, we find ourselves asking for signs and wonders.  “If God is real, make this desk fly around the room.”  Or, “If God really wants us to come out of Egypt, show us a miracle… Oh, and by the way, the 10 plagues aren’t enough…. and neither is the splitting of the Red Sea…. and neither is manna, or water from a rock, or….(fill in the blank).”

The problem with signs and wonders is that they simply have no lasting impact on us.  They may be “neat” or “cool” in the moment, but we immediately start thinking of ways to explain them away, or start asking for new signs, because “yesterday’s miracle isn’t sufficient for today.”

The real crux of the matter comes down to this, signs and wonders are external, but what really changes a life – where we actually find intimacy with God – is internal.

We pick up an insightful interaction in Matthew 12:22-50.  After healing many people of diseases, Jesus has a demon-possessed man brought to Him, and He casts the demon out.

Just prior to these events, Jesus had been invited to a banquet at the home of Simon the Pharisee, and in the midst of several Pharisees Jesus had revealed His authority to forgive sins on behalf of God.  Such a bold claim would have been polarizing – the people could either believe Jesus and His claims, or else they would have to try and falsify His claims, and this is precisely how the gospel accounts record history – the people became polarized.

So when Jesus finishes casting out the demon, some of the Scribes and Pharisees try to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Jesus’ ministry.  After proving their logic to be flawed, Jesus encouraged the people to think before they speak (avoid careless words).

At this point, his audience demands signs and wonders.  Apparently casting out demons and healing diseases didn’t count (haha!).

Jesus took this opportunity to explain the New Covenant/Testament in a unique way.  The people were awaiting Immanuel (God with us), and in a very real sense Immanuel was now in their midst.  “Something greater than Jonah…and Solomon is here.”

But in verses 43-45, Jesus explains the fulness of the New Covenant – that is, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

It’s not enough for us to simply cast out demons (or to “do right things”, or even to perform signs and wonders), we must replace them (the demons) with the Holy Spirit.

John Wesley’s commentary on verse 44 is insightful: “He finds it empty – of God, of Christ, of His Spirit; swept – from love, lowliness, meekness and all the fruits of the Spirit; and garnished – with levity and security; so that there is nothing to keep him out, and much to invite him in.”

The description Jesus provides here for the man void of God’s Spirit (and consequently a host to hostile spirits) is the same description of the man seeking signs and wonders rather than seeking life in Christ.

God does still work through external signs and wonders today, but these are secondary to the primary, internal work of the Holy Spirit.  To coin the familiar expression, “Seek the Giver, not the gifts.”  Or as Jesus put it, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33)