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Jesus is clear in His message to us. There is no wiggle room at all. It is all about loving God. That is the main thing about the main thing. Here it is from Mark 12:28–31.

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”[1]

Our job is to love. Jesus is clear that we should use our mind. We cannot love God if we do not use our minds. We need to understand, think through and be clear about the power of God through miracles.

God is in control. God is sovereign in all things. God has all the power. One way God shows His power through miracles. We know that nothing is impossible for God. As the angel said to Mary:

For nothing will be impossible with God.[2]

Or consider this from Dr. Grudem.

Once we understand that God is the all-powerful Creator, it seems reasonable to conclude that he also preserves and governs everything in the universe as well.[3]

Many people desire miracles from God. They want God to perform miracles to “prove” Himself to them. “If only God would perform a miracle, sign, or wonder, then I would believe!” This idea, though, is contradicted by Scripture. When God performed amazing and powerful miracles for the Israelites, did that cause them to obey Him?

  • No, the Israelites constantly disobeyed and rebelled against God even though they saw all the miracles.
  • The same people who saw God part the Red Sea later doubted whether God was able to conquer the inhabitants of the Promised Land.
  • This truth is explained in Luke 16:19-31. In the story, a man in hell asks Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers.
  • Abraham informed the man, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

God performs miracles for His own reasons. It is clearly not to convince us of anything.

God’s Goal: God wants us to understand that He performs miracles. Miracles attest to His power. They are a sign. They are not the main thing but they point to main thing.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mk 12:28–31). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Lk 1:37). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[3] Grudem, W. (2020). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition, p. 420). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.

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