People flocked around Jesus when He was earth because He was doing miracles and healing the sick.  They hunted Him down in droves leaving their cities and traveling long distances to see Him so they could get a miracle.  People praised Him on Palm Sunday and then they were ready to see Him dead and begged for Him to be crucified.  Why such a change of heart?   They changed because they did not know or understand who Jesus really was.  What about all the miracles He did? How quickly they forgot!

“Praise Jesus”

“Kill Jesus”

In Mark 3: 7-11 (NIV) it tells this story:

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. ⁸ When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. ⁹ Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. ¹⁰ For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. ¹¹ Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” ¹² But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.

The impure spirits recognized Jesus because they are connected to the spirit world and Jesus did not want the people to know about Him yet because He knew the people were eventually going to turn on Him.  He had a job to do to save us all from our sins and He needed prophesy to be fulfilled.  If the people knew the truth about who He really was to early,  that information would change the course of events that was about to take place.

So does performing lots of miracles get people to believe in Jesus?  Apparently not.  Jesus was right there with people and they didn’t get it.  These people also did not have the advantage of the Holy Spirit who draws people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Miracles, signs and wonders are great and they have their purpose and I’m sure that some have come to faith because of a miracle…..but unless the power of the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart and draws you in with truth and you genuinely repent and believe in Jesus … then nothing has or will change in your life.

These scriptures have also showed me that there is so much power in the NAME of Jesus.  So much so that even the evil powers are subject to that name.  So this tells me that I need to rely on that name!!!  This is why when we pray…we pray in the name of Jesus!

These scriptures were my scripture reading for today and when I read them I was struck by all the people who mobbed Jesus because of miracles but…did they REALLY know Jesus?  Did His performing miracles really help them understand who He was?  What is really needed for people to know Jesus Christ today?  Should we solely rely on miracles, sign and wonders or should we share our faith and let the Holy Spirit do His supernatural work and draw people to the Lord?

Thought for today:  Let’s be bold this year and share the truth of God’s word….the Good News with others.  Let’s follow the lead of the Holy Spirit as He directs people to us.  Let’s be on the look out.