22 Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. 24 The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
Many times when wanting to know God’s will for a specific circumstance in my life, I have bluntly blurted out my wish for God to send me a letter or an e-mail designating exactly which direction He desired for me to go. I am ignorant enough (and perhaps overly zealous) to believe that I would be totally obedient to this form of His revealed will. How foolish of heart I am – like I am able to walk in total obedience to His revealed will now which I gingerly hold in my hand – The Bible???? (That statement rightly reeks of sarcasm!). Scripture tells us of Scripture:
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17 (NIV)
“It is not for us to teach God how he should teach us, but to be thankful for divine revelation as we have it.” Matthew Henry
“The doleful reality is that very few human beings really do concretely desire to hear what God has to say to them. This is shown by how rarely we listen for his voice when we are not in trouble or when we are not being faced with a decision that we do not know how to handle. People who understand and warmly desire to hear God’s voice will, by contrast, want to hear it when life is uneventful just as much as they want to hear it when they are facing trouble or big decisions. This is a test that we should all apply to ourselves as we go in search of God’s word: do we seek it only under uncomfortable circumstances?...That we lack the desire to receive God’s word merely for what it is, just because we believe it is the best way to live, is also shown by a disregard of the plain directives in the Scriptures... It is not wise to disregard these plain directives and then expect to hear a special message from God when we want it...Anyone who rejects the general counsels of Scripture is in fact planning not to be guided by God and cannot then rely on being able to be delivered from their difficulties by obtaining God’s input on particular occasions.” Dallas Willard
Sadly, I appear to be no different from those Jewish hearers of Jesus’ Words in our verses for today. Human nature never seems to change does it? Jesus had already been abundantly clear – crystal clear – yet, His hearers desired more. There was sufficient evidence that our Lord was the Christ yet they proclaim: “Tell us plainly!” “Don’t keep us in suspense!” Don’t you know our Lord wanted to say, “Read my lips!” “Enough of this!” Yet Jesus responds in kindness to their ill-will tease – a tease which came under pretence of seeking truth yet in reality, only to quarrel. They struggled with their convictions which said He was Christ and their corruptions which said He was not because Jesus was neither what they were expecting nor desiring. How often do we find ourselves in this same dilemma? Convicted of Truth yet searching for reasons not to believe because we simply do not want to change?
“Nothing is more common with hardened and wicked men than to allege a want of evidence, and to pretend willingness to believe, if only more evidence was supplied.” J. C. Ryle
The evidence that Jesus was Whom He claimed to be was certainly not obscure. He had not healed in a closet or veiled His miraculous works with smoke. Indeed, our Lord had been forthright in His actions and Words. The miracles He did openly were more than sufficient proof that He was the promised Messiah. The works He did were also both commissioned and appointed by His Father. He came as God’s Messenger to make God known to man. He never acted independently of God’s will, rather always in unity and harmony. Jesus was continually confidently appealing to the evidence of the miraculous signs He performed. These miracles were not meant so much to convert as to show forth that our Lord was from God and deserved attention – He being Whom He claimed to be. We find the following in John reflecting this point:
36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.” John 5:36 (NIV)
Yet, as God would have it, there were some who would believe albeit baby steps of faith:
30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?" John 7:30-31 (NIV)
When Peter addressed the Jewish crowds in Acts following our Lord’s resurrection we find this correct response among the hearers:
22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him... 36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:22-24 (NIV) Acts 2:36-39 (NIV)