Monday, July 30, 2012

Greater works than these...

Jesus did many miracles when He walked the Earth.  He was and is God, so of course He could do them....but here's the question: was He acting as God or man when He did the miracles?

It's a BIG question, and our answer to it will determine how we see those miracles....and whether we believe miracles are possible today....and, most importantly, whether we believe WE can "do" miracles as Jesus did.

Western Christianity has believed since the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD that Jesus was the "hypostatic union" of God and Man, separate but unified in the person of Jesus.  (This question has led me into a lot of fascinating reading,)  That brings us back to the miracles:  who did them?  The God part or the man part?  

If Jesus healed people as God, then it is awe inspiring that He would enter human history and touch and heal sickness and demonization and even raise the dead.  But on the other hand, if Jesus healed people as a man, then it fills me with hope that we who follow Him can serve as conduits for God's power in healing many, many more through all time.

I have come to believe that it was "the man part" of Jesus that "by the finger of God" did miracles. (Luke 11:20)   I believe Jesus chose to hold back His divinity and live life and meet death just as we do....and the miracles we see today are done by the finger of God through men and women who follow Jesus.

Jesus addressed this question.  John recorded His words "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

God has used my hands for healing a few times.  So what is it hat holds me back from doing more?  What holds you back?


No comments:

Post a Comment