Him. He was always God, as well as man. Jesus’ power was that of God. Our Lord set no limits to the power of faith. As we read the Gospel rec ords, we’re impressed by the fact that nothing seems to have given Jesus greater pain than a lack of faith on the part of men. This is still true today, I believe. The writer of the book of Hebrews rightly tes tifies, “Without faith it is impossi ble to please God.” Jesus, as a man, won His victory in the secret place of prayer. The Gospels teach with one voice that Jesus worked miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who reject miracles look upon such reports as fairy tales and fanta sies, similar to those, for example, surrounding King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Such humanistic minds reason that mira cles can’t happen because nature is a rigid affair and a closed system. We assert that Jesus performed mir acles to show forth the fact that He was eternal God as well as perfect man. He never worked a miracle just for display or as a sign. As Chris tians, we firmly believe that every time a soul is saved this is the work ing of one of the greatest miracles of the universe. We would take away from God, with His power and might, if we didn’t believe that He’s able today to do what He’s always done across the years. In the case of physical healing, there is always the subtle blending of faith on the one hand, and the will of God on the other. Let us nev er forget this latter aspect. P art S eventeen I t ’ s important to underscore again that Jesus Christ continues to per form miracles in this present hour. He’s at the right hand of God the Father, ever living to make interces sion for us. How wonderful to serve a risen, miraculous Saviour! In John 2:10 we have recorded the
first miracle in the life of the Lord. At Cana He turned water into wine. This shows His interest in the com monplace. The bride who was at the wedding we do not know. She was evidently some peasant girl whose family had no place in the social reg ister. The bridegroom is likewise nameless. When Jesus received His invitation, He accepted with glad ness. He was keenly interested in these people. Never once do we find Him paying particular attention to any individual because of his wealth, rank or social position. Because of His concern at the wedding, Christ wanted to keep the young couple from embarrassment. It wasn’t that the juice of the grape was an abso lute necessity although it was a part of the daily diet. The bridegroom was expected to furnish it. His fail ure to do so would reflect on him. Jesus then worked His first wonder ful miracle. Christ was constantly in teresting Himself in the ordinary joys and sorrows of the people who were around Him. Our Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He’s interested in each of our prob lems. The Lord didn’t come to rob us of our laughter and cheat us of our joy. The very opposite is true. Christ did come to transform the lives of men and women. He made the useless into the useful, and lift ed the lower into the higher. Luther Burbank used to say that every weed was a possible flower. He had an amazing confidence in the vegetable kingdom. In proof of his contention, Burbank transformed the cactus. This dedicated scientist found that what was a positive foe could become his good friend. So Christ finds a blundering fisherman, Simon Peter, a creature of impulse, unstable as water, and makes him into a rock of firm character. He finds a thunderbolt whose name was John, capable of such hot hate as to wish to call down fire from heaven 31
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