|
What’s the Epiphany season all about? Epiphany is kind of a bridge that spans the time between Christmas and Lent. During those two seasons, we see Jesus very much as a humble Man – born as a poor peasant and dying as a common criminal. The Epiphany season reminds us that while He was true Man, He was also true God. From time to time, during Jesus’ visit to our planet, He graciously gave us glimpses of His glory to assure us that He was indeed the promised Messiah. He let His glory as true God shine forth. In fact, that is what the Greek word Epiphany means: “shining forth.” During the Epiphany season, Jesus testifies by His message as well as by His miracles that He is the promised Messiah who came to save all people from their sins. This morning, let’s see…
JESUS THE MESSIAH -- MIGHTY IN MESSAGE AND MIRACLES
1. His Miracles Prove His Deity
Who is Jesus? He was born as a human baby. He looked like a human being. He acted like a human being. He wept. He slept. He walked. He talked. He did everything that human beings do. But the angel’s announcement made it clear that this Christ Child was much more than a mere mortal: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” Jesus was the Messiah, the Lord Himself.
It didn’t take too long for people to figure out that Jesus was no mere man. He could do things that other men couldn’t do: He performed miracles. However, His miracles were always used in the service of His message. They attracted people to Him. They lent credence to His words. Essentially, they proved His deity.
Remember the wedding at Cana when Jesus changed the water into wine: “He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him.” He used the miracle to underscore His message. This miracle was intended to firm up the faith of His freshly-chosen followers.
Jesus never used His miracles for the sake of convenience. He didn’t just change the water into wine so they wouldn’t have to run to the local convenience store for more vino. Nor did He use His miracles to entertain. Remember when Jesus stood before Herod as He made His way to Calvary’s cross: “When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about Him, he hoped to see Him perform some miracles.” Or as the Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar put it: “Jesus Christ, if You’re so cool, walk across my swimming pool.” He wanted a command performance. Showtime. Luke simply says: “Jesus gave him no answer.”
In proving His deity via His miracles, Jesus exhibited incredible power over demons, disease, and even death. The formidable forces of nature were no match for Him. With a word, both wind and wave stood still. His miracles proved His deity. But more importantly, they prepared the path for the greatest miracle of all: forgiveness of sins. His power to perform physical miracles proved His power to perform spiritual miracles: “Which is easier: to say ‘your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘get up and walk?’ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...’ Then He said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.” Only God can say, ‘Get up and walk,’ likewise only God can say, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The obvious conclusion the people were to draw was that Jesus was God.
Jesus had just called four fishermen to be His fishers of men. That morning in the Capernaum synagogue, He began the day by blasting some unsuspecting Jews right out of their seats by preaching a sermon with substance instead of the usual trivial drivel. Then, to prove that He knew what He was talking about, He booted a demon out of a possessed man -- again using the miracle to back up His message.
No doubt, these four fellows were wide-eyed as they left church that morning. Their eyes would open a little wider, and their jaws would drop a little lower before this day was done: “As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So He went to her, took her hand, and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.” With this miracle Jesus not only displays His power and proves his deity, but He shows us the very nature of God -- that it’s full of compassion and concern. As Moses wrote about Him: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Love is God’s essence.
In a small town like Capernaum, when a Miracle-Maker comes to town, news like that spreads like a prairie fire. Pretty soon, everyone with a hangnail was on Peter’s doorstep: “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who He was.” Jesus took all comers that evening and healed their hurts. All the diseases and all the demons had to give way to His divine might and power. Not only did He send the demons packing, but He zipped their lips. He didn’t need or want their testimony. His message and miracles would speak for themselves.
Saints, Isn’t it wonderful to know that a God who packs that much power and lavishes that much love is our God? Isn’t it a blessing to have Him as Lord of our lives? He is still the Great Physician. His touch is still tender. His power is still prolific. He still performs miracles of healing.
But sometimes, He chooses to perform an even greater miracle than to heal His followers: He takes them home. He takes them from this veil of tears to Himself in heaven. He removes them from the pain and problems of this life and brings them to the safe haven of heaven. We have a Savior who can do this. We have a Savior who is Mighty in Message and Miracles. His Miracles Prove His Deity, but
2. His Message Proclaims His Deity
Jesus had had a big day, a long day. But even more than physical rest, He needed spiritual rest. He needed some alone time with his Father: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” He barely had time to recharge His spiritual battery before His frantic disciples found him. No doubt, last night’s crowd had returned with an even greater batch of the walking wounded: “Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!” Isn’t that the truth? The disciples spoke of the crowd, but they expressed an even deeper truth in those words: “Everyone is looking for you.” All people have a void that only Jesus can fill. So many are looking everywhere else and to everything else – drugs, alcohol, and sex – to fill that void, only to find their emptiness deepening and their hopelessness intensifying.
It’s even sadder when people seemingly find Jesus but turn away again because they were looking for Him driven by misguided motives:
a) Some seek Jesus out of curiosity. They want to be amused or entertained. They want to see a miracle. They have no intention of committing their lives to Him.
b) Some seek Jesus looking for a quick fix when they find themselves in a real scrape. They’ve tried everything else and now want Jesus to bail them out. They are the ones who end up bailing out if Jesus doesn’t jump when they snap their fingers.
c) Some seek Jesus to strike a bargain. When it looks like Jesus didn’t hold up His end of their perceived bargain, they vanish.
Whatever the reason that leads people to Jesus, there’s only one reason people stay with Jesus -- not because of a physical miracle, not because He bailed them out of a scrape, not because He carried out His end of an imaginary bargain. Why then? Because He is the Ultimate Solution to all people’s situation. He supplies our greatest need. He heals our deadliest disease. He washes away the cancer of sin with His own blood, the blood He willingly shed on Calvary’s cross. In Christ, our sins are forgiven.
That message of forgiveness is proclaimed through the preaching of His Word. It would have been easy for Jesus to get bogged down in a ministry of miracles, but they helped him make His point in Capernaum. Now, it was time to move on.: “Jesus replied, “ Let us go somewhere else -- to the nearby villages -- so I can preach there too. That is why I have come.” Jesus made it completely clear that His miracles were to stand in the service of His message.
The proclamation of forgiveness was the crux of His message: “That is why I have come.” He was to declare that He was “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” the only Way to his Father’s house in heaven. That could only be true if He were the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God. Our salvation depends on His death and resurrection. If Jesus is not the Son of God, our faith is vain, our hope is bleak, and our prayers go unheard and unanswered.
But Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah -- Mighty in Message and Miracles. Saints, our faith is not in vain. Our faith is grounded and secure on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ. Our hope for the future is bright: Jesus has prepared a home for us in heaven. Knowing, believing, and confessing Jesus as our Savior, Mighty in Message and Miracles, we can happily follow Paul’s advice for Christian living: “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.” Amen.
| 
