The Purpose of the Miraculous

I've been going through the gospel of John lately with miracles on the mind, so to speak. I've been in John 14 for a few days and I saw some stuff I'd never connected before. Look at this:

⁹Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My own authority and of My own accord; but the Father Who lives continually in Me does the (^a]">[a]His) works (His own miracles, deeds of power).¹¹Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the [very] works themselves. [If you cannot trust Me, at least let these works that I do in My Father's name convince you.]

According to Jesus, the purpose of the working of miracles and performing of deeds of power is so that people who have a hard time believing his talk about housing God on earth will be able to believe this truth because of what that God is doing through him. Those that allow Father to flow through them in this way show people that God is real and what they're saying is true, thus drawing them into a deeper intimacy and faith of their own.

Jesus then goes on to say some amazing stuff:

¹²I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. ¹³And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as ^b]">[b]presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son.^A)">(A)¹⁴[Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as ^c]">[c]presenting all that I AM].1⁵If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.

Jesus says that the only prerequisite for walking daily with the miraculous power of Father flowing out of us is that we believe in him. Believe what? Verse 11 - that he's in the Father and the Father in him because he says so and because God backs up his words with powerful demonstration. What a powerful promise in verses 13 and 14! Notice how the promise is universal and inclusive to everyone who reads and hears it. This is why I know that people get healed when I pray for them, because I'm promised that whatever I ask in Jesus' name, it's granted me. Glory to God!

Then verse 15 pops up and it can cause some feelings of doubt or condemnation if not read with the Spirit. "Uh oh," we might think, "maybe I haven't obeyed his commands so this stuff won't really work for me." But what commands is he referring to here? Look for command-structure sentences, imperatives: It's verse 11 all over again - just believe! Whew! When I saw that it was such a relief. I can do that, I'm doing that, there's truly no condemnation to keep me from walking in what the Father has for me because I believe in the One whom He sent.

Then look at this:

²⁰At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you. ²¹The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]

We're in the exact same set-up as Jesus was now that he's alive in us. How will we know this? The same way that the disciples were instructed to know that the Father was in Jesus in verse 10 - by His works, His own miracles, deeds of power, flowing now from the hands of who? Us. From the only Source, Father, through Jesus, through us and out to those around us. Why? So they too can believe and do the works of the Father AND so that we, the ones who really love him (which means we really, actually believe) will get to know that we know that we know Jesus is real and alive in us.

It's amazing to me. I'd always thought that it was wrong to want to see Jesus in my reality, rather than just "by faith". Remember how Thomas doubted until he saw? But here, Jesus says that the ones who believe in him, who really love him (that's me!) he shows himself to, he lets himself be clearly seen by, he makes himself real to. I'm waiting, I'm ready. Come on, Jesus!