While Jesus was still in Jerusalem during the Passover, many came to believe in
His Name, when they saw the signs and wonders Jesus was performing. However,
Jesus did not become vulnerable to them, for He knew people. No one needed to
tell Him what their motives were, because He understood human nature.
(John 2:23-25)
People just love to be dazzled by displays of magic. People love to be amazed and mystified! Jesus was well aware of this side of human nature. John doesn’t describe the “signs and wonders” that Jesus performed, but we know from other passages in the Bible that Jesus wasn’t about pulling rabbits out of a hat.
Why did Jesus perform the miracles–the “signs and wonders…?” First, miracles were performed to directly help people–to heal the sick and lame, feed the hungry, ease burdens, offer compassion and forgiveness.
Second, Jesus performed miracles to prove that He was sent by God. Religion was an integral part of the daily lives of these people, and they understood that all miracles were derived by Divine intervention. As word of Jesus’ miracles got around, crowds began to gather around Him wherever He went. Many in the crowds swore their allegiance to Him. They came to believe that if Jesus was performing miracles, then Jesus must have direct access to God.
Third, during this period in history it was widely believed and accepted that illness was punishment from God for sins committed, and Jesus wanted to correct that misconception. We find a good example of this sort of thinking in John 9, where Jesus and the disciples were walking along and came upon a man blind from birth. The disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” Jesus responded, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:1-3). The lesson Jesus brought to the people is that God doesn’t use illness, nor disability or deformity to punish people.
Why did Jesus perform the miracles He did? Jesus offers a clear explanation, which was recorded by John. In 10:37 & 38, Jesus was being accused of blasphemy for saying that He was God’s Son. Jesus responds saying, “Do not believe me unless I do the work that My God does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles that you may learn and understand that God is in me, and I in God.” Jesus understands how hard developing true faith is. The miracles not only were able to help people directly, they were able to help observers of the miracles to develop and strengthen their faith.
It is important to note that John often uses the word “signs” to describe the miracles of Jesus. In using that term, John was emphasizing that specific deeds Jesus performed were more than just peculiar acts of wonderment. John is saying that Jesus’ miracles were signs pointing directly to God. Jesus was demonstrating power–God’s power–God’s presence in the world, and most particularly God’s power in Jesus’ life.
During the last quarter of the twentieth century, there arose the worldwide disaster of AIDS. It is presently accepted by the medical community that the disease originated in Africa, but because of its multiple-year incubation period it spread around the world before it even was discovered. Though AIDS has been found in most, if not all countries of the world, it has particularly ravaged African countries, where the AIDS population is almost always heterosexual. In fact, in countries outside of the United States, most of those afflicted with the disease are heterosexual, while in the U.S., AIDS has been particularly virulent among homosexual males. Incredulously, in direct contradiction of empirical evidence, IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS regarding the causes of illness, the predominant teaching by the religious right is that AIDS is a punishment from God for homosexuality.
It should not be a wonder to us that Jesus was leery of becoming vulnerable to people, when even in today’s so-called enlightened age, even in the heart of the Christian community, in contradiction to the incontrovertible proof that world-wide, far more heterosexuals are afflicted with AIDS than are homosexuals, in direct contradiction to the teachings of Jesus that disease is NOT a punishment from God for sins committed, there are pastors who still teach that AIDS is God’s punishment for homosexuality. Never mind that a person’s sexuality is a gift from God, and not a choice made on whimsy. Never mind that the best of science teaches that sexuality is established before the age of three.
Jesus understood human nature. When things go wrong, a scapegoat must be found on which to put the blame. Never mind that the scapegoat is innocent. Such is the case with human nature. And for this reason, Jesus kept His distance from the people. One wonders what Jesus would have to say to the religious right today on the subject of AIDS, and of scapegoats.
The term scapegoat comes from the 16th chapter of the book of Leviticus. Here we find that God instructed the High Priest, Aaron, through Moses, on the Day of Atonement, to take a live goat (10), bring it to the altar of the Most Holy Place, lay his hands on the head of the goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the people–all their sins–and put them on the goat’s head. The goat would carry on itself all the sins of the people and take them to a solitary place in the desert (20-22). This Atonement was to be made once a year for all the sins of the people (34). The innocent goat would take on and bear all the guilt of the people, and take it away from them forever.
Even at this early stage of His ministry, Jesus must have understood that He would become the scapegoat for all that was wrong in His nation. He understood human nature, and people’s need to assign blame in the first century, in much the same way people still try to assign blame in the twenty-first century. So Jesus kept an emotional distance from them. There would come a time when Jesus would surrender to the will of the people. But not yet.
This ends our study for today.
Points to Ponder
How do you feel about HIV and AIDS?
Most likely, you have heard people say that AIDS is God’s punishment on homosexuals. Do you worry that those people who make that claim are right?
About the man born blind Jesus said, “…this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life…” We may never understand God’s reasons for what happens to us, but we must trust and believe, and hold on to the words, as did the prophet Jeremiah, that God has a plan for you, “…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)