What scriptural examples show God granting "signs and wonders" to affirm His message? Key Verse to Launch Our Study “God also bearing witness with them by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.” This verse reminds us that, all through Scripture, supernatural acts serve one primary purpose: to confirm that the message spoken truly comes from God. Old Testament Snapshots • Moses before Israel – Exodus 4:1-9 “ ‘What if they do not believe me…?’ ” God answers with three signs: a staff that becomes a snake, a hand turned leprous and healed, and water that turns to blood. Each wonder validates Moses’ divine commission. • Ten Plagues in Egypt – Exodus 7–12 Repeatedly we read the refrain that the plagues come “so that you will know that I am the LORD” (cf. Exodus 7:5). • Jordan River Parts – Joshua 3:14-17 As soon as the priests’ feet touch the water, it piles up in a heap, proving to a new generation that “the living God is among you” (Joshua 3:10). • Fire on Mount Carmel – 1 Kings 18:36-39 Elijah prays, “Answer me, LORD, answer me, so that this people will know that You, O LORD, are God.” Fire falls, consuming even the stones. • The Sun’s Shadow Reversed – Isaiah 38:7-8 God offers Hezekiah a sign of promised healing: the shadow on the stairway moves ten steps backward—a public, impossible-to-fake wonder. New Testament Highlights • Jesus’ First Sign at Cana – John 2:1-11 Water instantly becomes wine; verse 11 says, “This, the first of His signs, Jesus performed… and His disciples believed in Him.” • Feeding the 5,000 – John 6:5-14 After witnessing the miracle, the crowd declares, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world” (v. 14). • Resurrection of Lazarus – John 11:38-45 Many who see it “believed in Him” (v. 45); the miracle leaves no doubt that Jesus holds power over death. • Pentecost – Acts 2:1-12 Tongues of fire, a rushing wind, and Spirit-given languages draw a crowd; Peter preaches, and about three thousand believe (v. 41). • Lame Man Healed at the Gate Beautiful – Acts 3:1-10 The once-crippled man walks, leaps, and praises God. Peter then proclaims Jesus as Messiah, and 5,000 men believe (Acts 4:4). • Apostolic Signs – Acts 5:12, 14 “Many signs and wonders were performed among the people… and more than ever believers were added to the Lord.” • Paul at Lystra – Acts 14:8-18 A lifelong cripple springs up at Paul’s word, confirming the gospel to Gentiles who had never heard of Israel’s God. Key Principles to Take Home • Signs authenticate God’s spoken word; they never exist for showmanship (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). • Wonders point eyes upward, never toward human performers (Acts 3:12-13). • God remains completely sovereign: He distributes miracles “according to His will” (Hebrews 2:4). • While the medium may vary—rods, rivers, shadows, or speech—the message stays the same: the living God is real, present, and worthy of trust. |
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