Jesus' Proof He Is The Messiah

This morning I felt that I should read from John 10:24-38 NIV:

[24] The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

[25] Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, [26] but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. [27] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. [30] I and the Father are one.”

[31] Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, [32] but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

[33] “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

[34] Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’ ? [35] If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came---and Scripture cannot be set aside--- [36] what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? [37] Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. [38] But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”

This is an interesting dialogue between Jesus and some Jews. The clearly ask Him if He is the Messiah, and He clearly answers them in verse 30, and yet their response is that they want to stone Him, rather than welcome Him and the salvation He brings.

These verses caused me to do a bit of research on the term messiah (which I did not include here for the sake of brevity) because so much hinges on the expectations of the Jews, and how Jesus presented Himself. Jesus equates Himself to the Father, as He claims sonship. He does not make the claim without proof, and for those proofs, He points to the miracles, or the works of the Father, as He answers in verse 25 and again in verse 37&38. One would thus make the logical transition that if these are the signs Jesus points to that identify and prove who He is, that His Body that remains, namely the Church, should be able to point to the same, as proof that they are the Body of Christ (Greek for Messiah). In fact Jesus clearly states that they should not believe Him unless He does the works of the Father.

So, as I look at this line of thinking, one wonders how the church could have ever developed cessationist theology, claiming that signs, wonders, healing and miracles were only for the direct apostolic age, and are no longer needed? As I reflect on the church today, it seems to be growing exponentially in places where miracles and signs are worked regularly (South America and Africa) and it is losing power, influence and people in places where we have few miracles, and generally rely on rhetoric and well-meaning teaching (USA and Europe). For reports on the growth of the church in South America see ( https://globalawakening.com), and for Africa see either Heidi Baker's ministry ( http://www.irisglobal.org/home) or the Ministry of Reinhardt Bonke ( http://us.cfan.org).

I can only cry out for more of the Lord as He ministered, as He did the "works of the Father". Our desire is that the world would know that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah the Savior of all. Let us pray that the Lord would come and demonstrate the same proofs in the church of America, that He did in His days.