Focus: The Supernatural

Text: Mt.13:54

"And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this WISDOM, and these MIGHTY WORKS?"

The people wondered as they listened to Jesus Christ. He surprised them. He shocked them. They stood beside themselves. They couldn't believe what they were hearing and seeing. They saw supernatural wisdom and power in action. 

Nicodemus came to Him by night, and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him" (Jh.3:2). Jesus Christ did the kind of things that He did only because God was with Him. Christ Himself said, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise" (Jh.5:19). In verse 30, He said, "I can of mine own self do nothing…" Everything He did was in company with His Father. Even on the cross, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. 

Be it His birth, His life, His death, or His resurrection, all of it was undoubtedly a supernatural phenomena. God came down and changed the course of history forever.

You cannot eliminate the supernatural from Christianity, and still have genuine Christianity. Hook line and sinker, Christianity is absolutely a supernatural religion.

The people wondered at Christ because through Him they encountered God for themselves. They heard God's voice and saw His hand in action through Christ.

Peter reports "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (Act.10:39). As He walked on the water and calmed the storm, His disciples exclaimed, "What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!" (Mt.8:27). The elements of nature bowed to His word of command, and the forces of hell bowed at His feet. 

Jesus Christ brought heaven down to earth and showed God to men.

Paul says of himself, "Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ" (Rom.15:19). He says, "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds" (2Cor.12:12).

Also, he says, "Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily" (Col.1:29). That is the supernatural of God.

Of Peter, Paul says, "(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)" (Gal.2:8). God showed up mightily in Peter as well as in Paul.

O Lord, help us to encounter the reality of Your supernatural presence and power! With Your power working in us, we will be able to outdo ourselves and shock our world, and bring glory to Your name. Whatever it is You want to accomplish in our time, we ask that You include us in it. Restore the supernatural to the church! Let the Spirit take over our lives and ministries, and run things through us! Amen!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter