What More Could He Have Done…To Prove His Identity?

Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.  John 8:25

I used to read the gospels and think, “Why is Jesus so vague with the Pharisees when they ask Him to tell them plainly who He is?  Doesn’t He want them to know?”

The answer—Of course!  That is the reason for all the miracles and signs that Jesus did during His three year ministry!

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Jesus pleads with them to believe Him…or at least to believe the many proofs that He is providing.

If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.  But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.  John 10:37-38

What are some of the works, the miracles, that Jesus urges them to believe?—

• Healed men possessed by devils! (Matthew 8:28-34, 9:32-33)

• Cleansed a leper! (Matthew 8:2-3)

• Raised people from the dead!!! (Luke 7:11, Matthew 9:18-26)

• Healed great multitudes! (Matthew 8:14-17, 12:15)

• Calmed a storm and the sea! (Matthew 8:23-27)

• Fed 5,000 plus people with a boy’s sack lunch! (John 6:5-14)

• Gave sight to the blind! (Matthew 9:27-31, John 9:1-7).

Amazing things to behold!  Can you even imagine what it must have been like to see these things take place?  To have been there for Jesus to heal you… in person!

Jesus summed up His miracles and proofs to John the Baptist’s disciples when they came to Jesus asking if He were the Messiah or whether they should look for another, this way…

Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.  Luke 7:22

All these miracles were the fulfillment of the prophecies in Isaiah—Isaiah 35:5-6 and Isaiah 61:1.  Put all together these were undeniable proofs of Jesus’ Messiahship and deity.

When Jesus is vague with the scribes and Pharisees, it is because He has already told them…and shown them…the truth, and they refuse to hear it.

Remember in John chapter 5 when Jesus healed the man who had been sick for 38 years?  The Jews sought to kill Him then…because He told them that God was His Father!  (John 5:17-18)  Yet they had to have known Isaiah 9:6!

Here in our reading this week in John chapter 8, Jesus tells them again plainly that He is the eternal God, by referring to Himself by His name given centuries before to Moses to tell the people who He is…I AM.  (Exodus 3:14)

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.  Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.  John 8:58-59

These people wouldn’t believe Jesus, no matter what He did.  If He told them plainly, they tried to kill Him.  Yet they keep acting like He has refused to tell them who He is!

This proverb tells the story of those in Jesus’ day who saw the multitude of miracles Jesus performed—

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

John Heywood

The blind man Jesus healed in our reading this week was just as amazed at the Pharisees’ unbelief as I have been.

The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.  John 9:30

This man marveled at their unbelief when faced with such a great, and before unheard of, miracle—someone born blind being given sight.

Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.  John 9:32

The Jews require signs in order to believe.  (1 Corinthians 1:22)  Jesus gave them sign upon sign upon sign.  Still, many remained willfully blind, willfully doubting.

Why?  Not because they could not…as some would teach.  But because they would not.  (John 5:40)  They did not want to believe the proof they saw…because of their desire for power and prestige among the Romans.  See John 11:48.

 

What more could He have done? 

What more could Jesus have done to prove His identity?  To prove that He is God…the Son of God…the promised Messiah?

The answer—nothing. 

He did all He could.  For He is not willing that any perish.  (2 Peter 3:9)

Still, we must choose to believe the light we are given, so that we may be given more light—just as this blind man.  He believed that Jesus had to be of God.  Then Jesus, a little later, tells him plainly that He is the Son of God.  (v. 33, 35-38)

We must choose to believe the light we are given, so that we may be given more light.

Do you believe that Jesus is Who He says He is—God our Saviour…the I AM.  Is Jesus your Saviour?  If you are not sure, please reach out to me.  I would love nothing more than to talk with you about Jesus.

I have found fault with the Pharisees and the unbelieving Jews who lived in Jesus’ day and witnessed all that they did.  Yet, I have been just as guilty.

I have seen God do great things for me and my family over the years.  And still, sometimes, I yield to the temptation to fret, to worry, to take my focus off of Him and become discouraged.

Are you in the midst of a trial right now?  Are you having trouble trusting God to work it all out in His time and way?

Ask yourself—

What more could Jesus have done in my life to cause me to trust Him and rest in Him than He has already done?

And make a list of as many blessings and answers to prayer as you can think of.  Try to make that list stretch to 50.  Include blessings and provisions that you and I often take for granted.  You will likely find that your list goes way over 50!

As you make this list, you will see the answer to your question really is…Nothing.  Jesus has already proven Himself faithful to you over and over again.

Now believe Him…that He is God…of this trial, as well.

Spend time with God drawing nigh to Him in prayer thanking Him for all that He has already done to show You His love and to show You that He is able and will help you through yet another of life’s complications.

And rest in faith. 

 

Drawing nigh to Him,

Teresa

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

How has Jesus proven Himself as God in your life?  Maybe you could share some of your list in the Comments.

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