Amazing!

“The people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.” Mark 9:15

Amazing! Jesus is amazing if you know Him and the power of His resurrection. Throughout history, Jesus has been known as a healer, a friend and a brother, but to those who know Him as the Saviour, He is amazing!

The power of Jesus to turn the lives of the defeated into the victors, the ones who mourn into the ones who rejoice, to move the defeated into the conquerers is only available to the people who know Him as the Saviour.

When the people saw Jesus and His works they were “greatly amazed” not because they knew Jesus as the Saviour of the world but because they saw Him as a miracle worker and awaited some miracle that He would perform. Jesus is not looking for “thrill seekers" to follow Him but people who are looking for the Saviour.

After feeding the thousands with a few fishes and loaves of bread, the crowds followed Jesus and His response to this mass of people was:

 “I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” (John 6:26)

To be amazed at what Jesus can do is not the same as living a life that is amazed at what Jesus has done. Many people seek Jesus for the “bread and fishes” and not for the purpose that Jesus came into the world.

Jesus indeed is the great healer but if He heals your physical body and you are spiritually dead, you will probably be amazed by what He has done but you will still face the judgment of your sin. Jesus did not come to feed the hungry, although He did, nor did He come to heal the sick and the sick Jesus did heal. Jesus did not come to lift up the broken hearted and indeed He did. Jesus came, “to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)

What a difference Jesus can make. The lame walked, the deaf heard, the blind did see and the dead were called from the grave. All of these fade in the shadow of the salvation of the lost. Jesus did not come to make the physical life of people better but Jesus came to save the lost from the wages of sin. The word of God is clear on the matter of sin, “For the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23)

If Jesus only came as a “good teacher” or as “the great healer” His life would have been wasted on the least important aspect of human loss. When death visits us; we know it is final. Death is our enemy that we cannot wage a battle against and be victors.

The Apostle Paul makes this observation about the power of Jesus over death:

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Co 15:55-57)

Only Jesus has the power to remove the “sting of death” only Jesus holds the power to “giveth us the victory” over our greatest of all enemies, death.

Are you looking for God to help your physical needs? Are you calling out on God for His “bread and fishes?” Jesus is willing and able to meet all your needs but Jesus wants to be your Saviour. Deliverance from hunger, pain and physical death are often the most called out needs we make to God but what we most need is a Saviour.

The angel's proclamation when announcing the birth of Jesus was, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) Not one who would heal, feed or prolong physical death but a Saviour!

Jesus came that you may have life. Jesus said He came that you would have, “life and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Jesus can heal you of your physical infirmities. Yes, Jesus can provide you with your daily needs but Jesus came to be your Saviour. Are you following Jesus because you are amazed at what He can do or are you following Him because He is your Saviour?

Remember everyone left Jesus who was amazed at His miracles but only the ones who knew Him as Saviour were with Jesus to the end. When Jesus challenged the ones who were amazed; they all left Him. When Jesus asked the followers who knew Him as their Saviour if they would leave Him they said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)  

How about you? Are you following Jesus for the “bread and fishes” or are you following Jesus because He is your Saviour?