WHAT IS THE SIGN? (2)
I am sure we are all very familiar with the road works warning sign that shows a workman shovelling soil with a spade all captured inside a red triangle. This sign has often been parodied as depicting a man having trouble opening an umbrella. Why is that? Because when we see the workman sign, we are reminded by the seemingly everyday occurrence of someone opening an umbrella.
Now consider some of the miracles of Jesus: the feeding of the 5000 and the 4000; Jesus walking on water; the transfiguration. Each of these were signs, but of what?
Look at Mark 6:30 - 52. After the feeding of the 5000, Jesus meets the disciples who had been trying to negotiate their boat across the Sea of Tiberias having been caught in a storm. Jesus is seen walking on the water, and following an encounter with Peter, gets into the boat with the other disciples and the wind ceased. Then we read these words, They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. What was it about the sign of the feeding of the 5000 that seemingly equally applies to the sign of Jesus walking on the sea?
The clue to answering this question is found in John's account of the feeding of the 5000: After the people saw the sign Jesus performed (feeding of the 5000), they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world". (John 6:14)
At the time of Jesus, all Jews would have known the Torah (Old Testament) intimately. When they saw the sign of the feeding of the 5000, it would have instantly reminded them of a Prophet like Moses whom God had promised to send (Deuteronomy 18:15 – 19). How was Jesus like Moses?
Manna was sent from heaven for the Israelites during Moses' journey through the desert; and Jesus fed the multitudes. Twice.
Moses led Israel across the Red Sea on foot; Jesus was crossing the Sea of Tiberias on foot (see also Job 9:8).
Moses had to wear a veil over his face because it was shining with the glory of Heaven; and the disciples saw Jesus' glory on the Mount of Transfiguration alongside Moses (Matthew 17:1 - 5).
Moses instituted a covenant of blood that brought salvation for many with the Passover lamb's blood on the doorposts; Jesus, the Lamb of God, brought in the new covenant in His blood on the beams of the cross, but that also flows into our hearts by faith in Him….
There are many more parallels between Moses and Jesus that would have been recognized by the Jewish people.
Like the sign of the workman/ man with an umbrella sign, we can only see that which our hearts allow us to see. If we desire to "see" the new things that God is unfolding in our day, we need to know the word of God well and have pliable, soft hearts that are open to the Holy Spirit, not hardened hearts like the disciples, who missed seeing the deeper implications of Jesus' signs. May we all desire hearts of flesh, so that we may grow in stature in Christ.
I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:25, 26)
