Earthen Vessels

Why did Jesus Christ perform the miracles on the earth? Is it to impress people how much he could do through the miracles? Of course not! Then, why did he raise the dead, feed five thousands with five loaves and two fish, drive out demons, give sight to the blind, and heal the lame, paralytic, and many others? It is not for the people to believe in Him although it contributes that He was the promised Messiah. As a matter of fact, just a handful of people believed in Him though he demonstrated so many miracles in His earthly ministry. At the culmination of His messianic ministry on the earth in Calvary, all the disciples fled away from Him except a group of women.

The main reason our Lord Jesus Christ did perform the miracles is for the revelation of who He really was. Although the miracles had happened physically, the spiritual meanings are more important. The miracle of five loaves and two fish reveals that Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life in whom everything in the universe sustains life. Jesus Christ defeated the devil by quoting the scripture, “Man does not live on bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Jesus Christ is the Word (John 1:1).

There was a time when humans ate food which didn’t come from the earth but the heaven. Forty years of wilderness life was the only case in human history. It wasn’t a day, week, month, or even year, but forty years. God rained the manna from the heaven above every day except the Sabbath day consistently and faithfully. It pictures how humans can truly live through the manna. Jesus Christ is pouring out His life unto those who believes in Him.

The miracle of changing water into wine reveals that Jesus Christ is the giver of joy and happiness in life and makes it bear fruits. The symbol of water in the miracle indicates commonplace, humdrum, colorless, ordinary, and dull life. However, wine represents exciting, colorful, vital, fulfilling, rich, and glorious life. When we obey Him in our midst, it bears the fruits of joy, peace, and love within and without by the touch of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

We are just earthen vessels that carry the treasures of the glorious gospel. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV) There is nothing, absolutely nothing, for us to contribute to earn the righteousness of God. From the beginning to the end, we totally and completely rely on the work of Christ Jesus the Lord through faith. That’s how we live eternal life now and forever.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV)