We learn early on in Sunday school that the words Jesus spoke are colored red in the Bible. We believe these words, we memorize them, and we sing them in songs. Awesome. These are all great things to do. Our faith and salvation begins with believing, it’s absolutely important to have the living Word of God inside of you, and worship is powerful. But, is there something we’re missing about these words? Something that we need to understand about the spoken words of God?
Here’s what I’m beginning to understand. The things that Jesus says aren’t just suggestions or ideas and guidelines or even just perfect words of wisdom. THEY ARE POWER.
In John 2, we read about the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine. Jesus tells the servants to “fill the jars with water” and “draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” The servants did exactly as they were told. The master of the banquet’s response to what he was given was that this was the “choice wine” and he couldn’t believe they had saved the best until last!
In chapter 5 of John we read the story of Jesus healing the Lame man beside the pool called Bethesda. When the waters of the pool stirred, people would make their way into the pool and be miraculously healed. This man had been lame for 38 years. He spent his days lying beside the pool with no hope of healing because he could not get into the water. Then Jesus came into the picture. He asked the man if he wanted to get well. The man’s response was “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone goes down ahead of me.” John 5:8-9 “Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”
In John chapter 9 Jesus heals the man who was born blind. Jesus spits on the ground, takes up the mud in his hands and rubs it onto the man’s eyes. Jesus tells him to “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam”. The man did as Jesus said and was healed.
Matthew 14:29 “Come.” Jesus tells Peter to come, step out of the boat and walk onto the water to meet him. “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus”.
See, Jesus wasn’t just giving directions or telling people what to do. He was speaking power into the situations with authority. He was given “All authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:28) and that’s what he brought everywhere that he went. Overcoming everything. In situations where things seemed impossible, He came in and spoke wholeness, healing, and brought restoration into the situation with His words; His power.
What if we looked at every word Jesus spoke through the lens of his authority? “Do not fear” takes on a whole new meaning. He’s not just telling me not to be afraid, he’s casting that fear out.
Almost every miracle that Jesus performed during his time on earth he did as a renewal of the fallen creation, whether it was returning sight to the blind, or turning someone’s heart back to the Father. But all of these miracles had one thing in common. When Jesus asked the people to do something, they did it. Absolutely I’m sure that the servants who were filling the jars with water were wondering what in the world He was thinking. The lame man probably couldn’t understand why Jesus was telling him to get up. I can’t imagine someone putting mud on my eyes to heal them, especially if it had been made with that person’s saliva. But, after the fact, with his new sight, this man’s response was “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see”.
When Jesus speaks to us, or asks us to do something, the power is already there to complete it. We just have to step out onto the water. We have to MOVE.
