Many who witnessed or were at least aware of the signs Jesus worked were convinced and came to believe in him (John 10:42). Yet, we are also confronted with the opposite reality. Many who witnessed these signs or ‘good works’ refused to believe and even picked up stones to kill Jesus. How can this be?

The testimony of the eyes can be doubted, and all experience is subject to interpretation. Do these ‘good works’ come from God, or are they a manifestation of the demonic? Certainly, Jesus was accused of being in league with the devil (cf. John 8:53, Luke 11:15). Faced with such doubt and conflicting interpretations, we must address the deeper issue at hand: Is Jesus truly doing the good works of the Father? (John 10:37-38)

How can we judge who has it right? The answer lies in scripture itself. Jesus doesn’t appear from nowhere, working unspecified signs. The works the Messiah is to do are laid out in scriptural prophecy.

There are many such prophecies that Jesus’ life fulfils. Indeed, Luke’s Gospel begins its account of Jesus’ ministry with Jesus reading from the prophet Isaiah. What works will the anointed one do? He will bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recover sight to the blind, set free the oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour (cf. Luke 4:18-19).

Faith, in the end, is a gift brought to life within us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask for this gift so we may ‘see’ clearly and, by correctly interpreting the signs, come to a still greater belief in Jesus.

by Fr Michael Grace