Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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MIRACLES, SIGNS OF THE RISEN LORD
Acts 9: 32-42
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes…
The crux of the book of the Acts of the Apostles is the risen Christ and the power he gives to his Apostles. The Apostles preached on the event of resurrection and performed miracles in the power of the risen Lord. Through their words and deeds people could experience the reality of resurrection in their lives. Where ever the risen Christ is present, there is new power to over come the handicaps of human existence. Today’s text tells us of the miracles performed by Christ through Apostle Peter in the early Church.

JESUS CHRIST, THE GREAT PHYSICIAN: The healing of Aeneas the paralytic reminds us of the healing of the paralytic at Capernaum by Jesus (Mark 2:11). Peter, being one who had witnessed this, tells Aeneas, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed”. The focus here is nothing but the power of the risen Lord and hence all those who watched this turned to the Lord. As a community of witnesses of resurrection it is our mission to assure those who are sick and bereaved about the risen Lord who is active amidst us.

JESUS CHRIST, THE RESURRECTION AND LIFE: The raising up of Tabitha from the dead also has close resemblance with the raising up of Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:55). The motive behind Christ’s miracles was of compassion and responding to human need and suffering. This reveals us of the continuing activity of the risen Lord in history amidst the adversities of humanity.

JESUS CHRIST, THE GREATEST MIRACLE: Miracles may happen and God can act in miraculous ways. The greatest miracle is the miracle of faith, the faith by which we hang on to the faithfulness of God. It is not the miracles that Jesus did, but Jesus himself is the greatest miracle. We follow Christ for what he is, and for what he did for our salvation. The real miracle that he can do is that he can transform us to his likeness.

Prayer: O great and wonderful God, we thank you for the miracle of resurrection revealed through our Lord Jesus Christ. Make us channels of the power of resurrection so that the world may experience your love and compassion and glorify you. Amen.

Rev.Zachariah John, Houston

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