God at Work

After Jesus miraculously healed a sick man who was unable to walk for 38 years due to an infirmity on the Sabbath, He was a man marked by the Jewish authorities.  John 5:16-18 reads, "For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. ¹⁷ But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." ¹⁸ Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God."  The Jews persecuted and sought to kill Jesus because He broke the Sabbath, for keeping the traditions of their fathers was the good work they aimed to do.  Jesus claimed equality with the God the Father because the works they did were the same:  miraculous, supernatural and for the good of others in love.  The people in Nazareth saw Jesus as the son of Joseph the carpenter, but the works of Jesus demonstrated God was His Father.

God created the earth, heavenly bodies and all living things in 6 days and rested from His work on the 7th day.  He spoke the world into existence by His wisdom and power, and though the act of creation was finished the work of God did not cease.  God continued to do wonders to speak to people, reveal Himself and His power, delivered the Hebrews from slavery, provided for their needs and brought them into the promised land.  The works Jesus did as Messiah and servant of all were accompanied by miraculous works only God can do.  The Jews understood certain works are strictly limited to God.  When men brought a paralytic to Jesus Luke 5:20-21 says, "When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." ²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  Forgiveness of sins is a work only God can do, and Jesus showed He was no blasphemer when He demonstrated His power to forgive sins by healing the paralytic with a word.

We may not see or know how God is working in a given situation, but we can rest assured He is at work in ways beyond our comprehension.  John 9:1-7 reads, "Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" ³ Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. ⁴ I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." ⁶ When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. ⁷ And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing."  While disciples wondered who was to blame for the man's blindness, Jesus went about doing God's work to open the eyes of the blind as the scriptures said.  As the Light of the World Jesus worked to shine bright to those in darkness and give sight to the blind.

The Jews asked Jesus, "How can we work the works of God?"  John 6:29 says, "Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."  God was not done working after the creation of the world, and the work of Christians to believe in Jesus is not finished at conversion.  We who have believed Jesus is the Son of God, the Living Bread God has sent from heaven to forgive, save and give eternal life to all who trust in Him ought to continue believing in Him.  Faith in Jesus prompts us to walk in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit and lay God's word to heart.  The night is coming when no man can work, but as long as we remain in the world we ought to work the works of God who saved and redeemed us.  As it is written in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  By faith in Jesus may our lives be masterpieces that reveal His glorious wisdom and works for all to see.