Faith, Signs and Wonders

The Greek word in Matthew 4:12 which is translated as “withdrew” really has the idea of “escape.” That is, Jesus left Jerusalem and the surrounding area. He escaped not because He was afraid but because it was not yet time for the strong opposition to develop which would result in His death. It was time to leave. He would return later in order to teach and perform miracles once again. So Jesus escaped pending trouble and the “weak-faithed” crowds in Judea.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke did not record Jesus’ trip through Samaria. Mark tells us that Jesus preached the same message that John the Baptist preached, and Luke says that Jesus went to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit. Only John recorded Jesus’ trip into Samaria because he wanted us to know that Jesus was the Messiah and also to encourage us to also seek “living water.” Jesus entered the region of Samaria in order to meet “the woman at the well” and to let her and those in her town know that He was their Messiah.

Samaritans Believed! In our last study, we discovered that the Samaritans were not eager for Jesus to leave. In fact, they asked Him questions and encouraged Him to stay for two days. John 4:41 tells us that they did not believe Him because of some trick, sign, miracle, or wonder that He performed. They did not need twentieth century "before" and "after" photographs of His miracles in order to believe in Him. They did not believe in Him because He had a large church, or because He was a famous man. Nor did they believe Jesus because He was charismatic or rich. No, Jesus had none of those things. They simply believed in Him because He had demonstrated that He was a prophet - the Messiah of Israel. They did not need more proof, but they trusted what He had to say. John 4:41 says,

Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.” (NASB) John 4:41-42

They listened and believed. This was unusual because even the crowds in Jerusalem had to see signs and wonders before they would believe in Jesus (John 2:23-25). The Samaritans were not stupid people either, but their hearts were different. The crowds in Jerusalem needed a show. The faith of the Jerusalem crowds needed signs and wonders. They had doubt and were looking for proof. Their faith - if in fact they had faith at all - was thin and as a result Jesus was unwilling to entrust Himself to them.