When wonders and signs aren’t enough
by Sean Hotinski
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But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets (Acts 7:42a).
Read Acts 7:30-43
Today, we continue with the disciple Stephen’s speech before the Jewish chief priests, in which he presents his defence. Stephen says: ‘[Moses] led [the Israelites] out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness’ (Acts 7:36).
After the ten dreadful plagues of Egypt, the historic exodus and parting of the Red Sea, and the manna from heaven, one would think that people would have enough evidence by now to believe Moses was indeed God’s prophet and messenger. But apparently, it wasn’t. The Israelites asked Aaron to make a golden calf because Moses was ‘taking too long’. Then, God gave them over to their idolatry.
That phrase ‘wonders and signs’ comes up earlier in Acts when the Apostle Peter says that Jesus performed wonders and signs in the Israelites’ midst, just like Moses and Stephen (Acts 2:22). Yet, in response, Jesus’ own people crucified him by the hands of Gentiles. We’re seeing a pattern here, aren’t we? Holy prophets of God perform wonders and signs to point people to salvation, but people reject them in response.
Maybe this has happened to you. Perhaps you’ve done some evangelism and given people really good reasons to believe or convincing Bible passages. But those people just don’t believe. It can be easy to feel down in the dumps. But we need not feel this way. This is simply the reality of life: the natural human rejects the things of God. Only the Holy Spirit-led human accepts them.
By our own power, we can’t bring anyone to Christianity. Only God can do this. But this is good news: we know that just as God worked through Stephen, who proclaimed the word of Christ, he also works through us when we share the gospel. Because of this, every time we’ve witnessed to someone was never in vain and never will be. Thanks be to God!
Heavenly Father, thank you for being with me in all the times when I shared Christ, your word and your gospel with others. Please guide all people I interact with to you. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I can confess Christ faithfully. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Sean Hotinski is from Perth, Western Australia. He is currently in Adelaide with his wife, Olya, studying to be a pastor and is doing vicarage at St Paul Lutheran Church, Blair Athol. In his spare time, Sean enjoys reading and studying the Bible, looking into Christian apologetics, game design, and going on walks.
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