Jesus' Warnings To His Disciples

In MATTHEW Chapter 24 Jesus warned his disciples not to be deceived by people claiming to perform signs & wonders as proof of their spiritual authority. Paul also warned the Corinthian Christians that satan can counterfeit the gifts of the Holy Spirit, so it is no surprise his ministers can transform themselves into angels of light  2 CORINTHIANS 11:14-15.

The Dangers Of Seeking Signs & Wonders

•  They appeal to our FLESHLY DESIRE FOR THRILLS and the spectacular

•  They open us up to THE DANGER OF BEING DECEIVED by false prophets & false teachers

•  They reveal OUR UNBELIEF/LACK OF TRUST in God's Word & Christ's Finished  Work on the Cross

Genuine signs and wonders (such as divine healing or deliverance from demonic spirits) sometimes accompany or follow the preaching of God's Word (ACTS 14:1-3; ROMANS 15:17-19), but they are the product of the Holy Spirit's presence, not the purpose for preaching the gospel (HEBREWS 2:1-4)

Jesus' Response To The Call For Signs & Wonders

•  An adulterous and wicked generation look for signs instead of putting their faith in him
•  The only sign they would receive was the sign of Jonah  MATTHEW 12:38-42; LUKE 11:29-32. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days, so he would be in the grave for three days before being resurrected from the dead to prove his divinity as Son of God.

In the story of The Rich Man and Lazarus Jesus also warned that not even the miracle of someone rising to life from the dead would convince people to put their faith in God's truth. If people do not believe the Word of God  -  the Bible  -  they will not be convinced by miracles, and are laying themselves open to being deceived by satan's counterfeits.

For an inductive Bible study on Jesus' warnings about signs and wonders, click on JESUS ON SIGNS & WONDERS.