Miracles and Testimonies Draw People So They Can Know Him

David W Palmer

(John 12:9–11 NKJV) Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. {10} But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, {11} because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

The chief priests and the religious leaders had already held a council to establish justification for killing Jesus; they believed that this would halt the mass exodus from their legalistic covering and control. But now, they had another problem; Lazarus—whom Jesus had raised from the dead—was helping to draw a huge crowd to Jesus:

(John 12:9 AMPC) Now a great crowd of the Jews heard that He was at Bethany, and they came there, not only because of Jesus but that they also might see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

Jesus was the miracle worker, and Lazarus had the testimony that gave him glory. In other words, Lazarus was like a testifying evangelist preaching Jesus. In that atmosphere, Jesus’s presence was very real; and anyone wanting to, could meet him and become his follower. For them, he was there in his physical body—but it was his spiritual power that created the miracle. For us in the same scenario, he is just as real and present—but in spirit; so, the same potential for a miracle is always with us and the opportunity to glorify him.

Meanwhile, the narrow-minded controllers of the religious system were panicking. Their monopoly on religion and their control over the people through legalism, guilt, and intellectualism was being eroded. If this were to continue, their days of sitting atop the religion ladder and power hierarchy were over. They feared a mass movement of the people to Jesus: he had the power they couldn’t attain; he had the crowds, the love, and the respect; and now he had an undeniably influential ally, Lazarus, along with his irrefutable testimony.

The council had already hatched a plan to kill Jesus, but now they realized that they would have to kill Lazarus as well. Whether or not they murdered Lazarus, the Bible doesn’t say; but it certainly does say that they sacrificed innocent Jesus. Praise God, this didn’t solve their problem; Jesus resurrected larger than life, and was still performing miracles and creating testimonies and testifiers:

(Acts 3:2, 6–8 NKJV) And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; ... {6} Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." {7} And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. {8} So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.

Jesus was alive, and the authority of his name, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the faith of his words were still active, effective, and miraculous. The strategy of killing Jesus to stop his work had completely backfired:

(1 Corinthians 2:8 NLT) But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.

The rulers crucified Jesus, but he arose; and now a whole new era of miracles, crowds, and conversions dawned:

(Acts 3:9–11 NKJV) And all the people saw him walking and praising God. {10} Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. {11} Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed.

No legalist’s strategy or controller’s authority can stop Jesus and his miracles. Nothing could have stopped a huge crowd gathering. When they did, Peter preached Jesus:

(Acts 3:12, 15–16 NKJV) So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” ... {15} “and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. {16} And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”

Peter’s preaching of Jesus, his resurrection, and the authority of his name produced fruit:

(Acts 4:4 NKJV) … many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

Thousands believed, but the embattled religious hierarchy tried in vain again to stop Jesus. They threatened the apostles, but Jesus could not be stopped; they could kill his physical body the first time, but now they didn’t even have this option:

(Acts 5:14–16 NKJV) And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, {15} so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. {16} Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Nothing, it seems, could slow down the revival in Jerusalem and its surrounds—despite the religion peddlers best efforts to hold on to their control. Multitudes were leaving their control and converting to Jesus.

This passage says that they were being “added to the Lord.” This confirms several important points:

The miracles, and then the preaching, had led new people to Jesus. But by saying they were “added” to him, the Holy Spirit is showing us that they entered a relationship with him; they didn’t merely join a group, adhere to a philosophy, or begin to practice religious rituals. What’s more, it says that they were added to the “Lord.” This shows that as well as coming to know and adhere to Jesus the person, they were yielded to him—relating to him as the Lord of their lives. These believers were truly born again and growing in a firsthand relationship with their Lord and Savior.

Today, let’s first realize the power of miracles and testimonies in drawing people to Jesus. You may feel that you haven’t received or participated in a miracle—like raising the dead or healing a cripple—so you don’t have a testimony like Lazarus or Peter. But if you have been born again and been made into a new creation, you have the greatest miracle to testify of. In other words, always have the testimony of your salvation ready to share:

(1 Peter 3:15 NLT) … if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

If you do have a testimony of having received a miracle or having participated in someone else’s receiving one, add that to your testimony of salvation. But always remember, the objective is not to attach people to you like the controllers of religion did in Jesus’s day; instead, always point people to Jesus. Preach Jesus, introduce them to him, and ensure that they are “added to the Lord.” The objective is that they too become his friends.