Yes, according to Les Feldick, God performed signs and miracles during Jesus' earthly ministry specifically to prove to the nation of Israel that Jesus was the Messiah.
Les emphasizes that the Jews required a sign (1 Corinthians 1:22) and that throughout Israel's history, God used miracles as proof of His involvement. During Jesus' ministry, these miracles were not just acts of compassion but primarily served as signs to authenticate His identity to Israel. This is supported by the Jewish nature of seeking visible proof, which Paul also addressed.
1 Corinthians 1:22 — This verse states that the Jews require a sign, which directly explains the purpose of Jesus' miracles as signs for Israel.
The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:22 that "the Jews require a sign." This indicates a cultural and religious expectation among the Jewish people for supernatural proof. Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly used signs and wonders to authenticate His messengers and to demonstrate His power to Israel. For example, Moses performed signs before Pharaoh and the children of Israel, as seen in Exodus, which led the people to believe. The Bible also records many miracles during Jesus' ministry, and the Gospel of John specifically highlights seven sign miracles before His crucifixion, each with a deeper lesson for Israel.
Les Feldick teaches that the primary purpose of Jesus' signs and miracles was to prove to the nation of Israel that He was the Messiah. He emphasizes that the Jews had a nature of requiring signs, as seen throughout their history and as Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 1. Les clarifies that while compassion was certainly present, the main thrust of the miracles was authentication of Jesus' identity. He also points out that in the Gospel of John, seven of the eight signs occur before the crucifixion, symbolizing completion, and each sign carried a specific lesson for Israel. This contrasts with the Greek desire for wisdom, as Paul did not rely on signs or philosophy but preached Christ crucified.
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It's foolishness to them. You remember what they called Paul on Mars Hill? What did they call him? A babbler. A babbler. Now, imagine. Here comes this man that had already seen multitudes saved out of Hagan idolatry. Had established these little churches all throughout Asia Minor. Now, coming down the coast of Greece and he comes to Athens.
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And whenever I read this, especially in a class, I'm always followed up with a question. So why, basically, did Jesus perform all these miracles to the nation of Israel? To prove who he was. The Jews, 1 Corinthians 1 says, require a sign. They did all the way up through the Old Testament.
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Now, remember, this is Paul writing to a Gentile church, and it's Paul writing to you and I. And look what he says. For the Jews require, they demand, what? A sign. Now, just think about that for a moment. Beginning with Moses going to Pharaoh, or to the children of Israel really first, and then later on to convince Pharaoh that he was representative of the God of Israel, what did he use as proof?…
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Same thing. You throw your rod down on the ground, and it will become a serpent. And all these signs were not so much for Pharaoh's benefit, but for Moses and Aaron. To prove to those two men that God was going to do the supernatural. He's going to bring Israel out of Egypt. And so all the way up through Israel's history you have the supernatural. And you come into Christ's earthly ministry.
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All right, now as we come up through, then, the Old Testament and we reach the time of Christ and His three years of earthly ministry, this is going to be the whole vortex of His ministry. The reason for all of His signs and miracles is to prove to this nation of Israel that He was the Messiah. And a lot of people miss this.
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And this is all we need. You and I today do not need a manifestation of the miraculous in order to believe and trust what God has said. But Israel, you see, even as Paul says in 1 Corinthians, the Jew required what? A sign. It was just part of their nature. They had to constantly see the very proof of God. And so the miraculous was commonplace.
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The Jew required a sign, and so when God was really coming down on the nation of Israel and was trying to show them things, then He would use signs. It was a manifestation of His power, it was a miracle, but it was more than a miracle, it was a sign.
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But we're going to see, we go back to Exodus, just as soon as Moses approaches the children of Israel, he does what God told him to do. He throws down the rod, and it becomes a serpent. He performs another miracle, and then it says in the next verse, we'll see it in the next half hour, and they believed. Why? Because they saw the signs.
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