God bless you in the name of Jesus Christ who promised signs would follow them that believe (Mark 16:17).
Jesus had high expectations for us. Just before he ascended to the right hand of God, he made a very provocative statement.
Mark 16:15, 17-18:
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. . . 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover
Jesus made this statement unequivocally. These supernatural signs are supposed to follow those who believe. That includes you and me. Since we believe, these signs are supposed to follow us! So, let’s look thoughtfully at this supernatural list to see precisely what Jesus told us to expect.
“Signs” is the Greek word sēmeion. It is used Biblically to point to the significance of the miracle to authenticate the miracle-worker or to demonstrate something of particular significance. When sēmeion is used the purpose of the miracle is most prominent and points out something as significant. The Gospel of John particularly notes the turning water to wine as the beginning of miracles, sēmeion, signs John 2:11. The second, the healing of the nobleman’s son, was noted in John 4:54, and so forth. A sign shows, by the proof or evidence furnished by one thing, the reality and genuineness of another. The miracles that Jesus Christ did authenticated that he was Messiah. Paul refers to the “signs of an apostle” in Corinthians. Sēmeion occurs 77 times in the New Testament and is translated “sign” 50 times, “miracle” 23 times, “wonder” three times, and “token” once.
It was used outside the Bible to describe the official written notice that announced the final verdict of a court. It also described the signature or seal applied to a document to guarantee its authenticity and a sign that marked key locations in a city. Jesus was sending his disciples into the world to preach the Gospel, and he expected their ministries to be authenticated by the hand of God. It was as if God’s signature would be upon their ministry. These “signs” would authenticate that God was involved in what was going on. Just as street signs point a traveler in the right direction, these signs would point unbelievers to the Lord if they would only see their significance.
The Lord said that these signs would “follow” believers. The word “follow” is the Greek word parakoloutheō, from the words, para and akoloutheō. The word para means alongside, so as to be near or in a close proximity, and the word akoloutheō means to follow or to go somewhere with a person, as to accompany him on a trip. When combined, parakoloutheō means to tirelessly accompany someone; to constantly be at the side of an individual; to always be in close proximity with a person, like a faithful companion who is always at one’s side.
Why is it that we don’t see more of these signs? Jesus told us why when he said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe.” These signs do not automatically follow everyone born again. They follow those who believe for them to occur. If a Christian isn’t believing for these signs to be manifested or expecting them to follow him, they probably won’t. So, if we want them to follow us, we must believe for them to happen. Those who regularly experience signs accompanying them are those who regularly expect to see it. If we want them to follow us, we should aggressively put ourselves in positions for them to happen.
So, when we are about our Father’s business, let’s expect things to happen!
· We lay hands on the sick, expecting them to recover.
· We cast out devils, expecting deliverance and people set free.
· We speak in tongues fervently interceding for one another, and interpret when we have occasion to do it publicly.
· We expect God’s hand of protection to be upon us when we need it.
Remember, these signs are designed to authenticate the Gospel message and its messengers. Jesus unequivocally spoke these words to provoke us to love and to good works. He guaranteed that God’s supernatural signature would be on anyone who preaches the Gospel and who opens the way for the supernatural to come to pass by believing. Let’s stoke the fire in our hearts to see the supernatural signature of God on our lives. God wants to show up when we are about His business to authenticate and guarantee our message and ministry. Let’s expect things to happen like God’s Word says they will. We will not be disappointed.