Do we still need signs and wonders today?
I got a question this week from someone that went something like this:
I’ve always thought that the signs and wonders, like those in the New Testament, would have stopped after Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). I mean, signs and wonders performed by believers. But then I see reports of “healing services” with people on the floor (and more…), and I just don’t know what to think about it. What’s your take on that?
Now, I could say a lot about that, but my opinion (this time too) doesn’t really matter. People have all sorts of opinions, but let’s be honest… does that mean they’re right? No. So, the only opinion that truly matters is God’s, and we can clearly read that in His Word. We first took a look at the signs and wonders in the New Testament and why they were even performed. Everything Jesus did had a purpose (He didn’t do things just for fun), so why did He do it?
The first reason is that it confirmed that Jesus is the Messiah:
John 20:30-31 (NASB) – “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
So, He didn’t perform signs just for the sake of signs. There was a purpose, and one of those purposes is very clear here. It doesn’t say that Jesus healed people just to make them better. The healing (or any miracle) wasn’t His goal; it was a result. Let’s look a little further in the Bible, and we’ll see that the message of the Gospel was confirmed through these signs:
Mark 16:20 (NASB) – “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.”
If we continue looking at what the Bible says, we see that the miracles reveal the power and authority of God:
Acts 2:22 (NASB) – “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—”
Furthermore, we see that the miracles equipped the apostles to establish the early church. And even that church wasn’t the end goal—bringing people to God through Christ was the ultimate purpose.
And if you look closely, you’ll see that these signs and wonders didn’t happen as church activities for believers, but among the people who didn’t believe yet. The signs and wonders weren’t a “church” thing, but a thing for “the people” still outside the church, to clearly communicate the above points (showing God’s authority, confirming the message of the Gospel, affirming Jesus as the Messiah) at a time when they didn’t yet have a complete Bible.
Acts 5:12 (NASB) – “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one mind in Solomon’s portico.”
So, all those signs and wonders… were not for the already converted Christians. Because they already know that Christ is the Messiah, He is the Son of God, they already know what the Gospel is. For Christians, all those miracles and signs aren’t necessary. These verses show that signs and wonders weren’t just expressions of power, but had a deeper purpose: to reveal Jesus, to confirm the Gospel, and to establish the early church.
So, now that we know all this… do we still need signs and wonders today as Christians, since we now have the complete Bible, possess the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, John 16:13, Romans 8:26, John 14:16-17), and the early church is already established? No. To make it even clearer: the Bible is very explicit about this and warns us not to rely on them anymore (for the above reasons), because they are no longer necessary.
Faith should not be based on signs. Jesus rebukes those who demand signs instead of having true faith in the following verse very clearly:
John 4:48 (NASB) – “So Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.’”
Mark 8:12 (NIV) “He (Jesus) sighed deeply and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.'”
Matthew 12:39 (NIV) “He (Jesus) answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.'”
Even worse, what we often see today are false signs and deception. Not all miracles come from God, and this verse makes it VERY clear:
Matthew 24:24 (NASB) – “For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”
We already have the signs and wonders of Christ clearly written in the Bible. The evidence is literally on paper. That “vision” of more “miracles” won’t save you either, because if you don’t believe the Bible, would a miracle suddenly convert you? No. The Bible clearly says that we must live by faith, not by sight (what we see in miracles).
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NASB) – “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
And in the next verse, it is made even clearer. Jesus teaches that God’s Word is enough for faith, even without miracles.
Luke 16:31 (NASB) – “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
The conclusion of this conversation is clear: signs and wonders played an important role in the early church, but the Bible shows us that they must never be the foundation of our faith. If today we seek miracles as confirmation of God’s presence, we risk missing the core: faith in Jesus Christ and trust in His Word.
When someone claims to perform signs and wonders, ask yourself: does this truly point to Jesus and His Gospel? Why do we want to attend such a gathering? Are we genuinely longing for God’s work in our lives, or are we seeking something extraordinary, something spectacular? Scripture teaches us that our faith must be rooted in what God has spoken, not in what we can see or experience.
And if you’re reading this and are sick, longing for healing, it is both good and biblical to bring that desire to God in prayer. But if you’ve already done that, then know this: He has heard you. And He knows exactly what you need. Continually seeking dramatic healing experiences or repeatedly attending healing services, while understandable, can sometimes come across as insisting on an answer we want. But is that truly trust?
Real faith is willing to let go. Trust that God hears, sees, and knows. And that He, even when we don’t understand, will do what is best for His glory, in His way, and in His time.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29
