Throughout the Gospels, men would ask Jesus to perform miraculous signs to prove that He was from God and that He was the Messiah. Jesus always refused to perform miracles on demand (Matthew 12:39). Jesus knew men’s hearts would not be changed by seeing miracles.
Instead He showed them God’s kindness. God’s kindness was not shown by compromising with the sin that so easily besets us (Hebrews 12:1). Instead Jesus died on the cross as the payment (the propitiation) for our sins so we would not face eternal death but have eternal life (Romans 6:23).
Paul taught believers, “Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness” (Romans 11:22). Those who die without trusting in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will experience severe punishment (Mark 9:43-48). Those who believe will be saved and spared punishment for their sins, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
Jesus’ death on our behalf will be recognized throughout all eternity as evidence of “the surpassing riches of God’s grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). Paul taught that it was not miraculous signs or the threat of punishment that would cause men to repent. Instead he taught, “the kindness of G.
