Signs of Jesus' coming

How do you know that winter is here? Some people think it's winter when the calendar says so; some think it doesn't feel like winter until it snows or until you see houses with Christmas lights on them. Some people say it's winter when the ski slopes open!

Just like there are signs that show us winter is here, there were signs when Jesus came that He was really God. In this week's Gospel (Matthew 11:2-11), we learn about them.

John the Baptist was in jail for talking about God's coming. When he heard about Jesus' teachings, he sent people to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah, the one sent by God to save the world. "Tell John what you see here," Jesus told them. "The blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead live, and the poor hear the Good News."

When you're waiting for winter so you can throw snowballs, you look for signs everywhere. You feel happy when it gets really cold and become excited when your mother takes out your winter coat and mittens.

People in Jesus' time always looked for signs He was coming. They looked for people who could do miracles and said they were from God. They felt excited, too, when they thought they found Jesus!

Sometimes, the signs of winter don't mean winter is here yet. Just because one ski slope opens doesn't mean there's lots of real snow; just because your mom makes you wear your winter coat doesn't mean it's THAT cold. You feel sad that winter's still not here!

That's why John the Baptist sent people to see if Jesus was really the Son of God. This time, though, the signs were right: Jesus could make blind people see, make people who couldn't walk jump up and run, and even make dead people come alive again!

Even if you're fooled at first, you know the signs that winter's really here, so you can look for them. Like that, Jesus' followers learned the signs that He was really God, so they could never be fooled again. They knew the "real thing" when they saw it!