Jesus wants us to know that he is sovereign over everything that happens in our lives. Nothing is beyond his control. And for his followers, we have the unyielding promise that all things work together for our good and his glory (Romans 8:28).
Jesus also wants us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We see this in how Jesus handled Thomas, one of Jesus’s disciples, after he had been raised from the dead.
Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to his other followers. Thomas said that unless he touched his wounded hands and side, he would not believe it. Then Jesus appeared to Thomas in his resurrection glory, and invited him to touch what he desired. In response, Thomas fell and worshiped Jesus.
Jesus then responded to Thomas’s worship and told Thomas that he was blessed because he saw and believed.
But how really blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe (John 20:29)?
That’s most of us. We have not seen a literal resurrected Jesus, yet we choose to believe in him. Trust him with our eternal lives. Trust him for today’s needs.
What is my point? If this is all true, then many experiences we call “coincidences” are not coincidences at all. They are simply God’s way of remaining anonymous. To help grow our faith.
Because Jesus wants us to learn to walk by faith, and not by sight!