Zoom is still a favorite expression of lads playing with their toy rocket ships, air planes, and automobiles. It involves a sudden, rapid, and ongoing movement accompanied by sound. Without the power of zoom, imaginations would be sorely distressed. A few years ago, Mazda capitalized on the expression, using Zoom Zoom to advertise its RX-7 sports car, thereby connecting it to a young man’s childhood imagination. Since then, zoom has replaced close-up as an expression describing the magnification feature on our cameras and computers. In this day of social distancing and working from home, zoom is a common expression describing group meetings conducted entirely online.
Zoom would be a great word to describe the instantaneous miracles of our Lord. The second miraculous sign of Jesus recorded by John in his gospel was the healing of the royal official’s son at Capernaum. This unnamed official had a son who was sick to the point of death (Jn. 4:47). So, when he heard that Jesus was coming again into Galilee, he went to meet Him and begged Him to come quickly before his child died (vs. 49). Jesus simply said, “Go; your son lives” (vs. 50). He took Jesus at His word and began his 17-mile journey home. Somewhere along the way he meet his servants who told him his son was living (vs. 51). With a few questions, he was able to discover that his son had been healed at precisely the same hour that Jesus said, “Your son lives” (vs. 53).
We could call this a zoom miracle. Zoom, and just like that, it was done! This is not the only time Jesus healed from a distance. Nor was it the only time He performed miracles from far, far away. The universe came into being through the power of God’s spoken word (Gen. 1:3ff; Ps. 33:9). Jesus was part of the creation process, for John says, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (Jn. 1:3).
Similarly, there is great power in believing prayer. God is not constrained by distance in answering the petitions that come before Him. There are times when God seems to answer prayers slowly. We grow impatient, often forgetting that there is blessing even as we wait for God’s response (Isa. 40:31). Be assured, however, that our prayers zoom to the Father through Jesus His Son (Hb. 7:25). He hears our prayers and answers in keeping with His will (1 Jn. 5:14-15). This is no childhood game. This is plugging into the power of God. He is our Ebenezer—our Rock of help in time of need (Hb. 4:16). Let the call sound forth! People of God, now is the time to bathe the Father’s throne with earnest prayers that the hearts of the stubbornly rebellious might break in genuine repentance issuing forth as never before a wave of interest in and obedience to the precious gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But, alas, such a prayer requires human response, beginning with us.
–Glen Elliott–