http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=1772
“The Very Works that I Do Bear Witness of Me”
The Bible begins with the miracle
of Creation (Genesis 1:1), and ends with a reminder of the miraculous
Second Coming of Christ (Revelation 22:20). Like polka dots on a
Dalmatian, wondrous miracles wrought by God and His messengers spatter
the biblical text. God created the Universe out of nothing (Genesis 1),
and centuries later flooded the entire Earth with water (Genesis 7). He
sent ten plagues upon the Egyptians (Exodus 7-12), parted the Red Sea
(Exodus 14), and caused water to come from a rock twice during Israel’s
forty years of wandering in the wilderness (Exodus 17; Numbers 20). He
healed a leper (2 Kings 5), raised many from the dead (1 Kings 17;
Matthew 27:52-53), and on two different occasions translated men from
Earth to heaven so that they never tasted death (Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings
2:1-11). Even the Bible itself is the result of the miracle of God
supernaturally guiding Bible writers in what they wrote. Rather than
being the result of man’s genius, the Bible claims to be “God-breathed”
(2 Timothy 3:16, NIV). According to the apostle Peter, “[P]rophecy
never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they
were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21, NIV,
emp. added). From revelation to inspiration, from God’s Creation to
Jesus’ incarnation, miraculous (supernatural) explanations lay at the
heart of numerous biblical (and therefore historical) events.
Some people adamantly claim that
any type of miracle is absolutely impossible. Why do they say “no” to
miracles? There are many reasons, but perhaps most significant is that
they do not believe that God exists (or that if He does, He does not
intervene in the natural world). A person who believes that the Universe
and its contents evolved through natural processes over billions of
years cannot believe in miracles because he or she thinks that nothing
exists outside of nature. As the late, eminent astronomer of Cornell
University, Carl Sagan, put it: “The Cosmos is all that is or ever was
or ever will be” (1980, p. 4). Since a miracle is an extraordinary event
that demands a supernatural explanation, no such event ever could occur
in a world where only natural forces operate. Once a person denies God
and the miracle of Creation, then he or she is forced to deny that
miracles of any kind can occur. Christians believe in miracles because
they believe that God exists and that the Bible (which reports some of
God’s miracles) is His Word, whereas atheists reject miracles because
they do not believe in a higher, supernatural Being.
Those who hold to an atheistic
viewpoint are correct about one thing: If God does not exist (or as the
deist believes, if He does exist, but is unwilling to intervene in His
creation), then miracles cannot occur. On the other hand, if God does
exist (and evidence indicates that He does—see Thompson, 2003), then
miracles not only are possible, but also probable. It makes perfectly
good sense to conclude that if God created the Universe, then on
occasion He might intervene through supernatural acts (i.e., miracles)
to accomplish His divine purposes.
MIRACULOUS CONFIRMATION
Since the world began, God has
revealed messages to mankind “by the mouth of His holy prophets” (Luke
1:70; cf. Luke 11:49-51; Acts 3:21) and worked various miracles through
them for the purpose of confirming His Divine will. God gave Moses the
ability to turn a staff into a snake and water into blood in order that
his hearers “may believe the message” that he spoke (Exodus 4:1-9). Fire
from Heaven consumed an altar on Mount Carmel so that Israel might know
the one true God and that His faithful prophet Elijah spoke on His
behalf (1 Kings 18:36-39). Centuries later, as the apostles went about
preaching the Gospel, Mark wrote that the Lord was “working with them
and confirming the word through the accompanying signs” (16:20).
According to the writer of Hebrews, the salvation “which at first began
to be spoken by the Lord...was confirmed to us by those who heard Him”
(2:3). God bore witness “with signs and wonders, with various miracles,
and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will” (2:4). Indeed,
throughout the Bible God’s spokesmen worked miracles in order to
validate their divine message.
In view of the fact that miracles
have served as a confirmation of God’s revelation since time began, it
should be no surprise that “when the fullness of time had come”
(Galatians 4:4), and the promised Messiah, the Son of God, came to Earth
for the purpose of saving the world from sin (Luke 19:10; John 3:16),
that He would confirm His identity and message by performing miracles.
Centuries before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah foretold of a
time when “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the
deaf shall be unstopped.... [T]he lame shall leap like a deer, and the
tongue of the dumb sing” (35:5-6). Although this language has a
figurative element to it, it literally is true of the coming of the
Messiah. When John the Baptizer heard about the works of Christ, he sent
two of his disciples to Jesus asking if He was “the Coming One” of Whom
the prophets spoke. Jesus responded to John’s disciples by pointing to
the people whom He had miraculously healed (thus fulfilling Isaiah’s
Messianic prophecy), saying, “Go and tell John the things which you hear
and see: the blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and
the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel
preached to them” (Matthew 11:4-5; cf. Mark 7:37). Jesus wanted them to
know that He was doing exactly what “the Coming One” was supposed to do
(cf. Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17), and what the Jews expected Him to
do—perform miracles (John 7:31; cf. John 4:48; 1 Corinthians 1:22).
Jesus’ miracles served a
different purpose than those wrought by Moses, Elijah, or one of the New
Testament apostles or prophets. Unlike all other miracle workers
recorded in Scripture, Jesus actually claimed to be the prophesied
Messiah, the Son of God, and His miracles were performed to prove both
the truthfulness of His message and His divine nature. Whereas the apostles and prophets of the New Testament worked miracles to confirm their message that Jesus was the Son of God, Jesus performed miracles to bear witness that He was,
in fact, the Son of God. In response to a group of Jews who inquired
about whether or not He was the Christ, Jesus replied,
I told you, and you do not
believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of
Me.... I and My Father are one.... If I do not do the works of My
Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me,
believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in
Me, and I in Him (John 10:25,30,37-38).
Similarly, on another occasion
Jesus defended His deity, saying, “[T]he works which the Father has
given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the
Father has sent Me” (John 5:36). While on Earth, Jesus was “attested by
God...with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through
Him” (Acts 2:22, NASB). And, according to the apostle John, “Jesus did
many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written
in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and
that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31, emp.
added). As would be expected from the One Who claimed to be God
incarnate (cf. John 1:1-3,14; 10:30), Scripture records that Jesus
performed miracles throughout His ministry in an effort to provide
sufficient proof of His divine message and nature.
REASONS TO BELIEVE IN THE MIRACLES OF JESUS
Regardless of how much credible
evidence one is able to set forth in a discussion on the miracles of
Christ, certain individuals will never be convinced that Jesus is the
Son of God. The Bible makes clear that even a number of those in the
first century who saw the miraculous works of Jesus firsthand were not
persuaded that He was the promised Messiah (cf. Mark 6:6). Rather than
fall at His feet and call him “Lord” (as did the blind man who was
healed by Jesus—John 9:38), countless Jews refused to believe His claims
of divinity. Instead, they attributed His works to Satan, and said
things like, “He has Beelzebub,” or “By the ruler of the demons He casts
out demons” (Mark 3:22). In light of such reactions to Jesus’ miracles
by some of those who actually walked the Earth with Him 2,000 years ago,
it should not be surprising that many alive today also reject Him as
Lord and God. As previously stated, one of the main reasons for
rejecting His deity and the miracles which the Bible claims that He
worked is simply because many people deny God’s existence (even in the
face of the heavens declaring His handiwork—cf. Psalm 19:1) and the
Bible’s inspiration (which also has been demonstrated with an abundant
amount of evidence—see Thompson, 2001). Obviously, if one refuses to
accept these two foundational pillars of Christianity, he will never be
convinced that Jesus worked miracles. Still, both theists and atheists
should consider several of the following reasons as to why the miracles
of Jesus are credible testimonies of His divine nature and teachings.
Countless Thousands Witnessed His Miracles
Aside from the fact that Jesus’ miracles are recorded in the most historically documented ancient book in all of the world (see Butt, 2000, 20[1]:4-5), which time and again has proven itself to be a reliable witness to history (see Butt 2004a, 2004b),
it also is significant that Jesus’ miracles were not done in some
remote place on Earth with only a few witnesses. Instead, the miracles
of Jesus were attested by multitudes of people all across
Palestine throughout His ministry. Jesus began His miracles in Cana of
Galilee by turning water into wine at a wedding feast in the presence of
His disciples and other guests (John 2:1-11). [Considering how much
wine was made after the hosts had already run out (approximately 120
gallons—2:6), it would appear there were many guests at the feast.
Exactly how many witnessed the amazing feat, we are not told. But, the
apostle John did record that “the servants who had drawn the water knew”
of the miracle (2:9), as well as Jesus’ disciples (2:11).] On more than
one Sabbath day, Jesus performed miracles in Jewish synagogues where
countless contemporaries gathered to study Scripture on their holy day
(Mark 1:23-28; Mark 3:1-6). Jesus once healed a sick man at the Pool of
Bethesda in Jerusalem where “a great multitude” of sick people had congregated (John 5:3), and He healed a paralytic in a Capernaum house full of
“Pharisees and teachers of the law...who had come out of every town of
Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem” (Luke 5:17). The house was so crowded
with people, in fact, that those who brought the paralytic could not
even enter the house through the door. Instead, they uncovered part of
the roof, and lowered him through the tiling. Matthew recorded how Jesus
“saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for
them, and healed their sick” (14:14, emp. added). Then, later, He took
five loaves of bread and two fish and miraculously fed 5,000 men, plus their women and children, while
afterwards taking up twelve baskets full of leftovers (Matthew
14:15-21; Mark 6:33:43; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14). On another occasion,
Jesus took “a few little fish...and seven loaves” of bread and fed 4,000 men, besides women and children (Matthew 15:32-39).
Truly, countless thousands of
Jesus’ contemporaries witnessed His miracles on various occasions
throughout His ministry. They were not hidden or performed in
inaccessible locations incapable of being tested by potential followers.
Rather, they were subjected to analysis by Jews and Gentiles, believers
and unbelievers, friends and foes. They were evaluated in the physical
realm by physical senses. When Peter preached to those who had put Jesus
to death, he reminded them that Christ’s identity had been proved “by
miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know”
(Acts 2:22, emp. added). The Jews had witnessed Christ’s miracles
occurring among them while He was on the Earth. In the presence of many
eyewitnesses, Jesus gave sight to the blind, healed lepers, fed
thousands with a handful of food, and made the lame to walk.
The Enemies of Christ Attested to His Works
Interestingly, although many of
Jesus’ enemies who witnessed His miracles rejected Him as the Messiah
and attempted to undermine His ministry, even they did not deny the
miracles that He worked. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in the
presence of many Jews, “the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a
council and said, ‘What shall we do? For this Man works many signs’ ” (John
11:47, emp. added). According to Luke, even King Herod had heard enough
reports about Jesus to believe that He could perform “some miracle” in
his presence (Luke 23:8). Once, after Jesus healed a blind, mute,
demon-possessed man in the midst of multitudes of people, the Pharisees
responded, saying, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by
Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons” (Matthew 12:24). While many of
Jesus’ enemies did not confess belief in Him as being the heaven-sent,
virgin-born, Son of God, but attributed His works as being from Satan,
it is important to notice that they did not deny the supernatural
wonders that He worked. In fact, they confessed that He worked a miracle
by casting a demon from a man, while on another occasion they scolded
Him for healing on the Sabbath (cf. Luke 13:10-17).
Even when Jesus’ enemies
diligently investigated the miracles that He performed in hopes of
discrediting Him, they still failed in their endeavors. The apostle John
recorded an occasion when Jesus gave sight to a man born blind (John
9:7). After receiving his sight, neighbors and others examined him,
inquiring how he was now able to see. Later he was brought to the
Pharisees, and they scrutinized him. They questioned him about the One
who caused him to see, and then argued among themselves about the
character of Jesus. They called for the parents of the man who was
blind, and questioned them about their son’s blindness. Then they called
upon the man born blind again, and a second time questioned him about
how Jesus opened his eyes. Finally, when they realized the man would not
cave in to their intimidating interrogation and say some negative thing
about Jesus, “they cast him out” (9:34). They rejected him, and the One
Who made him well. Yet, they were unable to deny the miracle that Jesus
performed. It was known by countless witnesses that this man was born
blind, but, after coming in contact with Jesus, his eyes were opened.
The entire case was scrutinized thoroughly by Jesus’ enemies, yet even
they had to admit that Jesus caused the blind man to see (John
9:16-17,24,26). It was a fact, accepted, not by credulous youths, but by
hardened, veteran enemies of Christ.
Furthermore, there were some of
those among Jesus’ strongest critics who eventually did come to believe,
not simply in His miracles, but that the wonders He worked really were
from Heaven. John hinted of this belief when he wrote about how there
was a division among the Pharisees concerning whether Jesus was from
God. One group asked, “How can a man who is a sinner (as some among the
Pharisees alleged—EL/KB) do such signs?” (John 9:16). Nicodemus, who was
a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night and
confessed, saying, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God;
for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John
3:2). Years later, after the establishment of the church, Luke recorded
how “a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts
6:7). Truly, even many of those who were numbered among Jesus’ enemies
at one time eventually confessed to His being the Son of God.
Considering that positive testimony from hostile witnesses is the
weightiest kind of testimony in a court of law, such reactions from
Jesus’ enemies are extremely noteworthy in a discussion on the miracles
of Christ.
Multiple Attestation of Writers
The case built for the
authenticity of Jesus’ miracles is further strengthened by the fact that
His supernatural works were recorded, not by one person, but by
multiple independent writers. Even unbelievers admit that various
miracles in Jesus’ life (including His resurrection) were recorded by
more than one writer (cf. Barker, 1992, p. 179; Clements, 1990, p. 193).
If scholars of ancient history generally rendered facts “unimpeachable”
when two or three sources are in agreement (see Maier, 1991, p. 197),
then the multiple attestation of Jesus’ miracles by Matthew, Mark, Luke,
John, and Paul (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8) is extremely impressive.
Unlike Islam and Mormonism, each of which relies upon the
accounts/writings of one alleged inspired man (Muhammad and Joseph
Smith, respectively), Christianity rests upon the foundation of multiple
writers. Consider also that certain miracles Jesus performed,
specifically the feeding of the 5,000 and His resurrection, are recorded
in all four gospel accounts. Furthermore, the writers’ attestation of
Jesus’ life and miracles is similar enough so as not to be
contradictory, but varied enough so that one cannot reasonably conclude
that they participated in collusion in order to perpetrate a hoax.
Truly, the fact that multiple writers attest to the factuality of Jesus’
miracles should not be taken lightly and dismissed with a wave of the
hand.
Interestingly, Bible writers were
not alone in their attestation of the wonders that Jesus worked. The
first-century Jewish historian, Josephus, mentioned Jesus as being One
Who “was a doer of wonderful works (paradoxa)” and Who
“drew over to him many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles” (1987,
18:3:3, emp. added). Josephus used this same Greek word (paradoxa)
earlier when referring to Elijah and his “wonderful and surprising
works by prophecy” (9:8:6). The only instance of this word in the New
Testament is found in Luke’s gospel account where those who had just
witnessed Jesus heal a paralytic “were all seized with astonishment and
began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, ‘We have
seen remarkable things (paradoxa) today’” (5:26, NASB, emp. added). A reference to Jesus’ amazing works was also described in one section of the Babylonian Talmud (known as the Sanhedrin Tractate)
where Jewish leaders wrote, “On the eve of the Passover Yeshu
[Jesus—EL/KB] was hanged. For forty days before the execution took
place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned
because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to
apostasy....’ But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was
hanged on the eve of Passover” (Shachter, 1994, 43a). Even though the
Talmud describes Jesus’ amazing deeds as “sorcery,” and although we may
never know for certain whether Josephus truly believed Jesus could work
legitimate miracles, both acknowledge that Jesus’ life was characterized
by remarkable wonders—testimony that would be expected from certain
unbelievers who were attempting to explain away the supernatural acts of
Christ.
Bible Writers Reported Facts—not Fairy Tales
It also is important to
understand that the Bible writers insisted that their writings were not
based on imaginary, nonverifiable people and events, but instead were
grounded on solid historical facts (as has been confirmed time and again
by the science of archaeology). The apostle Peter, in his second
epistle to the Christians in the first century, wrote: “For we did not
follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty”
(1:16). In a similar statement, the apostle John insisted: “That which
was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning
the Word of life...that which we have seen and heard we declare to you,
that you also may have fellowship with us” (1 John 1:1,3). When Luke
wrote his account of the Gospel of Christ, he specifically and
intentionally crafted his introduction to ensure that his readers
understood that his account was historical and factual:
Inasmuch as many have taken in
hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been
fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were
eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed
good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the
very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent
Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you
were instructed (Luke 1:1-4).
In a similar line of reasoning,
Luke included in his introduction to the book of Acts the idea that
Jesus, “presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible
proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things
pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). In addition, when the
apostle Paul was arguing the case that Jesus Christ had truly been
raised from the dead, he wrote that the resurrected Jesus
was seen by Cephas, then by the
twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of
whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen
asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then
last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time (1
Corinthians 15:5-8).
This handful of verses by Peter,
Paul, John, and Luke, reveal that the Bible writers insisted with
conviction that their writings were not mythical, but were based on
factual events. Furthermore, they specifically documented many of the
eye-witnesses who could testify to the accuracy of their statements. As
Henry S. Curr remarked more than half a century ago,
We are not asked to believe in
myths and legends of the kind associated with paganism, classical and
otherwise, nor in cunningly devised fables or old wives’ tales. We are
besought to accept sober stories of incidents which cannot be accounted
for in any other way save that God was directly and intimately at work
in the matter (1941, 98:478).
The claim that the Bible is
filled with miracle myths can be made, but it cannot be reasonably
maintained. The evidence is overwhelming that the Bible writers
understood and insisted that their information about Jesus and His
miracles was accurate and factual, just as were all other details in
their narratives and letters. Furthermore, their claim of factual
accuracy has been verified time and again by the discipline of
archaeology as well as by refutations of alleged discrepancies between
the various writings and history.
Jesus’ Signs were Many and Varied
Another characteristic of Jesus’
miracles is that more than a few are recorded in Scripture. One is not
asked to believe that Jesus is the Son of God because He performed one
or two marvelous deeds during His lifetime. On the contrary, genuine
“miracles cluster around the Lord Jesus Christ like steel shavings to a
magnet” (Witmer, 1973, 130:132). The gospel accounts are saturated with
a variety of miracles that Christ performed, not for wealth or
political power, but that the world may be convinced that He was sent by
the Father to bring salvation to mankind (cf. John 5:36; 10:37-38). As
Isaiah prophesied, Jesus performed miracles of healing (Isaiah
53:4; Matthew 8:16-17). He cleansed a leper with the touch of His hand
(Matthew 8:1-4), and healed all manner of sickness and disease with the
word of His mouth (cf. John 4:46-54). One woman who had a hemorrhage for
twelve years was healed immediately simply by touching the fringe of
His garment (Luke 8:43-48). Similarly, on one occasion after Jesus came
into the land of Gennesaret, all who were sick in all of
the surrounding region came to Him, “and begged Him that they might only
touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made
perfectly well” (Matthew 14:34-36; Mark 3:10). Generally speaking, “great multitudes came
to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many
others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them”
(Matthew 15:30, emp. added). “He cured many of infirmities, afflictions...and to many blind He gave sight” (Luke 7:21, emp. added). Even Jesus’ enemies confessed to His “many signs” (John 11:48).
Jesus not only exhibited power over the sick and afflicted, He also showed His superiority over nature more
than once. Whereas God’s prophet Moses turned water into blood by
striking water with his rod (Exodus 7:20), Jesus simply willed water
into wine at a wedding feast (John 2:1-11). He further exercised His
power over the natural world by calming the Sea of Galilee during a
turbulent storm (Matthew 8:23-27), by walking on water for a
considerable distance to reach His disciples (Matthew 14:25-43), and by
causing a fig tree to whither away at His command. In truth, Jesus’
supernatural superiority over the physical world (which He
created—Colossians 1:16) is exactly what we would expect from One Who
claimed to be the Son of God.
Jesus’ miracles were not limited to the natural world, however. As further proof of His deity, He also revealed His power over the spiritual world by casting out demons. “They brought to Him manywho
were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word” (Matthew
8:16, emp. added). Luke also recorded that “He cured many of...evil
spirits” (Luke 7:21, emp. added). Mark recorded where Jesus once
exhibited power over a man overwhelmed with unclean spirits, which no
one had been able to bind not even with chains and shackles; neither
could anyone tame the demon-infested man (Mark 5:1-21). Jesus, however,
cured him. Afterwards, witnesses saw the man with the unclean spirits
“sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind” (Luke
8:35-36). On several occasions, Jesus healed individuals who were
tortured by evil spirits. And, “they were all amazed and spoke among
themselves, saying, ‘What a word this is! For with authority and power
He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out’” (Luke 4:36).
Finally, Jesus even performed miracles that demonstrated His power over death.
Recall that when John the Baptizer’s disciples came to Jesus inquiring
about His identity, Jesus instructed them to tell John that “the dead
are raised” (Matthew 11:5). The widow of Nain’s son had already been
declared dead and placed in a casket when Jesus touched the open coffin
and told him to “arise.” Immediately, “he who was dead sat up and began
to speak” (Luke 7:14-15). Lazarus had already been dead and buried for
four days by the time Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11:1-44).
Such a great demonstration of power over death caused “many of the Jews
who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did” to believe in
Him (John 11:45). What’s more, Jesus’ own resurrection from the dead was
the climax of all of His miracles, and serves as perhaps the most
convincing miracle of all (see Butt, 2002, pp. 9-15).
In all, the Gospel records
contain some thirty-seven specific supernatural acts that Jesus
performed. If that number were to include such miracles as His virgin
birth and transfiguration, and the multiple times He exemplified the
ability to “read minds” and to know the past or future without having to
learn of them through ordinary means (cf. John 4:15-19; 13:21-30;
2:25), etc., the number would reach upwards to fifty. Indeed, the
miracles of Christ were varied and numerous. He healed the blind, lame,
sick, and leprous, as well as demonstrated power over nature, demons,
and death. The apostle John, who recorded the miracles of Christ “that
you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31), also commented on
how “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His
disciples, which are not written in this book” (20:30, emp. added). In
fact, Jesus worked so many miracles throughout His ministry on Earth
that, “if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world
itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).
Power over Affliction
|
Cited In
|
Royal official’s son
|
John 4:46-54
|
Peter’s mother-in-law
|
Matthew 8:14-18; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41
|
Leper
|
Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-14
|
Paralytic
|
Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:3-12; Luke 5:18-26
|
Lame man at the Pool of Bethesda
|
John 5:1-16
|
Man with withered hand
|
Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11
|
Paralyzed centurion’s servant
|
Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10
|
Hemorrhaging woman
|
Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48
|
Two blind men
|
Matthew 9:27-31
|
Deaf and mute man
|
Matthew 15:29-31; Mark 7:31-37
|
Blind man outside of Bethesda
|
Mark 8:22-26
|
Ten lepers
|
Luke 17:11-19
|
Man born blind
|
John 9
|
Crippled woman
|
Luke 13:10-17
|
Man with dropsy
|
Luke 14:1-6
|
Two blind men near Jericho
|
Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52
|
Malchus’ ear
|
Luke 22:50-51
|
Power over Nature
|
Cited In
|
Water changed into wine
|
John 2:1-11
|
First catch of fish
|
Luke 5:1-7
|
Calming a turbulent storm
|
Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:36-41; Luke 8:22-25
|
Feeding 5,000
|
Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:30-34; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14
|
Walking on water
|
Matthew 14:22-32; Mark 6:45-46; John 6:15-21
|
Feeding 4,000
|
Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-9
|
Money in the fish’s mouth
|
Matthew 17:24-27
|
Fig tree withers
|
Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-24
|
Second catch of fish
|
John 21:1-11
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Power over Demons
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Cited In
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Man in synagogue at Capernaum
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Mark 1:23-28; Luke 4:33-37
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Mute, demon-possessed man
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Matthew 9:32-34
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Mary Magdalene
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Luke 8:2
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Two men at Gadara
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Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-21; Luke 8:26-40
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Blind, mute, demon-possessed man
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Matthew 12:22-30; Mark 3:22-30; Luke 11:14-23
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Syro-Phoenician’s daughter
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Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30
|
Epileptic, demon-possessed child
|
Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-43
|
Power over Death
|
Cited In
|
Widow of Nain’s son
|
Luke 7:11-18
|
Jairus’ daughter
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Matthew 9:18-19,23-26; Mark 5:21-24,35-43; Luke 8:40-42,49-56
|
Lazarus
|
John 11
|
Jesus’ own resurrection
|
Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20
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The Miracles of Jesus were neither Silly nor Overboard
Admittedly, for some, a number of
the miracles that Jesus performed are more easily accepted than others.
The fact that a group of fishermen let their nets down into the sea and
caught so many fish that the netting began to break (Luke 5:1-11) is
not difficult for critics to accept (although not as a miracle). The
idea of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead after already being in the
tomb for four days, however, is much harder for skeptics to believe.
But, neither this miracle nor any other that Jesus worked is unworthy of
our consideration because it is silly or overboard. People may reject
the miracles of Christ because of their disbelief in the supernatural
altogether, or because of their inability to attach naturalistic
explanations to various miracles. However, His miracles cannot be denied
on the grounds that they are characterized by the absurd and
ridiculous—that they are not. As Furman Kearley once stated, “The gospel
records are marked by restraint and sublimity in the description of
miracles” (1976, 93[27]:4).
The miracles of Christ certainly were extraordinary
(otherwise they would not be miracles), yet they were performed (and
recorded) with all sanity and sobriety—exactly what one would expect if
they really were signs from God. After all, He
is the author and finisher of
that unspeakable machine which we call the universe, ever working in
accordance with its constitution on the strictest principles of law and
order, and thus proclaiming that its Architect is no capricious being
but one whose mental attributes are as marvelous as His moral and
spiritual qualities. In these circumstances, it would be very strange if
the Biblical miracles represented the contradiction of orderly things
(Curr, 1941, 98:471).
Since the omnipotent God has chosen to control His infinite power, and to use it in orderly and rational ways,
one would expect that when God put on flesh (John 1:1-3,14) and exerted
His supernatural power on Earth, it likewise would be characterized as
power under control—miracles performed with infinite sobriety and
rationality.
Unlike the stories of many
alleged miracle workers from the past (or present), Jesus’ miracles are
characterized by restraint and dignity. Consider the miracle that Jesus
performed on Malchus, a man who was about to arrest Jesus. Instead of
doing something like commanding the left ear of Malchus to whither or
fall off (after Peter severed his right one with a sword), Jesus simply
touched the detached ear “and healed him” (Luke 22:51). A man who was
about to turn Jesus over to His enemies has his ear cut off with a
sword, and Jesus simply (yet miraculously) puts his ear back in place.
What’s more, that is all any Bible writer wrote about the matter. An
amazing miracle was worked the night before Jesus’ death, and the only
thing revealed is that Jesus “touched his ear and healed him.” As with
all of Jesus’ miracles,
[t]here is no attempt to magnify
the supernatural features of the incident. The happening is left to
speak for itself. If truth be best unadorned, then there are no more
effective illustrations of that doctrine than the Biblical records of
signs and wonders. The writers do not dwell upon them. They rather take
the marvels in their stride. They tell the story as succinctly as they
can, and then pass on to deal with something else. That is exemplified
very clearly in the Synoptic Gospels. We are told of the moral and
physical miracle wrought in a house at Capernaum when four men bore a
sick friend to the feet of Jesus, having removed part of the roof and
lowered the pallet through the aperture. The man’s sins were forgiven.
This was a sign from heaven if there ever was one. His infirmity was
also removed and that was another demonstration of our Lord’s claims to
be God manifest in the flesh. Matthew then proceeds to recount his call
to discipleship and what followed. Procedure like that is repeated again
and again. The writers do not linger over the supernatural as a modern
novelist might do. The miracle is mentioned at greater or less length,
and then the narrative goes on its way. It is true that reference is
often made to the amazement created in the crowds which witnessed these
mighty works of God; but even that is not emphasized inordinately (Curr,
1941, 98:473).
Furthermore, unlike those in
other writings, Jesus’ miracles were not characterized by the sorcerer’s
hocus pocus. In fact, there are few parallels to Jesus and the
magicians of the ancient world. Even Rudolf Bultmann, the
twentieth-century German writer who sought to explain away the miracles
of Jesus, admitted that “the New Testament miracle stories are extremely
reserved in this respect, since they hesitate to attribute to the
person of Jesus the magical traits which were often characteristic of
the Hellenistic miracle worker” (as quoted in Habermas, 2001, p. 113).
Jesus could have performed any miracle that He wanted. He could have
pulled rabbits from hats for the sole purpose of amusing people. He
could have turned His Jewish enemies into stones, or given a person
three eyes. He could have turned boys into men. He could have lit the
robes of the Pharisees on fire and told them that hell would be ten
times as hot. He could have formed a dozen sparrows out of clay as a
child, and then, in the midst of a group of boys, turned the clay birds
into live ones at the clap of His hands, as is alleged in the
non-inspired apocryphal book, the Gospel of Thomas (1:4-9; The Lost Books..., 1979, p. 60). Certainly, Jesus could have
done any number of silly, outlandish miracles. But, He didn’t. In
contrast to the miracles recorded in any number of non-inspired sources,
Jesus’ miracles were not characterized by
endless tales of wonders with
which literature and folklore of the world abounds. There is no
suggestion of magic or legerdemain about the mighty works of God
described in the Bible. On the contrary, they are invariably
characterized by a sanity and sobriety and reasonableness.... There is
nothing extravagant or bizarre about them.... When the miracles of our
Lord which are described in the four Gospels are compared with those
derived from other sources, the difference is like that of chalk and
cheese” (Curr, 98:471-472).
Jesus Worked Wonders that are not Being Duplicated Today
Finally, neither the modern
alleged “faith healer” nor the twenty-first-century scientist is
duplicating the miracles that Jesus worked while on Earth 2,000 years
ago. Pseudo-wonder workers today stage seemingly endless events where
willing participants with supposed sicknesses appear and act as if they
are being healed of their diseases by the laying on of hands. Nebulous
aches and pains and dubious illnesses that defy medical substantiation
are supposedly cured by prominent “faith healers” who simultaneously are
building financial empires with the funds they receive from gullible
followers. Frauds like Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn, and a host of others
have made many millions of dollars off of viewers who naively send them
money without stopping to consider the real differences between the
miracles that Jesus worked and what they observe these men do today.
Jesus went about “healing every sickness and every disease”
(Matthew 9:35, emp. added). His miraculous wonders knew no limitations.
He could cure anything. Luke, the learned physician (Colossians 4:14),
recorded how He could restore a shriveled hand in the midst of His
enemies (Luke 6:6-10), and heal a severed ear with the touch of His hand
(Luke 22:51). He healed “many” of their blindness (Luke 7:21),
including one man who had been born blind (John 9:1-7)! What’s
more, He even raised the dead simply by calling out to them (John
11:43). What modern-day “spiritualist,” magician, or scientist has come
close to doing these sorts of things that defy natural explanations? Who
is going into schools for the blind and giving children their sight?
Who is going to funerals or graveyards to raise the dead? These are the
kinds of miracles that Jesus worked—supernatural feats that testify to
His identity as the heaven-sent Savior of the world.
CONCLUSION
As should be expected from the
One Who claimed to be God incarnate (cf. John 1:1-3,14; 10:30),
Scripture records that Jesus performed miracles throughout His ministry
in order to provide sufficient proof of His divine message and nature.
Countless thousands witnessed His miracles. He performed them throughout
His ministry—miracles that in countless ways are unlike the alleged
wonders worked by sorcerers, scientists, or “spiritualists” of the past
or present. Even Jesus’ enemies attested to the wonders that He worked,
which later were recorded, not by one person, but by multiple
independent writers who were dedicated to reporting facts rather than
fairy tales.
Jesus worked miracles, not for
the sake of entertaining individuals or in order to make a profit off of
His audiences, but that the world may know that Jesus and God are one
(John 10:30,38), and that the Father sent Him to Earth to save mankind
from sin (John 5:36). He “did many other signs in the presence of His
disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and
that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31, emp.
added). Certainly, among the greatest proofs for the deity of Christ are
the miracles that He worked.
REFERENCES
Barker, Dan (1992), Losing Faith in Faith (Madison, WI: Freedom From Religion Foundation).
Clements, Tad S. (1990), Science vs. Religion (Buffalo, NY: Prometheus).
Curr, Henry S. (1941), “The Intrinsic Credibility of Biblical Miracles,” Bibliotheca Sacra, 98:470-479, October.
Habermas, Gary (2001), “Why I Believe the Miracles of Jesus Actually Happened,” Why I am a Christian, eds. Norman L. Geisler and Paul K. Hoffman (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House).
Josephus, Flavius (1987), The Life and Works of Flavius Josephus, trans. William Whitson (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson).
Kearley, F. Furman (1976), “The Miracles of Jesus,” Firm Foundation, 93[27]:4, July 6.
The Lost Books of the Bible (1979 reprint), (New York, NY: Random House).
Maier, Paul L. (1991), In the Fullness of Time: A Historian Looks at Christmas, Easter, and the Early Church (San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins).
Sagan, Carl (1980), Cosmos (New York: Random House).
Shachter, Jacob, trans. (1994), The Babylonian Talmud: Sanhedrin Tractate (London: Soncino Press).
Thompson, Bert (2001), In Defense of the Bible’s Inspiration (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), second edition.
Thompson, Bert (2003), The Case for the Existence of God (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).
Witmer, John (1973), “The Doctrine of Miracles,” Bibliotheca Sacra, 130:126-134, April.
