Jesus As A Miricle Worker

by Gus Nichols

( reprinted with permission from: Spirtual Sword, 1970, Vol 1(3):12-16 ) 

Jesus Christ of Nazareth was no myth. He is a historical character. He walked and talked upon the earth as did other historical characters. Two great books testify of Him. The Old Testament foretold His coming, even the very place of His birth (Mic. 5:2). The New Testament gives us the history of His birth at Bethlehem, His life, His wonderful works of power, (called miracles), His death and miraculous resurrection from the dead, His ascension, and His coming a second time and much more, are foretold, as was His first coming.

Was A Miracle Worker

Jesus was a miracle worker. The four books which we have from the first century telling of His life and works of power, are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In closing his book, John says, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written, every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." (John 21:25). Again, John had said, "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name." (John 20:30-31).

Were Miracles of Blessing 

The miracles of Jesus were to bless humanity. Peter said, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38). Anyone claiming to be the Christ, the Son of God, would be expected to prove his claim by doing such miracles as would prove his claim to be true. Even Satan expressed this general expectation when he said, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." (Matt. 4:3).

Were to Prove His Claim 

Having been born of the virgin Mary, or born without being begotten by an earthly father, Jesus made the claim that He was the Messiah, or the Son of God. When He talked with the woman at Jacob's well, she said, "I know that when Messiah cometh, which is called Christ; when He is come, He will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He." (John 4:25-26). One of Jesus' names was to be "Emmanuel," meaning "God with us." (Mt. 1:23; Isa. 7:14). There was need that such a one prove his challenging claims. For He had said, "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me." (John 6:66).

What Are Miracles? 

Miracles are the works of God apart from his natural laws. It was by miracles that God created the heavens and the earth. (Gen. 1:1). It was by miracle-working power that God created the laws of nature in the first place. Of course, there were no laws of nature before there was any nature itself to need such laws by which to be governed. Therefore, the creation of nature, or that which was natural, was before there were any laws of nature through which to have created the natural. It would be unreasonable and illogical to suppose that the laws of nature were eternal and existed before nature, or the natural earth and universe, and that nature thus created all these things without God. Instead of getting rid of miracles, it would be a miracle to have had the laws of nature - laws to govern in the natural world -without anything to govern - without any world then in existence. Therefore, since the creation of the world could not have been effected or brought about by the operation of the laws of nature, there is a God who by miraculous power created all things, and in so doing created the laws of nature. Hence, creation was by miracle, and not by providence working through the laws of nature! So, a miracle is that which God performs aside from the laws of nature, as contrasted with that which is done through means of nature's laws.

A miracle is therefore, "An event or effect in the physical world, deviating from the known laws of nature." (Webster) The laws by which God works miracles are laws unknown unto man, but man does not know all things. In fact, man knows about as much about God and His infinite wisdom and power, as a flea knows about an elephant, or as a spider by the railroad tracks knows about the great locomotive engine and train when it comes thundering by on the tracks. 

A miracle is a great work of God making bare and visible His invisible hand, or a work which could only be done by the direct enabling power of God, when the good work was wrought through man.

Miracles are the workings of those powers of God which we have never discovered in nature as it works daily and uniformly in our world. Just as the laws of the Medes and Persians were not to be reversed, but were circumvented so as to save Esther and her people; so the laws of nature were circumvented in the case of miracles.

Are Miracles Greater? 

It may not take any more of the power of God to perform a miracle than it takes to continually work by means of natural law in His providence on our behalf, and in thus answering our prayers and blessing the righteous and punishing the wicked with the fruit of their own doings.

God is Able to Work Miracles

God was able to create the heavens and the earth, and to be at the steering wheel of His universe. And their very existence proves that He did create them. The earth did not rise up out of nothing. From nothing, nothing comes. And something always comes from something. A great big nothing, which was nothing, and could not do anything whatsoever, did not so perform, and do, as to create the earth and the universe. Therefore, the world and all things came from something, and not from nothing. That eternally existent something was God, not dead and lifeless matter, with no mind or intelligence to design and even purpose to create anything. The second law of thermodynamics proves by the entropy of things that this earth, and matter in general, are not eternal. If the sands of time had been eternally running out, they would have already run out millions of years ago. But our earth is not eternal. There was a time when it was not, and when God by miracle created it. (Gen. 1:1).

And life is not eternal upon this earth, or in God's universe, except Divine life, or God, who is "from everlasting to everlasting." (Psa. 90:1-3). Our first life on earth came from God - came from life. A biological scientist of Princeton has told us that life could no more have come into existence by accident and chance than an unabridged dictionary could come to be as a result of an explosion in a printshop. And so it took a miracle to create life.

God has demonstrated His infinite power to create and to work miracles by doing such things. God is just as able to raise the dead back to life, as He was to give life in the first place. God "Is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." (Eph. 3:20). We sing "How great Thou art", with deep feeling and emotion, as we should. Multiplying the loaves and fishes required no greater power than the power to create the first grain, and the power to give life to the fish in the first place. Jesus wrought miracles because He is Deity, or God with us--He is the Son of God, and received such power from His heavenly Father.

Jesus Claimed Such Power 

Jesus said, "Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: that the blind receive their sight, 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." (Matt. 11:3-5). Again, He said, "Whether is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and take up thy bed and walk? But that ye may know the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (He saith to the sick of the palsy), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thy house. And immediately he arose, and took up his bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion." (Mark 2:9-12; Lk. 5:26). This miracle was to enable honest men to believe He could just as easily forgive sins, and that He had that power also. And you will note that there were many witnesses to this miracle, as was true of most of His great signs and wonders. After His first miracle in Cana of Galilee, "His disciples believed on Him." (John 2:11). That was the main purpose of His miracles-they were to cause people to believe on Him. "Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe." (John 4:48). His miracles were to prove to all honest hearts that the Father in heaven had sent Him down here to save men. He said, "But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me." (John 5:36). Speaking of his signs of miracles John said, "These are written that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name." (John 20:30-31). "Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (John 9:3). Sickness was often for the glory of God, that is, to furnish an occasion for Christ to heal and God to be glorified thereby. (John 11:4; 40-42). Miracles showed God's approval of the miracle worker. "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know." (Acts 2:22). After the lame man was healed by Peter it is said, "For all men glorified God for that which was done." (Acts 4:21).

Miracles are called: Wonders. (Mark 2:12; Acts 3:43; 2:22) A wonder is that which astonishes the beholder. A miracle is an astonishing event which the beholder cannot trace to any known law of nature. As a sign a miracle is an astonishing wonder which points as a sign of something else - as to the trustworthiness of the performer and speaker of divine truth. "The Jews asked Jesus, What sign showest thou?" (John 2:18). "The Jews said unto Jesus, We would see a sign from thee." (Matt. 12:38). The apostles performed miracles with signs. (II Cor. 12:12). These were called "Signs of an apostle." Since he claimed to be an apostle, the signs proved him to be what he claimed to be.

A Catalogue of Jesus' Miracles 

Here we think it good to give the reader a list of all the miracles of Jesus of which we have a record. 

Water made into wine, John 2:1-11.

Heals Nobleman's son, John 4:46-54.

The draught of fishes, Luke 5:1-11.

Demoniac healed, Mark 1:23-26; Luke 4:35-36.

Heals Peter's mother-in-law, Matt. 8:14-17, Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38.

Cleanses a leper, Matt. 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16.

Heals a paralytic, Matt. 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26.

Healed the impotent man, John 5:1-16.

Restoring the withered hand, Matt. 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-5; Luke 6:6-11.

Restoring the centurion's servant, Matt 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10.

Raises the widow's son to life, Luke 7: 11-16.

Healing the Demoniac, Matt. 12:22-37; Mark 3:11; Luke 11:14-15.

Stilling the tempest, Matt. 8:23-27; 14:32; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25.

Casting devils out of two men of Gadara, Matt. 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39.

Raises daughter of Jairus, Matt 9:18; 19:23-26; Mark 5:22-24, 35-43; Luke 8:41-42.

Cures woman of issue of blood, Matt. 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48.

Restores two blind men to sight, Mark 9:27-31.

Healed a demoniac, Matt 9:32-33.

Feeding five thousand people, Matt. 14:15-21; Mark 6:35-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:5-14.

Walked upon the sea, Matt. 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21.

Healing the daughter of the Syrophenician woman, Matt. 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30.

Feeds four thousand people, Matt. 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-9.

Restores one deaf and dumb, Mark 7:31-37.

Restores a blind man, Mark 8:22-26.

Restores a lunatic child, Matt. 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-27; Luke 9:37-43.

Tribute money from a fish, Matt. 17:24-27.

Restored ten lepers, Luke 17:11-19.

Opened eyes of a man born blind, John 9.

Raises Lazarus from the dead, John 11:1-46.

Healing the woman of the infirmity, Luke 13:10-17.

Cures a man with dropsy, Luke 14:1-6.

Restored two blind men near Jerico, Matt 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43.

Curses the fig tree, Matt. 21:17-22; Mark 11:12-14; 20-24.

Heals the ear of Marcus, Luke 22:49-51.

Second draught of fishes, John 21:6. 

Of course, there was the resurrection of Christ, His ascension, and then all the miracles of the apostles which had to do with revealing and confirming the truth of Christianity. The resurrection of Christ alone is sufficient to convince anyone and everyone in all the world that Jesus is the Son of God. (Rom. 1:4; I Cor. 15:3-4; Acts 17:30-31). "These are written that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (John 20:30-31).

Miracles were to cease when the New Testament was all written and confirmed. (I Cor. 13:8-13). In building the church and giving unto it all truth it would ever need, there had to be divine revelation and confirmation. (Eph. 3:2-6; Mark 16:20; Heb. 2:3-4; Acts 14:1-3; II Cor. 12:12). But when a house is constructed and finished the ladders and scaffolding are no longer needed. Having served their purpose they are laid aside. Of course, false miracles have not ceased. (Acts 8:5-24; II Thes. 2:8-12). However, there will be further miracles when Jesus comes to raise the dead and judge the world. 

Questions for Your Study
 

1. Discuss the view (held by some skeptics) that Jesus is a  mythological figure.
2. Does the Bible tell of all the miracles which Jesus  did? 
3. What would anyone claiming to be Christ be expected to  do? 
4. What was the basic purpose of the miracles of  Christ? 
5. What is a "miracle"? 
6. Was the world brought into being by a miracle? 
7. What is the relation between "laws of nature"  and "miracles"? 
8. Discuss the origin of life on earth. 
9. Discuss the power of Jesus. 
10. Discuss the relevance of the power of Jesus to His claim  to be the Son of God. 
11. Name and discuss ten miracles of Jesus.

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