A 08 - The Miracles of Jesus

CHAPTER 8. THE MIRACLES OF JESUS A miracle is defined to be, “a supernatural operation performed alone by God.” 1 The power, therefore, to perform miracles, is evidence, that a man is at least sent from God.

How far miracles may be imitated by the art and cunning of man, it is difficult to say: no real miracle however, can be performed in this way. The magicians of Egypt were enabled for a time to counterfeit the wonders wrought by Moses. But, they soon came to the end of their art, and were compelled to exclaim, “This is the finger of God.” Exodus 8:19. The proof by which the reality of a miracle is established, is the senses of the human body. It is by these senses, that the regular operation of the laws of nature is known. It must therefore be, by the same means, that a reversal or suspension of those laws is ascertained. This however applies to the immediate or first witnesses of a miracle. Those who live at a distance, or who live in later ages, must depend upon human testimony for their belief in miracles. It is in this way that the whole nation of the Israelites credit the miracles of Moses; and it is in this way, that we must yield our assent to the miracles of Jesus. The Apostles and multitudes who witnessed these miracles, certainly had every possible opportunity for judging of their reality. These original witnesses, therefore, could not have been themselves deceived. Nor can we suppose, that they have designed to deceive us. The doctrines they taught, the lives they lived, and above all, the influence of Christianity upon the world, all convince us, that they were honest and credible witnesses. We receive therefore, as true, the miracles recorded in the Holy Scriptures, upon the same sort of evidence that we receive other similar truths. The miracles performed by Jesus differed in several respects, from those wrought either by the Prophets or Apostles. They were in the first place universally benevolent in their design and character. This was not always the case with miracles wrought by others. Many of the miracles of Moses were of a judicial and punitory nature. His principal ones were wrought, in executing the judgments of God upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt. Elijah also, called down fire from heaven, upon the companies sent by the King of Israel to arrest him. 2 Kings 1:1-18. And even the miracle at Carmel resulted in the slaughter of all the prophets of Baal.

Several of the miracles too of the Apostles, were of a similar character.

One performed by Peter was the smiting to death of two persons, Ananias and Sapphira. Acts 5:1-42. Another wrought by Paul, was the infliction of blindness upon a certain false prophet. Acts 13:1-52. On the contrary, the miracles of Jesus were universally benevolent in their character. He heals the sick; gives hearing to the deaf; sight to the blind; and causes the lame to leap for joy. The only instance, in which the least imputation of the want of benevolence can be alleged, is the miracle which resulted in the destruction of the swine at Gadara. Nor is this an exception. It was the transfer of demons from a man to swine. It was also, simply allowed, and that upon the earnest request of the evil spirits themselves. The swineherds are also supposed to have been employed in an illicit trade at the time. The main object, however, of this permission, was to arouse the attention of the people of Gadara to his Gospel, and to himself, as the Messiah. He certainly exhibited nothing malignant in feeling toward the Gadarenes, when upon a simple request he left their borders. Matthew 8:4. No, there is no malignity in all the wonderful works wrought by Jesus. Do the Nazarenes attempt to cast him down headlong from the brow of the hill on which their city was built? He escapes from them miraculously, but injures none of them. Luke 4:29. Do John and James petition that fire should be called down from heaven upon a city of the Samaritans, because they would not receive him? His reply is, “The son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:56. Does Judas come with a band of men to arrest him, while engaged at midnight in his devotions? Although the simple announcement, “I am he,” causes his enemies to fall to the ground, still he works no miracle either to extricate himself, or to punish them. The miracles of Jesus were also more numerous than those wrought by others. His three years’ ministry was but a constant succession of miracles. He performs them in Galilee in Judea, in the temple, in the synagogue, in private houses, in the street, on the highway, in the wilderness, on the sea. He often performed great numbers of them in a few hours on the same day. What a catalogue, for instance, is the following: “And they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.” Matthew 4:24 Or the following: “And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased, and besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment, and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.” Matthew 14:35; Matthew 14:36. Or the following: “And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others; and cast them down at Jesus’ feet, and he healed them!” Matthew 15:30.

Or, still the following: “And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them!” Matthew 21:14. What mighty works are here crowded together! What illustrious miracles here follow each other in rapid succession! No other ever performed so many, or so many together. The miracles of Jesus were generally superior to those performed by others. He removed not only the ordinary bodily infirmities of men, but their most permanent and deep-rooted diseases and sufferings. Leprosies, palsies, lunacies, deafness, blindness, lameness, and similar afflictions, were among his ordinary cures. He delivered the bodies of men from satanic power, a power which seems to have been exerted at that time, with peculiar malignity. He raised the dead; and thus, not only arrested the power of corporeal corruption, but called back the spirit, from its invisible abode to its bodily home. He exercised also an absolute power over the elements. He walked upon the waters, and by a word he calmed their wildest commotions. He multiplied a few loaves and fishes, so that several thousands were fed by them! Such were some of the mighty works of Jesus of Nazareth. He stood upon the bosom of nature as its God and Author, controlling and directing all things simply by the energy of his will. “He spake and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast.” The miracles of Jesus differed also from those of the ancient prophets in what may be termed their universality. Most of the miracles of the Old Testament, were confined to the Israelites. Jesus seemed to take peculiar pleasure in overstepping this boundary of nationality, that he might exercise his miraculous power among Gentiles as well as Jews. He goes at the bidding of a heathen centurion, he yields at the call of a Syrian woman, and cures with delight a Samaritan leper. None are sent empty away; and to all, bond or free, Greek or Jew, his answer is, “Be it to thee, according to thy faith.” But that which distinguishes the miracles of Jesus more than any thing else is, the God-like manner in which they were performed. When Moses brings darkness upon Egypt; when he divides the sea, and when he furnishes water from the rock of Horeb, he is evidently but an instrument, a mere servant, in the whole matter. He is told what to do, and informed what will take place. His own will had nothing to do with the effect produced, save only so far as he obeyed the Being commanding him. Any other person or creature, would have answered just as well as Moses, in the history of the miracle. It was not his work but God’s; it was not his will, but God’s. He was a mere mouth, or a mere hand for another. The same is true of all the miracles performed, by both the prophets and Apostles. Does Elijah raise the son of the widow of Zarephath! He stretches himself three times upon the child, and calls upon the Lord to restore him to life. 1 Kings 17:1-24. Does Isaiah bring the shadow ten degrees backward upon the dial of Ahaz! It is done only after he “had cried unto the Lord.” 2 Kings 20:1-21. Does Peter heal the cripple at the beautiful gate of the temple? Acts 3:1-26. He acknowledges himself, that it was the name of another by which the miracle was wrought. And so of all the rest. The miracles of Jesus, however, were differently performed. Does a leper petition for a cure? The reply is, “Be clean;” and immediately the leprosy departs. Does a centurion desire his servant to be healed? “Be it unto thee according to thy faith,” is the brief reply. Does a blind man seek for sight? The command is given to the sightless balls, “Be opened;” and vision is restored. Are devils to be cast out? “Come out of him,” is the command, and the evil spirits obey. Are the waves of the sea to be quieted? There is no prayer, no instrumentality used; but simply the command issued, “Peace, be still.” Is Lazarus to be raised from the dead? “Lazarus, come forth” is the fiat, and the dead is raised. And so of all the miracles of Jesus.

There is a directness in them, an energy, a power, such as we behold no where else. Indeed, to find the like, we must go back to the history of the creation, and place the first and second chapters of Genesis, beside the gospels of the Evangelists, as affording the only actual resemblance in all the book of God. In the former, it is said, “Let there be light” — “Let there be a firmament” — “Let the dryland appear” — and the results follow immediately upon the issuing of the command. There is no delay, no hesitation. The simple will of the Creator produces the effect intended.

Just so in the history of Jesus. The bare exercise of his will, without the intervention of any means whatever, effects the end contemplated. His word is power, his volition accomplishment. There is no resistance, no hinderance, no delay. Diseases, death, the elements, men, and devils, all yield to his absolute authority.

What should be remarked too, in this matter is, that Jesus was regarded by those around him, as the independent dispenser of such miraculous powers, He is so addressed by the sick who come to him, or by their friends who petition for them. “Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean,” is the manner in which the leper addresses him. “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be whole,” is the language of the Centurion. “Have mercy on us,” is the cry of the blind men. And, if at any time, there be a reserve, or the least hesitancy of faith, it is considered as derogatory to the character of Jesus. Such doubt must be abandoned, such reserve must be dissipated, before the miracle is wrought. The absolute power of Jesus, and the entire independence of his will, must first be recognized and trusted in, or else the intimation is given that the cure will not be effected. Matthew 9:28; Matthew 13:58. Mark 9:22; Mark 9:23. Nor is this all; not only did Jesus work miracles in this absolute manner, and not only was he considered by those around him, as the sole and independent dispenser of such influences, he also communicated miraculous powers to others. To the twelve, it is said, “he gave power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases.” Matthew 10:1. The same powers were also given to the seventy, for, upon their return, they reported, “Lord, even the devils are subject to us through thy word.” Luke 10:17. It is true, that the Apostles and the seventy did not pretend to work any miracles, but in subserviency to Jesus. They spake in the name of their Master; they commanded through his power. They were but instruments; and in this respect, the miracles wrought by them, resembled all others performed by mere human instrumentality. The point to be observed here however, is, that Jesus, with the same absolute independence with which he himself wrought miracles, communicated also these supernatural endowments to others. Not that he could give, or men receive, either the offices or the absolute powers which he himself possessed. But in the same manner, in which Jehovah endued Moses, or Elijah, or any of the ancients, with power to work miracles in the same manner, did Jesus empower his disciples. He not only wielded an absolute control himself over natural causes and effects, but he permitted others in his name, and by his authority, to do the same thing. He not only exercised in his own person a governing will over all things around him, but he exercised such will also by means of others.

Such were the miracles of Jesus of Nazareth. More benevolent than all others, they were also greater; more numerous, they were also performed in a more God-like manner. The only conclusion to which reason can come concerning them is, either that Divinity dwelt in humanity, in the person of Jesus, or that the Godhead gave to human nature discretionary powers in the use of its sole and absolute prerogatives. Whether the mystery be greater in the one case than in the other, or whether the one be more credible than the other, is left for each to decide for himself. But of this we are certain, that if there be a Christ yet to come, he cannot do greater miracles, or miracles in a manner more divine, than Jesus of Nazareth hath already done. John 7:31. If miracles then, or the manner of performing them, can furnish evidence to the truth of Messiahship, then is the Messiahship of Jesus attested in the strongest and fullest manner possible. What greater works can any future Messiah perform? What higher prerogatives can he exert? What other laws of nature can he control? Surely the works of Jesus proclaim, as with the voice of thunder, that he is “the Son of God, the King of Israel.”