The Miracles of Christ

The Miracles of Christ

INTRODUCTION This subject has for centuries been a battleground on which men have fought. The scientific mind of our twentieth century has attempted to solve the dispute.

Today there seem to be two schools of thought. Some accept them and others reject them. The scientist rejects them because he can neither understand nor prove them. The Evangelical accepts them because he has faith in a miracle-working God. The word miracle is used very loosely today. Someone escapes death in an auto accident and states emphatically, "It was simply a miracle. " Actually it was an act of Divine Providence - the protection of guardian angels. At other times we accidentally meet a desired person under the most unexpected circumstances and some say it was a miracle. Actually it was Divine Providence.

Then let us begin with an acceptable definition of a miracle.

!.DEFINITION OF THE WORD "MIRACLE" A simple definition is that a miracle is the setting aside of a lower law by a higher law. The higher law being the law of God that superseded earth’s laws. For the apple to fall "up" instead of down would be a miracle. It would be the power of God superseding and changing the law of gravity and centrifugal force.

Here is a more scholarly definition: "An effect in nature not attributable to any of the recognized operations in nature, nor to the act of man, but indicative of superhuman power and serving as a sign or witness thereof." Lindsell and Woodbridge. In Acts 4:16; Acts 4:22 both the Jewish Council and the Holy Ghost call the healing in Acts 3:1-11, a miracle. Ordinarily a 40-year-old man who has never walked, doesn’t walk.

The Lord’s miracles were performed to prove His Deity and accredit His message.

John 2:11, "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him." The prophets (Moses, Aaron, Elijah, Peter and Paul) performed miracles by delegated power (power given them by God, specifically for the task), but Jesus performed His miracles by His own power to demonstrate His Deity. In all, Jesus performed 35 to 40 miracles (recorded in the Gospels) of various types because "all power" (Matthew 28:18) was His to use at His discretion.

Jesus in the Temptation, Luke 4:3-4, refused to perform a miracle to obey the devil For satisfy His hunger after 40 days and nights of fasting.

Jesus? miracles are the warp and woof of the Bible and cannot be separated from it. The records of these miracles are not sensational, or even glowingly presented.

These miracles were performed openly in the presence of many witnesses for all to see. The miracles of healing have never been disproved by scientists or doctors.

Neither has anyone been able to reproduce any of them. Jesus’ miracles were unique.

Jesus never performed a miracle for immoral or unworthy purposes. His motives were right. Jesus? miracles were effected immediately. The healing was instantaneous and supernatural. Jesus sought to prove to John the Baptist’s enquiry that He was the Christ by His miracles that He had done, Matthew 11:3-6. To attempt to explain the miracles is an insult to the power and integrity of Christ. The miracles are true and we gladly affirm our belief in the recorded Word of God

To us, the miracles are the credentials that identify Jesus as the Saviour.

Jesus proved His Person and His Deity by the miracles that He performed.

Miracles are evidences of a superhuman power, 2 Thessalonians 2:9 (Antichrist’s power is from Satan).

Jesus received His superhuman power from somewhere or someone. Whom? From God. Miracles will not save anyone (John 12:37), but miracles should lead one to faith.

Matthew 8:27, miracles certainly strengthened the faith of those who already believed.

Personally, I’m glad that Jesus performed miracles for it shatters any unbelief that I might have and teaches me to believe Him implicitly without fear that He is too weak to complete the work of salvation that He has begun in me, Php 1:6.

Miracles were performed in the Old Testament by men like Moses, Elijah and Elisha.

Jesus performed many miracles during the days of the Four Gospels.

After the ascension miracles were performed by Peter, Paul and the other Apostles.

If miracles are wrought in the power of God, and they most certainly are, then as I God never changes, miracles are still possible today, Hebrews 13:8.

However, one thing is changed: miracles were often performed to accredit the messenger and the need for that is greatly reduced today. We do not need miracles to prove that Jesus is God for the inspired Bible states it.

CONCLUSION Let us honor the Lord by accepting the miracles at face value as they have been recorded in the Holy Word of God.

Let us not insult God with our puny intellect and question His statements in unbelief.

Rather let us be like the Negro lady who said, "I believe the whale swallowed Jonah because the Bible says so. If the Bible said that Jonah swallowed the whale I’d believe that too! "

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