MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
After studying the teachings of Jesus, we turn this week to His miracles. Everyone who heard the teachings were impressed by His authority; those who witnessed the miracles were moved by His mercy. Each miracle is recorded not as an end to itself, but as a part of His call to repentance and faith. Jesus' miracles give hope in the victory of justice.
Much of Bible history is devoid of miracles, though some significant ones include creation, the exodus from Egypt, works of the prophets, the birth of Jesus, and the establishment of the Church. For anyone looking for miracles today, it's important to note that the message of Christ is well-known and widely available, life itself is a miracle, and therefore no further evidence is required.
Miracles reveal much about the mind and heart and will of God. They are God's immediate response to real-life human situations, and serve as signs or confirmations of who Jesus is. We'll use a framework by Everett F Harrison who wrote of the classifications, characteristics, purposes of, and responses to, miracles.
Peter in Acts 2:22 began, "'Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst....'" The miracles (dynamis) are the mighty works; wonders (teras) are marvels; and signs (semeion) point to spiritual truths. All three descriptions might be applied to each incident, but the signs are the most significant, since they refer to Jesus' reason for being here. A sign has been called an "acted out parable" and teaches a spiritual lesson.
People have used different approaches to classifying miracles: 1) those impacting nature, man, or the spirit world. 2) another divides them by nature (stilling the storm), super-nature (expelling demons) and the corruption of nature (sickness, disease, and death). 3) C.S. Lewis in his book "Miracles" divides into miracles related to the old which already exists, and the coming actions of God, such as the transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension.
Characteristics of Jesus' miracles include descriptions that are historical, eschatological, useful, varied, open, instantaneous, and merciful. His works have a real-life historical connection, in contrast to other stories of miracles found in Hellenistic and rabbinic sources. Jesus did not do miracles just for the sake of wonder or to gain influence. As the kingdom of God drew near in Jesus' ministry, His miracles of help and healing are part of the dawn of God's deliverance, so they're said to be eschatological, pertaining to "the age to come".
Jesus' works are useful and reasonable, with commonplace scenarios. They were not sensationalized like a magic show, and not surprising, if one accepts that they are initiated and performed by God who loves human beings. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, freed people from spiritual oppression. And in contrast, He refused to perform miracles when there was not a human need, such as when Herod wanted to see a sign (Luke 23:8). Jesus' abilities were varied, as in Mark 1:29-42 He brought deliverance from sickness and demons, and even from death (Mark chapter 5).
Most of Jesus' miracles were performed in the open, before so many people that everyone attested to their validity. Even those who opposed Him faced a dilemma, and expressed their concern. "'What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs'" (John 11:47). When they couldn't deny the miracles, they resorted to challenging the source of His power (Mark 3:22).
All of the healings performed by Jesus were instantaneous, with the exception of one in Mark chapter 8, which serves as a turning point in His ministry. All were motivated by mercy. No payment was required, no rituals or assistance; each was done by the Lord as an expression of God's goodwill and grace.
Miracles served a number of purposes. They brought together crowds of people, such as before the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 4:24). As we mentioned several weeks ago, they confirmed His messianic claim (Luke 4:14-22) as He read from Isaiah chapter 61. Some gave a foretaste to the coming kingdom, as when demons were cast out, foretelling His final victory over Satan. But miracles didn't simply authenticate His identity; they were a part of His mission and who He is. They reveal the concern and compassion of the Son of God. He could have performed miracles from a distance, but usually he made contact even with people who were physically or morally unclean. He brought recovery, but He also gave of Himself.
Jesus had limitless power and love, which brought healing and also saved souls. His greatest miracle was that He loved us enough to die on the cross for our sins. Then God raised Him from the dead to show acceptance and approval of His sacrifice. Those who witnessed or experienced Jesus' miracles had a choice to acknowledge what they saw. Our response to Jesus' miracles involves faith, not psychological, but personal acceptance of, a living relationship with the living Christ.
Jesus does not force miracles on those who don't want them. But for the downtrodden and anyone who wants to experience Christ, He freely gives a new and different life.
Next week, we'll discuss more about the two-part healing performed in Mark chapter 8, which marked a pivot point in Jesus' ministry.
