The Miracles of Jesus

by Matt Slick

The miracles of Jesus attest to who Jesus is, God in flesh (John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9).  Jesus used the Divine Name for Himself (John 8:58), the same Divine Name used by God when Moses asked God what His name was in Exodus 3:14.  However, people claiming to be God is not that uncommon in the world.  Mental institutions are filled with those who claim to be divine.  But, Jesus doesn't fit the category of a crazy person.  If anything, Jesus deserves the utmost respect and admiration for His humility, love, teaching, and self-sacrifice.  But, even though there are other great teachers in history who have exhibited extraordinary love and compassion, none have also claimed to be God in flesh -- and then demonstrated it by performing miracles.  This is why the miracles of Jesus are what verify the claims of Jesus about Himself and about Him being the only way to salvation (John 14:6).

The critics of Christianity must either deny Jesus' existence, the biblical documents, say that the accounts were borrowed or made up, or deny that miracles occur at all.  If their objections cannot be reasonably maintained, then they would be forced to make decisions about Jesus' claims to be divine, His miracles, and His physical resurrection with all the implications that they entail.  This means that people must decide what they are going to do with Jesus.  Will they believe Him for who He claimed to be or reject Him?  That is what it comes down to.

In Christianity, Jesus is the creator (John 1:1-3,14; Col. 1:16-17),  the Lord to whom we call (1 Cor. 1:2), the one who bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24), and the one who enables all who call upon His name (Rom. 10:13) to be saved by faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9).  He is a remarkable figure whether anyone wants to admit it or not.

Following is a partial list of some of the miracles of Jesus.  It is these miracles that attest to who Jesus is because His remarkable deeds confirm His incredible claim to be God in flesh, the only way to salvation.

• Jesus was born of a virgin (Matt. 1:25).
• Jesus changed water into wine (John 2:6-10).
• Jesus caused the disciples to catch a large load of fish (Luke 5:4-6).
• Jesus cast out demons (Matt. 8:28-32; 15:22-28).
• Jesus healed lepers (Matt. 8:3; Luke 17:14).
• Jesus healed diseases (Matt. 4:23,24; Luke 6:17-19)
• Jesus healed the paralytic (Mark 2:3-12).
• Jesus raised the dead (Matt. 9:25; John 11:43-44).
• Jesus restored sight to the blind (Matt. 9:27-30; John 9:1-7).
• Jesus cured deafness (Mark 7:32-35).
• Jesus fed the multitude (Matt. 14:15-21; Matt. 15:32-38).
• Jesus walked on water (Matt. 14:25-27).
• Jesus healed the sick (Matt. 8:5-13; 9:22).
• Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2:5).
• Jesus calmed a storm with a command (Matt. 8:22-27; Mark 4:39).
• Jesus was transfigured (Matt. 17:1-8).
• Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:39; John 20:27).
• Jesus appeared to disciples after resurrection (John 20:19).
• Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9).

What is so important here is that Jesus claimed to be God (John 5:18; 8:24; 8:58 -- see Exodus 3:14) and the only way to salvation (John 14:6).  If He really did rise from the dead and perform those miracles, then what He said about Himself -- and who He claimed to be -- become vitally important.

Either the list above is a fabrication or it is not.  Your presuppositions will determine which category they fall into.  You must ask yourself if the evidence for the Bible's reliability and the eyewitness accounts recorded there is sufficient to warrant a serious consideration that what is written is true.

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