The Significance of Miracles

Jesus told the Jews to believe in Him, if not because of His words, then because of His works. The book of Acts records signs and wonders that accompanied preaching. The Bible talks also about lying signs by the devil in the last days. Obviously, as human experience proves (in all anthropological cultures), miracles play an important role in the area of faith and worldview formation.

Despite the Enlightenment euphoria challenging the possibility of miracles, chiefly David Hume's criticism of them, reports of miracles have only increased. Of course, there is the need to investigate the reports.

A notable deed of miracle cannot not be ignored, whether people believe the message or not. The Bible does show the supremacy of the divine deed in cases like Moses' confrontation with the Egyptian magicians, Elijah's confrontation with Baal priests, and Philip's preaching in Samaria where Simon the Magus was baptized.

One important aspect of the Christian Life is prayer. The very reality of prayer affirms the reality of divine intervention. A miracle is nothing but a direct divine act of intervention. While miracles may sometimes be notable and these become talk of the day, we must not miss the acts of God that are regularly experienced in our lives.

Jesus told His disciples that the world stands in greater accountability because of the works He has done. This means that miracles make our lives more accountable to God. In fact, the totality of miracles that have been done till now far exceed the number in the days of Christ. The world has a higher accountability.

It will not be a surprise if miracles meet with skepticism. The Jews didn't accept Christ's miracles as divine. There are those who wish to rationally explain a miracle. But, every human does have a divine encounter with an invitation to either accept or reject the supremacy of God.

In Surprised By Joy, C.S. Lewis doesn't describe his conversion as the result of logical arguments. He talks of having a divine encounter and given the time slice of choice, to decide to believe or reject. Of course, he chose to believe.*

I have seen cases where a young boy brought in a completely vegetable state, turned down by doctors, was healed completely in few hours through prayers. Another guy with a putrefying waist condition, incapable of even standing, was totally healed through prayers alone and came bicycling the next week. Another girl with blood flowing from her forehead was healed when the demon was cast out. Now, one can try to come up with a rational explanation, but it would be a miracle if any natural explanation of a supernatural work can obtain the same results.

But, one must remember, a miracle is not the result of following some laws of miracles or some formula. A miracle is an act of God's sovereign will and grace.

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* Lewis mentions a number of events that preceded his conversion moment and were instrumental in compelling him to this free choice. His dissatisfaction with the writings of non-theist writers (who seemed "tinny" and shallow) and with the falsity of chronological snobbery (the fallacious view that the most modern view should be the most accurate and updated), along with his reading of Christian writers, especially Chesterton, played an important role in shedding light on the path he was walking on and the path that the Gospel offered. However, in all these, Lewis discerned God's move in his life and recorded the final divine move as a checkmate that drove him to his knees, "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England", as he called himself.

Quotes

Interview with J. P. Moreland (June 20, 2008)

PR: What is lost when the good news of the Kingdom is shared unaccompanied by the Spirit’s power?

JP: We lose the ministry of Jesus. He taught, proclaimed and demonstrated the Kingdom’s power and we should, too. We also lose the distinctively supernatural aspects of our religion. Finally, we lose intimacy with God because the power and presence of God are often two sides of the same coin in scripture.

PR: In Kingdom Triangle, you give some advice about how churches can encourage growth in the miraculous. Have you seen these ideas work out in churches newly open to the contemporary ministry of the Spirit?

JP: I have seen this. What is important is for each church to locate where they currently reside regarding these issues and be who they are, yet with an eye on growing a bit in this area. Then each church must be willing to take some risks and step out in faith such that God may not show up but if He does it will be obvious. Finally, each church must learn from its failures and continue to go forward.

A Witness To The Goodnews by J. Rodman Williams

In the charismatic movement there are clear evidences that the contemporary endowment of the Spirit is making for more effective witness, both personal and social. It is apparent on many charismatic fronts that there are both a fresh kind of "reality evangelism"- -a joyous, often indirect but highly potent, form of witness about the new life in Christ- -and many vigorous and creative expressions of concern for the manifold disorders in personal and corporate life.

4 Hindrances to Experiencing a Miracle

In Mark 3, we have the story of a man with a withered hand who was healed by Jesus. In contrast, there were people there who were not at all blessed by the miracle; but, instead grew worse after they saw what Jesus did. Let's look at four reasons why these people couldn't experience the miracle of Jesus in their lives:

1. Because of Their Critical Attitude
Mark says that "they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him." (Mark 3:2).

They had a very critical, skeptical, and evil attitude towards Jesus. A negative mind is like the grave that is never satisfied; it is like the bottomless pit that can never have enough. Even if God would split the sun into two, a critical mind will not be able to say, "Yes, now I accept you Lord!" People with a critical mind cannot receive the miracle of God. That is why the Israelites who murmured perished in the wilderness; because though they had seen so many miracles, even to the extent that they saw the Shekinah glory dwelling in their midst and leading them on, they could not believe in God. God had to destroy them in the wilderness (Jude 1:5).

2. Because of Their Legalistic Mind
It is written that they wanted to find fault in Jesus with regard to the law of the Sabbath. The Jews were known for their extreme legalism with regard to the Sabbath. Barclay writes about them:

The best way in which we can see the strict orthodox view of the Sabbath is to remember that a strict Jew would not even defend his life on the Sabbath. In the wars of the Maccabees, when resistance broke out, some of the Jewish rebels took refuge in caves. The Syrian soldiers pursued them. Josephus, the Jewish historian, tells us that they gave them the chance to surrender and they would not, so "they fought against them on the Sabbath day, and they burned them as they were in caves, without resistance and without so much as stopping up the entrances of the caves. They refused to defend themselves on that day because they were not willing to break in upon the honour they owed to the Sabbath, even in such distress; for our law requires that we rest on that day." When Pompey, the Roman general, was besieging Jerusalem, the defenders took refuge in the Temple precincts. Pompey proceeded to build a mound which would overtop them and from which he might bombard them. He, knew the beliefs of the Jews and he built on the Sabbath day, and the Jews lifted not one hand to defend themselves or to hinder the building, although they knew that by their Sabbath inactivity they were signing their own death warrant. The Romans, who had compulsory military service, had in the end to exempt the Jews from army service because no strict Jew would fight on the Sabbath. The orthodox Jewish attitude to the Sabbath was completely rigid and unbending.

The Law is rigid and stiff; therefore, it cannot give life. God wants us to walk in the Spirit; not in the letter of the law. The letter kills bu the Spirit gives life (2Cor.3:6). A legalistic mind cannot accept the miracle of God. But, a legalistic mind is like a whitewashed tomb that is all white outside but has dead bones within. This is so because the very exaltation of law proves the hardened nature of the heart and its corruption by sin. The law was given to the Jews because of their hardness of heart (Matt.19:8); and, it was given to people who were by their actions unlawful and unrighteous (1Tim.1:9). The law didn't produce life for the Jews; it became a hindrance for them because they didn't treat it as a mirror that showed them their face (revealed their sin), but used it as a mask of hypocrisy.

Legalists try to put God in a box and say, "Well, miracles have ceased. God cannot do miracles," or "If you follow these steps, then you will automatically have a miracle". It is sinful to think that man can do things to compel God to act. Prayer and seeking God is not magic. One cannot place rules on God by looking to the letter of the law. The Jews did that. They had idolized Sabbath so much that they now saw Christ's act of miracle on Sabbath as proof enough that He was worthy to die.

3. Because of the Hardenness of Their Hearts
Jesus saw their hardened hearts and was angry with them. "And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts..." (Mark 3:5). Jesus had asked them a question which was very logical. If their heart was truly seeking to know the truth, they would have been able to learn the true meaning of Sabbath through this.

Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent. (Mark 3:4)

Their hearts were so hardened that they were no longer able to respond to the Word of God. When the heart has become like a hard rock, it cannot respond to any seed that falls on it. Such is the condition of those whose hearts have been hardened by traditions, by lusts, and by desire to disobey and disbelieve.

...because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2Thess.2:10-12)

Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." (Jude 1:14,15)

4. Because of Their Rebellious Disposition

And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. (Mark 3:5,6)

Instead of accepting the miracle, they only turned against Him and immediately plotted with the Herodians (who were like gentiles to Jews), how they might destroy Jesus. Evil had blinded them so badly that they were willing to go to any extent (even if it meant a compromise of their beliefs) to get rid of Jesus. While one may say that such a disposition towards Christ doesn't exist among believers, the Bible does talk about those who confess God with their mouth but deny Him with their actions (Tit.1:16), who crucify Christ afresh (Heb.6:4-6), and who go in the way of Cain, run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perish in the rebellion of Korah (Jude 1:11).

The Response of Miracle
However, the man with the withered hand received his miracle. There are not many reasons why he received his miracle. Chesterton once said that there are an infinite angles at which a man may fall but only one in which he stands. Similarly, there may be myriads of reasons why people don't receive God's miracles; but, there is just one why they receive (i.e. perceive and accept). We are told that when Jesus told this man to stretch his hand, he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. In other words, this man received his miracle because he obeyed Jesus.

Miracles - Teaching Outline by Dr. Matthew Thomas

Mark 5:24-34
The Miracles of Jesus Christ
1. Clarification
2. Calling
3. Counting
4. Categories
5. Critics
6. Cause or Purpose

1. Clarification:
Miracles of Christ are supernatural acts caused by the will of Jesus Christ which contrast to and interrupt the way in which life ordinarily functions

2. Calling
What are miracles called in scripture?
Dunamis - Power: mighty works, virtue, power, miracle
Semeion - Sign or indication, miracle
Ergon - Acts, deeds, work
Teras - Extraordinary, wonders

Dunamis emphasizes the Power behind the miracle
Semeion emphasizes the Purpose behind the miracle.
Ergon emphasizes the Performing of the miracle
Teras emphasizes the Praise from the miracle

3. Counting
Some think Jesus performed only 37 miracles, but the Bible says that they were innumerable (Jn.21:25)
a. Many miracles were summarized (Matt 8:16).
    12  summary statements in Matthew
    10 in Mark
    5 in Luke
    6 in John
b. Some miracles are similar; they could be the same or different (Matt 9:32,33; 12:22; Lk.11:14)

4. Categories
There are 33 prominent miracles that can be divided into 4 classes
a. Ruling Over Nature
b. Restoring of Health
c. Removing Demons
d. Raising the Dead

Dangers - 9 Miracles
Diseses - 17 Miracles
Demons - 4 Miracles
Death - 3 Miracles

I believe in miracles but I trust in Jesus

5. Critics
3 Major Attacks
a. Day. Sabbath Day. 7 out of 33 miracles on Sabbath Day (Lk.13:15)
b. Devil (Matt.9:34; 12:24)
c. Denial

People criticize miracles because they do not want to accept the authority and message of Jesus Christ

The Message of Christ and the Miracles of Christ are connected

6. Cause and Purposes
a. For the Glorification of God
b. The Confirmation of Christ's Claims as Son of God, Messiah, and Savior of men.
c. The Demonstration of Divine Power
Miracles are happening not because of you but because of the power of God
d. The Alleviation of the Needs of Humanity
e. The Subjugation of Satan's Power and Evil
f. The Education about Matters of Faith
Your life should not be based on miracles but on the Miracle worker Jesus Christ
g. The Fulfillment of OT Prophecies (Isa 29:18-19; 35:4-6; Mat.8:17; 11:1-5)

Jesus is the Master of every situation
Matt 4:23

One section that has all categories of miracle (Mark 4:35-5:43)
1. Victory Over Danger (Mk.4:35-41)
2. Victory Over Demons (Mk.5:1-20)
3. Victory Over Disease (Mk.5:21-34)
4. Victory Over Death (Mk.5:35-43)

Miracle by themselves are not proof that a man is sent by God (2Thess.2:9).
Jesus did not perform miracles to get crowd. He usually avoided the crowd

Classification of Miracles

Miracles of Creation – e.g Blind Eyes Opened, Aaron's Rod Budded
Miracles of Multiplication – e.g. Multiplication of Bread and fish, Widow's Oil Multiplied
Miracles of Resurrection - e.g. Raising Lazarus
Miracles of Power over Nature – e.g Stilling Storm, Walking on Water, Dividing Red Sea, Iron swims
Miracles of Destruction – e.g. Withering of the Fig Tree, Uzzah Struck Dead
Miracles of Healing - e.g. Healing of Naaman
Miracles of Transformation - e.g. Water Turned into Wine
Miracles of Opening - e.g. Balaam's Donkey Speaks, Elisha's Servant's Eyes Opened
Miracles of Protection - e.g. Daniel in Lions' Den; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego