Scripture describes Jesus as One who performed miracles. Jesus instructed John’s disciples to “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matt. 11:4-5). He was authenticated by His miracles (Acts 2:22). His miracles “bore witness” to His identity (John 5:36). Even His enemies recognized that He worked “many signs” (John 11:47). Briefly, let’s note three important observations about the miracles of Jesus.
First, consider their purpose. Jesus’ miracles were not secret actions that required investigative guesswork to understand. They were open, verifiable, and instantaneous (Luke 8:22-25; 9:37-43). Jesus summarized their purpose when He said, “…The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me” (John 10:25). The miracles of Christ were not meaningless. Rather, they served to prove His deity (Mark 2:1-12; Heb. 2:3-4; John 20:30-31).
Second, consider the evidence in favor of His miracles. His miraculous works were witnessed by many, which opened them up to scrutiny and defeated the possibility that Jesus tricked people like a magician (Matt. 14:14; Luke 5:17; John 5:3; etc.). His enemies confirmed their reality (Matt. 28:11-15; Mark 3:22), and the New Testament records them as historical fact (the historical reliability of the New Testament will be considered in a future article). The evidences are overwhelming.
Finally, consider the power of the greatest miracle–His resurrection. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is clearly attested (1 Cor. 15:3-8). It is that which “declared Him to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness” (Rom. 1:4), and it is the basis of our hope (1 Cor. 15; 1 Pet. 1:3).
Keep these three observations in mind as you study the miracles of Jesus.