THE MIRACLES OF JESUS  - Hebrews 2:1-4

No Tricks in sleeve, No bunnies or pigeons, No magic wand, Only Bible Used!  No Christians will be healed/harmed in Lesson.

I.                   Introduction

What would you say if I told you that I know someone who has restored life to dead bodies? someone who has given perfect sight to a man who was born blind? someone who fed 5000 men plus the women and children with them, using only 5 loaves of bread and two small fish - and had more food left over than at the start?

The Bible says this and much, much more about Jesus of Nazareth!

·         During His own earthly life and ministry, He was a well-known miracle-worker.

·         Read Luke 23:8 a Herod (tetrarch of Galilee Lk.3:1) hoped to see Jesus work a miracle.

Doubters?

·         Probably most (if not all) in this assembly have studied and concluded that Jesus did, work miracles.

·         But there are others in our day which doubt it, or perhaps even deny that Jesus preformed miracles.

A.    MIRACLE DEFINED

A miracles is not just something unusual (even highly unusual) or amazing – Ex. of April and I coming out of our Car without a scratch.  A Miracle is always obvious/discernable.

A miracle is an event which supersedes the natural laws which govern and control the universe

·         Jesus superseded the law of gravity by walking on the water

·         Jesus superceded the natural healing process by healing people instantly, and raising the dead

·         Jesus superceded statistical probability by telling Simon Peter to got to the sea, catch a fish, and pull a coin out of a fishes mouth, to pay the two drachma tax.  Catching fish seems like miracle!

Note: Just because God does something, or is involved in an event, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a miracle

·         When Jesus overthrew the money-changers’ tables and drove the livestock from the temple, was it a miracle??

·         Great Warriors deeds – Sampson (Judges 15:11-16)... miracle?

·         If God chooses he can work within nature’s laws.  He Himself ordained to govern His creation (e.g. works thru our immune systems, medical technology, etc.)  

·         WHAT DO WE CALL THIS ACTION ON THE PART OF GOD WITHIN THE LAWS OF NATURE? – PROVIDENCE – Extended lifetime of Hezekiah – 15 years.

B.     What are the comparisons between Miracles and Providence?

1.      Similarities – Both involve divine intervention, both are methods of God carrying out His will; both show God’s power and interest in us.

2.      Differences – One works within the laws of nature, the other works outside these normal laws.

Ex. Nehemiah 9:34-35 – God working behind the scenes, provides Israel land of furtile soil – providence

Joshua 5:12 – Manna provided until a yield from the ground available – Miracle

·         Both Methods were God providing for his people....

C.    What was the purpose of Miracles?

1)      To Confirm the word of God (Mark 16:20). – This word is true and trustworthy!

2)      To equip the church (Ephesians 4:8-13) – To strengthen the church in its time of infancy!

- To know Jesus son of God - John 20:30-31

3)      To Glorify God (John 9:3, John 11:40-42) – God’s Power, God’s Wisdom!

- Show Compassion (Mark 1:41 – Leper; Luke 7:12-14 – Widow’s son; Matt. 20:29-34 – Two Blind Men; Matt. 14:14 – Healed sick of Multitude

II.                WHY DO SOME NOT BELIEVE IN THE MIRACLES OF JESUS (or other Bible miracles)?

A.    Because they have not personally witnessed them

·         Thomas had not seen Jesus after resurrection-When I see, then I’ll believe- Jn 20:24-29

·         This is a faith problem

·         Hebrews 11:1 “ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Note: I am not advocating "blind faith" but rather faith based upon solid evidence.  Ex. Faith in taking next breath, because I have done before.  Faith in miracles of Jesus, because I have seen God’s other works.

B.     Low respect for the Bible

·         Liberals deny inspiration, accuracy, authority, etc. – so why believe what it says about miracles?

·         So-called "experts" claim that accounts of miracles are just records of ‘normal’ things the disciples supposedly exaggerated out of respect for Jesus.

-          Since Jesus taught absolute honesty, how would He be honored by lies?  This why we teach sticking to context when sharing the truth.

C.    Humanism

·         Exalts man to top position in the universe - says man is becoming better and better.

·         Thus, since we (current generation) cannot perform these feats, they conclude that Jesus couldn’t.

·         Humanism denies everything supernatural or miraculous.  Science Based.

D.    Disgust at modern pretenders

TV miracle-workers poison right-thinking people’s minds with their theatrical performances and hypocritical fanaticism

·         Hitting people in the forehead with the palm of their hand ("knocking them out")

·         Screening people - not allowing cases that can’t be faked to come up on stage (Benny Hen)

·         Constant appeals for $$ (Send me $1 to pray for you)

-          There are documented reports where supposedly "healed" people becoming worse, dying.

-          There are documented reports where "healers" were being fed information via radio transmitter.

III.             WHY SHOULD WE BELIEVE IN JESUS’ MIRACLES?

A.    Because of the reliability of the Bible

·         Has proven itself over and over again to be scientifically, historically, and in every other way accurate.

·         Time forbids a survey of evidence in favor of divine inspiration; suffice it to say that such evidence is overwhelming and assures us that the Biblical record with regard to miracles is trustworthy, too.

B.     Because of the sheer number of them

·         Number of recorded miracles of Jesus is well over 3 dozen.

C.    Because of the variety of them

·         Healing various infirmities (hemorrhaging, fever, leprosy, paralysis, lameness, dropsy [accumulation of fluid in limbs or abdomen], & others); note Jesus did not screen out the hard cases!

·         Restoration of senses (sight, hearing, speech)

·         Restoration of life to the dead

·         Walking on water

·         Stilling storms immediately

·         Feeding multitudes w/ small amounts of food

·         Instantly turning water into wine

·         Casting out demons

Such a wide variety of miracles speaks against trickery or deceit!

D.    Because of the verifiability of them

·         Man born blind (John 9: 1-12)

-          There was no doubt that this man was blind - not a pretender, not someone "planted" in the audience, not a mental case.

-          No doubt this was the right man--his neighbors and parents said so.

·         Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-6; 14-15, 17, 32-43)

-          Obviously he was dead - already decaying!

-          When is the last time you saw or heard of anything like this from a TV miracle worker?

·         Modern pretenders prefer to do things that cannot be verified (e.g. internal problems or things emotionalism may temporarily override--e.g. Cured of Depression, Like a chain letter email)

E.     Because even Jesus’ enemies admitted that He did these things

·         They accused Him of using Satan’s power to do them _ Matthew 9:32-34

·         John 11:45-48 _ Pharisees acknowledged that He did many signs--they feared that He would gain a big following

IV.             What are the CONSEQUENCES OF DENYING THE MIRACLES OF JESUS?

A. Jesus loses His credibility as the Son of God

·         Acts 2:22 (23) _ it was the miracles that showed that God approved of what Jesus said and did

·         His "works" proved that He was Who He said He was _ John 5:36 _ John 14:11

·         OT prophecies predicted that Messiah would work miracles _ Isaiah 35:5-6

·         If, John 20:30-31 is not true _ Then, We don’t have life!  One great pillar would be knocked our from under our faith

V.                CONCLUSION

·         We can be confident that Jesus did perform the miracles which Scripture mentions, as well as innumerable more not recorded there.

·         Those miracles confirm His identity as the Christ, the Son of God.

·         That truth, in turn, gives meaning to His sacrificial death upon the cross, and to that crowning miracle of all miracles, His resurrection from the dead.

·         He also has the power to save you from your sins, and to raise you from the dead at the last day.