THE WRITTEN RECORD OF JESUS' MIRACLES

While miracles will never change the minds and hearts of those entrenched in willful unbelief, Jesus saw fit to appeal to His miraculous powers to confirm His identity as God's Son. Believing therefore that this is an important aspect of the life of Jesus the following testimony from scripture regarding the miracles of Jesus is offered for consideration.

JESUS OWN TESTIMONY ABOUT HIS MIRACLES

Jesus told others that they should believe His testimony regarding His identity as the Son of God, His origin as of coming from God and His nature being one with the Father based on the miraculous works which He performed in the Father's name.

(John 5:36 NASB) "But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.

(John 10:24-25 NASB) The Jews therefore gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." {25} Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these bear witness of Me.

(John 10:37-38 NASB) "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; {38} but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father."

(Luke 7:19-23) And summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?" {20} And when the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'" {21} At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He granted sight to many who were blind. {22} And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. {23} "And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me."

THE WRITTEN RECORD OF JESUS' MIRACLES

The following are examples of some of the types of miracles Jesus performed in the presence of many eyewitnesses which are recorded in the New Testament.

He healed sickness and disease: Matthew: 4:23, 9:35;

He healed physical handicaps: Luke 6:6-11;

He gave sight to the blind: Mark 10:46-52

He made the crippled to walk: Luke 5:18-26

He raised the dead: Luke 7:11-16; John 11:1-45

He exercised power over nature: Mark 4:35-41

He exercised power over demons: Luke 8:26-39

THE RECORD OF THE STATEMENTS OF OTHERS

The following statements regarding the miraculous works of Jesus and there significance were recorded in the New Testament so that all would know the truth about the true identity of Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 4:23-24) And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. {24} And the news about Him went out into all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, taken with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.

(Acts 10:34-39) And opening his mouth, Peter said: "..... you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. {38} "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him. {39} "And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

(John 3:1-2) Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; {2} this man came to Him by night, and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

(John 20:30-31) Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; {31} but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

OPPOSITE RESPONSES TO JESUS MIRACLES

When considering the identity of Jesus in light of the miraculous works which He performed the following scripture illustrates two very opposite conclusions which are reached by those who had knowledge of the same facts. Perhaps this scripture reveals the potential reaction of every person and serves as a reminder for all to be careful in the conclusions they form and more importantly in the hidden motives of the heart which lead to these conclusions. The Pharisees had been rebuked by Jesus for their hypocrisy. Instead of repenting they became more hardened in their unbelief and hatred of Jesus. Consider this scripture and the reaction of the Pharisees as compared to the blind man whom Jesus had healed.

(John 9:16-34) Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, "This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." But others were saying, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And there was a division among them. {17} They said^ therefore to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?" And he said, "He is a prophet." {18} The Jews therefore did not believe it of him, that he had been blind, and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, {19} and questioned them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?" {20} His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; {21} but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he shall speak for himself." {22} His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed, that if anyone should confess Him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. {23} For this reason his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." {24} So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner." {25} He therefore answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." {26} They said therefore to him, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" {27} He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?" {28} And they reviled him, and said, "You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. {29} "We know that God has spoken to Moses; but as for this man, we do not know where He is from." {30} The man answered and said to them, "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. {31} "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing, and does His will, He hears him. {32} "Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. {33} "If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." {34} They answered and said to him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they put him out.