Miracles

Introduction

There has been a resurgence in the past decade in the belief in and the supposed performance of miracles. The charismatic movement, once relegated strictly to the Pentecostal church, has now spread to mainstream Christianity. One no longer has to be Pentecostal to believe in the practice of modern-day miracles.

Definition

What is a miracle? The Bible uses three words to describe miracles. The words “sign,” “wonder,” and “power” are used to describe miracles. It takes all three terms to define a miracle. Every real miracle, at least in Scripture, is at once a sign, a wonder, and a direct exertion of God’s power.

The first word “sign” is the apostle John’s favorite word for a miracle. For John, miracles were not just done for their own sake. Each miracle or sign was to point to Jesus. It was a way of making a significant statement about the person and work of Jesus.

For instance, in John 6:1-14, Jesus feeds the 5,000. It is called a sign in verse 14. In the context and in direct relationship with this miracle, Jesus says in 6:35 that he is the bread of life. People should have observed the miracle and made the connection: “Jesus is the one who sustains. He satisfies our deepest need.” Instead, the people wanted a repeat sign.

In John 9:1-8, Jesus heals a blind man. This sign in 9:5 is supposed to cause the reader to see that Jesus is the light of the world.

In John 11, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Jesus’s explanation is found in 11:25: “I am the resurrection and the life.” The purpose of every miracle that Jesus performed was to teach people who he is and to fix their attention on him rather than the sign or miracle itself. This is what John says in 20:30-31.

The second word is “wonder.” The word means something unusual—something extraordinary or unexpected. A miracle is never the norm. By definition, a miracle is something out of the ordinary. When we misuse the word miracle, we cheapen what was done in Scripture. To say that the birth of a baby is a miracle, then what do you say about the virgin birth? What word do you use to describe it? This word is found most often in Scripture in relationship to the first word “sign,” as seen in Acts 2:22, 43; 6:8, or in Acts 2:19 where it is used alone.

The third word is “power.” It means a “mighty work” or “mighty deed.” For an act to be a miracle, the direct and immediate exertion of God is to be seen in the act. As C.S. Lewis wrote in his book Miracles, “an interference with Nature by supernatural power.” God is continually at work. He can work in ways other than a miracle. In fact, God customarily works in secondary ways. When we plant a corn seed, we get a crop. This is not a miracle but the result of what God planned. Disease healed through medicine is not a miracle. This is a result of God working through the minds and hands of men to work on the body. God gives a number of resources for us to use. Using those resources does not constitute a miracle but acts of faith in relying on a God who is working in this world.

What About Miracles Today?

Before we answer that question, let’s take a look at miracles in the Bible. While there are a number of miracle stories in Scripture, for the most part there are cycles of miracles. The miracles of the Bible were for a specific occasion, with a specific purpose, and a specific rationale. According to 2 Corinthians 12:12, signs, wonders, and mighty deeds were done in order to prove that one was an apostle or sent out by God to do his will. In Romans 15:19, Paul says his miracles were done to convince the Gentiles about himself and Jesus. The miracles of the Bible cluster around great events. There are long periods in biblical history in which miracles were not done. The miracles cluster around events concerned with the development and revelation of God’s plan of redemption. According to Hebrews 2:3-4, the miracles were given to confirm or authenticate the word of the Lord.

There are three periods of cluster miracles. During the time of Moses, God was confirming his plans for Israel from the Exodus and throughout the wilderness experience. Once in the promised land, the miracles for the most part cease.

The second cluster of miracles is during the time of Elijah and partially Elisha. These two prophets were trying to confirm God’s will and plan for Israel during a time of great apostasy, when Israel was leaving God’s plan behind.

The third cluster is during the time of Jesus and immediately following, when God was confirming his work through Jesus and his apostles. The biblical record is silent concerning miracles after Paul’s death. Moses and Elijah were considered the great prophets because they demonstrated God’s will and plan. Both Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration as a sign of confirming who Jesus was and what he was about. Biblical miracles appear as God needed them for confirmation.

What about modern-day miracle workers? Does God need miracles now to confirm or authenticate his will and plan? I would say that modern-day miracles are no longer necessary because there is no rationale for them. According to Hebrews 1:1-4, Jesus is now God’s way of revealing himself to us. The entire letter of Hebrews is written to demonstrate that Jesus is completely sufficient to take care of spiritual matters. In Christ through Scripture, God has completely revealed all that is needed. Therefore, there is no need for miracles. To believe in modern miracles is to believe that Christ is not sufficient.

What about those who claim to be able to heal disease? Misplaced confidence in someone who can heal is not uncommon. This speaks to a person’s desire to see the miraculous in order to believe. Those claiming to heal work most often in heavily emotional situations in which a person wants to be healed so much that they will believe almost anything. In Matthew 12:38-40, Jesus found that an attitude which desired to see a miracle was not spiritually healthy. There is one sign on which people should fix their attention and with which they should be content—the sign of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

But if that is not convincing enough, consider the possibility that someone says that seeing a miracle will make faith and repentance easy. In Luke 16, the rich man dies and in the realm of the dead he pleads for Lazarus, the poor man, to be sent back to earth to testify to his five brothers about their sin. The answer is given in 16:29: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” The rich man argues that a sign will convince them. With finality, Abraham answers in verse 31: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rise from the dead.”

The intent of Scripture is not that miracles are necessary for those who follow Jesus. Paul kept his thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Trophimus was left in Miletus sick (2 Timothy 4:20), and Paul recommends that Timothy treat his infirmities (1 Timothy 5:23). Perfect health, like perfect holiness, will be given at the last day when the last enemy, death, is abolished (1 Corinthians 15:26). Only when we stand before God with a transformed body will we have perfect health.

Scripture insists that enough evidence has already been given to lead us to faith, repentance, and life. This is what John says in our text (20:30-31). One cannot demand more evidence without saying the current evidence is insufficient. When one begins to investigate reported miracles, the evidence seems to disappear.

While I have tried to cast a shadow of doubt on the idea of modern-day miracle events, that is not to cast doubt on the miracles of Scripture nor the God behind the miracles. The God who allowed miracles to be performed in the Bible is the same God that we follow today. Our God can still perform miracles, but they aren’t necessary since we have the Bible. Can God intervene in our world? Most definitely. Does he in miraculous ways through the agency of men? No. We have the resurrection and we have the Bible—what more proof do we need to confirm the work of God? To keep looking for a miracle is to make us like those of old whom Jesus criticized for having an improper attitude. Christ is sufficient to take care of our doubts, and his life serves as confirmation for God’s work in this world.

---

Follow Jesus

If you’d like to respond to this message or learn more about following Jesus, please reach out.