"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN" Receiving The Light (1:9-13) INTRODUCTION 1. In the prologue to his gospel, John introduces Jesus as "the light"... a. That shines in darkness - Jn 1:5 b. To whom John bore witness - Jn 1:6-8 c. Who gives light to every man - Jn 1:9 2. Yet John declares what becomes evident later in his gospel... a. Not everyone was willing to receive the light, i.e., Jesus b. Even His own people as a whole rejected Him c. But for those who did receive Him, they were truly blessed! 3. The same remains true today... a. Many people do not receive Jesus b. Missing out on the wonderful blessings He offers! [Why do people not receive Christ? How can we be sure to receive Him, and the blessings He offers as "The Light"? Let's take a closer look at the text for our study...] I. MANY DID NOT RECEIVE THE LIGHT A. WHO DID NOT RECEIVE THE LIGHT... 1. The world in general - Jn 1:9-10 a. Even though He gives light to every man! - cf. Jn 1:4; 8:12; 12:46 b. Even though the world was made through Him! - cf. Jn 1:3 2. His own people in particular - Jn 1:11 a. He had come into His own land, Palestine - cf. Jer 2:7 b. He had come to His own people, Israel - cf. Deut 7:6 B. WHY THEY DID NOT RECEIVE THE LIGHT... 1. They did not know Him - Jn 1:10 a. Even His own brothers at first, though they did after His resurrection - Jn 7:5; Ac 1:14 b. Familiarity often breeds contempt: "A prophet has no honor in his own country..." - Jn 4:44 2. Other reasons provided by John in his gospel a. Some loved darkness more than light - Jn 3:19-20; 5:42-43 b. Some were afraid of what others thought - Jn 7:13; 9:22 c. Some were misinformed of the facts - Jn 7:40-43 d. Some were hardened by their traditions - Jn 9:13-16 e. Some loved the praise of men - Jn 12:42-43 [For similar reasons today, many people do not receive Jesus. Yet some did...] II. SOME RECEIVED THE LIGHT A. THE BENEFITS OF RECEIVING THE LIGHT... 1. The right to become children of God - Jn 1:12 a. The word "right" signifies both authority and ability (JFB) b. Receiving Christ gives us the authority and ability to become sons of God c. Which is wonderful manifestation of God's love - cf. 1Jn 3:1 d. Making us heirs of God and joints heirs with Christ - cf. Ro 8:14-17 2. The privilege of being born of God - Jn 1:13 a. Not of blood - i.e., by virtue of physical descent b. Not of flesh - i.e., by virtue of the lusts of the flesh c. Not of the will of man - i.e., by virtue of power in a man's will alone d. But of God - i.e., a rebirth possible only by the Spirit of God - cf. Jn 3:5; Tit 3:5 B. THE MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE LIGHT... 1. To receive Christ, we must believe in His name - Jn 1:12b a. Which is to say we must believe in Him b. The name of a person is often put for the person himself (Barnes) - cf. Jn 2:23 2. Believing in Him gives us power "to become" a child of God a. Faith in Jesus alone does not "make" one a child of God b. Many believed in Jesus, but did not become His disciples 1) Only by abiding in His doctrine did they become His disciples - Jn 8:30-32 2) Some believed, but were unwilling to confess Him - Jn 12: 42-43 3. When faith moves us to obey Christ, then we become children of God a. Faith makes us children of God when we put Christ on in baptism - Ga 3:26-27 1) We become children of God through faith, yes - but how? 2) By putting Christ on when we are baptized into Christ! b. Jesus becomes the author of our salvation when we obey Him - He 5:9 1) Such as obeying His command to be baptized - Mk 16:16 2) Thereby born again of both water and the Spirit - Jn 3:5; Tit 3:5 4. Sadly, many misapply John's words in Jn 1:12 a. Teaching that one becomes a child of God simply by receiving Christ in faith 1) By saying "the sinner's prayer" (which is nowhere taught in the Scriptures) 2) Often appealing to Re 3:20-21 (which is addressed to erring Christians, not lost sinners) b. Yet receiving Christ in faith gives one "power to become", not "makes one become" 1) We must appropriate that power through the obedience of faith 2) Such as confessing our faith, repenting of our sins - Ro 10:9,10; Ac 17:31 3) Culminating our obedience by putting on (receiving) Christ in baptism - Ga 3:27 CONCLUSION 1. Jesus is the "True Light" who gives light to every man... a. Bringing grace and truth to those in sin and error a. Providing the way of salvation through His blood 2. How sad that there are many in the world... a. Who do not know Him b. Who have not received Him -- Who spend their lives stumbling in the darkness 3. But if you are willing to believe in His name... a. You have the right to become a child of God! b. You can be born of God! -- Provided your faith is an obedient faith, willing to abide in the doctrine of Christ Let the Word of God, and in particular John's gospel (cf. Jn 20:30-31), point you in the direction of the Light, that you might be saved and have life in His name!
3/2/17
"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN" Receiving The Light (1:9-13) by Mark Copeland
"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN" Bearing Witness Of The Light (1:6-8) by Mark Copeland
"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN" Bearing Witness Of The Light (1:6-8) INTRODUCTION 1. In the prologue to his gospel, the apostle John introduces another man named John... a. A man who was sent from God - Jn 1:6 b. A man who came to bear witness of the Light - Jn 1:7 -- This man, of course, was John the Baptist 2. John the apostle makes it clear that this other "John" was not the Light... a. Not only here in the prologue - Jn 1:8 b. But also immediately following the prologue - cf. Jn 1:19-20 3. John the Baptist's purpose in bearing witness of the Light... a. That all might believe - 1Jn 1:7 b. The same reason John the apostle wrote his gospel - cf. Jn 20: 30-31 4. John was not the only person to bear witness of the Light... a. Others did before he came b. Others have since he came [Indeed, even we have a responsibility to bear witness of the Light! Before we consider how, let's note those who have done so in the past...] I. THE FORERUNNERS OF CHRIST A. THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS... 1. They foretold the sufferings of Christ, and the glories to follow - 1Pe 1:10-11 a. E.g., the prophet Isaiah - Isa 7:14; 9:6-7; 53:4-6 b. E.g., the prophet Micah - Mic 5:2 c. It has been estimated that there are more than 300 prophecies concerning Christ 2. Jesus reminded His disciples of this truth a. To the two disciples on the road to Emmaus - Lk 24:25-27 b. Later to the apostles in Jerusalem - Lk 24:44-47 B. JOHN THE BAPTIST... 1. Foretold by Isaiah - Isa 40:3 2. Identified as such by Matthew, Mark, and Luke - Mt 3:1-3; Mk 1: 1-4; Lk 3:1-6 3. John the apostle relates how John the Baptist bore witness of the Light a. Declaring Jesus to be "The Lamb of God" - Jn 1:29,35-36 b. Declaring Jesus to be "The Son of God" - Jn 1:34 [Both the prophets and John bore witness to Jesus prior to His ministry. During the course of His ministry, there was another One who bore witness of the Light...] II. THE FATHER OF CHRIST A. HE BORE WITNESS THROUGH SIGNS... 1. Through the miracles Jesus did - cf. Jn 5:36-37; 10:25,37-38 2. Even as Nicodemus and the man born blind realized - cf. Jn 3:2; 9:32-33 B. HE BORE WITNESS THROUGH HIS VOICE FROM HEAVEN... 1. At the baptism of Jesus - Mt 3:16-17 2. At the mount of transfiguration - Mt 17:5 3. At Jerusalem during the last week - Jn 12:27-30 C. HE BORE WITNESS THROUGH RAISING JESUS FROM THE DEAD... 1. Declaring Jesus to be the Son of God with power - Ro 1:3-4 2. Declaring Jesus to be One will judge the world - Ac 17:30-31 [When the Father raised Jesus from the dead, He was seen by select witnesses who in turn were commanded to add their witness of the Light (Ac 10:40-43). But not just the apostles; in some ways we can say that witnesses of the Light includes all...] III. THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST A. THE APOSTLES OF CHRIST... 1. They bore witness through their eyewitness testimony a. In this they are very special witnesses
- cf. Jn 15:27; Ac 1:8; 5:30-32; 13:30-31 b. Providing empirical evidence - cf. 1Jn 1:1-2; 2Pe 1:16-18 2. They bore witness through their lives and death a. Enduring great hardship for their testimony - cf. 1Co 4: 9-13 b. Giving credence to the truthfulness of their testimony! B. THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST... 1. Their unity with one another bears witness - Jn 17:20-23 a. Through our unity we bear witness to the fact: 1) Jesus was sent by God 2) God loves the world b. Should make one think how Jesus feels about congregational infighting, denominational division, etc. 1) We know how Paul feels - cf. 1Co 1:10-13; 3:3-4 2) We know what conduct is worthy of our calling - cf. Ep 4: 1-3 2. Their transformed lives also bears witness a. As evidence of the influence of Christ in their lives - cf. 2Co 3:18; 4:6 1) Whose truth teaches us how to live in righteousness and holiness - cf. Ep 4:17-24 2) Enabling us to shine as lights in the world as we reflect the glory of His light in our lives - Php 2:12-16 b. Should make one think how we can be of much use if we are not being transformed 1) By failing to renew of our minds - cf. Ro 12:1-2 2) By failing to put on the new man (a Christ-like character) - cf. Col 3:9-17 3. Their proclamation of the Word bears witness a. Our duty as the elect people of God is to proclaim His praises - 1Pe 2:9-10 1) How He called us into His marvelous light 2) How we obtained His mercy b. Should make one think of how little use we are if we remain silent 1) By not spreading the gospel - cf. Ac 8:4 2) By not sounding forth the Word - cf. 1Th 1:8 CONCLUSION 1. Those in the past faithfully bore witness of the Light... a. The forerunners (the prophets and John the Baptist) b. The followers (the apostles and early disciples) 2. What about us today...? a. Do we bear witness of the Light by our unity with one another? b. Do we bear witness of the Light through transformed lives? c. Do we bear witness of the Light through proclaiming the Word? The purpose of bearing witness of the Light is so others can believe (Jn 1:7). Do we help or hinder those around us to believe in Jesus? Don't quench the Father's efforts, who would have each of us bear witness of the Light! "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2Co 4:6) "For you were once darkness, but now [you are] light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." (Ep 5:8)
"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN" The Pre-existence Of Christ (1:1-5) by Mark Copeland
"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN" The Pre-existence Of Christ (1:1-5) INTRODUCTION 1. The gospel of John was written for a simple purpose... a. To produce faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God - Jn 20: 30-31a b. To share the "life" that comes through such faith - Jn 20:31b 2. To encourage us to have faith in Jesus Christ... a. John begins his gospel with a prologue - Jn 1:1-18 b. In which he makes several claims as to who Jesus was 1) He refers to Jesus in this prologue as "the Word" 2) That he refers to Jesus is evident from verses 14-18 3. The very first claim pertains to the pre-existence of Christ... a. That He existed in the beginning, long before being born of Mary - cf. Jn 1:1-2 b. That His work in the beginning has great significance for us - cf. Jn 1:3-5 [John is not alone in proclaiming "The Pre-Existence Of Christ." Elsewhere in the Scriptures we find...] I. EVIDENCE FOR THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST A. FORETOLD BY THE PROPHETS... 1. Micah prophesied of the pre-existence of the Messiah to come - Mic 5:2 2. Isaiah spoke of the King to come as "Everlasting Father" - Isa 9:6-7 3. Zechariah recorded the Messiah's own promise to come - Zech 2: 10-11 B. AFFIRMED BY JESUS HIMSELF... 1. In His claim to have existed in Abraham's day - Jn 8:56-58 2. In His prayer shortly before His arrest and crucifixion - Jn 17:4-5,24 3. In the revelation He gave to John - Re 22:13 C. DECLARED BY HIS APOSTLES... 1. By John in his gospel, and also his epistle - Jn 1:1-4; 1Jn 2: 14 2. By Paul in his epistles a. To the church in Corinth - 1Co 10:1-4; 2Co 8:9 b. To the church in Philippi - Php 2:5-8 c. To the church in Colosse - Col 1:16-17 D. ILLUSTRATED BY THE CREATION... 1. All things were created by Jesus - Jn 1:3; He 1:2-3 2. Necessitating His existence before creation - Col 1:16-17 3. Implying His own eternal power and divine nature - Ro 1:20 [These are remarkable claims concerning Jesus, even blasphemous if not true. Yet if true (and John's gospel is design to prove that it is), consider...] II. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST A. HE IS DEITY...! 1. Especially when we consider the nature of His pre-existence a. His going forths were "from everlasting" - cf. Mic 5:2 b. He was the eternal "I Am" - Jn 8:58; cf. Exo 3:13-14 2. As made clear in John's prologue - Jn 1:1-2 a. He was "with" God (implying a personal communion with God) b. He "was" God (explicitly stating His deity) -- Thus He is worthy of our love and adoration - cf. Jn 20:28 B. HE IS LIFE...! 1. By virtue of being the Creator and the Sustainer of life a. All things were made by Him - Col 1:16 b. All things are held together (NASV, NRSV) by Him - Col 1:17 2. Again, as John makes clear in his prologue - Jn 1:3-4 a. Without Him, nothing was made b. In Him was life itself -- Thus He gives us hope for our own resurrection! - cf. Jn 5:21; 11:25 C. HE IS LIGHT...! 1. We live in a world of darkness... a. Where people spend their lives stumbling in ignorance b. Alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance - cf. Ep 4:17-19 2. As the Creator and Sustainer of life itself... a. Jesus is uniquely qualified to bring light into the world - Jn 1:4 b. He calls for us to believe that we might become "sons of light" - Jn 12:35-36 -- Thus Jesus offers us the "light of life" - Jn 8:12 CONCLUSION 1. Sadly, many resist the life and light Jesus offers... a. Some tried to destroy Him, but did not succeed - cf. Jn 1:5 (NRSV) b. Many try to avoid Him, knowing that it will mean changes to their lifestyle - cf. Jn 3:19-20 2. But for those willing to come to Jesus... a. He offers us hope and guidance in this life - cf. Mic 5:4-5a b. He is capable of fulfilling His promises - cf. Mt 11:28-30 For He is no mere man, whose existence began when born by Mary, but "whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." - Mic 5:2
Allah vs. the God of the Bible by Dave Miller, Ph.D.
http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=8&article=1174
Allah vs. the God of the Bible
by | Dave Miller, Ph.D. |
An honest and objective reading of both the Quran and the Bible reveals a significant clash between the two both in terms of how to conceptualize God, as well as in their respective depictions of the behavior of deity. Allah says and does things that the God of the Bible did not and would not say or do. The Quran’s representation of the sovereignty of God (like Calvinism) contradicts the character of God by attributing actions to Him that are unlike deity.
For example, the Quran repeatedly represents God, on the occasion of the creation of Adam, requiring the angels/djinn to bow down and worship this first human. All do so with the exception of Iblis (i.e., Satan), who refuses to do so on the grounds that Adam was a mere mortal:
Verily We created man of potter’s clay of black mud altered, and the Jinn did We create aforetime of essential fire. And (remember) when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am creating a mortal out of potter’s clay of black mud altered, so, when I have made him and have breathed into him of My spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him. So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together save Iblis. He refused to be among the prostrate. He said: O Iblis! What aileth thee that thou art not among the prostrate? He said: Why should I prostrate myself unto a mortal whom Thou hast created out of potter’s clay of black mud altered? He said: Then go thou forth from hence, for verily thou art outcast. And lo! the curse shall be upon thee till the Day of Judgement (Surah 15:26-35, emp. added; cf. 2:34; 7:11-12; 17:61; 18:51; 20:116; 38:72-78).This characterization of deity is completely unacceptable. This one incident alone illustrates that Allah is not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible simply would not do what the Quran says He did. Numerous Bible verses convey the complete impropriety—even blasphemy—that the worship of a mere human constitutes. Humans are forbidden to worship other humans (Acts 10:25-26; 14:14-15). Humans are forbidden to worship angels (Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9). And, most certainly, angels are not to worship mere humans. The Law of Moses declared that worship is to be directed to God (Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:20). When Satan tempted Jesus, and Satan urged Jesus to worship him, Jesus quoted the deuteronomic declaration from the Law of Moses, and then added His own divine commentary: “and Him only you shall serve” (Matthew 4:10, emp. added). No one, and no thing, is the rightful object of worship—except deity!
Interestingly enough, Satan’s reasoning as reported in the Quran was actually biblical and right. Satan recognized that not only should angels not worship humans, but in view of his own angelic condition, Adam occupied a status that was beneath his own accelerated, celestial existence—a fact affirmed by the Bible: “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:4-5; cf. Hebrews 2:9). The Quranic depiction of God ordering Iblis/Satan to worship Adam is a serious breach of divine propriety and a further indication of the Quran’s conflict with the Bible. [Once again, the Quran appears to have been influenced by Jewish sources, since the Talmudists also represent the angels as bestowing special attention and honor on Adam (Sanhedrin 29; Midrash Rabbah on Genesis, paragraph 8)].
The Cost of Anger by Kyle Butt, M.Div.
http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=853
The Cost of Anger
by | Kyle Butt, M.Div. |
Not only does the Bible contain many infallible proofs that testify to its divine inspiration, but it also offers many practical commands that are of benefit to the general health and well-being of every human being. One of those practical commands is found in James 1:19-20: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
Beginning with the vicious murderer Cain, throughout the Bible we see the negative effects of human anger. The book of Proverbs is filled to overflowing with precautionary remarks about controlling anger, and avoiding habitually angry men. Interestingly, the modern medical profession has thrown its two cents into the anger discussions. In their thought-provoking book titled None of These Diseases, medical doctors S.I. McMillen and David E. Stern brought to light the fact—well known in the medical community—that habitual anger not only is destructive, but also has the potential to kill. On page 205 of the book, they quoted doctors Redford Williams and Virginia Williams: “Getting [habitually] angry is like taking a small dose of some slow-acting poison-arsenic, for example, every day of your life.” Later in the chapter titled “Danger—Anger,” McMillen and Stern cited a study carried out in 1981 on the hostility level of 255 medical students. Of those who tested in the high-hostility level, 13 percent died by middle age. Of those in the low-hostility level, only 2 percent died.
Of course, anger in and of itself, in certain proportions, is not necessarily destructive. Even Jesus, on occasion, was angry (Mark 3:5). However, the unchecked attitude of “venting one’s feelings of anger” does not produce the righteousness of God. Instead, it leads only to destructive, sinful behavior that negatively affects the body and soul. Truly, the Proverbs writer expressed it eloquently when he wrote: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (16:32).
REFERENCES
McMillen, S.I. and David Stern (2000), None of These Diseases (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell), third edition.Scientists Are Human, Too! by Trevor Major, M.Sc., M.A.
http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3746
Scientists Are Human, Too!
by | Trevor Major, M.Sc., M.A. |
The scientific community has been doing some soul-searching of late. At the center of the issue is the question of objectivity in science. The philosophy of scientism would have us believe that science is the only road to truth and, therefore, that scientists are the sole guardians of knowledge. Practically speaking, most scientists probably would acknowledge that science is a human endeavor and, consequently, subject to the imperfections of its practitioners. Nonetheless, the scientific establishment is wrestling with issues of pseudoscience, bias, and fraud.
PSEUDOSCIENCE
BIAS
Sometimes the resistance can be great indeed. For example, Halton Arp thinks he has found evidence that supports his theory against the prevailing Big Bang theory. However, he has difficulty getting access to major telescopes because other scientists do not believe he could possibly be right (Arp, 1990).
The same people will hardly give creationism a fair hearing. The following list is a small selection of attitudes that illustrate my point.
Faith in creation is personal and subjective, whereas faith in evolution is universal and objective (Ferrell, 1991).
Any scientific experiments that set out to confirm the Bible are automatically unscientific (Rice, 1989).
Although Werhner von Braun led America into space, his belief in creationism prevents him from being considered a “true” scientist (Jones, 1989).
One evolutionist said this in response to the young age of dinosaur bones dated by a group of creationists: “No matter what date they claim, the dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago” (Lafferty, 1991).
FRAUD
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
Ferrell, Keith (1991), “The Chasm of Creationism,” Omni, 14[1]:14, October.
Geisler, Norman L. and J. Kerby Anderson (1987), Origin Science (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).
Jones, Lewis (1989), “The Two Cultures: A Resurrection,” Skeptical Inquirer, 14[1]:57-64, Fall.
Lafferty, Michael B. (1991), “Creationists Say Dinosaurs Lived With Man,” Columbus Dispatch, pp. 1B-2B, November 3
Rice, Stanley (1989), “ ‘Faithful in the Little Things’: Creationists and ‘Operation Science,’ ” Creation/Evolution, 25:8-14.
Is God Talking to Me? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.
http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1550
Is God Talking to Me?
by | Kyle Butt, M.Div. |
Among those who profess to believe that the Bible is God’s Word, it has become a common practice to avoid following certain biblical commands. They do this based on the idea that such commands were specifically for the individuals at the time of the writing, and do not have broader application to those of us who are reading the text in a modern-day setting. For instance, one religious group formed a committee in 1992 to research the biblical passages dealing with homosexuality. One of the four tenets upon which the committee was able to reach a consensus was the following statement: “The 7 references to homosexuality in the Bible represent ancient culture and not the will of God. They cannot be taken as definitive” (Robinson, 2005). The idea, then, is that God is not really talking to us, but was talking only to “those” people “back then.”
Jesus had something to say about this very idea. On one memorable occasion, the Sadducees came to Jesus, testing Him with questions pertaining to the resurrection. In their minds, they had concocted an unanswerable scenario. If a woman had seven husbands in this life, they questioned, whose wife would she be in the resurrection? Jesus, knowing their wickedness and their ignorance of the Scripture, explained that “in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage” (Matthew 22:30). He then said to the Sadducees, “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 22:31-32, emp. added).
Notice that Jesus was quoting to the Sadducees a segment of Scripture that was taken from the Pentateuch (Exodus 3:6). The text was written almost 1,500 years before this group of Sadducees even existed. In the text, God was speaking directly to Moses, who had a much different culture than those of the first century Jews. And yet, even with such a lengthy time span and major cultural differences involved, Jesus stated clearly that God was talking to His first-century audience.
Several lessons can be learned from Jesus’ statement. First, we must realize that God speaks to us today through His inspired Word, just as He spoke to the Sadducees almost 2,000 years ago. Second, while it is true that some things in Scripture must be analyzed in their cultural setting, and the division between the Old Testament and New Testament must be recognized, it is extremely dangerous to jettison applicable commands and divine principles based on the idea that they no longer apply to us. Even though our culture may drift far from many of the biblical teachings, those teachings have not changed, and will not change due to ever-waffling cultural trends. Regardless of cultural shifts, it will never be right to jettison God commands regarding homosexuality, or any other sins, based on the idea that such commands were solely for someone else in some other time. As the psalmist wrote about God in the long ago, “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (Psalm 119:160). If you want to listen to God speak to you today, open your Bible.
REFERENCES
“The Very Works that I Do Bear Witness of Me” by Eric Lyons, M.Min. Kyle Butt, M.Div.
http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=1772
“The Very Works that I Do Bear Witness of Me”
by | Eric Lyons, M.Min. Kyle Butt, M.Div. |
The Bible begins with the miracle of Creation (Genesis 1:1), and ends with a reminder of the miraculous Second Coming of Christ (Revelation 22:20). Like polka dots on a Dalmatian, wondrous miracles wrought by God and His messengers spatter the biblical text. God created the Universe out of nothing (Genesis 1), and centuries later flooded the entire Earth with water (Genesis 7). He sent ten plagues upon the Egyptians (Exodus 7-12), parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14), and caused water to come from a rock twice during Israel’s forty years of wandering in the wilderness (Exodus 17; Numbers 20). He healed a leper (2 Kings 5), raised many from the dead (1 Kings 17; Matthew 27:52-53), and on two different occasions translated men from Earth to heaven so that they never tasted death (Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings 2:1-11). Even the Bible itself is the result of the miracle of God supernaturally guiding Bible writers in what they wrote. Rather than being the result of man’s genius, the Bible claims to be “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV). According to the apostle Peter, “[P]rophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21, NIV, emp. added). From revelation to inspiration, from God’s Creation to Jesus’ incarnation, miraculous (supernatural) explanations lay at the heart of numerous biblical (and therefore historical) events.
Some people adamantly claim that any type of miracle is absolutely impossible. Why do they say “no” to miracles? There are many reasons, but perhaps most significant is that they do not believe that God exists (or that if He does, He does not intervene in the natural world). A person who believes that the Universe and its contents evolved through natural processes over billions of years cannot believe in miracles because he or she thinks that nothing exists outside of nature. As the late, eminent astronomer of Cornell University, Carl Sagan, put it: “The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be” (1980, p. 4). Since a miracle is an extraordinary event that demands a supernatural explanation, no such event ever could occur in a world where only natural forces operate. Once a person denies God and the miracle of Creation, then he or she is forced to deny that miracles of any kind can occur. Christians believe in miracles because they believe that God exists and that the Bible (which reports some of God’s miracles) is His Word, whereas atheists reject miracles because they do not believe in a higher, supernatural Being.
Those who hold to an atheistic viewpoint are correct about one thing: If God does not exist (or as the deist believes, if He does exist, but is unwilling to intervene in His creation), then miracles cannot occur. On the other hand, if God does exist (and evidence indicates that He does—see Thompson, 2003), then miracles not only are possible, but also probable. It makes perfectly good sense to conclude that if God created the Universe, then on occasion He might intervene through supernatural acts (i.e., miracles) to accomplish His divine purposes.
MIRACULOUS CONFIRMATION
In view of the fact that miracles have served as a confirmation of God’s revelation since time began, it should be no surprise that “when the fullness of time had come” (Galatians 4:4), and the promised Messiah, the Son of God, came to Earth for the purpose of saving the world from sin (Luke 19:10; John 3:16), that He would confirm His identity and message by performing miracles. Centuries before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah foretold of a time when “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.... [T]he lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (35:5-6). Although this language has a figurative element to it, it literally is true of the coming of the Messiah. When John the Baptizer heard about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus asking if He was “the Coming One” of Whom the prophets spoke. Jesus responded to John’s disciples by pointing to the people whom He had miraculously healed (thus fulfilling Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy), saying, “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” (Matthew 11:4-5; cf. Mark 7:37). Jesus wanted them to know that He was doing exactly what “the Coming One” was supposed to do (cf. Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17), and what the Jews expected Him to do—perform miracles (John 7:31; cf. John 4:48; 1 Corinthians 1:22).
Jesus’ miracles served a different purpose than those wrought by Moses, Elijah, or one of the New Testament apostles or prophets. Unlike all other miracle workers recorded in Scripture, Jesus actually claimed to be the prophesied Messiah, the Son of God, and His miracles were performed to prove both the truthfulness of His message and His divine nature. Whereas the apostles and prophets of the New Testament worked miracles to confirm their message that Jesus was the Son of God, Jesus performed miracles to bear witness that He was, in fact, the Son of God. In response to a group of Jews who inquired about whether or not He was the Christ, Jesus replied,
I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.... I and My Father are one.... If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him (John 10:25,30,37-38).Similarly, on another occasion Jesus defended His deity, saying, “[T]he works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me” (John 5:36). While on Earth, Jesus was “attested by God...with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him” (Acts 2:22, NASB). And, according to the apostle John, “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31, emp. added). As would be expected from the One Who claimed to be God incarnate (cf. John 1:1-3,14; 10:30), Scripture records that Jesus performed miracles throughout His ministry in an effort to provide sufficient proof of His divine message and nature.
REASONS TO BELIEVE IN THE MIRACLES OF JESUS
Countless Thousands Witnessed His Miracles
Aside from the fact that Jesus’ miracles are recorded in the most historically documented ancient book in all of the world (see Butt, 2000, 20[1]:4-5), which time and again has proven itself to be a reliable witness to history (see Butt 2004a, 2004b), it also is significant that Jesus’ miracles were not done in some remote place on Earth with only a few witnesses. Instead, the miracles of Jesus were attested by multitudes of people all across Palestine throughout His ministry. Jesus began His miracles in Cana of Galilee by turning water into wine at a wedding feast in the presence of His disciples and other guests (John 2:1-11). [Considering how much wine was made after the hosts had already run out (approximately 120 gallons—2:6), it would appear there were many guests at the feast. Exactly how many witnessed the amazing feat, we are not told. But, the apostle John did record that “the servants who had drawn the water knew” of the miracle (2:9), as well as Jesus’ disciples (2:11).] On more than one Sabbath day, Jesus performed miracles in Jewish synagogues where countless contemporaries gathered to study Scripture on their holy day (Mark 1:23-28; Mark 3:1-6). Jesus once healed a sick man at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem where “a great multitude” of sick people had congregated (John 5:3), and He healed a paralytic in a Capernaum house full of “Pharisees and teachers of the law...who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem” (Luke 5:17). The house was so crowded with people, in fact, that those who brought the paralytic could not even enter the house through the door. Instead, they uncovered part of the roof, and lowered him through the tiling. Matthew recorded how Jesus “saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick” (14:14, emp. added). Then, later, He took five loaves of bread and two fish and miraculously fed 5,000 men, plus their women and children, while afterwards taking up twelve baskets full of leftovers (Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:33:43; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14). On another occasion, Jesus took “a few little fish...and seven loaves” of bread and fed 4,000 men, besides women and children (Matthew 15:32-39).Truly, countless thousands of Jesus’ contemporaries witnessed His miracles on various occasions throughout His ministry. They were not hidden or performed in inaccessible locations incapable of being tested by potential followers. Rather, they were subjected to analysis by Jews and Gentiles, believers and unbelievers, friends and foes. They were evaluated in the physical realm by physical senses. When Peter preached to those who had put Jesus to death, he reminded them that Christ’s identity had been proved “by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know” (Acts 2:22, emp. added). The Jews had witnessed Christ’s miracles occurring among them while He was on the Earth. In the presence of many eyewitnesses, Jesus gave sight to the blind, healed lepers, fed thousands with a handful of food, and made the lame to walk.
The Enemies of Christ Attested to His Works
Interestingly, although many of Jesus’ enemies who witnessed His miracles rejected Him as the Messiah and attempted to undermine His ministry, even they did not deny the miracles that He worked. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in the presence of many Jews, “the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, ‘What shall we do? For this Man works many signs’ ” (John 11:47, emp. added). According to Luke, even King Herod had heard enough reports about Jesus to believe that He could perform “some miracle” in his presence (Luke 23:8). Once, after Jesus healed a blind, mute, demon-possessed man in the midst of multitudes of people, the Pharisees responded, saying, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons” (Matthew 12:24). While many of Jesus’ enemies did not confess belief in Him as being the heaven-sent, virgin-born, Son of God, but attributed His works as being from Satan, it is important to notice that they did not deny the supernatural wonders that He worked. In fact, they confessed that He worked a miracle by casting a demon from a man, while on another occasion they scolded Him for healing on the Sabbath (cf. Luke 13:10-17).Even when Jesus’ enemies diligently investigated the miracles that He performed in hopes of discrediting Him, they still failed in their endeavors. The apostle John recorded an occasion when Jesus gave sight to a man born blind (John 9:7). After receiving his sight, neighbors and others examined him, inquiring how he was now able to see. Later he was brought to the Pharisees, and they scrutinized him. They questioned him about the One who caused him to see, and then argued among themselves about the character of Jesus. They called for the parents of the man who was blind, and questioned them about their son’s blindness. Then they called upon the man born blind again, and a second time questioned him about how Jesus opened his eyes. Finally, when they realized the man would not cave in to their intimidating interrogation and say some negative thing about Jesus, “they cast him out” (9:34). They rejected him, and the One Who made him well. Yet, they were unable to deny the miracle that Jesus performed. It was known by countless witnesses that this man was born blind, but, after coming in contact with Jesus, his eyes were opened. The entire case was scrutinized thoroughly by Jesus’ enemies, yet even they had to admit that Jesus caused the blind man to see (John 9:16-17,24,26). It was a fact, accepted, not by credulous youths, but by hardened, veteran enemies of Christ.
Furthermore, there were some of those among Jesus’ strongest critics who eventually did come to believe, not simply in His miracles, but that the wonders He worked really were from Heaven. John hinted of this belief when he wrote about how there was a division among the Pharisees concerning whether Jesus was from God. One group asked, “How can a man who is a sinner (as some among the Pharisees alleged—EL/KB) do such signs?” (John 9:16). Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night and confessed, saying, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). Years later, after the establishment of the church, Luke recorded how “a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). Truly, even many of those who were numbered among Jesus’ enemies at one time eventually confessed to His being the Son of God. Considering that positive testimony from hostile witnesses is the weightiest kind of testimony in a court of law, such reactions from Jesus’ enemies are extremely noteworthy in a discussion on the miracles of Christ.
Multiple Attestation of Writers
The case built for the authenticity of Jesus’ miracles is further strengthened by the fact that His supernatural works were recorded, not by one person, but by multiple independent writers. Even unbelievers admit that various miracles in Jesus’ life (including His resurrection) were recorded by more than one writer (cf. Barker, 1992, p. 179; Clements, 1990, p. 193). If scholars of ancient history generally rendered facts “unimpeachable” when two or three sources are in agreement (see Maier, 1991, p. 197), then the multiple attestation of Jesus’ miracles by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8) is extremely impressive. Unlike Islam and Mormonism, each of which relies upon the accounts/writings of one alleged inspired man (Muhammad and Joseph Smith, respectively), Christianity rests upon the foundation of multiple writers. Consider also that certain miracles Jesus performed, specifically the feeding of the 5,000 and His resurrection, are recorded in all four gospel accounts. Furthermore, the writers’ attestation of Jesus’ life and miracles is similar enough so as not to be contradictory, but varied enough so that one cannot reasonably conclude that they participated in collusion in order to perpetrate a hoax. Truly, the fact that multiple writers attest to the factuality of Jesus’ miracles should not be taken lightly and dismissed with a wave of the hand.Interestingly, Bible writers were not alone in their attestation of the wonders that Jesus worked. The first-century Jewish historian, Josephus, mentioned Jesus as being One Who “was a doer of wonderful works (paradoxa)” and Who “drew over to him many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles” (1987, 18:3:3, emp. added). Josephus used this same Greek word (paradoxa) earlier when referring to Elijah and his “wonderful and surprising works by prophecy” (9:8:6). The only instance of this word in the New Testament is found in Luke’s gospel account where those who had just witnessed Jesus heal a paralytic “were all seized with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, ‘We have seen remarkable things (paradoxa) today’” (5:26, NASB, emp. added). A reference to Jesus’ amazing works was also described in one section of the Babylonian Talmud (known as the Sanhedrin Tractate) where Jewish leaders wrote, “On the eve of the Passover Yeshu [Jesus—EL/KB] was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy....’ But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of Passover” (Shachter, 1994, 43a). Even though the Talmud describes Jesus’ amazing deeds as “sorcery,” and although we may never know for certain whether Josephus truly believed Jesus could work legitimate miracles, both acknowledge that Jesus’ life was characterized by remarkable wonders—testimony that would be expected from certain unbelievers who were attempting to explain away the supernatural acts of Christ.
Bible Writers Reported Facts—not Fairy Tales
It also is important to understand that the Bible writers insisted that their writings were not based on imaginary, nonverifiable people and events, but instead were grounded on solid historical facts (as has been confirmed time and again by the science of archaeology). The apostle Peter, in his second epistle to the Christians in the first century, wrote: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (1:16). In a similar statement, the apostle John insisted: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life...that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us” (1 John 1:1,3). When Luke wrote his account of the Gospel of Christ, he specifically and intentionally crafted his introduction to ensure that his readers understood that his account was historical and factual:Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed (Luke 1:1-4).In a similar line of reasoning, Luke included in his introduction to the book of Acts the idea that Jesus, “presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). In addition, when the apostle Paul was arguing the case that Jesus Christ had truly been raised from the dead, he wrote that the resurrected Jesus
was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time (1 Corinthians 15:5-8).This handful of verses by Peter, Paul, John, and Luke, reveal that the Bible writers insisted with conviction that their writings were not mythical, but were based on factual events. Furthermore, they specifically documented many of the eye-witnesses who could testify to the accuracy of their statements. As Henry S. Curr remarked more than half a century ago,
We are not asked to believe in myths and legends of the kind associated with paganism, classical and otherwise, nor in cunningly devised fables or old wives’ tales. We are besought to accept sober stories of incidents which cannot be accounted for in any other way save that God was directly and intimately at work in the matter (1941, 98:478).The claim that the Bible is filled with miracle myths can be made, but it cannot be reasonably maintained. The evidence is overwhelming that the Bible writers understood and insisted that their information about Jesus and His miracles was accurate and factual, just as were all other details in their narratives and letters. Furthermore, their claim of factual accuracy has been verified time and again by the discipline of archaeology as well as by refutations of alleged discrepancies between the various writings and history.
Jesus’ Signs were Many and Varied
Another characteristic of Jesus’ miracles is that more than a few are recorded in Scripture. One is not asked to believe that Jesus is the Son of God because He performed one or two marvelous deeds during His lifetime. On the contrary, genuine “miracles cluster around the Lord Jesus Christ like steel shavings to a magnet” (Witmer, 1973, 130:132). The gospel accounts are saturated with a variety of miracles that Christ performed, not for wealth or political power, but that the world may be convinced that He was sent by the Father to bring salvation to mankind (cf. John 5:36; 10:37-38). As Isaiah prophesied, Jesus performed miracles of healing (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:16-17). He cleansed a leper with the touch of His hand (Matthew 8:1-4), and healed all manner of sickness and disease with the word of His mouth (cf. John 4:46-54). One woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years was healed immediately simply by touching the fringe of His garment (Luke 8:43-48). Similarly, on one occasion after Jesus came into the land of Gennesaret, all who were sick in all of the surrounding region came to Him, “and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well” (Matthew 14:34-36; Mark 3:10). Generally speaking, “great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them” (Matthew 15:30, emp. added). “He cured many of infirmities, afflictions...and to many blind He gave sight” (Luke 7:21, emp. added). Even Jesus’ enemies confessed to His “many signs” (John 11:48).Jesus not only exhibited power over the sick and afflicted, He also showed His superiority over nature more than once. Whereas God’s prophet Moses turned water into blood by striking water with his rod (Exodus 7:20), Jesus simply willed water into wine at a wedding feast (John 2:1-11). He further exercised His power over the natural world by calming the Sea of Galilee during a turbulent storm (Matthew 8:23-27), by walking on water for a considerable distance to reach His disciples (Matthew 14:25-43), and by causing a fig tree to whither away at His command. In truth, Jesus’ supernatural superiority over the physical world (which He created—Colossians 1:16) is exactly what we would expect from One Who claimed to be the Son of God.
Jesus’ miracles were not limited to the natural world, however. As further proof of His deity, He also revealed His power over the spiritual world by casting out demons. “They brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word” (Matthew 8:16, emp. added). Luke also recorded that “He cured many of...evil spirits” (Luke 7:21, emp. added). Mark recorded where Jesus once exhibited power over a man overwhelmed with unclean spirits, which no one had been able to bind not even with chains and shackles; neither could anyone tame the demon-infested man (Mark 5:1-21). Jesus, however, cured him. Afterwards, witnesses saw the man with the unclean spirits “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind” (Luke 8:35-36). On several occasions, Jesus healed individuals who were tortured by evil spirits. And, “they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, ‘What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out’” (Luke 4:36).
Finally, Jesus even performed miracles that demonstrated His power over death. Recall that when John the Baptizer’s disciples came to Jesus inquiring about His identity, Jesus instructed them to tell John that “the dead are raised” (Matthew 11:5). The widow of Nain’s son had already been declared dead and placed in a casket when Jesus touched the open coffin and told him to “arise.” Immediately, “he who was dead sat up and began to speak” (Luke 7:14-15). Lazarus had already been dead and buried for four days by the time Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11:1-44). Such a great demonstration of power over death caused “many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did” to believe in Him (John 11:45). What’s more, Jesus’ own resurrection from the dead was the climax of all of His miracles, and serves as perhaps the most convincing miracle of all (see Butt, 2002, pp. 9-15).
In all, the Gospel records contain some thirty-seven specific supernatural acts that Jesus performed. If that number were to include such miracles as His virgin birth and transfiguration, and the multiple times He exemplified the ability to “read minds” and to know the past or future without having to learn of them through ordinary means (cf. John 4:15-19; 13:21-30; 2:25), etc., the number would reach upwards to fifty. Indeed, the miracles of Christ were varied and numerous. He healed the blind, lame, sick, and leprous, as well as demonstrated power over nature, demons, and death. The apostle John, who recorded the miracles of Christ “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31), also commented on how “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book” (20:30, emp. added). In fact, Jesus worked so many miracles throughout His ministry on Earth that, “if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).
Power over Affliction
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Cited In
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Royal official’s son
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John 4:46-54
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Peter’s mother-in-law
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Matthew 8:14-18; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41
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Leper
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Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-14
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Paralytic
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Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:3-12; Luke 5:18-26
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Lame man at the Pool of Bethesda
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John 5:1-16
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Man with withered hand
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Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11
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Paralyzed centurion’s servant
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Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10
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Hemorrhaging woman
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Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48
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Two blind men
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Matthew 9:27-31
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Deaf and mute man
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Matthew 15:29-31; Mark 7:31-37
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Blind man outside of Bethesda
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Mark 8:22-26
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Ten lepers
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Luke 17:11-19
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Man born blind
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John 9
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Crippled woman
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Luke 13:10-17
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Man with dropsy
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Luke 14:1-6
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Two blind men near Jericho
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Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52
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Malchus’ ear
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Luke 22:50-51
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Power over Nature
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Cited In
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Water changed into wine
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John 2:1-11
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First catch of fish
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Luke 5:1-7
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Calming a turbulent storm
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Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:36-41; Luke 8:22-25
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Feeding 5,000
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Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:30-34; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14
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Walking on water
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Matthew 14:22-32; Mark 6:45-46; John 6:15-21
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Feeding 4,000
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Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-9
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Money in the fish’s mouth
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Matthew 17:24-27
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Fig tree withers
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Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-24
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Second catch of fish
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John 21:1-11
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Power over Demons
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Cited In
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Man in synagogue at Capernaum
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Mark 1:23-28; Luke 4:33-37
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Mute, demon-possessed man
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Matthew 9:32-34
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Mary Magdalene
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Luke 8:2
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Two men at Gadara
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Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-21; Luke 8:26-40
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Blind, mute, demon-possessed man
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Matthew 12:22-30; Mark 3:22-30; Luke 11:14-23
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Syro-Phoenician’s daughter
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Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30
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Epileptic, demon-possessed child
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Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-43
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Power over Death
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Cited In
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Widow of Nain’s son
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Luke 7:11-18
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Jairus’ daughter
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Matthew 9:18-19,23-26; Mark 5:21-24,35-43; Luke 8:40-42,49-56
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Lazarus
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John 11
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Jesus’ own resurrection
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Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20
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The Miracles of Jesus were neither Silly nor Overboard
Admittedly, for some, a number of the miracles that Jesus performed are more easily accepted than others. The fact that a group of fishermen let their nets down into the sea and caught so many fish that the netting began to break (Luke 5:1-11) is not difficult for critics to accept (although not as a miracle). The idea of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead after already being in the tomb for four days, however, is much harder for skeptics to believe. But, neither this miracle nor any other that Jesus worked is unworthy of our consideration because it is silly or overboard. People may reject the miracles of Christ because of their disbelief in the supernatural altogether, or because of their inability to attach naturalistic explanations to various miracles. However, His miracles cannot be denied on the grounds that they are characterized by the absurd and ridiculous—that they are not. As Furman Kearley once stated, “The gospel records are marked by restraint and sublimity in the description of miracles” (1976, 93[27]:4).The miracles of Christ certainly were extraordinary (otherwise they would not be miracles), yet they were performed (and recorded) with all sanity and sobriety—exactly what one would expect if they really were signs from God. After all, He
is the author and finisher of that unspeakable machine which we call the universe, ever working in accordance with its constitution on the strictest principles of law and order, and thus proclaiming that its Architect is no capricious being but one whose mental attributes are as marvelous as His moral and spiritual qualities. In these circumstances, it would be very strange if the Biblical miracles represented the contradiction of orderly things (Curr, 1941, 98:471).Since the omnipotent God has chosen to control His infinite power, and to use it in orderly and rational ways, one would expect that when God put on flesh (John 1:1-3,14) and exerted His supernatural power on Earth, it likewise would be characterized as power under control—miracles performed with infinite sobriety and rationality.
Unlike the stories of many alleged miracle workers from the past (or present), Jesus’ miracles are characterized by restraint and dignity. Consider the miracle that Jesus performed on Malchus, a man who was about to arrest Jesus. Instead of doing something like commanding the left ear of Malchus to whither or fall off (after Peter severed his right one with a sword), Jesus simply touched the detached ear “and healed him” (Luke 22:51). A man who was about to turn Jesus over to His enemies has his ear cut off with a sword, and Jesus simply (yet miraculously) puts his ear back in place. What’s more, that is all any Bible writer wrote about the matter. An amazing miracle was worked the night before Jesus’ death, and the only thing revealed is that Jesus “touched his ear and healed him.” As with all of Jesus’ miracles,
[t]here is no attempt to magnify the supernatural features of the incident. The happening is left to speak for itself. If truth be best unadorned, then there are no more effective illustrations of that doctrine than the Biblical records of signs and wonders. The writers do not dwell upon them. They rather take the marvels in their stride. They tell the story as succinctly as they can, and then pass on to deal with something else. That is exemplified very clearly in the Synoptic Gospels. We are told of the moral and physical miracle wrought in a house at Capernaum when four men bore a sick friend to the feet of Jesus, having removed part of the roof and lowered the pallet through the aperture. The man’s sins were forgiven. This was a sign from heaven if there ever was one. His infirmity was also removed and that was another demonstration of our Lord’s claims to be God manifest in the flesh. Matthew then proceeds to recount his call to discipleship and what followed. Procedure like that is repeated again and again. The writers do not linger over the supernatural as a modern novelist might do. The miracle is mentioned at greater or less length, and then the narrative goes on its way. It is true that reference is often made to the amazement created in the crowds which witnessed these mighty works of God; but even that is not emphasized inordinately (Curr, 1941, 98:473).Furthermore, unlike those in other writings, Jesus’ miracles were not characterized by the sorcerer’s hocus pocus. In fact, there are few parallels to Jesus and the magicians of the ancient world. Even Rudolf Bultmann, the twentieth-century German writer who sought to explain away the miracles of Jesus, admitted that “the New Testament miracle stories are extremely reserved in this respect, since they hesitate to attribute to the person of Jesus the magical traits which were often characteristic of the Hellenistic miracle worker” (as quoted in Habermas, 2001, p. 113). Jesus could have performed any miracle that He wanted. He could have pulled rabbits from hats for the sole purpose of amusing people. He could have turned His Jewish enemies into stones, or given a person three eyes. He could have turned boys into men. He could have lit the robes of the Pharisees on fire and told them that hell would be ten times as hot. He could have formed a dozen sparrows out of clay as a child, and then, in the midst of a group of boys, turned the clay birds into live ones at the clap of His hands, as is alleged in the non-inspired apocryphal book, the Gospel of Thomas (1:4-9; The Lost Books..., 1979, p. 60). Certainly, Jesus could have done any number of silly, outlandish miracles. But, He didn’t. In contrast to the miracles recorded in any number of non-inspired sources, Jesus’ miracles were not characterized by
endless tales of wonders with which literature and folklore of the world abounds. There is no suggestion of magic or legerdemain about the mighty works of God described in the Bible. On the contrary, they are invariably characterized by a sanity and sobriety and reasonableness.... There is nothing extravagant or bizarre about them.... When the miracles of our Lord which are described in the four Gospels are compared with those derived from other sources, the difference is like that of chalk and cheese” (Curr, 98:471-472).
Jesus Worked Wonders that are not Being Duplicated Today
Finally, neither the modern alleged “faith healer” nor the twenty-first-century scientist is duplicating the miracles that Jesus worked while on Earth 2,000 years ago. Pseudo-wonder workers today stage seemingly endless events where willing participants with supposed sicknesses appear and act as if they are being healed of their diseases by the laying on of hands. Nebulous aches and pains and dubious illnesses that defy medical substantiation are supposedly cured by prominent “faith healers” who simultaneously are building financial empires with the funds they receive from gullible followers. Frauds like Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn, and a host of others have made many millions of dollars off of viewers who naively send them money without stopping to consider the real differences between the miracles that Jesus worked and what they observe these men do today.Jesus went about “healing every sickness and every disease” (Matthew 9:35, emp. added). His miraculous wonders knew no limitations. He could cure anything. Luke, the learned physician (Colossians 4:14), recorded how He could restore a shriveled hand in the midst of His enemies (Luke 6:6-10), and heal a severed ear with the touch of His hand (Luke 22:51). He healed “many” of their blindness (Luke 7:21), including one man who had been born blind (John 9:1-7)! What’s more, He even raised the dead simply by calling out to them (John 11:43). What modern-day “spiritualist,” magician, or scientist has come close to doing these sorts of things that defy natural explanations? Who is going into schools for the blind and giving children their sight? Who is going to funerals or graveyards to raise the dead? These are the kinds of miracles that Jesus worked—supernatural feats that testify to His identity as the heaven-sent Savior of the world.
CONCLUSION
Jesus worked miracles, not for the sake of entertaining individuals or in order to make a profit off of His audiences, but that the world may know that Jesus and God are one (John 10:30,38), and that the Father sent Him to Earth to save mankind from sin (John 5:36). He “did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31, emp. added). Certainly, among the greatest proofs for the deity of Christ are the miracles that He worked.
REFERENCES
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