If God created the heavens and the earth in six days out of nothing, then turning water into wine, being born of a virgin, entering our world as fully God and fully Man and resurrecting from the dead is within His capability. Simply put, the Creator of heaven and earth should be able to perform miracles.
Miracles are important primarily because they point toward the heavenly identity of the promised Messiah and authenticated the gospel message. The Messiah was supposed to perform miracles as Isaiah anticipates in Isaiah 35:5-6 in connection with the blind, deaf, lame, and dumb having their respective faculties restored. When John the Baptist briefly questioned whether Jesus was the Messiah, the above passage quoted in recognition of what He did was sufficient for John to be certain.
Of course the liberals, the higher critics, many lecturers, and students studying ‘theology’ at most universities by and large exclude the possibility of miracles. That is because their starting proposition does not even consider the possibility of a personal God who will hold them accountable for their sin on the Day of Judgement. The complexity, intricacy, and sustained co-operated efforts of our interrelated body systems, are obvious proof of miraculous design since we are fearfully and wonderfully made. The invisible attributes of God are clearly seen by the things that are made and none of us has an excuse. Creation and miracles go hand in hand.
Some sceptics contend that the Lord Jesus may have performed conjuring tricks and rapidly acquired a following through sleight of hand. The inference is that the people at the time were gullible, stupid, or possibly both. But that is moot when we consider the type of miracles performed which were not staged, carefully orchestrated or behind curtains and that view is in fact baseless. Moreover Jesus performed miracles that the so called ‘faith healers’ are not able to do today, such as recovering the sight of the blind, hearing for the deaf, enabling the lame to walk and raising the dead to life.
Interestingly the Talmud does not deny His miracles yet attributes them as not being from God. Moses and Elijah performed various miracles and the purpose was to glorify God, not to gain a following. They are both forerunners of One far greater, and appeared with our Lord at His transfiguration.
It is necessary to point out, but at the same time should go without saying, that miracles cannot simply be replicated. Some that deny the existence of anything in the spiritual realm what to measure, observe and record miracles in objective manner yet seem oblivious to the fact that miracles are beyond human ability and to some degree our understanding. We are finite and are not God, so is it any wonder that we are inept at understanding the mechanics of miracles?
Given everything else we know about the historical reliability of Scripture and the unique teaching and ministry of our Lord Jesus we must hold to a consistent literal interpretation of miracles in the Bible. Equally we must consider what the miracles point towards in terms of trusting our Saviour. He created the heavens and the earth, made the stars also, walked on water, calmed the storm, fed the 5000 and 4000 on distinctly separate occasions, cast out demons, made atonement for sin through His sacrifice, rose again and ascended to heaven.
When someone comes to faith in the Lord and trusts in Him, that is a miracle in itself. Only the Lord Jesus can transform someone from the inside to reflect His character. That person becomes a new creation, and they are no longer in condemnation. The same Lord Jesus is coming again and will return from where He departed, the Mount of Olives. These now are the important questions that remain; have you received forgiveness for your sins, are you trusting and following Him, and will you be ready when He returns?
Jon Taylor 9th October 2021