The Bible records many miracles that Jesus performed. A miracle is a phenomenon not explained by known laws of nature. It is a work of supernatural origin and character which cannot be produced by natural agents and means. God created all matter and set in force the laws of nature. Therefore, only He can allow exceptions to His laws of nature; He may do so for special purposes. Moses was the agent of God for multiple miracles when he was seeking to convince Pharaoh to release the Israelites from Egypt. Certain prophets of God such as Elijah and Elisha also performed miracles through the power of God. When one performs a true miracle, it demonstrates that he has the power of God, for only God can allow exceptions to His laws of nature. For Jesus to perform miracles demonstrated that He was from God and had the power of God. John 3:1-2 “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘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.’” Let us look at some of the things that we can learn from the miracles that Jesus performed.
Perhaps the category of miracles that Jesus performed the most often was that of healing. He cleansed a man with leprosy (Matthew 8:1-4). He healed a centurion’s paralyzed servant (Matthew 8:5-13). He healed a paralytic who was let down from the roof (Matthew 9:1-8). He healed a man’s withered hand (Matthew 12:9-14). He healed a woman in the crowd with an issue of blood (Matthew 9:20-22). He healed two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31). He healed a man who was unable to speak (Matthew 9:32-34). He even healed many sick in Gennesaret as they touched His garment (Matthew 14:34-36). Matthew 4:23-24 “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.” But Jesus did not heal everyone in the world. He healed those with whom He had contact or who came to Him. There is a spiritual lesson that we can learn from this. Jesus has the power to heal any who are spiritually sick today. But they must also come to Him to be healed.
Jesus used the healing of diseased bodies to prove that He could also heal man’s sinfulness. Luke 5:18-24 “Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.’ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’ — He said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’” Jesus has the power to both heal our physical illnesses as well as to forgive our sins and to heal us spiritually.
Jesus used the healing of the blind to prove that He could give spiritual sight to all who are willing to learn. In John 9, we have the story of the man who was born blind. John 9:6b-7 “He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.” The conclusion of the story is given in John 9:39-41 “And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.’” Jesus heals our spiritual blindness and gives us spiritual sight.
Jesus fed 5000 men plus women and children with five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21). He fed 4000 men plus women and children with seven loaves and a few little fish (Matthew 15:32-39). John 6:26-27 “Jesus answered them and said, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.’” Jesus further said in John 6:48-51 “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” Jesus gives us spiritual food. By “eating” Jesus, we have eternal life.
Jesus raised a widow’s son from the dead in Nain (John 7:11-17). He raised Jairus’ daughter back to life (Matthew 9:18, 22-26). Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in Bethany (John 11:1-45). He raised the dead to prove that He has power over death – power over physically death as well as spiritual death. We look forward to our resurrection.
I encourage you to put your faith in God the Father and Jesus Christ, His only son. Jesus proved He is the Son of God through His works. John 20:30-31 “And truly 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.” Jesus said in John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”