Miracles
What Is a Miracle According to the Bible?
Miracles are defined as phenomena or acts that exceed the powers known to humans. For this reason, they are attributed to supernatural intervention. In the writings of the Bible, the terms miracles and signs are used as synonyms.
When Jesus was on earth, he received the power directly from Jehovah God to perform such powerful works. But in what way and with what motives did he use this power?
Responsible Use of Divine Power
Jesus always used Jehovah’s power for a specific purpose. He never used his abilities to put his power on display or to satisfy mere curiosity.
Why Jesus Refused Certain Miracles
Concrete biblical examples make clear the standards by which Jesus acted:
- King Herod: Jesus refused to perform a sign before Herod. The ruler’s curiosity stemmed from wrong motives, which is why Jesus did not satisfy it.
- Pharisees and Sadducees: When they demanded a “sign from heaven,” Jesus did not grant the request. They did not seek the sign to strengthen their faith in God’s Word, but to have a pretext not to believe in him. The motive was bad.
- Inhabitants of Nazareth: In his hometown, Jesus performed few miracles in Nazareth because of the inhabitants’ lack of faith.
Lacking Source of Power or Inappropriate Circumstances?
That few miracles occurred in Nazareth was by no means because the source of power—Jehovah God—was insufficient. The real reason was that the circumstances did not justify or simply allow for powerful works.
Jesus had no intention of wasting God’s holy power on unreceptive skeptics. Since the people there did not listen to him, they did not deserve it. It was not because Jesus was incapable of doing so.
Powerful Without Preconditions: Healing Independent of Faith
Although Jesus refused to give a sign to skeptics, the ability to perform his miracles did not depend on the faith of the people seeking help.
A remarkable proof of this is the healing of the slave of the high priest: Jesus healed his cut-off ear, even though the slave belonged to the crowd that had come to arrest him.
Complete Healing of All the Sick
The biblical record shows a clear picture regarding Jesus’ miraculous healings:
- Complete healing: Jesus healed all the sick who came to him. It never happened that someone was not healed.
- Independent of disease and strength of faith: The type of illness or how much faith the people had played no role.
- No excuses: Jesus never used the excuse that a person’s faith was too weak and therefore a healing was not possible.
The Real Purpose of Jesus’ Miracles
The healings and miracles served no end in themselves. The real reason for Jesus’ healings was to bear a powerful witness and to establish a solid basis for faith.
Answers to Questions
What is meant biblically by a miracle?
A miracle is a phenomenon or act that exceeds known human powers and is therefore attributed to supernatural intervention. In the Bible, the terms miracles and signs are often used synonymously.
Why did Jesus refuse a miracle to Herod as well as the Pharisees?
Jesus refused miracles when the request stemmed from wrong motives. Herod acted out of mere curiosity, while the Pharisees and Sadducees demanded signs in order not to have to believe in God’s Word.
Was Jesus’ healing power dependent on people’s faith?
No. Jesus was able to heal all the sick who came to him, regardless of the type of illness or the strength of their faith. He even healed the cut-off ear of the high priest’s slave, who was among those arresting him.
Why did Jesus perform only a few miracles in Nazareth?
In Nazareth, Jesus did not perform many powerful works because of the residents’ strong lack of faith, as circumstances did not justify it and he did not want to waste God’s power on unreceptive skeptics. It was not due to a lack of ability or insufficient power from Jehovah.