Ask Mr Bible

During His earthly ministry Jesus performed some 35 recorded miracles.  At least eight reasons may be given as to why:

A. To fulfill Old Testament prophecy

“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” (Matt. 8:16-17).

“But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (John 12:37-38).

B. To validate His message

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3:1-2).

“And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased” (John 6:2).

C. To reveal His glory

“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana, of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory …” (John 2:11a).

D. To increase the faith of His disciples

 “and his disciples believed on him” (John 2:11b).

“When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do” (John 6:5-6).

E. To declare His Messianic claims

“Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world” (John 6:14).

F. To prove His deity

“And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Matt. 14:32-33).

G. To demonstrate His compassion

1. Upon the hungry multitudes (Matt. 9:36; 14:14; 15:32)
2. Upon the blind (Matt. 20:34)
3. Upon the lepers (Mark 1:40-41)
4. Upon the demon-possessed (Mark 5:18-19)
5. Upon the grief stricken (Luke 7:12-13)

H. To show His authority to forgive sin

“And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house” (Luke 5:20-24).

The only miracle performed by Jesus which was recorded by all four gospel accounts involved the feeding of the 5000, as recorded in Matt. 14:13-21; Luke 9:10-17; Mark 6:33-44; John 6:5-13.

● At least five reasons have been suggested concerning why this miracle was performed.

1. To demonstrate Christ’s compassion upon people—He was concerned not only with their souls, but also with their bodies.

2. To test His disciples—This undoubtedly strengthened their faith.  They would remember it all their lives.

3. To prove His messianic claims—The Jews had a tradition that when the Messiah came, He would feed them with bread as Moses had once done.  Note the following dialogue which took place on the next day between the crowd and Jesus: 

 “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven . . . And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:31-32, 35).

4. To show the value of small things when given over to Christ—Especially is this seen by the giving of the loaves, not only in matters of quantity (five loaves), but also in quality (they were barley loaves).  Wheat loaves were the normal diet back then.  Barley loaves were eaten only by the very poor.

5. To illustrate God’s faithfulness—In fact, this miracle was simply an unforgettable illustration of a profound principle Jesus had previously taught during his Sermon on the Mount. 

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:31-32).

Many felt the tender touch of the Savior’s hands while He trod this earth.  One was a man with dropsy (Luke 14:1-6).

SURVEY

During a Sabbath luncheon in the house of a prominent Pharisee, Jesus encounters a man suffering with dropsy.  Turning to the legalistic Pharisees who were present, He asks:

 “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

Receiving no answer, He touched the man and healed him.

SIGNIFICANCE

● This is the only recorded miracle done during a meal in the home of a Pharisee.

SPIRITUAL TRUTHS

● Thus supper was probably a set-up arranged by the Pharisees to trap Jesus, hoping He would do something unlawful.

1. It was on the Sabbath.
2. A very sick man was there who suffered from dropsy.  Dropsy was an abnormal accumulation of watery fluid in the body, which caused hideous swelling in the abdomen, legs, and feet.  It was symptomatic of cardiac disease.  In light of this, it is highly unlikely that this poor, suffering creature would be invited to the home of a Pharisee, especially on the Sabbath.  To the contrary, he would have been utterly refused entrance.

● According to the sacred account Jesus touched this man.  This was in stark contrast to the legalistic Pharisees who not only would have refused to touch the leper, the blind, the deaf, the maimed, etc., but would actually hurry home in horror to take a ceremonial bath if their shadow should come into contact with the shadow of those unclean outcasts!

 But not the Savior!  He was a “Hands on Healer,” as demonstrated by those He personally touched.

1. A leper (Matt. 8:3)
2. Peter’s mother-in-law (Matt. 8:15)
3. A deaf mute (Mark 7:33)
4. Two blind men (Matt. 20:34)
5. A man born blind (John 9:6)
6. Malchus’ ear (Luke 22:51)
7. Little children (Mark 10:13)
8. His frightened disciples (Matt. 17:7)

Note the record involved:

● The event in Genesis 35

“And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which [is] Bethlehem” (Gen. 35:16-19).

● The event in Luke 2

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:4-7).

Note the relationships involved:

● Both describe two mothers giving birth.

  It would be Rachel’s final birth.
  It would be Mary’s first birth.

● Both babies were boys.

● Both were born in Bethlehem.

● Both would bring sorrow to their mothers.

Rachel would die giving birth to her son.

Mary would later be grieved watching her son die.

“And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34, 35).

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home” (John 19:25-27).

● The names given to the first son would later apply to the second son.

Rachel called her infant son, Ben-oni, meaning, “son of my sorrow.”

Jacob however, called him Benjamin, meaning, “son of my right hand.”

Spiritually speaking, Jesus was later known as Ben-oni.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isa. 53:3).

Spiritually speaking, Jesus is now known as Benjamin.

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool” (Heb. 10:12, 13).

But it isn’t what you think it is!

Almost everyone has heard the story of the huge sea creature that swallowed Jonah, and about Jonah’s pitiful prayer for deliverance while inside its stomach (Ch. 1-2).  But the real fish story takes place in chapter 3.  To understand this, consider an event that would transpire some seven centuries later in northern Israel:

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Pater, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fisher of men.  And they straightway left their nets, and followed him” (Mt. 4:18-20).

In this passage Jesus taught that the ‘fish’ God is looking to catch are sinful men, and the real ‘fishermen’ are soulwinners!  In Jonah 3, after the prophet’s preaching, history’s greatest revival took place.  In other words, Jonah caught more ‘fish’ in his net than ever before—thus we have the greatest fish story of all time!