Implications of the Miracles
Various reports of miracles, signs and wonders based on witness accounts are recounted by the authors of the Gospels. Some critics allege the Gospels are fictional books devised by Christian conspirators where restated miracles were used to make Jesus appear to be the Messiah.[1]
Restoring a withered hand; giving sight to a man born blind; and raising people from the dead cannot be performed by medical professionals even with today’s modern medical advancements. Having power over the weather is a feat that cannot be replicated.
Cast-out demons recognized Jesus as the Son of God and always obeyed him. Exorcisms are difficult and dangerous, performed only by a few brave professionals who invoke the power of Jesus.
Possibly 35 miracles are recorded before the crucifixion of Jesus though some may be the same miracle recounted differently.[2] Analysis of the four Gospel accounts through literary analysis is revealing.
Less than a third of the miracles are uniquely reported by the three Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke – 5 by Matthew, 3 by Mark, and 5 by Luke and plus 5 narrated by John, totaling 17 exclusively chronicled miracles.[3] Healing the Centurion’s son in Matthew and Jarius’ daughter in Mark and Luke involve two different sets of circumstances in location, position and by name.[4]
Only one miracle is common to all four Gospels – the feeding of the 5000. Perhaps the most famous miracles is Jesus walking on water and it does not even appear in Luke!
All four Gospels contain accounts of Jewish religious leaders wanting retribution for Jesus when he performed miracles on the Sabbath. Ironically, Jewish leaders acknowledged miracles had occurred in order to criticize Jesus for performing them on the Sabbath.[5]
Miracles performed by Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospels could demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah, according to a Rabbi sage. At least one modern Jewish authority agrees with the accounts of miracles in the Gospels noting they define Jesus as a “miracle maker.”[6]
“…Matthew, Mark, and Luke present a reasonably faithful picture of Jesus as a Jew of his time. The picture of Jesus contained in them is not so much of a redeemer of mankind as of a Jewish miracle maker and preacher. The Jesus portrayed in these three Gospels is, therefore, the historical Jesus.” – Encyclopedia Judaica
Jewish sage Rabbi Maimonides authored Mishneh Torah circa 1180 AD launching him into celebrity status and greatly impacted the Jewish community who sent him fan letters, often with questions.[7] Maimonides’ responses to these letters are known as Responsa (Teshuvot).[8]
One question posed by Rabbi Jacob al-Fayumi was in reference to the Isaiah 52-53 parashah prophecy. The Responsa, known as the Epistle Concerning Yemen, clarified Maimonides’ views about “the signs and wonders” performed by the Messiah:[9]
“…there shall rise up one of whom none have known before, and the signs and wonders which they shall see performed by him will be the proofs of his true origin…” – Rabbi Maimonides
Detailed by all four Gospels, the greatest miracle story ever told is the self-resurrection from the dead by Jesus of Nazareth himself – the sole basis of Christianity. No credible evidence has ever been produced to debunk the miracle of the Resurrection.[10]
Often overlooked are the miracles, signs and wonders recounted after the Resurrection. Nearly half were performed after that point.
Luke includes the eyewitness statement of Cleopas when the resurrected Jesus unknowingly appeared to him and his traveling partner on the road to Emmaus; sat down to dinner and prayed with him; then he vanished before their eyes.[11]
Later that evening, Mark and Luke described when the resurrected Jesus suddenly appeared inside a locked room terrifying those present.[12] John exclusively reports it happened again 8 days later with Disciple Thomas present.[13]
John describes two more miracles that occurred days later at the Sea of Tiberius (Sea of Galilee).[14] Outside of the Gospels in the Book of Acts written by the author of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus rose in the sky and disappeared into a cloud.[15]
Miracles of Jesus of Nazareth also appear outside the Gospels in the Book of Acts.[16] Disciple Peter addressed the miracles performed by Jesus of Nazareth:
Act 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know…” (NKJV)
Do miracles attest to the reality that Jesus of Nazareth was sent by God as the Messiah…and, if they do, what does that say about Gospels’ claim of the greatest and unique miracle, the Resurrection?
Updated December 11, 2024.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
REFERENCES:
[1] Gloag, Paton J. Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels. pp vii-viii, 1-3. 1895. Online Books Page. Ockerbloom, ed. <http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008728595> “Gospel Contradictions.” 2000. Walker, ed. PositiveAtheism.org. n.d. <https://web.archive.org/web/20150324003025/http://www.positiveatheism.org/mail/eml9449.htm> Smith, Ben C. “Gospel manuscripts – The manuscripts extant for the four canonical gospels.” TextExcavation.com. 2018. <http://www.textexcavation.com/gospelmanuscripts.html> Vick, Tristan D. “Dating the Gospels: Looking at the Historical Framework.” Advocatus Atheist. 2010. <http://advocatusatheist.blogspot.com/search?q=Dating+the+Gospels> “New Testament.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11498-new-testament> Etinger, Judah. Foolish Faith. Chapter 6. 2018. FoolishFaith.com. <http://www.foolishfaith.com/book_chap6_history.asp> Shamoun, Sam. “The New Testament Documents and the Historicity of the Resurrection.” Answering-Islam.org. 2018. <http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/documents.htm>
[2] “The Miracles of Jesus.” Bible.org. 2018. <https://bible.org/series/miracles-jesus> Fairchild, Mary. “Miracles of Jesus: Healing the Sick to Turning Water Into Wine.” ThoughtCo. n.d. <https://www.thoughtco.com/miracles-of-jesus-700158> Ryrie Study Bible. Ed. Ryrie Charles C. Trans. New American Standard. “The Story of Jesus.” “Part 13 –His Miracles of Nature.” n.d. Christian Classics Ethereal Library. <https://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CN171-MIRACLES.htm> “The Story of Jesus.” “Part 14 –His Healing Miracles.” n.d. Christian Classics Ethereal Library. <https://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CN175-HEALING.htm> “Gospel of John.” Theopedia.com. n.d. <https://www.theopedia.com/gospel-of-john>
[3] Fairchild. “37 Miracles of Jesus.” Ryrie. “The Miracles of Jesus.”
[4] Matthew 9:18; Mark 5:2 1; Luke 8:40; John 2:3, 4:46, 11:1.
[5] Matthew 12; Mark 3; Luke 6, 13; John 5, 9.
[6] “Jesus.” Encyclopaedia Judaica. p 246. CR “Jesus.” Encyclopedia.com. <https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/jesus> “Miracles.” YouTube. photo. 2017. <https://i0.wp.com/theodds.website/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Miracles-image.jpg?resize=300%2C169>
[7] Maimonides, Moses. Mishneh Torah. Moznaim Publications. Jewish year 4937 (1177 AD). Trans. Eliyahu Touger. Chabad.org. 2018. <https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1188356/jewish/Melachim-uMilchamot-Chapter-11.htm> “Melachim uMilchamot.” Chabad.org. n.d. Chapter 11.3. <https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1188356/jewish/Melachim-uMilchamot-Chapter-11.htm> Rich, Tracey R. “What Do Jews Believe?” Judaism101. 2011. <http://www.jewfaq.org/beliefs.htm>
[8] Mangel, Nissen. “Responsa.” Publisher: Kehot Publication Society. 2018. Chabad.org. 2014. <http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/107783/jewish/Responsa.htm>
[9] Isaiah 52:15. Maimonides .“Letter to the South (Yemen).” Neubauer and Driver. The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters. pp 374, 375. <https://books.google.com/books?id=YxdbAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=advent&f=false>
[10] Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20; I Corinthians 15. Strobel, Lee. The Case For Christ. 1998. Part 3.
[11] Luke 24; CR Mark 16.
[12] Mark 16; Luke 24. NET.
[13] John 20. NRSV.
[14] John 16. “Gospel of John.” Theopedia.com. “The Book of John.” Quartz Hill School of Theology. n.d. <http://www.theology.edu/biblesurvey/john.htm> Smith, Barry D. “The Gospel of John.” Crandall University. 2015. <http://www.mycrandall.ca/courses/NTIntro/John.htm>
[15] Acts 1.
[16] Acts 1:3, 15; I Corinthians 15. Irenaeus of Lyons. Against Heresies. Philip Schaf, ed. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Volume I. Book III, Chapter XIV.1. Christian Classics Ethereal Library. 2005. <http://www.ccel.org/search/fulltext/Heresies> Aherne, Cornelius. “Gospel of Saint Luke.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Volume 9. 1910. New Advent. 2015. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09420a.htm> Cline, Austin. “Luke the Evangelist: Profile & Biography of Luke.” About.com|Agnosticism/Atheism. n.d. <http://atheism.about.com/od/biblepeoplenewtestament/p/LukeEvangelist.htm> Singer, Isidore; Adler, Cyrus, et. al. The Jewish Encyclopedia. Volume 9. “Luke.” pp 251. 1912. <http://books.google.com/books?id=lfoOtGOcIBYC&lpg=PA594&ots=6qoCfVVUz7&dq=wave%20sheaf%20encyclopedia&pg=PA594#v=onepage&q&f=false>