Miracles of Jesus Christ
The Miracles of Jesus Christ.
The design of the miracles by Jesus Christ and His apostles was to mark a position between them and others. It appears there was both a moral and a religious lesson
concealed beneath each miracle, especially those recorded by Jesus. Miracles by Jesus represented so many wonderful declarations.
These served to show that Jesus had been sent from the Father, but, were these miracles more then that? The miracles performed by Him were of such a wonder, and given such credibility, that they gave to witnesses an insight of their spiritual state as well as His finished works.
The miracles were a significant mark, a sign of Jesus purpose and to the benefits that could be granted by Him to all who received Him. These miracles also had a spiritual purpose.
Matt.9:32, and Matt.12:22. Jesus heals those who have been possessed by evil spirits. The power of demons to exert themselves upon men was by God's consent. These vile creatures were permitted possession of many in the community, as well as influence people by force and violence.
The powers that Jesus had to execute the casting out of evil spirits, showed that He had come to destroy the kingdom of Satan. The expelling of demons seems to cry out to us, "where ever my gospel prevails, idolatry, moral depravity, and corruption will be put to flight."
Matt.9:27, Jesus returns sight to blind men. This miracle well suited to Him, for He brought immortality to light, and taught truth to a world that lacked understanding. Jesus said, I am the light of the world; I am come into this world, that they which see NOT, might see.
Mark 7:32-37: Jesus heals the deaf and the dumb.
John 5:1-9: Jesus heals the lame, the infirmed.
Luke 17:11-19. The Lepers are healed by Jesus.
Jesus heals all manner of sickness, to show that He is the great physician of the soul. Diseases of the flesh do have a relationship in like manner to those of the spirit. Deaf, dumb, impotent, paralytic, and leprous in the flesh, can today be found in the hearts of men. This is the past lesson, still taught today.
Jesus fed the multitudes who were hungry. This miracle is suited to represent His doctrines of feeding the poor, and the preaching of the Gospel to feed the Christian spirit. Jesus explained this so well in the following verse.
John 6:51, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, He shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
Jesus raised the dead. Therefore this miracle peculiarly suited Him in that, One day Jesus would call and then catch His bride into heaven. Also, in the last days Jesus would bring forth the living and the dead to stand before Him at the great white throne judgement.
When He raised Lazarus, Jesus spoke these words,
John 11:25, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." This also implying that those who do not believe, shall suffer the second death.
Jesus performed miracles for foreigners, those not of Israel. There was the Roman Centurion, a Syrophoenician woman and a Samaritan leper. In these examples, Jesus had granted His first offering of grace to Israel. But the Gentiles showed a greater degree of faith and gratitude toward Him and to His works. This was an indication that the Gospel would be more readily received by the Gentiles, more so than the Jews. Jesus then commended the Roman centurion for his faith, in
Matt.8:10-11-12, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness thus there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Christ heals the Gadarene demoniac. This man had been under the influence of many demons. However he was then restored to his natural condition of a sound mind by the miracle work of Jesus. The expelling of these demons gave to readers a clear picture of two different conditions of men.
1. First, people live in a sinful world and where all practice sin.
2. Secondly, Eph.4:23, That Christians can be renewed in the spirit of their minds and renewed in the precepts of the Gospel to walk in holiness and righteousness.
There are many other recorded instances that may be produced from the Scriptures, but the above will give to readers an over-all sample concerning the spiritual importance of Jesus Christ's miracles.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com