Miracles in The Bible
Miraculous events, or miracles, are an important part of the Bible. Throughout Scripture, we see God using miracles to accomplish His plans and strengthen His people’s faith in Him. In the Old Testament, miracles are often attributed to the prophets. For example, Moses parted the Red Sea and the prophet Elijah raised the dead. In the New Testament, many of Jesus’ miracles are described, including healing the sick, walking on water, and even raising someone from the dead. While the various miracle stories in the Bible may have different details and meanings, there is a consistent thread about the purpose and meaning of every miracle. From a biblical viewpoint, all miracles are seen as acts of God that are meant to further His plans, demonstrate His power, and help people recognize Him as God and Savior.
The Bible is clear that God is the ultimate source of all miracles, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, it is suggested that God works through human agents to perform miracles. One example is when Elijah raised a young boy from the dead: “Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, let this child’s life return to him!’ And the Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned to him, and he revived” (1 Kings 17:21-22). In the New Testament, Jesus worked many miracles directly, such as feeding the multitude with loaves and fishes (Mark 6:30-44), calming a storm (Matthew 8:23-27), and healing the lame and blind (Matthew 11:5). Jesus’ miraculous authority further emboldened the apostles (Acts 4:23-31), as well as later preachers, to continue proclaiming the gospel.
Though the Bible contains many accounts of miracles, the Bible isn’t just a book of miracles. Miracles provide only a part of God’s revelation. But the greatest miracle of all time is God’s gracious act of salvation, freely offered to all people through Jesus Christ. The Bible speaks of this incredible miracle, where “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This is the ultimate miracle and the event on which our faith is based.
Miracles in Church History
Miracles were common in the early Church. In addition to Jesus’ own miracles, miracles occurred in the lives of the apostles and disciples, either directly through their hands or through the prayers of others. Throughout Church history, there have been many stories of God’s miraculous activity. Some saints had the ability to perform miracles, such as St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena. Some performed supernatural healing, like St. Ignatius of Loyola. Others were given the gift of tongues, such as St. Anthony of Padua. In the various religions of the world, too, there have been reports of miraculous healing, miraculous visions and other supernatural experiences.
Though these events are miraculous, they are not admissible as proof of a divine revelation in the same way the Bible’s miracles are. While modern-day miracles may provide evidence of God’s power, they cannot replace the Bible as our source of revelation from God. The Bible is the ultimate authority for our beliefs and its testimonies are unchallenged.
Biblical Examples of Miracles
The Bible abounds with examples of God’s supernatural hand at work. In the Old Testament, God showed His power by rescuing His people from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 8-14), by providing manna and water in the wilderness (Exodus 16), and by using miraculous means to defeat Israel’s enemies (Joshua 6:20-21). In the New Testament, Jesus used miracles to prove His identity as God’s Son (John 20:30-31), to comfort those in need (Matthew 14: 13-21), and to show His power over creation (Mark 5:35-43). Through these miracles, God establishes His authority, conveys His message, and reveals His character and love to people.
It’s important to remember that in the Bible God often used miracles to call people to repentance and faith. For example, Jesus might perform a miracle of healing, but the purpose of the miracle was to draw people’s attention to His divine nature (Luke 5:24-25). Jesus used miracles not just to heal, but also to reveal His authority and draw others to Himself. This serves as an example for us, as believers are called to use their gifts and skills to glorify God and drive others to Him.
The Purpose of Miracles
From a biblical perspective, the purpose of miracles in our life is to draw us closer to God and to lead us to faith in Him. God desires to use the extraordinary to draw us closer, to show us His great power, and to cause us to depend on Him. As believers, we can have faith that He will use His extraordinary power to bring us to a deeper understanding and reliance on Him.
God also uses miracles to affirm His people in times of need. For example, Jesus calmed the storm, healed the sick, and even raised the dead. In each of these cases, God’s power and provision were revealed in a miraculous way. Likewise, God still works in this same way today, privileging people of faith with His miraculous power, often in ways that are unexplainable.
Though miracles are often subtle and unexpected, and we don’t always recognize them for what they are, God wants us to remember that in Him, “nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37).
Testing Miracles
The Bible also warns us against false prophets, who claim to have the power to perform miracles, but really rely on demonic forces (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). It is therefore important to try the spirits (1 John 4:1) when encountering individuals and groups that claim to work wonders, in order to ensure these “miracles” are not actually the work of an evil power.
When trying the spirits, one of the fundamental tests is to check if their teachings line up with scripture. God’s miracles always point us to Him and never contradict Scripture. Conversely, Jesus condemned those who taught in His name but whose teaching was contrary to the Word of God (Matthew 15:9; Revelation 22:18-19). He also warned against those who invoke His name for false signs and wonders (Matthew 24:24).
In summary, it is clear that God wants us to revere His miraculous power, and to be wary of counterfeit miracles. To this end, Scripture exhorts us to test all miracles by comparing them to the teachings of the Bible.
False Miracles
False miracles can have various forms and motives. It can be a magician’s trick or a scam meant to deceive people. It can be a religious service that promises a miracle while relying on psychological manipulation and intense emotions. Or it can be a manipulation of natural laws, using technology to imitate miracles.
In recognizing false miracles, it is important to remember that like all false teachings, they can be identified when their teaching contradict the clear teachings of the Bible. Usually, those performing false miracles rely on human power, techniques and technology. They will often make grandiose promises that are too good to be true. Moreover, false teachings rarely draw people to godly repentance and transformation.
God is a God of miracles, but He is also a God of truth. Jesus warns us of false prophets and lies masquerading as truth. As such, it is essential to examine each miracle carefully, and test it against the teachings of the Bible, discerning between what is of God and what is of the devil.
The Power of Faith
When it comes to miracles, faith has an important role. The Bible states that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is often essential to receive the miracle God wants to give us. In other words, for a miracle to be realized it is often necessary for us to trust in God. The Bible is full of stories of people putting their trust in God and experiencing His miraculous power.
One of the clearest examples of this is the story of the woman with a twelve-year-bleeding condition (Mark 5:25-34). No matter what she tried, her condition only got worse. But when Jesus passed by, she was filled with faith and pressed through the crowd to reach Him. Then she was restored, healed instantly. The woman’s faith was her ticket to a miracle.
Throughout the Bible, God desires us to have faith in Him. Miracles are one way He reveals His power and causes us to look to Him in faith. By trusting in God’s work, we have the incredible opportunity to experience His miraculous power in our lives.
The Foundation of Miracles
Ultimately, miracles are an expression of God’s character and His nature as the Creator of all things. They express His power, and His perfect order. He is sovereign over all matters of life, and nothing is impossible for Him. He desires to use His power, wisdom and authority to do good and bring glory to Himself.
Though miracles occur in our world today, some miracles cannot be explained in natural terms. These are the miracles that remind us that, although it is often hard to understand God’s work and His plans for us, He is still in control of all and He can do more than we can ever imagine.
Though we can’t always see the reasons behind God’s plans, we can trust in His character and the power of His miracles. We can trust in His faithfulness, guidance and divine power to carry us through life. We have to open our eyes and heart to receive the incredible and life-changing miracles He has planned for us.
