MIRACLES, WHAT ARE THEY?
According to the Bible, what are miracles?
The Bible presents miracles as extraordinary events that show God’s power and purpose. Here are some key things the Bible says about miracles:
Miracles are actions of God that suspend or override natural laws, demonstrating God’s authority over creation (Exodus 14:21-22; Joshua 10:12-14; John 11:38-44).
Miracles authenticate the message and works of God through his messengers. They confirm the messenger is from God (Exodus 4:1-9; Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:3-4).
Miracles display God’s glory, holiness, and compassion as he intervenes in human affairs (John 2:11; John 11:40-44).
The greatest miracle is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which shows his power over sin, death, and the spiritual forces of evil (Luke 24:1-9; Romans 1:4).
So in summary, the Bible presents miracles as supernatural signs that point to the reality of God’s existence and power, give evidence for his messengers and message, and bring glory to God through his divine action in the world. They serve his redemptive purposes.
So miracles are a suspension of God’s natural laws.
Not exactly. The Bible doesn’t present miracles as a suspension of God’s natural laws. Rather, the Bible teaches miracles are extraordinary manifestations of God’s power over nature and supernatural forces.
Some key things to note:
The laws of nature are part of God’s orderly creation and they reflect His sovereign will. So God doesn’t “suspend” the natural laws He put in place.
As the all-powerful Creator, God has authority over the natural order and supernatural realm. Miracles display God exerting His supreme power over creation extraordinarily.
Miracles transcend but do not contradict natural laws. They show God is not bound by the natural world He created. He can override normal cause-and-effect for His divine purposes.
So it’s not that God suspends or breaks His laws. Rather, He orchestrates miracles to show supremacy over those laws, doing extraordinary displays of His might and power to fulfill His divine will. Miracles reveal aspects of God and His sovereignty over all creation.
John chapter 11 states that miracles are performed for God’s glory.
Yes, that’s correct. In John 11, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, and it is presented as a miracle done for God’s glory.
Specifically, John 11:4 states: “When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’”
And later, in John 11:40, Jesus says: “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
The context here is that Jesus waited to come to Lazarus until after he had already died, even though the messengers urged him to come right away. Jesus allowed Lazarus to die so that he could perform an even greater miracle to show God’s power and glory by raising Lazarus back to life after four days in the tomb.
The passage emphasizes that Lazarus’ resurrection would be to glorify God the Father and God the Son. By raising the dead, Jesus was proving his authority over life and death, bringing fame and honor to God. This miraculous sign pointed to God’s supreme power and prompted belief in Christ.
So yes, John 11 presents Jesus performing public miracles like raising Lazarus to manifest the glory of God to all the people watching. Miracles give glory to God.
You state the greatest miracle performed was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus foretold of His death, resurrection, and ascension to God so that His followers may forever have the Holy Spirit.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is emphasized in the Bible as the greatest and most important miracle. And you’re right that Jesus foretold His death, resurrection, and ascension explicitly so that His followers would later receive the Holy Spirit.
Specifically, in John 16:7, Jesus tells his disciples:
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
The context here is the Last Supper discourse, where Jesus is preparing His followers for His coming death and departure. He assures them that while it seems tragic for Him to die; it is necessary so the Holy Spirit can be sent to indwell believers.
Jesus' death would enable Him to resurrect, to ascend to the Father, and to send the Holy Spirit to spiritually fill and empower His people. So His miraculous victory over death through the Resurrection opened the door for the greatest gift of the Spirit.
Therefore, the Resurrection is not only the greatest miracle - confirming Jesus’ authority over sin and death - but it also secured the sending of the Holy Spirit to seal salvation, guide us into truth, and comfort us. The Resurrection led to Pentecost!
We pray for miracles often. We pray for healing, safety, assurance, wisdom, and for those who are not saved. Often, the miracles we ask for are not seen to happen. In reality, God answers prayer many times in unexpected ways or ways that we cannot see or understand. Also, there are probably many miracles performed for us unawares. We may be protected, guided, nurtured, or otherwise strengthened, unknown to us.
Profound and insightful points. I agree that we often pray earnestly for miracles and tangible displays of God’s power, yet we do not always see the obvious supernatural signs we were hoping for. God often answers prayer in subtle or gradual ways that we miss or don’t recognize at the moment. As you nicely stated, God likely orchestrates many miracles that protect, guide, or nurture us without us even realizing it is His supernatural work!
Your perspective aligns very well with biblical truths: God reminds us His thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). We are limited in understanding the full picture from our human vantage point. But we are called to trust God’s perfect timing and supreme wisdom at work in our lives. He sees the full tapestry while we see but one thread at a time.
As Jesus said, walking by faith rather than sight is paramount for believers (2 Corinthians 5:7). Even without visible miracles or tangible evidence, we believe God is actively involved in our lives and hears our petitions because He is a loving, engaged Father. We can trust Him fully, even when we cannot trace His hand at work. He often uses quiet miracles, only later revealed fully in glory. So while we persist in asking God for miracles according to His will, we must remember it is the privilege of faith to believe the answers are already on their way in God’s perfect way and time. Well said!