The miracles of Jesus

The Gospels contain stories of about 45 occasions when Jesus performed deeds that seemed miraculous and, in addition, there are several passages where we are told in general terms that Jesus performed miracles. More than half these stories relate to healing the sick of various diseases. In other cases He cast out demons from people suffering from physical or mental disorders. Three times we read that He raised people from the dead. The other stories show His power over things - to feed a large multitude with very little food, to walk on water, to still a storm, curse a fig tree so that it withered away, to change water into wine and to catch enormous quantities of fish.

We cannot dismiss the miracles of Jesus - they are an integral and central part of the story. One can say that normally miracles do not occur, but it is illegitimate to claim that therefore miracles cannot occur. Some may argue that we do not have reliable historical evidence for miracles, and must have good evidence that the miracle actually happened and for which there is no non-miraculous explanation. If however, only one miracle could be claimed as historical, this would show that miracles are possible and further ones probable. Such an event is the resurrection. The evidence that reliable witnesses claimed to have seen Jesus alive after his death is incontrovertible. The only explanation that makes sense of the evidence is that Jesus was miraculously raised from the dead. If the resurrection did take place then the fact of other miracles is highly likely. It means that God can act in the natural order in an unusual manner. Secondly, the resurrection is God’s ‘Yes’ to the life of Jesus - including Jesus’ own claim to work miracles.

David De Souza

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