Miracles Across the Ages Part 2 - A Deeper Dive
Part 2 - The New Testament
Scripture: John 2:1-11
Message Recap
This week, we continue our sermon series, Miracles Across the Ages. Last week, we began the series by looking at a few of the miracles found in the Old Testament, such as the parting of the Red Sea, Joshua’s answered prayer that God would stop the sun and moon to allow more time to defeat the Amorites, and God’s promise to provide for his people by raining manna from heaven. We determined that God’s primary purpose for performing miracles in Old Testament times was to establish his power and authority. The miracles were of a grand scale and often impacted large groups of people - even nations.
This week, as we turn to the New Testament, we see a transition from the age of patriarchs and prophets to the age of Jesus and the Apostles. As a result of this paradigm shift, we also see the nature of the miracles shift. While the miracles we read about in the Old Testament established God’s power and authority, those of the New Testament were displays of compassion, healing, and a vision of a kingdom to come. Most, but not all, of the miracles documented in the New Testament are attributed to Jesus. He gave the Apostles authority to heal and raise people from the dead, but most accounts credit Jesus for the miracles.
Jesus’ miracles did more than just heal and cure physical maladies. They established the foundation for his Kingdom and fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament. They proved his identity as the Messiah. By performing miracles, Jesus showed compassion for the sick and the suffering. He went beyond pity and empathized with those who sought help.
In many descriptions of Jesus healing those in need, he is said to have physically touched the people. It obviously wasn’t a requirement because in other cases, like healing the centurion’s servent, the miracle occurred from afar. But, by physically touching the lepers, the woman who bled, and others considered unclean under Jewish law, Jesus did more than perform a healing miracle; he broke deeply entrenched boundaries. He restored dignity to those cast aside by society.
The people who received miracles were not only healed from their ailments, were spiritually and emotionally renewed. They had a completely new outlook on life. Their experiences became their testimony of what Jesus could do.
In some cases, Jesus’ miracles were parables in action. They taught spiritual lessons through tangible events. Parables were a central part of Jesus’ teaching. He used common terminology, common actions, and normal daily routines as illustrations so people could relate to and better understand his message. But miracles were sometimes the better method of getting his point across. When Jesus performed miracles, more and more people were drawn to him. Jesus was able to extend his teaching to the masses because they were naturally attracted to listen to the teacher, who was also a miracle worker.
The wonders of the New Testament give us a glimpse into the future - our future. They allow us to imagine a world without sickness, pain, and death. When demons were cast out, it demonstrated God’s dominion over evil. When thousands were fed with just a few loaves and fishes, it was a glimpse of a world without need and where all is provided. When the sick were healed, it was a preview of a world without pain or illness. In all, it was a witness to a world transformed to heaven on earth.
During Jesus’ time, the people believed that the Kingdom of God would be established only through God’s direct intervention - like the acts described in the Old Testament. They expected Jesus to ride into Jerusalem on a stallion, raining down fire on their oppressors. Instead, Jesus introduced a kingdom anchored in faith. His miracles were often tied to personal faith. Even now, people without faith cannot experience God’s miracles. They often can’t see miracles, despite the evidence being clearly in front of them.
The miracles of the Old Testament often occurred when faith was lacking to demonstrate God's power and authority. But Jesus closed the gap between God and humanity, and miracles became more personal and intimate. The miracles of Jesus’ day were a testament to one’s faith. No longer was faith measured by one’s obedience to the law. With the coming of Jesus, faith is about the transformative relationship with him.
Jesus acknowledges the recipient's faith in many New Testament scriptures describing the miracles he performed. Consider his response in the following examples:
The woman who had suffered bleeding for twelve years.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:34 NIV)
The people tell Jesus that Jarius’ daughter is dead and not to waste time going to her.
Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (Mark 5:36)
Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one returns to give praise to God.
Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:19 NIV)
The centurion’s servant is healed.
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” (Luke 7:9 NIV)
In each of these cases, Jesus emphasizes the faith of the recipients of the miracle. But what about instances where there was no faith? In the Gospel of Matthew, we read where Jesus returns to his hometown, only to have his wisdom and power to heal questioned. The story closes with, “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” {Matthew 13:58 NIV)
Faith is the key to miracles. “For we live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV) We’ll look at this closer next week when discussing the miracles surrounding us today.
God’s power and sovereignty are unchanging. The miracles of the New Testament have introduced us to a deeper and more powerful relationship with God through Jesus and through our faith.
Modern Day Outcasts
Earlier, we discussed that, on occasion, Jesus touched the person he was healing. We know this wasn’t a requirement because Jesus healed from afar in other instances. The people Jesus physically touched were often considered the outcasts of society. To use the terminology of the time, they were the unclean. That a person could be deemed less than and ostracized by society simply because they suffered from some physical ailment doesn’t sit right in our modern cultural context. At least, it shouldn’t.
Many of us are repulsed by terms that describe those on the margins. We feign revulsion to terms like reject, outlaw, pariah, or junkie. The truth is, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves that society has evolved to be more tolerant, too many of us, Christian or not, tend to view those on the margins of society precisely in these terms.
When Jesus touched the untouchable and dined with the sinners of his time, he was seen as a rebel. These actions, and others like them, gave the religious leaders reason to find a way to be rid of him. He challenged the social norms and the man-made laws that protected the power and position of the religious elite.
What are we doing to “touch” the addict, the homeless, and the mentally ill? Are we reaching out or pushing them further to the edges of society? As Christians, we are called to replace judgment with compassion. The miracle we extend to the modern-day outcast may be nothing more than the love of Jesus and an invitation to join us in a transformative relationship with him.