Who is Jesus - Day 2 - Jesus the Miracle Worker

A miracle is an act of superhuman power. All the miracles of the Lord Jesus were such, and were the attestation of His person and mission. He had come forth from the Father, and come into the world, and His miracles were the proof of this. They were His Father's works, as His arresting and challenging words to the Jews declared, "If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him" (John 10:37-38). The Holy Ghost speaking through Simon Peter on the day of Pentecost described these works as "miracles, wonders and signs which God did by Him." They were works of power that amazed the people, and were signs to them that God had come down to them in mercy.

Here we find that miracles were given by God as a supernatural credential to establish in the minds of men who and what Christ was.

Here the Lord plainly points to the miracles that He performed as proof of who He was, and of the mission that He had to perform in this world, as the One who had been foretold on the prophetic page as the only Hope of the blessing of God’s people.

Here the Lord plainly points to the miracles that He performed as proof of who He was, and of the mission that He had to perform in this world, as the One who had been foretold on the prophetic page as the only Hope of the blessing of God's people.

And in perfect concord with these Scripture-proofs of the Deity of the Son, the testimony given in the gospels, from His miraculous conception and supernatural coming into the world to His ascension into heaven, most fully agrees. The miracles wrought by our Lord in the days of His flesh abundantly testify of his Godhead. Others, in ancient times, had wrought miracles, and even raised the dead to life; but such ascribed their power in thus acting to God being with them, and that they thus acted for His glory, to show that there was a God in Israel; whereas Jesus by His miracles showed forth His own glory. When He turned the water into wine, we are told, "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory." (John 2:11.) The apostles also wrought miracles, but that was through the power Jesus gave them; and their power was in His name. This was equally true both before His death and resurrection, and after the descent of the Holy Ghost. In the gospels, we find the apostles saying to our Lord, "Even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name" (Luke 10:17); and in the Acts, the power of the blessing conveyed is ascribed to the name of Jesus Christ. As a proof that the kingdom would be ushered in by miraculous acting, and that He, thus acting, was the God of Israel come to save them, we have only to refer to Isaiah 35:4-6.

Being born of God, redeemed in Christ, set in relationship to God as children, the manifestation of the Father’s Name by His Son is ours to rejoice in! The works done in that Name made this manifestation. What cause there was to bless God when His Son gave sight to the blind man, who afterwards worshipped in His presence! The works of God were manifest in him! Yet the religious leaders cast out the one who had received the benefit (John 9:35), and persecuted the Benefactor! He said to them, “Many good works have I showed you from My Father.” “Though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” Sight for blindness!—Divine grace manifesting itself! Hearing for the deaf! Strength for the palsied! Health for the sick! Healing for multitudes suffering from all sorts of diseases! and speech given to the dumb! all showed grace acting in power, manifesting the Father’s Name! No wonder they exclaimed, “He has done all things well!” and spiritual sight sees the Father in the Son thus made visible.

When the Lord Jesus began His public ministry, His divine, as well as Messianic attributes, were attested in a remarkable way. We read, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought to him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan" (Matt. 4:23-25). Most of His miracles of healing — and all His miracles, be it noted, were miracles of goodness, not judgment, as sometimes was the case in God's actings through His servants — were wrought in the early days of His earthly ministry. The object is plain. Attention were called to His presence, and mission. A divine person, the Son of God, was on earth, in human form. The same thing is to be noted in the Acts, in connection with the presence of the Holy Ghost here, as actually come to earth, and indwelling the assembly, and the servants of God. Thus signs and wonders — the exercise of the "gifts of healing" of which we read in 1 Cor. 14 — were to be expected, and they are not wanting. A divine Person, the third Person of the blessed Trinity, though invisible to mortal eyes, was here, and here in a new way, and His presence was thus attested. Hence we read, "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about to Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one" (Acts 5:12, 15, 16).

The whole country, even to the extent of the ancient territory of Israel, it is said, was excited and aroused by His mighty deeds. These were the faithful witnesses of His Messiahship. The tribes of Israel were thus summoned to the standard of their Messiah. Unbelief was left without excuse. He was not only the light of life shining on the darkness of death, but He was the mighty power of God in healing and blessing. The strong man He had bound, and He was now spoiling him of his goods. The need and misery of man, both as to his soul and body, were the great objects of His mission of mercy. He was there to forgive their iniquities, to heal their diseases, to redeem their lives from destruction, and to crown them with loving-kindness and tender mercies. (Ps. 103) Thus we read, "And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy: and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people, from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan." Verses 24, 25.

The unwearied labors of the Lord continued until the setting of the sun, with large numbers coming to be healed of various diseases (vs.40-41). He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. The laying on of hands is consistent with the character of Luke's Gospel, for the Son of Man has come in grace to identify Himself with the sorrows and trials of His people, indeed to feel these things Himself and to sympathize with those in need, as He met their needs by His grace. Not one was turned away. Present day so-called "healers" may profess great power in healing, but they would not even claim to heal all who come to them. In fact, when the people find they are not healed, the healer will blame this on their lack of faith! Such healers thrive on neurotic cases, who, by the power of suggestion, claim to be healed, but such were not the miraculous healings of the Lord Jesus. In Him there is pure, living reality, not a mere religious show.

The Servant of Jehovah, the Prophet of Jehovah is come to bring the blessings of Jehovah to poor sinful man, and He passes as it were from one person to another, laying His hands upon this leper, upon that demoniac,, and upon Peter's wife's mother; whoever it may be that needs divine healing, there He is to minister to that one. And as though he would gather up for us in a single verse the varied activities of our Lord, the evangelist says, at the setting of the sun "They brought unto Him all that were afflicted, and tormented with various diseases, and He healed them all."