Scripture: John 14:6-12
What Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection are unquestionably the most important thing he did. Leading up to that he spent 3 years with the disciples and others. What was the most important thing Jesus did during those 3 years? His miracles? His friendships? Developing disciples? Pointing people to God? Teaching? Or all the above – well I think all the above is good but everything he did was to lead people into a new relationship with God by having them put their faith in him as the son of God.
Jesus didn’t feed people because they were hungry – he fed them so he could keep teaching them and bringing them closer to faith. Jesus didn’t do miracles to become a celebrity, he did it to create faith in people.
We are moving toward Easter and seeing how God is making all things new. A few weeks ago, we looked at Jesus baptism and temptation. Last week we looked at the calling of the disciples – putting his band together. Today I want us to look at his teaching through his miracles. Jesus miracles fall into two categories: Healing and Nature Miracles. There are 4 times as many healing miracles as there are nature miracles. Let’s look at the list:
HEALING MIRACLES
MIRACLE WHERE SCRIPTURE
Healing of nobleman’s son Cana John 4:46-54
Restoring sight of a blind man Bethsaida Mark 8:22-26
Restoring sight of man born blind Jerusalem John 9:1-41
Raising of Lazarus Bethany John 11:1-45
Healing demon-possessed man (east shore Matt. 8:28-34
of Sea of Galilee) Mark 5:1-20
Luke 8:26-39
Raising of Jairus’s daughter Capernaum Matt. 9:18-26
Mark 5:22-24, 35-43
Luke 8:41-42, 49-56
Healing of lame man Bethesda John 5:1-18
Healing woman 12-years of bleeding Capernaum Matt. 9:20-22
Mark 5:25-34
Luke 8:43-48
Restoring of paralytic at Capernaum Capernaum Matt. 9:1-8
Mark 2:1-12
Luke 5:17-26
Curing of leper near Gennesaret Galilean city Matt. 8:1-4
Mark 1:40-45
Luke 4:38-39
Healing of Peter’s mother-in-law Capernaum Matt. 8:14-17
Mark 1:29-31
Luke 4:38-39
Restoring of withered hand Synagogue in Galilee Matt. 12:9-14
Mark 3:1-6
Luke 6:6-11
Healing of child with demon Area of Mt. Tabor Matt. 17:14-20
Mark 9:14-29
Luke 9:37-43
Restoring blind and mute demoniac Galilee Matt. 12:22
Luke 11:14
Giving sight to two blind men Capernaum Matt. 9:27-31
Healing of mute demoniac Capernaum Matt. 9:32-34
Healing of deaf-mute Region of Decapolis Mark 7:31-37
Restoring sight to blind Bartimaeus Jericho Matt. 20:29-34
Mark 10:46-52
Luke 18:35-43
Healing Syrophoenician girl District of Tyre Matt. 15-21-28
Mark 7:24-30
Healing centurion’s servant Capernaum Matt. 8:5-14
Luke 7:1-10
Restoring demon-possessed in synagogue Capernaum Mark 1:23-27
Luke 4:33-36
Raising son of a widow Nain Luke 7:11-16
Restoring of woman crippled for 18 years Jerusalem or Galilee Luke 13:10-17
Healing of man with dropsy Jerusalem or Perea Luke 14:1-6
Healing of 10 men with leprosy Samaria or Galilee Luke 17:11-19
Restoring of Malchus’s ear Garden of Gethsemane Luke 22:49-51
John 18:10-11
NATURE MIRACLES
MIRACLE WHERE SCRIPTURE
Turning water into wine Cana John 2:1-11
First catch of fish Sea of Galilee Luke 5:1-11
Second catch of fish Sea of Tiberias John 21:1-14
Feeding of five thousand Sea of Galilee Matt. 14:15-21
(near Bethsaida) Mark 6:35-44
Luke 9:12-17
John 6:5-15
Feeding of four thousand Near Bethsaida Matt. 15:32-39
Mark 8:1-9
Stilling the storm Sea of Galilee Matt. 8:23-27
(between Capernaum Mark 4:35-41
and Gadara) Luke 8:22-25
Walking on the sea Seal of Galilee Matt. 14:22-33
(between Bethsaida Mark 6:45-52
and Capernaum John 6:16-21
Providing tax money in fish’s mouth Capernaum Matt. 17:24-27
Withering of fig tree Jerusalem Matt. 21:17-22
Mark 11:12-24, 20-25
JESUS’ NATURE MIRACLES ARE DESIGNED TO CREATE FAITH
Turning water into wine Cana John 2:1-11
6 jars 25 gallons a piece turned water into wine – great wine. Why did Jesus do this? Because his mother asked him too? No. John 2:11 tells us why: This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
First catch of fish Sea of Galilee Luke 5:1-11
Put out in to the deep – caught a lot – they were amazed – taught them that he is the son of God – told Peter he would now catch men…lead others to faith.
Second catch of fish Sea of Tiberias/Galilee John 21:1-14
Cast net on the right side. – caught a lot – recognized it is Jesus – “Peter do you love me?” YES “Feed my sheep”…lead others to faith.
Feeding of five thousand Sea of Galilee Matt. 14:15-21
Why did Jesus feed them? So, he could teach them to put their faith in him.
Feeding of four thousand Near Bethsaida Matt. 15:32-39
After this feeding they crossed the sea in a boat and Jesus warned them about the yeast (rising corrupted teaching) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They thought he was talking bread to eat and said, (Mt 16:8) “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?”
Stilling the storm Sea of Galilee Matt. 8:23-27
Faith for the disciples
Mt 8:25-26 “Lord! Save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
Walking on the sea Seal of Galilee Matt. 14:22-33
Faith for the disciples, especially Peter
Mt 14:30-31 “Beginning to sink, Peter cried out, Lord save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. You of little faith, Jesus said, why did you doubt?”
Providing tax money in fish’s mouth Capernaum Matt. 17:24-27
Faith for Peter
2 drachma tax. “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax? Yes he does. Peter, who pays tax – sons or others? Others! So we do not offend go catch a fish and pay for you and me with the 4 drachma coin you find.”
Withering of fig tree Jerusalem Matt. 21:17-22
Faith for all disciples
Matt 21:18-22 Early in the morning at Bethany, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked. Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
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The purpose of the miracles Jesus performed were to create faith in him and trust that God is who He claims to be according to the scriptures.
John 14:11 “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”
The greatest miracle is a 5-letter word
John 14:6-12
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. (Jesus does not point the way to God – HE is the way! Jesus does not reveal the truth about God – HE is Truth! Jesus does not point the way to life – HE is life!) No one comes to the Father except through me. (If you are looking for clarity on which to base your faith – there it is. Jesus is not one way among many – He is it – there is no other!) If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." (People just want God to show himself – the premise is wrong – God has shown himself already – fully – completely – IN JESUS) Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? (This is not a unity like other Father/Son relationships. Jesus is not “like” God. Jesus IS God! When you see Jesus [in our case-by Faith] then you have seen the Father – you have seen God in the flesh.) The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; /// or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”
Vs 12 I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
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