Now, please open your Bibles with me to Acts 2 and verse 22.
As we come now to the study of the Word of God, Acts 2 and verse 22, we are preaching
on the day of Pentecost. Peter the apostle says, Men of Israel, listen to these words.
Jesus the Nazarene was a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs,
which God performed through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know.
Let us pray. Now, Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit would be our teacher as we think about
the miracles of our Savior. Father, grant that we will go away from here loving and
adoring Jesus all the more. We pray this in his name, amen.
A young lady, let's just say for sake of illustration, she goes to Career 1 at Grace Church, answers
the telephone, and on the other end of the line is a young man. And just for sake of
illustration, let's say he's from Career 1 at Grace Church. And the young man asks
the young lady out for a date the next week. She hangs up the telephone and she says, It's
a miracle. Now, actually, there are two miracles there. One is the invitation. The other is
that she didn't faint. It's a miracle. The wife looks at the corner of the kitchen where
the garbage is usually stacked up in the sack waiting to go out. And her husband has remembered
to take it out. And she says, It's a miracle. On the other hand, a young couple experience
the birth of their first child. And with tears in their eyes and trembling voices, they say,
It's a miracle. For a family, we read about escapes from a burning house and no one is
killed. And we say, That is miraculous. The term miracle is used so generally in our day
that it has largely lost its true meaning. All of these things that I've described may
be rather astonishing or mysterious, but they aren't really miraculous in the biblical
sense of that word. Miracles are more narrowly defined and are actually quite rare when considered
against the full backdrop of human history and events. The Christian faith is a faith
that rests upon the miraculous, even the very life of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came into
the world by means of a miracle and he left the world in a miraculous manner too. We cannot
separate the historical Christ from the miracles which characterized his earthly experience
and ministry. Someone has said, Christ's life and doctrine form one series of pillars,
his miracles another, upon which the dome of the Christian church is lifted toward heaven.
In other words, without a miraculous Christ, there is no Christian church. The miracles
of Jesus are an essential part of the Bible's presentation of him as both Lord and Christ.
One dare not deny the miracles and then claim to be a follower of the Christ of the Bible.
As we think about the miracles of Jesus today, the first thing I'd like to do is to consider
with you a definition of miracles. Webster's dictionary defines miracles this way, in theology,
an event or effect that apparently contradicts known scientific laws and is hence thought
to be due to supernatural causes, especially an act of God." Well, I think we can do a
little better than Webster, frankly. So let's turn to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,
which defines miracles this way, wonderful phenomena which accompanied the Jewish and
Christian revelation, especially at critical moments. An extraordinary work of God, general
though not invariably transcending the ordinary powers of nature, wrought in connection with
the ends of revelation. Now here is the point that we're getting to as we try to define
miracles in its best sense. A miracle is a supernatural event or effect in conjunction
with God's revelation of Himself. But that last part is important. Miracles seem to contradict,
suspend or supersede the natural laws of God's creation. And when they occur, they are in
conjunction with God's revelation of Himself to us. There are several words in the New
Testament to describe miracles. Three of them are before us in the text that we began with
in Acts 2, 22. The words are miracles, wonders and signs. The word miracles really is dunamis
in the Greek language, which simply means powers. This is a word that describes miracles
or these supernatural events as manifestations of God's power. So when you see the word
miracles as this word is usually translated in English, or powers as it is sometimes translated,
it's referring to the fact that this event or this effect, whatever it was, exposes and
manifests God's power. Then there's the word wonders. This word tells us that the supernatural
event is out of the ordinary and produces astonishment or wonder in the minds of people
who observe it or hear about it. They're called wonders because of the impact that they have
upon the people who are aware of the event. And then the word signs. This means that miracles
point not just to themselves as events, but to something beyond themselves. Miracles are
signs or proofs which authenticate Christ's claims in the case of His miracles or some
other revelation in other cases. So these events that we're talking about are powers,
wonders and signs. The Apostle John has another word that he likes to use. It's the word works.
And it is used especially by him in his gospel and indicates that the happening was only
the natural or appropriate work of one who is supernatural. You would expect this work
out of someone like this is John's point. It is important to understand that miracles
have not commonly occurred in history. In fact, they are grouped in history at certain
critical points of revelation. I want to emphasize that again. Miracles have not occurred at
all times equally. They have been grouped in history at certain critical points of God's
revelation of Himself to mankind. Now we could of course go all the way back to the creation,
which in a sense is a miracle. But let's go into human history and note that the first
time when we see a grouping of miracles is in the life and the ministry of Moses. It's
at the time of Israel's redemption when God was revealing Himself as the one true God
to a world population that was polytheistic. Here we have the revelation of monotheism,
that there is one true God who is to be worshiped. There are not many gods. God wanted man to
understand that and at that point of revelation He caused great miracles to occur. And then
we see them again lumped together during the ministries of Elijah and Elisha. This is the
time in Israel's history when the nation was going apostate because of the idolatry
that they had adopted from the surrounding nations. There was a great crisis of faith
in Israel. Therefore, God raised up certain prophets and through them did miracles as
He was again exposing Himself, manifesting Himself as the only true God worthy of worship.
And then we see another, shall we say, spurt of miracles during the time of Israel's or
Judah's captivity actually under Babylon in the lifetime of Daniel. Perhaps this time
of miracles was given in order to revive the faith of the Jews, which was flagging in their
period of captivity. A fourth great period of miracles is during the time of Christ and
His apostles. At this point in history God was fully revealing Himself to mankind. He
had nothing left to say when He was finished with the life of the Lord Jesus Christ in
the writing of this book. God said everything that He wanted to say to us. Oh, He could
say more. But God said everything He wanted to say at that time. And He accompanied that
revelation with amazing miracles. But we notice that even in the writing of the New Testament
those miracles ceased with the generation of the apostles. The writer of Hebrews, 2
verses 3 and 4 suggests that in the generation just preceding His the signs, wonders, and
miracles were still common, but does not claim that for His own generation. And then we see
in the Scripture is that there will yet come a time upon the earth called the tribulation.
It is the last days of this age which will precede the ushering in of the millennium
during that time when God will be again revealing Himself to the world in amazing ways that
miracles will be done. So as we think about a definition of miracles, understand that
we're not talking about the invitation to the date. We're not talking about the husband
who takes the garbage out. We're not talking about the family that escapes from the fire.
As amazing as those things may be. We're talking about supernatural events that occur
in conjunction with the giving of revelation from God. That's what miracles in their narrow
definition actually are. Now let's think about the distribution of the miracles of Christ.
And to do this, we're going to look primarily in the Gospel of John. Not because He has
the most miracles because He really doesn't, but because John records for us, and only
John, the first miracle that Jesus performed. John chapter 2. The Apocrypha, certain uninspired
writings that have been passed down and are part of the tradition of the Catholic Church
and some others. The Apocrypha tells to us certain stories about Jesus performing miracles
as a child. On one occasion the Apocrypha says Jesus formed some doves out of mud, clapped
His hands and the doves flew away. But we do not accept the Apocrypha as being history.
It is fanciful writing and does not deserve the same attention as the inspired Word of
God. Actually Jesus lived 30 years upon the earth and did not perform a miracle. Until
His public ministry began, after His baptism, after the temptation, it was then that He
began to do miracles. And John tells us the very first one. It occurred at a wedding in
Cana of Galilee. You know the story so I'm not going to take time to read all of it for
you except to remind you that the wine had run out. Mary went to Jesus and told Him the
situation and Jesus graciously and out of the goodness of His heart changed the water
put into the pots into wine. And John says in verse 11 regarding this, this beginning
or this first of His signs, Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory and His
disciples believed in Him. That's the first of the miracles. So as we think about not
the definition of miracles but now the distribution of the miracles of Jesus, remember that they
began at this point, not any earlier, now. John also records for us what I understand
as the last of the miracles of Jesus if we don't include His ascension back to heaven.
And that is the miracle that is recorded in John chapter 21 and tells us about the fish
that were miraculously caught. We're not going to read that by the way. Thank you for turning
there but you may want to review it as I talk. But there was a miraculous catch of fishes
and a breakfast that Jesus then prepared for His disciples. All of that was after His resurrection.
The miracles that Jesus performed began after the initiation of His public ministry and
only John records the first one and the last one for us. And then John carefully chooses
eight, only eight of at least 35 different miracles recorded for us in the gospels. Five
of these in fact are unique to John alone. Only he records them. Three others he shares
with other gospel writers. John chooses to call these on several occasions, as in verse
11 of chapter 2, signs. In other words, Jesus was not simply doing this to do it, but He
was changing the water to wine because that miracle pointed to something beyond the event.
It was a sign of who He was. And He says, He manifested His glory. Now that's the same
glory that is mentioned back in chapter 1 in verse 14 where it says, and the Word became
flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, says John. The glory as of the only
begotten from the Father. So the glory that John says we saw began to be exposed at this
very first of the miracles. And then John records for us the healing of the royal official's
son at Capernaum in the fourth chapter. He records for us in the fifth chapter the healing
of the crippled man in Jerusalem. In chapter 6, the feeding of at least 5,000 people. There
were 5,000 men numbered plus women and children. So many thousands were fed miraculously by
our Lord. In that same chapter, He records Jesus walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee.
In chapters 8 and 9, referred to earlier in our worship service, Jesus healed a blind
man who had never seen the light of day. From His birth, He was blind. And Jesus gave him
sight. And then in chapter 11, we have the resurrection of Lazarus. The resurrection
of His dear friend from the dead for the glory of God. Now I'm not including in this list
Jesus' own resurrection, which is a miracle. And then He concludes, John concludes his
gospel with the catch of fish that we've already mentioned. The reason that John included
all of these signs or these miracles in his gospel was so that we might believe who Jesus
is and have life through His name. I want you to turn later into the gospel of John
with me to the 20th chapter and the 30th verse. Notice what John admits. Many other signs.
Therefore, Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in
this book. But these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. John chose to record
for us the miracles that He did so that we might understand the miraculous person He
was writing about. That Jesus was different than any other person who's ever lived. He
was the Christ, the very Son of the living God. That we might believe on Him in a saving
sense and have life in His name. Jesus made an amazing prediction that John
also records for us in the 14th chapter. You might just want to turn back there and look
at these words of our Savior on the night before He was crucified. He says in verse
12, truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes in Me, the works that I do, shall He do also,
and greater works than these shall He do, because I go to the Father. That's an amazing
statement that our Lord makes. What did He mean by that? How is it possible that anyone
who believes on Him could do something greater than raising the dead?
We understand Jesus' comment, His statement, to mean this. Those who believe on Him would
not do greater works in degree, but in extent. You can't do something greater than raising
the dead in degree. That's the greatest of miracles. But those who believe on Him would
do greater works in their extent. Jesus reached a few thousand people, one area of the world.
But Jesus is here saying that those who believe on Him would take His word throughout the
world and in that sense do greater works. The apostles did that. Their preaching was
accompanied by the signs, the wonders, and the miracles such as those the Savior Himself
performed.
I'd like for us to think thirdly about the design of Christ's miracles. First the definition,
then the distribution. The first, the last, those in between, why they were done. Now
we want to look at the design of the miracles. The purpose of the miracles was to manifest
something about the person, the authority, and the work of Jesus Christ. As we saw in
the second chapter of John and verse 11, at the very first of miracles Jesus manifested
His glory, His deity. And every miracle that He did had a purpose to it. Jesus did not
use His power to serve Himself or to secure some benefit for Himself, but Jesus used His
power to aid the helpless, to show compassion, and to expose His glory as God.
Notice that He turned the water to wine, but He asked for a cup of water Himself at the
well in Samaria. Why didn't He just speak and create a cup of water? His miracles were
not to serve Himself, but others. He provided bread for thousands, but He would not turn
a stone to bread for Himself at the behest of Satan. He raised several people from the
dead in His ministry, but submitted Himself to death on the cross, not delivering Himself.
Why? That He might serve us and not Himself. By the giving of His life on the cross, He
makes it possible for us to have life, because His death on the cross provides for our forgiveness,
the judgment, the wrath of God that our sins deserve was taken out upon Him, and He paid
the price for us. Three days later, He did raise Himself from the grave, victoriously,
that He might secure for us not only forgiveness of sins, but eternal life that we might be
with Him forever in heaven. The design of Christ's miracles was for others, to reveal
God to mankind, that men might understand who He was and believe on Him and be saved
from their lostness. That's the design of the miracles.
You may be one of those who's heard the miracles of Jesus all your life. You grew up in Sunday
school learning about Jesus walking on the waters, feeding the thousands, changing the
water to wine. But have you understood that all of those miracles were done, that you
might understand who He is and come to Him and believe in Him and have life? That's
the design of them for you. As we bring the message to a close, I'd like
for us to think along some practical lines. The first one is this. Our faith rests upon
the Word of God and not miracles. Our faith rests upon the Word of God and not miracles.
Beware of those claiming miracles in their ministries and needing them to authenticate
their faith. Beware of them. Truth gives its own demonstration as truth.
Faith that rests upon Christ's words has more value than faith that rests upon some
experience, even a so-called miracle. Do you recall that when Jesus appeared to Thomas
a week after His resurrection, Thomas was invited to touch Him. He fell at His feet
and worshiped Him, calling Him Lord and God. Jesus said to Him, because you've seen, you
believe, but blessed are those that have not seen and yet have believed. Our faith does
not rest upon what we see. It rests upon the Word of God, what God has said.
Please understand that miracles have never been the norm for the Christian church or
at any other point in history as far as that goes. And yet there are movements today that
are trying to tell us that miracles should be the norm in ministry. One of them was founded
several years ago by a man named John Wimber in California called the Vineyard Movement,
and it has now reached here to the Twin Cities. His concept is called power evangelism, and
what he teaches is that miracles prove and support and proclaim the gospel, and therefore
we should be having miracles in our services as we preach the gospel, that that is the
norm. I would not say this gentleman is an unbeliever. I don't know him at all, but
I do know that what he's saying with regard to miracles is not biblical. There's a man
who left one of the major seminaries, evangelical seminaries here in the United States, got
involved in this movement, made the statement recently that he now has power to heal the
blind and soon will have power to raise the dead. That should be very interesting. I want
to encourage you to watch out for liars. Watch out for false teachers and deceptive miracle
workers. How do you know what is true and what is false? Well, I think there are two
tests. One is the character of the agent, and the second is the purpose of the event.
Isn't it interesting that most miracle workers, most faith healers, most of these people who
purport to have the signs, the wonders, and the miracles cannot testify with the apostles,
silver and gold have I none? That is not their testimony.
As a matter of fact, miracles do not persuade people to believe. After our Lord Himself
performed many miracles, there were those who were turned away, who did turn away rather,
even after eating the bread that Jesus had miraculously provided for them. Miracles do
not persuade people to believe. Truth does. The Word of God. Our faith rests upon the
Word of God, not upon miracles. But having said that, I want to say something else. Secondly,
our faith is nothing if it is not supernatural. Otherwise, it is only a creed of beliefs or
a code of conduct. And in the end, it is deception and it is a fraud if it is not rooted in the
supernatural. For our faith rests upon the greatest miracle of all time, and that is
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. God deliver us from a faith that can
be explained apart from Him and apart from the supernatural.
You will notice that I am differentiating between the supernatural intervention of God,
the supernatural provision of God, and answers to prayer, etc., and miracles. For miracles
have to do with authenticating revelation. They come in connection with revelation, signs,
wonders, and miracles. But I repeat, our faith is nothing if it is not supernatural. I believe
that the church of Jesus Christ today, in this existential, scientific age, needs to
reaffirm its true belief in a supernatural Christ who is able to do even impossible things.
I remind all of us that at Nazareth, Jesus could not do many mighty works because of
the unbelief of the people. A church must be a supernatural organism. What are the indications
of the supernatural in a church like Grace Church, for example? We talked about this
recently in our Acts Bible study, our elders and other leaders. What are the evidences
of the supernatural? These are some of the ones that we listed as we thought about this.
First of all, changed lives. The kind of transformation that occurs beyond natural human effort, the
turning over of a new leaf, the following of 12 laws, the kind of change that can be
explained only in terms of a new person inside. That's supernatural. We sometimes say it's
a miracle, as John Peterson does in this hymn. I'm not going to fight with him about it,
but technically I don't see that as a miracle, but it is supernatural. Then the timely promptings
of the Holy Spirit. The putting together of the service, as was mentioned earlier this
morning. How God does things like that. You've had that happen too. When things just fell
into place and had to be designed that way, you just cannot attribute all of that to chance.
I wish I could illustrate that, but I have to go on. I believe that supernatural is seen
in the church like ours through the sovereign preparation of hearts by God for the implantation
of His Word. How God brings circumstances about, supernaturally, so that people are
ready for the giving of the Word of God to them. That Word begins to do a work. I think
the supernatural is sensed in a worship service when we sense the presence of God there. It's
more than an emotional thing. It is emotional, but it's more than that. It's God. It's spiritual.
I believe we see the supernatural in the spiritual gifts that God gives all of us, and which
are then utilized in building up the church to unity and to maturity in the power of the
Holy Spirit. We see the supernatural in answers to prayer, including answers to prayer for
healing. I see Ron Tanel back there, and we have seen marvelous answers to prayer on his
behalf in his battle against a brain tumor. God answers prayer. The supernatural. Our
faith is nothing if it is not supernatural. A third application I'd like to make is this,
that our faith unites us to Jesus Christ, to whom all authority is given. Jesus Christ
is the miracle worker. He is not small. He is not impotent and powerless. He has proved
in His ministry on the earth His authority over death, over demons, over disease, over
nature, over mankind. This supernatural Jesus Christ has the authority to forgive sins and
to grant eternal life. Any so-called faith that comes short of that union with Him is
not capable of saving anyone. John in his gospel talks about those who believed, but
then who turned away from Jesus. John tells us it's possible to believe and to not be
saved, because it is not a saving faith. It is an intellectual understanding perhaps,
and it does not involve repentance and saving faith. Our faith unites us, brings us together
in a vital union with Jesus Christ to whom all authority is given.
Let me quote to you a few sentences from A.W. Tozer regarding this important matter. He
says, to accept Christ is to form an attachment to the person of our Lord Jesus, altogether
unique in human experience. The attachment is intellectual, volitional, and emotional.
The believer is intellectually convinced that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. He has set
His will to follow Him at any cost, and soon His heart is enjoying the exquisite sweetness
of His fellowship. He says this attachment is all-inclusive in that it joyfully accepts
Christ for all that He is. There is no craven division of offices whereby we may acknowledge
His Saviorhood today and withhold decision on His Lordship till tomorrow. The true believer
owns Christ as His all-in-all without reservation. He also includes all of Himself, leaving no
part of His being unaffected by the revolutionary transaction. Furthermore, His attachment to
Christ is all-exclusive. The Lord becomes to Him not one of several rival interests,
but the one exclusive attraction forever. He orbits around Christ as the earth around
the sun. In this happy state He is given other interests, it is true, but these are all determined
by His relationship to His Lord. That we accept Christ in this all-inclusive, all-exclusive
way is a divine imperative. Tozer is simply drawing out the fact that it is possible to
believe in some simple, superficial way and not to be saved. I wonder how many people
come to churches like ours and base their eternity upon that kind of faith. It is a
little scary. We grow up with the language, we grow up with the choruses, we grow up with
the stories, and we just kind of adopt it as a way of life and as a culture that we
were born into. It is deadly if it does not include the kind of faith that saves. Is that
the kind of faith that your experience has included? Our faith results in a living, vital
union with Jesus Christ to whom all authority has been given.
You worship a Christ today who is able to do everything that He has purposed. It is
no wonder that we sing, All hail the power of Jesus' name, the authority of Jesus'
name. Let angels prostrate fall, bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.
He is worthy of that. He is the supernatural Christ, and He is able to save anyone who
comes to Him and will. If you have not come to Him in that saving way, will you do it
today? Let us bow together.
As you look into your heart, is there a vital union with Jesus Christ? Is this one that
we have spoken about today, the miraculous Christ living in you? That is the kind of
faith, the only kind of faith, that will deliver you, my friend, from hell and take you to
heaven. Will you give up every other thing that you have trusted in? And as fully as
you understand what it means, will you accept Him? Make Him the sun around which you will
revolve in orbit. Sing with me.
Come into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come into day, come
into day, come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
Many of us have sung that many times, and Christ has been in our lives, our hearts,
for a long time. Maybe someone sang that for the first time today, and if so, would you
give me a call or drop me a note at the church office this week? I have some things I would
like to send to you, to give to you, to help you in your new walk as a Christian.
I would hope that we would also be able to sing the other chorus that goes along with
that one. All of my heart, all of my heart, take all of my heart, Lord Jesus. Take all
of my heart today, take all my prayer, take all of my heart, Lord Jesus.
Amen.