The Miracles of Jesus

Group 3
Agir, Jassha Debbie
Conde, Vanessa
Gadjale, Benzhar Ali
Lado, Erxha Vinzinna
Sia, Aileen
Definitions
The "miracle" derives from the Latin mirari, "to wonder at." The
English term "thaumaturgy" (performance of miracles) is a close
transliteration of the Greek thauma ("to wonder" or "to be amazed").
A miracle to an event that causes wonder, which is inexplicable in
familar terms, and thus is ascribed to a superhuman force or agency.
New Testament terms:
dunamis (mighty work). This term is frequently translated as "power"
many English versions (e.g., Mk 6:5)
semeion (sign, extraordinary sign). Ex., Jn 2:11
paradoxon (strange thing) Ex., Lk 5: 26
1

Contrary to the laws of nature

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Contrary to what we know of the laws of nature

-

The reason some persons today have difficulty understanding the miracles of Jesus is
that they begin with the popular definition of miracle as something that violates the
laws of nature, instead of beginning with the biblical definition of miracle, as any
event in which one sees a revelation of God.

A miracle is something which happens by the operation of a law science has not yet
discovered, or which we do not yet know how to use. St. Augustine long ago
defended this view when he argued that miracle is not contrary to nature but merely
contrary to what we know of nature. This view has the merit of recognizing the
limitations of our finite knowledge.

Sign of the revelation of God

-

In order to define miracle in more biblical terms we must return to the New Testament
idea of a sign and say that it is any event in which the man of faith sees a revelation of

God. The people of the bible viewed their world with awe and reverence. They saw
life around them as a continuing miracle.
Essential elements of a miraculous event
a. The deed or event must be perceived to be extraordinary and beyond human capability
b. It must be inexplicable except by attributing it to or associating it some way with
superhuman agency.
Looking at it in the context of God's reign, a miracle may further be defined as "mighty
deeds of God's salvific and creative power, a way in which the final, decisive reign of
God has come into history." Through the miracles Jesus demonstrates that the end-time
Kingdom of God, in which God would overthrow the power of Satan, has now arrived in
person (Mt 12:28; Lk 11:20)
Categories of Jesus' miraculous deeds
a. Healing miracles (including exorcisms and physical healings)
b. Nature miracles
Note that right at the beginning of Jesus ministry in Marks gospel is both exorcism and
physical healing stories (1:21-34). Significantly, "each story implies that the power of Jesus
to heal is universal: the unclean spirit's response to Jesus suggests that his coming destroys
all unclean spirits; the healing of Peter's mother-in-law leads to a scene in which everyone
who is ill comes to Jesus, and he heals them all." (M. Hooker)
Earlier, we learned that Jesus' teaching ministry was the proclamation of the Kingdom of
God. Here, we realize that such a proclamation involves healing. Thus, "in Jesus the power of
God's Kingdom is at work, destroying the unclean spirits. We can discover elsewhere in
Mark's healing narratives that as a manifestation of God's in breaking reign "Jesus' healing
miracles means more than mere physical healing: those who were excluded from the
community because of their infirmity are restored to membership of God's people (1:44;
5:15,34).
While miracles demonstrate the power of God's kingdom, it also reveals' the identity of
Jesus himself. In Mk 1:11 We are informed that he is the Son of God. He demonstrates such
an authority over unclean spirits and diseases, that even the demons acknowledge him as "the
Holy One of God" (Mk 1:24)
Criteria of a Christian Experience of Miracle
One thing remains to be said concerning the meaning of miracle in Christian teaching.
Although an Individual may claim to have privately experienced a miracle, it cannot

properly be regarded as a Christian miracle unless it meets certain criteria based on the
New Testament concept of Miracle.
1

A Christian miracle always tells us something about the character and purpose of God
consistent with the character and purpose of Jesus.

A miracle, in the Christian sense of the word, is perceived by an act of faith. The
experience of miracle therefore requires faith, which is in keeping with the activity of
Jesus who did these symbolic acts not to amaze the crowds or benefit himself but to
demonstrate the power of faith in God.

A Christian miracle must be consistent with the religious experience of the Christian
community as a whole, in history and throughout the world. In other words, the faith that
is necessary to perceive the spiritual meaning of an event is not mere private judgment;
instead, it is the faith that is shared by the wider Christian community.

A miracle needs not to be an extraordinary or spectacular event; more often it is an

unusual insight that comes to men of sincere through ordinary and familiar happenings.

World-View: Scientific and Religious

The scientific attitude

Man made satellites and moon rockets make us all dramatically aware that
we are living in a scientific age. Our whole outlook is deeply molded by scientific
method and attitude. Is this wrong? Certainly not, except in a few isolated cases where a
person with a very small acquaintances with the sciences has reached the premature
conclusion that science is the worlds messiah with all the answers necessary for our
salvation- a view which no reputable scientist holds today.
Standards of selection
The problem of miracle in contemporary thought arises from the
difference between the biblical standards by which an event is observed to be significant,
and the standards by which science declares an event to be significant.

How important is your faith?

Miracle is an occasion or event that a man of faith perceives a revelation of God.
Do miracles still happen today?
If Scholars could tell us that miracles could happen to us normally, then miracles will just
be a mere oddities and become at once a matter of personal concern
Some miracles in Jesus time are not very interesting (according to scholars) because the
setting before is different from the setting today
Miracles are ordinary events in which men of faith will be able to see God in it.
Gods activity is hidden

It is hidden in a way that those who do not have faith cannot also see the miracle of that
event
Gods action in the event can only be visible to the eye of faith
Criteria of a Christian Experience of Miracle
A Christian miracle always tells us something about the character and purpose of God
consistent with the character and purpose of Jesus.
A miracle, in the Christian sense of the word is perceived by an act of faith
A Christian miracle must be consistent with the religious experience of the Christian
community as a whole, in history and throughout the world.
A miracle need not to be an extraordinary or spectacular event; more often it is an
unusual insight that comes to men of sincere faith through ordinary and familiar
happenings.
Jesus use of miracle
People during the time of Jesus ask Him, What right do you have to do these things?
By the Finger of God.
A sign that the Kingdom of God has already come to you because according to Jesus,
The Father, who remains in me does His own works (Jn 14:10f.)
Faith as a prerequisite
Emphasis of Jesus on an act of faith to people
Your faith has saved you
Dont be afraid; only believe, and she will be well
Do you believe that I can do this? May it happen then just as you believe!
My daughter your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed with your
trouble
Faith in Gods power to heal is the precondition and where such faith is lacking is no
miracle.
The faith of the healer and the patient can be shared by the witnesses.
Miracle is any event in which the eye of faith perceives a revelation of God, then
we must expect miracles to happen now.
How powerful is the faith of God?

The purpose of the miracle is to prove that he was indeed the Son of God
He used his skills not to impress others but to demonstrate the power of faith in God
The demonstration of power of faith of God was through his way of taking the role of a
suffering servant
Jesus was trying to create a group of followers who has the genuine and strong faith to
God, doing it little by little
He sought to keep his miracles quiet
Signs of the Reign of God in human life
Signs being pointed out are those signs not to himself but to the power of God at work
through Him:
I can do nothing on my own I am not trying to do what I want but only what He
who sent me wants

the works that I do are the works my Father gave me to do

The Father who remains in me does his own works
Principles of Interpretation
1. Does the miracle story teach a spiritual lesson?
2. Is it consistent of the character of Jesus as we know it from his sayings and relationships
with other people?
3. Is faith called for a precondition?
4. Does the event grow out of a profound love and concern for persons in need?
5. Does it reflect the faith that is shared by the Christian community as a whole?
Lessons from Miracle Stories
There are 33 Miracle stories in the Book of Gospels
Classification of the miracle stories according to the meaning they are intended to
convey to the reader:
1 Messianic signs
2 Exorcisms
3 Dramatized Parables
Classification according to the modern readers reaction to the miracle stories
1 Accounts of Miracles
2 Stories of Events like the healing of the blind man from birth
3 Stories of which must be interpreted in the light of vivid middle Eastern
modes of expression
4 Miracle stories which apparently are not so much designed to relate an
incident as to communicate an important truth
Categorized Miracle Stories
1. Mental Cures
The most common of the recorded miracles of Jesus are exorcisms. It comes from a
Greek term meaning "expelling the evil spirit" -- in which the victims were people
suffering from some sort of mental illness. - In the light of the advances in modern
psychiatric therapy, these events are not difficult for us to understand because such
cures are common today.

Psychiatrist are able to recognize three main types of mental illness in the Gospel
records:
a. manic-depressive psychosis - a functional disorder which causes the personality to
fluctuate between moods of elation and self-pity. (Mk. 5:1-20) maniac from
Gerasa

b. epilepsy - a disorder that can cause people to suddenly become unconscious and
to have violent and uncontrolled movements of the body. (Mt. 17:14-18) epileptic
boy at Caesarea Philippi
c. hysteria - behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable fear or emotional
excess. (Mk. 1:25-28) hysterical man in the synagogue of Capernaum

Demon possession
- The pre-scientific outlook of the New Testament times was very different from the
scientific outlook of the educated man today.
- Insane behavior was then ascribed to demon-control; now to emotional
disturbance. Demon-possession was a very common belief in the ancient world, as it
is today in the remaining pockets of primitive culture.
- Most of the demons were believed to be evil spirits liable to cause injury or
sickness.
- Many rural lowland Filipinos still believe that certain diseases are caused by
engkantos (fairies) or anitos (spirits of the dead) which are believed to be dangerous
when ignored or offended. - Traditional Man thinks of evil as an outside force which
invades his world: bad suwerte (bad luck); gaba (curse); barang (sorcery); aswang
(cannibal witch); engkanto (fairy); and the like, but Modern Man sees the forces of
evil as interlocked with human decisions, social realities and physical processes in
nature.

Folk Healing in the Philippines

- Healing movements in the Philippines -- such as the Espiratistas -- represent a
blending of the Christian elements with the more traditional belief system.
- According to the study of Richard Lieban, the variety of illnesses treated by the
mananambal (folk healer) falls into two main categories:
*Natural diseases due to physical causes (fatigue, over-exposure, fright, irregular
habits, inadequate diet)
*Supernatural diseases believed to be caused by outside forces (sorcery,
witchcraft, spirit control by neglected ancestors, mischief of engkantos, gaba) Illnesses attributed to be supernatural causes are treated with prayer or
incantations (oraciones), sacred medicinal oils.
- The main problem with folk medicine for 20th century man is the fact that skillful
diagnosis is lacking in the work of the folk healer; therefore, many lives are lost for
lack of surgery or effective treatment in serious cases.
- In Jesus' time, faith healing played an all-important role. Today, it still plays an
important role in remote places where there is no easy access to modern medicine
and many people are helped by folk healing.

The Source of Healing Power

- We do not in any way minimize the wonder of Jesus' cures if we interpret them as
20th century men, who are more familiar with the language of modern psychiatric
research than that of demonology.
- Jesus showed an astonishing mastey over psycho-physical disease nearly 19
centuries before psychology was born and yet we don't need to draw the further
implication that his miraculous cures were nothing more than skillful
psychotherapy.
- According to C.S. Lewis, no doctor ever heals. It is also not the medicine or
treatment that heals, its job is to stimulate natural functions or to remove what
hinders them. So basically, the human body heals itself.
2. Physical Cures
Organic disease involves a change in the structure of a bodily organ
Fuctional Disease affects only the function of the organ (It may be an emotional
disturbance which manifests itself in the physical disorder)
a. Psychosomatic disease disease is caused by a demonic possession that would
drive himself to anxiety or even paralysis
b. Jesus healing therapy every sickness could be traced to a specific sin, resulting
a sense of guilt or remorse over a particular sin
It is well known that the genuine faith contributes to the good health and the
prevention of the disease as well as to the normal functioning of the body organs.
Difference between magic and miracle
Miracle was used with faith of God while magic wasnt.
There is no slightest trace of magic in Jesus miraculous powers.
Magic is the effort to bring divine power under ones control by certain operations
without giving oneself to God.
3. Restoring of the dead
There were only two accounts about the restoration of the dead: The Story of Jairus
Daughter (Lk 8:40-56) and the story of the widows son at Nain (Lk 7:11-17).
The Raising of Lazarus an enacted parable (a parable acted out dramatically in
order to make a truth come alive before the eyes of the observers).
Their symbolic significance lies in the way in which they anticipate Christs own
resurrection and the resurrection of the believers in Him.
4. Nature Miracles
Typical elements of a miracle narrative
a.

situation beyond human control is described

b.

the miracle-worker becomes aware of or involved in the situation, and then works a
wondrous change in it
c. proof of the change is adduced or reported
d. the spectators are astonished
Interpreting the Miracles
As in any other gospel narratives there is no prescribed ideal method for interpreting the
miracles. Any method can be applicable and that one method can even enrich another. We
can start by employing our old friendthe narrative criticism.
In this method we analyze the setting of the story, the characters and their
characterization, and the growing tensions as the miraculous drama unfolds. Notably,
there can also be political and economic images that are symbolically portrayed in the
miracle natives.
Let us try to interpret very briefly the miracle story in Matt 15:32-39.
First, the description of the situation is beyond human control that the disciples are so
anxious to ask Jesus, "where are we to get enough bread (v. 33)?
Second, v. 36 reveals Jesus' awareness of the situation and his action to make a wondrous
change. Notably, what Jesus does, a series of actions, seems nothing extraordinary. "He
took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke them and gave them (v. 36)." But
what he did all made a difference.
Third, the proof of change is clearly reported. As v. 3'7 states, "all of them ate and were
filled.
Fourth, in the story there is no explicit mention of the people being so amazed by what
Jesus does. It is the reader or hearer of the story who is so amazed by what has happened.
"Those who had eaten were 4000 men, besides women and children (V. 38)"
Relating this story to the central message of Jesus about the reign Kingdom of God, we
can identify some important points. First, the story shows an important feature of God's
reign: food and feasting. One's understanding then of God's kingdom must not be
detached from the question of food. Another point, God's reign projects an egalitarian
community. All persons, regardless of gender and age are important members of the
community. They survive not on their own, but they share resources in order to survive as
a community. No that all of them "all ate and were filled," including women and children
(v.37).