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That You May Believe Tim Smelser Of all the different miracles Jesus performed during His public ministry, I find it interesting that John only records seven miracles in his gospel. Five of those seven miracles are unique to John and he explains, “Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are 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 20:30-31). Not only did John carefully choose the miracles he recorded, he consistently used the word “sign” when talking about these miracles. Each of these miracles pointed to something about Jesus. John intended for these seven miracles to prove the deity of Jesus and produce faith in the hearts of his readers. Seven ways in which Jesus’ miracles proved Him to be the Son of God are: He is Master of Quality The first miracle of Jesus’ ministry was changing water into wine (John 2:1-11). This was done with His mother and His disciples present and we read in John 2:11 that after He had performed the miracle “his disciples believed on him.” He is Master of Distance The next miracle recorded by John is the healing of the nobleman’s son (John 4:46-54). While Jesus was in Cana of Galilee, a man whose son was sick in Capernaum came to Him wanting Jesus to come to his house and heal his son. Being more than twenty miles away, Jesus spoke and the son was healed. He is Master of Time In John 5:1-9 Jesus healed a man that had been crippled for thirty-eight years. Again, Jesus simply spoke and the man was made whole. He is Master of Quantity When more than five thousand people lingered to hear Jesus preach and see the things He could do, He provided for them using only five loaves of bread and two small fish (John 6:1-14). After they were done eating, twelve baskets of the left over food were gathered. He is Master of Nature After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus went into the mountains to pray. He joined the disciples in the middle of the night by walking on the waters of the Sea of Galilee (John 6:6-21). Indeed, He is master of ocean and earth and skies! He is Master of Misfortune In John 9:1-12 Jesus healed a man who had been blind since his birth. He told the disciples that the man did not suffer because of his parents’ sin nor his own sin, but then used him as an opportunity to make known the works of God. He is Master of Death When Jesus raised His good friend Lazarus from the dead He proved His power over life and death (John 11:1-46). Prior to this miracle He assured Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believes on me, though he die, yet shall he live.” As we read these miracles today they should have the same impact on us as John intended them to have on the readers of the first century. Belief! Faith! Trust in Jesus to master the issues we face in our lives! Let us praise God for His wonderful love and for His great power made know to us through His Son.
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