The Life and Miracles of Jesus, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem to the Virgin Mary. His birth was the beginning of a series of important events which altered the way mankind functioned. To this day, Christmas is celebrated in remembrance of that day when the Son of man was born. It reminds Christians of the day when God became a man and lived on earth. Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Redeemer of mankind. God sent His only Son to earth to live among people; to make believers out of skeptics and to die for our sins. While on earth, Jesus interacted with people from all walks of live. He cured the sick, gave sight to the blind, turned water into wine, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. His life on earth was marked with a series of miracles, most of which are hard to explain and even harder to understand. Yet, each miracle had a purpose and meant something to those who witnessed it. According to literature devoted to the understanding of Jesus’ miracles, they served as proof that Jesus had a relationship with God. The miracles authenticated the character of Jesus  (Deere, 1993).

The Birth of Jesus

The gospels of Matthew and Luke describe the birth of Jesus. The birth of Jesus is perhaps one of the most important events in the history of mankind. Matthew is the first book in New Testament. The gap between the last book of the Old Testament and Matthew is estimated to be at least 400 years. During these 400 years, great empires rose and fell; Israel was dominated by Roman and Greek powers; and many of the prophets from the Old Testament fell silent  (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2002). Then, after four centuries of dismay, an announcement is made, one that will change the lives of millions of people over the course of hundreds of years: a baby will be born. Not just any baby, but one that will grow to become Jesus, the Messiah (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2002, p. 1003). Although this was magnificent news to those who eagerly awaited the arrival of the Son of Man, the technicalities surrounding the birth was met with mixed feelings. Mary was approached by an angel of the Lord who told her that she would become pregnant with Jesus. Mary was a virgin, engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, and news like this would not be taken lightly. However, in dream, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him to stay with Mary, as she will give birth to a son and he must name that son Jesus. Mary was with child through the Holy Spirit. Reason makes the concept of a virgin birth practically inconcievable. However, this was one of the many important instances in which God would work to show His power to people on earth. The NIV of the Holy Bible describes the birth of Christ as God’s attempt to connect with man. Because His power and might is beyond our comprehension, becoming one of us would make it easier for us to relate to Him. Although no clear description exists that explains how Jesus looked, the New Testament is filled with His humanity and His miracles. Since birth, Jesus changed the lives of many people. he is described as a man, so that people could relate to Him; and aslo as the divine, so that people would follow Him  (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2002, p. 1008).

Mary faced constant scrutiny regarding her virtuosity as she continued to proclaim her pureness even though she was with child. Even more dishonoring was the fact that she was engaged to Joseph when she became pregnant; and the child was not his. This fact led many to believe that Mary had been promiscuous, and was no longer worthy of Joseph’s hand in marriage. Even Joseph began to doubt Mary, and contemplated a quiet separation from her. However, in his uncertainty, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and explained that Mary had become pregnant through divine intervention. Joseph believed the angel and followed instructions to keep Mary and the Newborn safe from harm. Word of the birth had spread and Hebrews believed that this child would become the future king of Israel. Others, such as King Herod, current King of Israel, were not as excited about the birth and vowed to kill the child. Because of these facts, Joseph took his family and fled to Egypt.

Although Matthew and Luke give different explanations for the details surrounding Jesus’ birth, both gospels are based on witnesses’ accounts of the birth. It can therefore be deduced that although small details, such as the location of the birth, differ Jesus was born to a virgin and did grow up to die for sins of mankind. Christians perceive their doctrine as a religion of faith and the Christmas story – the Immaculate Conception, serves as a component of this faith.

The Life of Jesus

During His life on earth, Jesus devoted Himself to teaching the word of God. Although He spent many hours preaching and talking about the wonders of God, Jesus also did miracles. Scholars and critics often ponder the relevance and credibility of these miracles. If they did happen, how was it possible? Why did they happen? And, what do they mean? Dickson (2008) argues that other healers and exorcists operated at the same time that Jesus did. However, he questions whether those people understood the significance of their ‘power’. For instance, when a healer cured a sick man, did he or she understand that to be a gift from God, or did they attribute the miracle to ‘magic’? Dickson (2008) argues that scholars today may never know the answer because none of those events were recorded with the same regularity as the miracles of Jesus. Not only were Jesus’ miracles recorded and witnessed; He Himself attested to the aspect of His ministry. The word miracle is translated from Latin to mean object of wonder. Modern-day translations of the word miracle encompass everything from supernatural contradiction to violations of the laws of nature (Dickson, 2008).  However, in order to understand the significance of a miracle, one must first understand the meaning of the word. From the perspective of the Bible, God is the sole creator of everything on earth. That means that God is responsible for the sunrise as well as for the blinking of an eye. Nothing happens because of a violation of the laws of nature. Because God created nature, and everything in it, including the smallest function of the smallest organism, He is aware of everything. Nothing happens without His approval. Nothing, therefore, is violated. Miracles, therefore, were not rare occurrences that happened out of the blue as a supernatural contradiction to something that exists, they were objects of wonder, mandated by God; much like the beating of the human heart, or a tree growing in desert. In other words, by simply sustaining His creation, God used miracles as examples of His power. Noted historian and theologian, Bishop Tom Wright says the following of miracles:

“These words do not carry, as the English word ‘miracle’ has sometimes done, overtones of invasion from another world, or from outer space. They indicate, rather, that something has happened, within what we would call the ‘natural’ world, which is not what would have been anticipated, and which seems to provide evidence for the active presence of an authority, a power, a work, not invading the created order as an alien force, but rather enabling it to be more truly itself,”  (Wright, 1996).

From a young age, Jesus began his works of performing miracles and teaching others about his “spiritual” Father. In one instance, Joseph and Mary could not find the young Jesus. After searching for him for three days, they found him among the elders, teaching and learning the ways of the Jews. His parents reprimanded for his behavior and he responded:  “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2002, p. 1084). From that time into His adulthood, Jesus taught His followers about the ways of God and provided clarity to them about the scriptures.

The Miracles of Jesus

Modern-day scholars object to the credibility of Jesus’ miracles by claiming that other religions had similar stories as those described by Christianity of the first-century Roman Empire (Blomberg, 2007). Based on that fact, many scholars believe that the miracles described in the Bible are stories which portray theological truth through fictional narrative. Blomberg (2007) argues that those scholars neglect to view those arguments in its proper contexts. For instance, although other religions mention virgin births, none of those births were actual virgin births. All the referenced ‘special births’ were results of human sexual relations, with the belief that one of the involved people were actually a god or goddess in disguise. In other words, many stories from other religions that claim similarity to those found in the Bible are in fact just stories. The miracles mentioned in the Bible were recorded by various witnesses, and are therefore more credible.

The numerous miracles which Jesus performed, confirmed Him to be the promised Messiah of God. While on earth, Jesus healed those who had incurable diseases; He healed those who were paralyzed, so they could walk again (Mark 2:1-12); he raised people from the dead (Matthew 9:18–26, Luke 7:11–17, and John 11:1–45); he satisfied the hunger of thousands of people with a few scraps of food (Matthew 14:13–21; 15:29–38); He calmed a storm (Mark 4:35–41); He walked on water (Matthew 14:22–33); and He gave blind men sight, even to those who were born blind (John 9:1–7). In addition to the magnitude of His miracles, Jesus told His disciples that they would go on to perform even greater miracles (John 14:12).

In order to overcome doubt, even the greatest skeptics require proof. The significance of Jesus’ miracles was to prove to skeptics, non-believers, and believers that He is the Son of God. Although Jesus’ miracles go beyond human understanding, they did take place, and because they happened, Jesus proved to be the Son of God. Brown (1984) argues that God provides signs in the form of miracles and fulfilled prophecies to confirm truths, while not demonstrating them directly. Miracles are attributed to events that are naturally inexplicable and are given extraordinary measures associated with divine intervention. In modern religious civilizations, these are wonders which individuals ought to see as confirmation of Christian teachings (Brown, 1984). According to Brown (1984), one does not have to a theist to become convinced that God is revealed through the miracles of Jesus.

As stated before, the primary purpose of Jesus’ miracles was to authenticate His relationship with God. Based on that, Jesus’ miracles establish that God is with Jesus (John 3:2); Jesus has been sent by God (John 3:2); Jesus is from God (John 5:36); God gave Jesus the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:10-11, Matt 9:6-7, Luke 5:24-25); God is in Jesus and Jesus is in God (John 10:37-38, 14:11); Jesus is the son of God (Matt. 14:25-33); and Jesus is the Messiah (Matt. 11:1-6)  (Deere, 1993).

In addition, the miracles of Jesus also authenticated the message of Jesus. In other words, if Jesus was sent to earth by God to communicate with man, then Jesus had to have something unique to authenticate his position. Any person can claim to be a prophet or a healer; Jesus had to prove it. The ministry of the apostles believed this to be the primary purpose of the miracles. The books of Mark and Acts mention that through “miraculous signs” Jesus confirmed His word and His texts. This implies that Jesus did not commit a miracle to solidify something that someone had asked; He performed a miracle which confirmed something which God had said before Jesus came to earth. In other words, the miracles confirmed the message of salvation which the apostles preached. The miracles of Jesus therefore confirmed Jesus and it confirmed the message about Jesus (Dickson, 2008).

Deeper Meaning of Jesus’ Miracles

The significance of     the miracles performed by Jesus also has a more abstract meaning. In addition to confirming that Jesus was sent by God to save mankind, these miracles also served as examples of how Christians should live. This included everything from responding to governing bodies to serving as a witness to God’s expectations. Jesus taught that if people lived according to the laws of God, they will be rewarded with eternal life in the Kingdom of God. That, according to Jesus, should be the goal of every person.

Mark 6:45-52 tells the story of Jesus walking on water. The purpose of this miracle is to exemplify faith. Trusting in God means that one should face unmanageable obstacles without fear. Trusting in God completely means that one can walk on water without the fear of drowning. Miracles like this not only exemplified the nature of Jesus, it also showed His followers what they will be capable of if they put all their trust in God.

Mark and Matthew tell the story of Jesus feeding thousands of people with only a few loaves of bread and a few small fish. In John, Jesus turns water into wine so that the hunger and thirst of hundreds of people could be satisfied. This miracle implies that through God, Jesus will provide for those in need through divine bodily fulfillment. The Bible is the living word. That means that many parables, stories, circumstances and so forth, must be applied to the time in which the reader lives. For that reason, miracles can be interpreted to mean a variety of things to a variety of people. The important thing to remember is that that all miracles, regardless of their message, confirm that Jesus is the Son of God. Brown (1984) miracles will be interpreted differently by different people; however,

“Some will respond to the miracle in faith, others with disbelief, and the decision to respond one way rather than the other is a criterion-less choice” (Brown, 1984).

Biblical miracles act as a way to justify the Christian way of life in accordance with the benefits associated with Christianity. In other words, those who have faith and believe will be satisfied. Kee (1984) argues that each miracle has a different function because each miracle can be considered in a different context. He does, however, warn that miracles with close superficial similarities cannot be misconstrued to mean different things simply because of different cultural settings. Also, when considering miracles, Kee (1984) implores the reader to find understanding in the extent to which the divine manifests itself in human experience.

“Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:14-20 / Matthew 12:22-28).

After Jesus gave a mute man the ability to speak, witnesses accused Him of working with the Devil. Jesus responds by saying that if this was true, and Jesus is exorcising demons, then that will mean that Satan’s empire will soon come to an end. Furthermore, by asking His accusers “by whom do your followers drive them out?” Jesus poses their very question to His accusers. What makes this particular miracle significant is the fact that Jesus answers their question by saying that He drives the demons out “by the finger of God”. And if that is the case, then the kingdom of God is about to befall all these people. This statement is significant because Jesus admits to performing deeds that are beyond human understanding. He also admits that through these deeds, God is keeping His long-awaited promise of reclaiming His rule over the earth. In other words, God gave Jesus the authority and the strength to perform miracles and those who witnessed these miracles saw the power of God flow through Jesus (Dickson, 2008).

Conclusion

Miracles mentioned in the Bible are verifiable and therefore credible. Jesus was sent to earth by God to interact with man. By taking the form of man, God made Himself accessible to the masses. It is human nature to believe what one can see. Through Jesus, God made Himself and His many magnificent powers visible. By giving Jesus the authority to perform miracles, God made believers out of skeptics. He also confirmed that He is the Lord and the Almighty God. The miracles that Jesus performed exemplified His divine powers so that people would restore their faith in something, or someone they could not see. The miracles performed by Jesus confirmed the existence and the power of God, and illuminated the many things that will be possible through faith in God.

Works Cited

The Holy Bible, New International Version. (2002). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Blomberg, C. (2007). North American Mission Board. Retrieved July 16, 2011, from The Credibility of the Miracles of Jesus: http://www.4truth.net/fourtruthpbjesus.aspx?pageid=8589952909

Brown, C. (1984). Miracles and the Critical Mind. Grand Rapids, MI: Exeter: Paternoster.

Deere, J. (1993). Surprised by the Power of the Spirit. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.

Dickson, J. (2008, December 5). Center for Public Christianity. Retrieved July 16, 2011, from The meaning of Jesus’ miracles: an historical view: http://publicchristianity.org/Jesusmiraclesmeaningpage1.html

Wright, T. (1996). Jesus and the Victory of God. New York: Fortress Press.