Why is Jesus God? His Public Miracles
Proof of His Divinity
Before we get on a flight for which we have a reservation, we’re asked to show some form of ID. They want to make sure we’re who we say we are.
Jesus Christ has his proof of identification as well. It’s not a photo ID; it’s his miracles. Jesus performs dozens of miracles, and he uses them as evidence that He’s who He says He is. He goes so far as to challenge people: “Believe in me because of the works that I do.” Here are a few remarkable but often overlooked characteristics of Jesus’ miracles:
1. He never did a miracle for His own advantage (i.e., when He was hungry He didn’t turn the stones into bread).
2. He never did a private miracle.
3. He never did a miracle to satisfy curiosity or popular demand.
4. He never did a miracle that was denied, even by his enemies. Even those who hated him had to admit that his actions were supernatural. The only solution they could come up with was that he was doing his miracles with the help of Satan!
Compare that to other religious founders. Mohammed worked no public miracles. Nor Socrates, nor Confucius. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism got tarred and feathered because he said he could do miracles and then failed to deliver. But if God is going to send someone to earth with the message of truth for the world, you’d think He’d give that person the credentials necessary for people to be sure that this was the real deal.
Making All Things Whole
Some people will say, “There could never really be a miracle, because a miracle goes against the laws of nature.” But if you believe in God, then a Law of Nature just means the way God usually does things. And a miracle just means when God is doing something unusual. Usually God makes it so that people can’t walk on water, but if on occasion He wants to make it so that people don’t sink when they walk on water, what’s to stop Him?
That’s why it’s very important that we Christians not under-emphasize the miracles of Jesus’ life, because if we do we’ll be undermining His claims to being really sent from God. When Jesus physically heals the paralyzed man, it so that we might know “that the Son of Man has the power to forgive sins”? If Jesus can’t do physical miracles, what reason is there to think that he can do spiritual miracles? After all, spiritual miracles (healing our broken souls and corrupt minds) are a lot more difficult than just multiplying a few loaves of bread. If it weren’t for his miracles, we might despair of ever becoming whole.
We Can Entrust Our Entire Life To Him
In Mark chapter 1 Jesus heals all the sick brought to him in Capernaum, then he cures the leper. After which the Centurion comes to Jesus telling him his servant is paralyzed. Jesus offers to come to his house but the Centurion responds “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Immediately the servant is cured. Jesus has power over physical illness
Then Jesus gets in a boat with his disciples and falls asleep while a violent storm breaks out, about to sink their tiny ship. They woke him and said to him, 'Master, do you not care? We are going down!' And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Quiet now! Be calm!' And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, 'Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?' They were filled with awe and said to one another, 'Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.' Jesus has power over the forces of nature
Mark 5:1-20 They reached the country of the Gerasenes on the other side of the lake, and no sooner had he left the boat than a man possessed by a legion of demons confronts Jesus. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and fell at his feet and shouted at the top of his voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? Swear by God you will not torture me!' For Jesus had been saying to him, 'Come out of the man, unclean spirit'. And Jesus drove the demons into the herd of pigs who rushed down the steep cliffs and were drown. Jesus has power over the forces of hell
Jesus and the Apostles crossed back over to Capernaum. As soon as they disembark Jarius approaches Jesus: My little daughter is dying. Jesus heads to his house but they stop him saying – it’s no use, she is dead. But Jesus went into the place where the child lay. And taking her by the hand he said to her, 'Little girl, I say to you, arise'. The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment. Jesus has power even over death
Jesus has power over sickness, power over the forces of nature, power over the forces of hell, even power over death. Who is this guy? He is God. His Miracles bear witness that he is the Son of God. He is the one to whom we can entrust our entire life. Jesus I surrender to you, take care of everything. Say that 10 times and you will experience a difference.
The Reason for Miracles
You might be thinking – I’ve prayed for a miracle and nothing’s happened. The goal of life is not physical, emotional or mental healing. The purpose of life is to be emptied of all that blocks us from being filled by God: pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony and lust. Suffering is the most effective means to accomplish this. If you are suffering, it means God is there, he is working to empty you so that He might fill you with Himself. The same goes for our loved ones. We cannot reach transforming union with God, heaven, until this process is complete. It must occur in this life or purgatory. There is a great advantage with it happening now because then we must participate with our free will which means we merit reward. Furthermore, the most powerful way to help others to union with God is to accept your chronic or terminal suffering, offer it to Jesus to help him save and sanctify them. This is your greatest means to help your loved ones to heaven. So if God has not healed you – it is for a reason – to bring you to union with God – the goal of life; and to help save souls.
Eyes Up
Jesus works many miracles today, especially through his saints, but the goal of faith is not miracles, the goal of miracles is faith.
CCC 549 By freeing some individuals from the earthly evils of hunger, injustice, illness and death, Jesus performed messianic signs. Nevertheless, he did not come to abolish all evils here below, but to free men from the gravest slavery, sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God's sons and causes all forms of human bondage.