MIRACLES OF JESUS
The miracles of Jesus were to help those who were suffering, to manifest the glory of God, and to reveal that Jesus was the Messiah. John the Evangelist specially documented seven miracles of Jesus in his gospel. The first three miracles are:
1. The transformation of water into wine at Cana in Galilee (Jn 2:1-11).
2. The cure of the royal official’s son (Jn 4:46-54).
3. The cure of a paralytic at the pool in Jerusalem called Sheep Gate (Jn 5:1-18).
After these, John documents the following miracles greater than the previous ones:
4. Feeding the 5000 with five barley loaves and two fish (Jn 6:5-14).
5. Walking on the water in the lake (Jn 6:16-21).
6. Healing the man blind from birth (Jn 9:1-18).
7. The raising of Lazarus (Jn 11:1-45).
The greatest of all the miracles was Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on the third day, followed by his appearance to many. Peter spoke, “We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and (in) Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised (on) the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:39-41).
AMAZEMENT AT THE MIRACLES OF JESUS
Each miracle Jesus performed was amazing for the public. That made many to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and follow him. “The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel” (Mt 15:31). There were many similar instances when the people expressed their amazement at the miracles of Jesus.
When the disciples of Jesus also healed the sick, onlookers expressed amazement. Peter healed a crippled beggar at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate”. The people who came to know this, “were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him” (Acts 3:10).