Article Link:  

ARTICLE #5:  Miracles
Category:  Apologetics  |  Author:   Zukeran, Patrick

Is it reasonable to believe in miracles? Skeptics question the credibility of anymiracle claim. Many hold to a naturalistic worldview and believe that since we live in aclosed system, the laws of nature are constant and cannot be violated. Therefore, therecan be no such thing as a miracle. Christians however, believe that miracles, specificallythe miraculous life of Christ and the resurrection, confirm Christianity to be true. Canmiracle accounts be substantiated? Did they actually happen? In the following article wewill investigate, the definition of a miracle, the purpose of miracles, and the possibility ofmiracles happening.

What is a Miracle?

Some say the birth of a baby is a miracle or every sunset is a miracle. Many haveeven jokingly commented that my college graduation is a miracle. Although these eventsare special, they should not be considered miracles. Rather, these are examples of Godworking through the natural order of creation or the laws of nature that He has set inplace.

A miracle, on the other hand, can be defined as an event in which Godtemporarily makes an exception to the natural order of things, to show that He is acting.1Dr. Norman Geisler defines a miracle as a “divine intervention into or an interruption ofthe regular course of the world that produces a purposeful but unusual event that wouldnot have occurred otherwise.”2 A miracle is a special act of God that interrupts thenatural course of events. Miracles are unusual, irregular, and specific acts of God.There are three words associated with miracles in the Bible: powers, signs, andwonders. “Power” is used in the Bible to emphasize the divine energizing of amiraculous event.3 God is the force behind the miracle.

“Signs” means an unusual occurrence transcending the common course of nature.4Signs stand out from the ordinary course of events to convey a message. For example,conspicuous traffic signs help people to easily notice symbols and information related todriving. A red, octagonal sign tells the driver to stop. Signs are also temporary. Oncethe message is given, its purpose is accomplished and it does not need to continuallyappear over and over again. Continuing with our example, once the driver brakes at thestop sign and checks the intersection, he can proceed on. The stop sign does not continue to follow the car. Once the sign is given, it has accomplished its purpose. In the Bible,miracles are signs telling observers that God is acting in history.

“Wonders” refer to strange events that cause the beholder to marvel.5 Wonderstrigger others to pay attention. Miracles are unusual events designed to capture theaudience’s attention and draw them to a realization that God is moving in history andsending a message that calls for a response.

Miracles are an exception to the normal course of events in nature and are thusconsidered extraordinary. The birth of a child or a sunset is a special event but they arenot exceptions to the regular events found in nature.

Miracles are also supernatural in that only someone outside of this universe canbe responsible for them. For example, in John 14, it was natural for Lazarus to die fromillness but it was supernatural for him to be raised from the dead after several days.Miracles have the fingerprint of God on them. They are the result of a God whois beyond the universe and possesses the ability to intervene in history. In Exodus 8:19the Egyptian magicians had to admit the miracles Moses performed were indeed achievedby “. . . the finger of God.”

Finally, miracles have a moral dimension. They bring glory to God and manifesthis righteous character. No act of God is evil or contrary to His nature. God will notconfirm what is false.

The Purpose of Miracles

God performs miracles with a definite purpose in mind. He does not use them forentertainment purposes nor does He carry them out to those whose hearts have beenproven to be resistant to His message. In Matthew 12, the Jewish leaders ask Jesus toperform a miracle for them. Jesus would not answer their challenge with a miracle forHe knew their hearts were hardened and they would not listen to His message even if Heperformed a miracle there. He had done several miracles already and they still did notbelieve. He tells the Pharisees the only sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah, whichwas a prophecy of His death and resurrection.

The purpose of miracles is to confirm God’s message and His messenger. Thethree major monotheistic religions affirm that miracles confirm a messenger of God. Inthe Old Testament, God confirmed His prophets with miracles. God used miracles toassure the Israelites Moses’ call as a prophet of God (Exodus 4). In 1 Kings 18, Godconfirmed Elijah and his message with miracles.

God also confirmed Jesus and the Apostles with miracles. Miracles reinforced theMessianic claims of Christ. In Luke 7, when John’s disciples questioned Jesus, Heauthenticated his messianic qualifications with His record of miracles. In John 3:1-2,Nicodemus saw Jesus as a prophet because of His miracles. When Peter addressed thecrowd in Jerusalem at Pentecost, he pointed to the miracles of Christ as confirmation thatJesus was indeed the Messiah (Acts 2:22).

Miracles also validated the Apostles authority and message. In Acts 2:43, thecrowds were amazed at the miracles the Apostles performed and as a result, many cameto believe their message. Hebrews 2 states that God confirmed Jesus and the Apostlesthrough miracles (Hebrews 2:3-4).

The Koran, the holy book of Islam also states that miracles confirm the divinecalling of a prophet. Sura 4:63-65 states that God’s power is manifest through themiraculous works of the prophets. Throughout the Koran the people ask Muhammad toperform a miracle but he refuses. The only miracle he points to is the Koran (3:181-184,4:153, 6:8-9). However the Koran teaches that the Old Testament prophets Moses andElijah performed miracles (23:45, 7:100-108, 116-119). It even teaches that Jesus didmiracles (5:113). In the Koran, Jesus and the Old Testament prophets are confirmed bymiracles whereas Muhammad does not have a testimony of executing miracles.

Possibility of Miracles

Are miracles possible? The answer lies in the fact that if God exists, thenmiracles are possible. There is strong evidence to indicate that we live in a theisticuniverse. The first proof is the argument from first cause, also known as thecosmological argument, which states, “Whatever begins to exist has a cause.” Thescientific evidence shows that the universe has a beginning and therefore, it must have acause. It is illogical to assume that the universe was created out of nothing. Whatinitiated the creation of the universe? It must have been someone or something greaterthan the universe to create the universe. It is reasonable to conclude this cause to be Godwho is intelligent, eternal, and greater than the universe.

Secondly, the apparent order and design in nature points to an intelligent designer.For example, none of us would assume that a computer was created as the result ofnatural forces. Although all the components of a computer can be found on earth, wewould never assume the wind, rain, and lightening somehow produced something socomplex and sophisticated as a computer. If we can arrive at the conclusion that acomputer could not have possibly come bout by chance, how much more can wesimilarly deduce that the human brain, which is even more complex, did not randomlycome into being? Apparent design can be found in all arenas of creation. Complexityand design point to an intelligent designer.

Thirdly, we have our moral intuition. We inherently know right from wrong. Allpeople recognize that it is wrong to torture and murder a child for entertainment. Allpeople acknowledge that rape is wrong. This universal moral law embedded in the heartsof all people points to a moral lawgiver who established a moral law code and placed it inthe conscience of every individual. This moral lawgiver is God. (For a more expandedtreatment, refer to the article entitled, “Proofs for the Existence of God,” which can befound at www.evidenceandanswers.com).

If God exists then miracles are not only possible, but they are actual. This isexemplified by the fact that the greatest miracle has occurred, God created the universeout of nothing. If there is a God who acts, then there can be acts of God. Moreover, ifthis miracle has already taken place, it is also reasonable to ask when else has God actedin human history?

The Gospels

The Bible presents an accurate historical record of God’s work in history. Sinceexamining the evidence for the Bible would be a very extensive work, I will focus on theGospels which record the life of Jesus. (For further reference, see the article “Authorityof the Bible” which can be found at evidenceandanswers.com). The Gospels have provento be an accurate historical account. There is strong evidence to show that eyewitnessesprecisely recorded the events of Christ’s life. (For more in-depth discussion, read thearticle, “Gospels: History or Myth” at www.evidenceandanswers.com).

There are ancient manuscripts of the Gospels that date from the early secondcentury A.D.. Since these are ancient copies, we can conclude the originals werecompleted within the first century A.D.. The ancient church fathers from the late firstcentury to the third century quoted most of the New Testament. Fathers like Clement ofRome, who lived in the first century, quoted the first three Gospels as Scripture. This isstrong proof that the Gospels were written and circulating in the first century.

There is also non-Christian historical works from the first through third centurythat corroborate the facts of the Gospels. First century historians Josephus and Thallusalong with early second century Roman historians Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, andSuetonius corroborate events, and characters mentioned in the Gospels.

This early evidence shows that eyewitnesses were alive when the gospels werecirculating and could attest to their accuracy. Apostles often appealed to the witness ofthe hostile crowd pointing out their knowledge of the facts as well (Acts 2:22, Acts26:26). Therefore, if there were any exaggerations or stories being told about Christ thatwere not true, the eyewitnesses could have easily discredited the Apostles accounts. Wemust also remember that the preaching of the Apostles began in Israel and specifically inJerusalem, in the very cities where the eyewitnesses were present. The Jews were carefulto record accurate historical accounts. Many enemies of the early church were lookingfor ways to discredit the Apostles’ teaching. If what the Apostles were saying provedfalse, the enemies would have cried foul and the Gospels would not have earned muchcredibility.

There are also hostile witnesses and non-Christian sources that attest to themiracles of Christ. Historians acknowledge that positive evidence from a hostile sourceis one of the strongest kinds of evidence. In the gospels, the enemies of Christ do notdeny the fact that He did indeed perform a miracle. Instead, they present alternativeexplanations for them (Matthew 12:24 & 28:11-15). Jewish historian Josephus whorecorded the history of the Roman Empire in the first century A.D. writes, “Now therewas about that time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doerof wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew tohim both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles.” The Jewish Talmud written in thefifth century A.D., record that Jesus performed powerful deeds but attributes His miraclesto sorcery. Thus opponents of the Gospels do not deny the miracles of Christ, butinstead, they attempt to present alternative explanations for them.

Conclusion

Miracles are supernatural acts of God that interrupt the natural course of events.It is reasonable to believe in miracles because God who created the universe exists. Theevidence for His existence is substantial. Since there is a God who can act in history,there can be acts of God. The record of His intervention in history has been accuratelyrecorded in the Bible. We can believe these miracles are historical because the Bible isan accurate historical document. The Gospels in particular have been proven to be verycredible. The early dating of the Gospels, the fact that we have multiple written sources,and the testimony of hostile witnesses all uphold the events recorded in the Gospels. The evidence then, clearly indicates we can believe in miracles.

All articles seen on Evidence & Answers have been given express permission for reproduction on this site. All articles are copyright(c) and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the author.