An introduction to miracles
1. Each person who has a copy of the Bible is able to make comparisons.
2. We can take what scripture says and evaluate the beliefs and teachings of others.
3. One of the comparisons we can make involves modern miraculous claims.
4. We live in a time when numerous claims are made concerning supernatural abilities from God.
5. Television and radio shows claim that ill people are being healed on a regular basis.
A STUDY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, ESPECIALLY THE BOOK OF ACTS, PRESENTS US WITH A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT MIRACULOUS HEALINGS.
A. For the next two-three weeks, I want to explore this area of study.
B. It is my intention to cover 21 different points.
C. Ideally this material will take three Sunday nights and 7 points will be presented each time.
D. The 21 points we will look at will show what healing miracles were like.
E. With this information in hand, we can compare it to the claims being made in our world.
2. The first point we find in regard to miracles is the length of time that they took.
3. When I listen to the claims being made today, I hear things like this:
A. “I was sick but the next day became better. After 3-4 days the problem was gone.”
B. Or, “I was sick on Monday but completely cured on Tuesday.”
C. These time frames are fairly typical in today’s world.
D. Our study begins by asking if these were the kind of time frames used by Jesus and the apostles.
4. When we look at the healing miracles in the New Testament, we find that they were instantaneous.
5. Let’s look at some passages.
6. We will begin with Mt. 8:15.
7. This chapter tells us that Peter was married.
8. Peter’s mother in law was ill. She had a terrible fever.
9. Jesus came to see her and He healed her.
10. Mt. 8:14-15 – READ.
11. Notice how the text reads.
12. This woman was ill, Jesus healed her, the fever left, and she got up to work.
13. This woman was completely and immediately restored to health.
14. There was no waiting period. It was an instant cure.
15. This is not an isolated case.
16. Let’s look at the next chapter – Mt. 9:27-30.
17. Here we read about two men who were blind. They too were healed.
18. We want to see how long this healing took – READ. 27-30.
19. There was no delay in restoring the sight of these two men. It was immediate.
20. Another instant healing is found a few chapters later – Mt. 12:22.
21. The man described by Matthew also lacked the ability to see.
22. He was unable to speak.
23. Let’s see what the text says – Mt. 12:22 – READ.
24. This man had some problems, he was brought to Jesus, and he was healed.
25. He did not need to wait weeks, days, or hours.
26. Time after time the healings by Jesus and the apostles were instantaneous.
27. To this some have said, “What about the story in Mk. 8? That healing was not instant.”
28. Let’s look at the miracle described in the 8th chapter of Mark.
A. A blind man was brought to Jesus.
B. This man wanted to see. He wanted Jesus to heal him.
C. The Lord was willing to help.
D. According to the text, Jesus did help.
E. The story begins in verse 23; we will read start with verses 23-24 – READ.
F. This healing occurred in two stages. This fact cannot be disputed.
G. The question is not did Jesus heal by using a two stage process.
H. The question is, how long did the stages take?
I. I want to again read verse 23-24 and then add verse 25 – READ.
29. This healing was still instantaneous.
30. A matter of seconds may have passed, but the miracle was still instant.
31. This healing with also complete; he saw “all things” clearly.
32. In spite of the immediacy of New Testament miracles, we are now told that healings “will come.”
33. This notion is absolutely foreign to the pages in the Bible.
34. The miracles from God were instant; like a snap of the fingers.
35. People did not get their miracle the next day, weeks later, or even hours later.
36. THE SECOND IDEA THAT WE NEED TO WARN PEOPLE ABOUT IS THAT THOSE WHO WERE HEALED HAD TO HAVE FAITH.
A. We hear that ill people cannot be healed if they lack faith.
B. If a person who wants to be healed is not healed, the failure is due to insufficient belief.
C. This is a good scapegoat for false claims, but it is untrue.
D. Let’s look at Jn. 11.
E. This is the place where we learn about Lazarus’ death.
F. This man was not sick; he was dead. He had been dead for four days.
G. If the beliefs of the faith healing movement are right, those who were present needed to have faith.
H. If faith is required to heal someone who is sick, it must certainly be necessary to raise the dead.
37. Here is what we have in Jn 11:39 – READ.
38. Folks, here is a point to make in the margin of your Bible. Maratha did not believe.
39. She lacked faith. She said, “He is dead and the body stinks.”
40. In spite of her unbelief Jesus acted – verse 43 – READ.
41. Lazarus returned from the dead.
42. In spite of open disbelief, this miracle occurred.
43. This passage destroys the allegation that unbelief interferes with healing.
44. Someone might say that this worked for Jesus but no one else.
45. Paul had a situation where he worked among some people who did not believe.
46. In Acts 16:18 he cast out a demon though some did not believe in him.
47. When someone says that disbelief prevents a miracle, they are actually limiting the power of God.
48. This claims says that a person’s disbelief is more powerful that God’s ability to heal.
49. If this theory is correct, we can only wonder why Pharaoh and his magicians didn’t overcome Moses.
50. The third point relates to the number of people who were healed in New Testament times.
51. At the modern healing crusades, there are sick people who come with illnesses and go home sick.
52. Ill people come for a cure but they do not get healed.
53. This is not the picture that we find in the New Testament.
54. Mt. 4:24 says that “all” who came to Jesus were healed. The text says “He healed them all.”
55. A little later in Mt. 8:16 this same statement is made.
56. Mt. 9:35 says that “all manner” of sickness and disease was cured.
57. The Lord and His helpers did not choose which diseases they would cure.
58. The picture in the New Testament is that any sickness could be cured.
59. This is not what we find in our day and time.
60. How many modern faith healers ask a person who is completely blind to come to them?
61. How many take the person who has twisted and crippled limbs to come to them for healing?
62. The Bible says that “all manner of diseases” were cured by the power of God.
63. Has God changed? Is His power now less effective that it was 2,000 years ago?
64. Why are people like the blind not treated in the healing crusades?
65. Passages like Mt. 14:34-36 show that masses of people came for healing and they were all cured.
66. Passages from Luke’s account that makes this point include Lk. 4:40 and 9:11.
67. Lk. 9:11 says “them that needed healing, He cured.”
68. Our fourth point is that organic problems were cured.
A. Do we remember the story in Mt. 26:51?
B. Peter thought that Jesus needed to be defended. He took out a sword and cut off a man’s ear.
C. In our day to day life we find people who are missing a body part.
D. Medical science is sometimes able to reattach parts of the body that have been severed.
E. What person, who claims to have God’s power to heal, restores body parts?
F. To my knowledge, this claim has never been made.
G. The healing power of God offered this ability.
H. This type of miracle was a true sign that “confirmed the word” (Mk. 16:20).
69. For God and His servants, curing a fever was no harder than giving a person a new ear.
70. If God had the power to create man from the dust of the earth, curing a medical condition is child’s play.
71. Those who now make miraculous claims do not see restoring a severed ear as child’s play.
72. This type of miracle is one that cannot be disputed and it is avoided like the plague.
73. The 5th point relates to where first century miracles were performed.
74. The cures were generally done in public.
75. In Acts 3 we read about religious opposition.
76. In Acts 3:16 Peter said a man had been cured and every person could examine him.
77. There was no doubt about this man’s former illness and he was available for all to evaluate.
78. Who makes this type of claim today?
79. Again and again Jesus and the apostles healed out in the open.
80. In our day and time, much of “healing testimony” consists of stories that cannot be verified.
81. This is in direct conflict with the information in Matthew-Acts.
82. The 6th point is that the healings were complete.
83. On several occasions I have watched some of the healing crusades.
84. In one case a person who had a hearing problem was brought to the podium.
85. A few words were said by the preacher. The healer then told the person to look at him.
86. The healer proceeded to yell some words and ask, “What did I say?”
87. If a man has just had his hearing restored, does he need to have someone shout at him?
88. I have seen people who supposedly not walk struggle to their feet.
89. I am glad for the improvement but struggling to the feet is not like a miracle from God.
90. Those who had never walked sprang up; they were able to run and jump.
91. New Testament miracles were 100% complete.
92. Those who were healed did not get better or simply improve.
93. They were totally cured.
94. We have allowed the word miracle to be cheapened.
95. This word has been redefined by fake faith healers so people do not know what it means.
96. In life all kinds of people get better. Non-religious people improve, sometimes overnight.
97. There are cases where cancer patients recover. Other problems disappear with time.
98. A miracle means that someone has a serious condition one moment & it is completely gone the next.
99. Imagine a heart patient who has numerous blockages. He is in ICU and needs extensive surgery.
100. A miraculous cure means that he is instantly ready to exit the hospital.
101. He can run down the stairs as fast as you or I can. His heart is in perfect condition.
102. This is not what we find when we look at the modern “miracles.”
103. The miracles done by the first Christians were so convincing that enemies said they had occurred.
104. Listen to Acts 4:16 – READ.
A. If miracles were being done today, this would be the response of all people.
B. A true miracle is so overwhelming that it must be admitted by every single person.
C. At the present time, the things being called miracles are not accepted by everyone.
D. There are alternative explanations.
E. With Bible miracles there were no alternate explanations.
F. There was only one possibility. The healings were a divine act of God.
105. The Bible helps us distinguish truth from error, and we need to have a desire for the truth.
106. God has given us His word so that we will not be deceived.
107. Have we found and obeyed the truth? Are we trying to help others find the right way?
God says: Without faith we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6).
We cannot be a child of God without repentance (Lk. 13:3).
We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:12; Acts 8:36-38).
Finally we must be baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27) for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Have we done these things and are we living a faithful Christian life?
108.