FISHING WITH JESUS: WHY DID JESUS PERFORM SO MANY MIRACLES?

FISHING WITH JESUS: WHY DID JESUS PERFORM SO MANY MIRACLES?

 Have you ever thought about the reasons why Jesus performed his miracles? Many of us take the purpose of the miracles for granted. I think I see more pastors and Christians miss the point of Jesus’ miracles than anything else in the Gospels. Its like they turn to the Gospels and forget how to draw out the intended meaning from a text. Is the healing of a blind man really an example that Jesus provides for us to follow? Am I really supposed to walk up to people who are blind or sick and heal them? Maybe. Maybe not. But was that the primary purpose of Jesus’ healing miracles? What about Jesus’ miracle of turning water to wine? How about his divine food pantry he developed from a few fish and loaves of bread? And what about all of those fish he caught in Peter’s boat? What is the purpose in all of these miracles? Each miracle deserves its own answer, but they all carry one overarching message: Jesus Christ is the Lord God. Miracles are an attestation to God. John Frame argues that miracles attest to God’s control, authority, and covenant presence (all following quotations taken from Frame’s Systematic Theology pp. 129-131). He writes that miracles are “the result of enormous power, the power of God.” They attest to God’s total control over the world. Miracles are also “signs” that bear God’s “supreme authority.” Frame continues, “Miracles are revelation. They show the character of God, the person and work of Jesus, the blessings of redemption, and its fulfillment in the messianic banquet.” Finally, miracles are “wonders” that communicate the covenant presence of God. It creates a “religious awe, arising from the sense that God is present.” Frame concludes, “As displays of God’s control, authority, and presence, miracles may be defined as extraordinary manifestations of God’s lordship.” So, while there may be specific purposes in each miracle of Jesus, there is one overarching purpose, namely, to communicate the divine nature of Christ. Let’s take a look at one particular miracle to see this ultimate purpose. In Luke 5, Luke tells us the crowds were surrounding Jesus to “hear the word of God” (v. 1). As four fishermen were washing their nets, Jesus stepped into one of their boats to use it as a platform from which to teach the people. He sat in Simon Peter’s boat and taught the people for a while. Then, he asked Peter to do something crazy.