The Miracles of Jesus
in the New Testament

Our Lord was "A minister of the circumcision, for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers" so the underlying key to a good understanding of the Parables is to see them in their Dispensational setting. The same theme is strongly borne out also in the miracles which our Lord performed. In fact it might be said that his miracles were mighty works performed by him as the Son of God, to confirm his teaching as Heb.2:3‑4. says in order to bring about repentance. This is clear from Matt.11:20, "Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not." In fact we can say that the same purpose was evident in the preaching of the disciples "they went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (Mark 16:20).

The first miracle appears to be the healing of a leper (Matt.8:1‑4). This is followed by the healing of the Centurion's servant (Matt.8:5‑13). Then comes the healing of Peter's wife's mother (Matt.8:14‑15.) Surely here is a prophetic lesson, the leper representing Israel in her uncleansed condition, the Centurion's servant a Gentile, being healed at a distance, and his faith compared with that of Israel, and Peter's wife's mother being a woman, when women were despised by the orthodox Jew. What a breaking through of traditional barriers, this was.

In the cleansing of the leper we need to keep Lev.14 before us, where we read of the Law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. Israel was indeed in the state that this leper was in, "no soundness, but wounds, bruises and putrefying sores", cut off from worship and service, although called to be a kingdom of Priests. Yet as with this leper they are destined to be cleansed, when the Lord wills. Then after Israel is cleansed the Gentiles too will be cleansed. So too, as Peter's wife's mother was healed, and she arose and ministered unto Him, Israel in the day of her healing will begin the ministry which she has for so long neglected. (Isa.1:6)

The next large miracle recorded in Matthew's Gospel is where Jesus stills the waves (Matt.8:23‑27). Is there not a picture of the great storm that is to come on the 'sea' of humanity, when it will appear as if the Lord is asleep, until Israel will cry unto Him because of the oppressors and He will rise up and say "Peace, be still‑Be still and know that I am God". And furthermore, as we pass on to verses 28 to 34 and read of our Lord casting out the demons at Gadara* and sending them forth in to the herd of swine which are unclean animals, do we not see a connection between the two miracles. For in the future after our Lord has risen up to the prey and cried "Peace, be still" we read in Rev.19:20 of the doom of the beast and the false prophet and in 20:10 of the similar fate of the arch‑deceiver Satan and we are told in Matt.25:41 that his angels will be with him. No wonder these demons were fearful as we read in James 2:19 (Diaglott) "the demons also believe and tremble". Thus these miracles, as also the parables, were but demonstrating His Messiahship, they were "the powers of the world to come" as we are told in Hebrews. Can we wonder, too, that the people marvelled.

The man sick of the palsy, or a paralytic (Matt.9:2‑8). Here, not only does Jesus heal the man bodily, but he also pronounces the forgiveness of his sins. All this naturally led to the increased resentment of the Scribes and Pharisees which was to end in our Lord's rejection. But here again one suggests that our Lord was speaking to Israel as a nation, the healing of this lame man figuring the healing that would come to Israel, who at the time were not God's people, if they would but accept that Sent one of God. It seems not without significance that after our Lord had sacrificed himself, and in view of his prayer from the Cross, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do", God poured out His Spirit upon Israel at Pentecost, then the first miracle that was performed was the healing of the lame man, again a type of the healing that would come to the nation on acceptance of the proffered mercy in Christ (Heb.2:3‑4).

In Matt.9:18‑26 it records the ruler of the Synagogue, whose daughter lay dying, coming to ask Jesus to heal her. Here our Lord comes face to face with death. On the way to her Jesus is intercepted by a woman with an issue of blood which she had had for 12 years. Here again is Israel's number coming out providing another picture of the state of the nation. For her complaint made her unfit to attend the House of God, it was recognised by tradition as a sufficient ground for divorce, and in short it placed her outside the pale of society generally, much as the leper was. Then again Luke adds that the ruler's daughter was about 12 years of age. Again the number of Israel, is there is any connection here? Could the woman be the girl's mother? If so it explains much. We begin to see the part faith plays in our Lord's miracles as he turns to the woman saying "Thy faith hath made thee whole." On the other hand his final charge against the blind guides of Israel, who were leading them into the ditch of rejection and unrepentance, was that they omitted among other weighty matters, "faith". So as we pass to the last miracle that speaks of faith before the crisis in Chapter 12 we see that healing is made conditional upon faith.

The miracle of the two blind men (Matt.9:27‑31) is particularly significant insofar as our Lord was addressed as "Son of David" and He is similarly addressed by two other blind men in Matt.20:30‑31; these being the only two miracles where He is so addressed without contradiction. Does not this suggest the blindness of Israel, that they didn't recognise their long promised King. But on the other hand this will be the first miracle which he will perform when he returns, to open their blind eyes that they may look upon Him whom they have pierced. The very fact that there are two blind men is in itself suggestive of the Two Houses of Israel, both blind for the present, but later to have their eyes opened as they acknowledge Him who died for them, thus forming an action picture even as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, provides a word picture.

The miracle of the dumb man which follows (Matt.9:32‑34) again raises the antagonism of the Pharisees causing them to ascribe the works of God to the devil. When the demons are cast out of Israel, not only their blindness will be healed but they will speak words which will make the world wonder.

Then amidst rising opposition our Lord heals the withered hand (Matt.12:9‑14). This took place on the Sabbath day and was calculated to hit hard at the petty and rigid Sabbath day observances which the Pharisees were largely responsible for and note throughout that much of their opposition was related to our Lord's attitude to this. In fact it was after this miracle that "Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him". (vs.14) This is followed by the quotation from Isa.42 showing how, because of Israel's rejection of Him the blessing will come upon the Gentiles. So the miracles keep pace with the theme.

In Matt 12:22‑30 our Lord again heals a man possessed with a demon, blind and dumb, and again the Pharisees ascribe this work to Beelzebub, which causes our Lord to utter that denunciation in verses 31 and 32 about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which has been true of Israel ever since. And yet after all the signs and wonders which our Lord had given, miracles for which He had become famous throughout the length and breadth of the land, the rulers ask of Him "Master, we would see a sign from thee". (12:38). But our Lord tells them that the only sign which would be given them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.

So we come to our Lord's rejection and the parables of the mysteries of the kingdom which are followed by more miracles and after that in 2 sets of sevens but whereas before His rejection Christ works them alone, this is not so after his rejection, for then the disciples help him. The Dispensational fulfilment of this will be plain to all.

The first set of seven miracles have a very strong element of compassion, illustrating what our Lord had previously said, "I will have mercy and not judgement". The second set of seven begins with another reference to the prophet Jonah, and immediately after the glory of the transfiguration, the Lord deals with a case of demon possession, then the miracle of the tribute money and so on. Truly there is much here fraught with great significance.

Looking at one of the miracles in the first series of seven—the healing of the Syrophenician woman's daughter (Matt.15:21‑28) This woman of Canaan, a Gentile, she addressed our Lord as "Son of David". Now this is a title given to our Lord as King of the Jews and He will yet reign as such, and world‑wide blessing will follow, but as a Gentile this woman had no claim upon our Lord as 'Son of David' as he told the disciples that He was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Whereupon the woman apparently learning the lesson and in great faith she called unto him 'Lord, help me'. The Lord then answered her and said that the children's bread shouldn't be given to dogs. Israel were the children, Gentiles were the 'dogs'. The woman seized upon the word for 'dogs' which in this case means puppy dogs, which were allowed in the houses for the children to play with. Yet the puppies eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. What great faith this woman had. She would not be put off. So reverting back to a passage which has already been given as a key Scripture, "Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision, for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the Fathers", but the verse continues "and that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy". So this woman recognised Israel's place they were the Masters, she but a little "dog" but as such could expect the crumbs. So she obtained the blessing with the Lord's commendation, and her daughter was made whole from that very hour. The fundamental principle of right division is truly manifested here, and the same idea is shown in the figure of the wild olive branches grafted into the true olive in Romans 11.

In the second series of seven miracles there is the example of the withered fig tree in Matt.21:18‑19. The fig tree was always a symbol of Israel as a nation, and when our Lord saw nothing but leaves on this tree he said "let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever" and the tree withered away. Surely we need hardly say how once again, Israel is figured here, how the nation with its outward show only and a complete lack of fruit, was symbolised by the "leaves only". Just prior to this miracle the crowd had spread their garments on the road, cut down branches from the trees and scattered them on the road and shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David", but within a few days they were crying "Away with Him, crucify Him". There was no fruit unto the age. But then the fig tree begins to bud and brings forth fruit, which can be seen in signs today.

There can be no doubt that the miracles counted in the Gospel of John are mostly of a different character and for a different purpose to those given in the other three Gospels. John's selection of eight miracles only from the many which our Lord performed was overruled by the Holy Spirit of God, and the purpose in recounting these eight is told us in John 20:31, "these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is…the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name." It is noteworthy that John never uses the word dunamis meaning "mighty work" or "miracle" but the word semeion meaning "sign" although it is often translated "miracle". Therefore these miracles shall be referred to as signs.

In considering these eight signs, two things stand out most clearly; they all manifest Israel's need, and condition of helplessness and death: and Messiah's glory, and his ability to meet that need, and restore Israel's lost condition. The first is called "the beginning" and the next is called the "second", and Bullinger suggests this is to intimate to us that we are to continue the enumeration and thus be led or to emphasize the signification of each. It "manifested forth His glory". There is a wonderful correspondence existing between these eight signs and this is set out very fully on pages 194 of the Appendices to the Companion Bible. The C.B. mentions that the first sign corresponds with the eighth, the second with the seventh, the third with the sixth, and the fourth with the fifth, all showing the beauty and symmetry of the whole, truly Divinely inspired, because we note further that the latter sign in each pair is always an advance on the former, the former dealing with what is preliminary and partial, and the latter with what is permanent and final.

It is very evident that the Gospel of John is divided into two sections, each commencing with a reference to "His own". (1) "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (1:11) (2) "Jesus...having loved His own...loved them unto the end" (13:1). So also the first twelve chapters speak of His public ministry which ended in rejection, this then ceases and He then spends the time instructing "His own". All the signs except one, which occurred after His resurrection come in the first section, and here again their effect is that many believed (2:23; 3:2; 6:14), but more and more the rulers turned against Him (11:47‑53; 12:18,19,37). As in the other Gospels it will be found that each miracle develops the subject matter in the immediate context, all testifying to the fact that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His Name".

Here are the signs in John according to the aforementioned grouping and purpose, namely the first followed by the eighth, the second followed by the seventh, etc.

To be continued

JS