Pre-marital counseling can be an adventure for pastors. You never know what two people filled with passion will say. I recall talking with a couple a few years ago about their upcoming nuptials. I was explaining to them the wedding ceremony. When I got to the reference of Jesus being at a wedding reception in Cana of Galilee and turning the water into wine, the soon to be groom interrupted me mid-sentence and asked, “You really don’t believe that happened, do you? I mean, that sounds like a trumped up story, to me.” He went on to say that he did not believe any of the miracles of Jesus actually happened.
Something similar occurred when I was on vacation a few years ago. We were at the beach and we watched these skilled surfers riding these big waves. Later, I struck up a conversation with one of them and he asked what I did. I told him I was a minister. He replied, “Oh, dude. I like Jesus. I know he must have been a killer surfer.” I asked, “Well, how would you know that? Surfing is not an activity found in the Bible.” He replied, “Sure it is. How else do you explain him being able to walk on water? He must have been surfin,’ dude!”
I am sure you have been part of similar conversations. You have either been on the skeptical end or the believing end. And I am sure there are frequent times when you find yourself somewhere in the middle and ask, “I do wonder about the miracles in the Bible. Did they really happen?”
As you read through the Bible, you see miracle after miracle. Miracles are a significant part of Holy Scripture. In the book of Exodus God rescues his people from slavery through 12 dramatic plagues and by parting the Red Sea. In 2nd Kings Elisha feeds a poor widow and heals Naaman from leprosy. In the New Testament the Gospels tell us of 35 different miracles performed by Jesus, and they tell us that it happened often! More than half of these miracle stories tell of the healing of the sick. In other cases, Jesus casts demons out of people suffering from physical or mental disorders. Three times we read that Jesus raised people from the dead, and the remaining stories show Jesus’ power over things—changing water into wine, feeding a great crowd with very little food, walking on water, and calming the storm.
There is no doubt that miracles are a significant part of the Bible. We must deal with them. As Christians, we don’t take the part of the Bible we like and throw the rest away. We take the whole Bible, so we must take the miracles, too.
The question that some of you must be asking is, “Do you really believe those miracles happened?” Yes, I do. They were not stunts. There was no sleight of hand. There were no smoke and mirrors. The miracles actually happened! Now, I don’t have irrefutable proof. I can’t take you in a time machine and have you witness the miracles first hand. But I tell you what I can do. I can tell you that I have first-hand experience with Jesus Christ. He is my Lord and Savior. He speaks the truth to me over and over again in prayer and through Scripture. I believe Jesus when he tells me the truth about my life, so I should believe him when it comes to the miracles that he performed. Wondering about the miracles in the Bible is an issue of faith. If I trust God for my salvation, I should trust him about the miracles he performs.
The Purpose of Miracles
It is not only important to believe in the miracles – we must understand their purpose. For instance, the miracles of Jesus are not about him walking around like David Copperfield and Cris Angel, stunning everybody with his magical powers. This is often the picture many people have of Jesus when they read about his miracles. It certainly is what evil tempted Jesus to do with his power. You will recall that when Jesus was tempted by evil in the wilderness, the first two temptations had to do with the misuse of his power. Satan said, “I know your hungry, so command these stones to become bread!” After Jesus refused, Satan then said, “Jump off the pinnacle of the temple and float down so everyone will applaud you.” And, in essence, Jesus replied, “I am not here to be a spectacle!”
Yet, as we read on it is clear that Jesus did perform many miracles. So, what is the purpose of all these miracles? The miracles reveal the nature of God. They reveal his love, his priorities, his purposes and power. They give us a glimpse at the heart of God. When we read about Jesus reaching out to heal and help those who are suffering, we see the grace, love, and kindness of God at work.
The miracles of Jesus were also performed so that we would come to believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. For instance, the reason John wrote about miracles was to lead us to believe that Jesus is the Christ and to have abundant life through him. In our text for today, we find that after Jesus turns all of this water into all of this wine, the gospel records in verse 11, “Jesus did this and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” John did not record the miracles of Jesus so we could say, “Wow, that’s amazing!” like when we watch a science fiction movie. John wants us to respond, “Jesus is the Christ!” Miracles are not an end to themselves; they are a means to an end. We don’t worship the miracles. The miracles point to the Lord and lead us to worship him (John 20:30-31).
Do Miracles Still Occur?
You may be thinking, “Well, ok. I might be able to agree with you on some of this, but if these miracles did really happen, they have long since ceased. Miracles don’t occur anymore.” I disagree. God did not say, “I will perform miracles during this period of history and then stop forever.” God is still active in our world today. Remember, God is not a static entity. God is always creating, always transforming, always moving among us and transforming us. Therefore, God is still performing miracles every single day.
The problem we have in our culture is that we like to separate unique events into two categories: natural/supernatural. If we can explain something scientifically, we don’t think it is a miracle. But a miracle is any event that has God’s power behind it. Life in itself is a miracle! Medical doctors can explain the scientific process of child-birth, but does this negate the miracle of having a baby? Just ask any mother who has been through that experience. You cannot convince them that it was not a miracle. The miracles of God are all around us.
Take a look at the wonder of our working hands! See the wonder of the vision of our eyes! Listen to the wonder of our ability to speak and process language! Reflect on our ability to create music, to write poetry, to love and be loved! The miracles of God are all around us!
The Sunday School Times printed a story about an Eastern King seated in a garden. One of his counselors was speaking on the wonderful works of God. The King said, “Show me a sign, and I will believe!” The counselor gave the King four acorns and said, “Majesty, plant these in the ground, and then stoop down for a moment and look into this clear pool of water.” Then the counselor said, “Now, Majesty, look up.” When the King looked up, he saw four oak trees where he had planted the acorns. The King said, “Wonderful. This is a work of God!” The counselor asked, “How long were you looking into the water?” The King said, “Only a second.” The counselor replied, “80 years have passed as a second.” The King looked at his garments and they were coming apart. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, and he had become an old man. The King said in anger, “Then there is no miracle here!” The counselor replied, “Yes, it is God’s work, whether he did it in one second or 80 years.” The miracles of God are all around us.
I am aware of what comes to some people’s minds when they wonder about miracles. They want to know whether God can change something for them. They have a disease, they need money, they want an impossible event altered to make everything right again. They want a miracle! Well, I believe that God can and does perform these kind of miracles. I cannot explain how and why these miracles happen, nor can I explain why some people are cured miraculously of a disease and some are not. But I believe we should pray for these miracles to occur. We should never limit God.
Miracles Are Limited
However, when we pray for miracles we need to keep in mind one thing: miracles are limited. For example, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Lazarus eventually became sick again and died. To use a modern example, what if God somehow performed a miracle and gave you the winning numbers to the lottery? After giving 10% of it to the church, of course, you would still have the same problems (probably more!) and still have the same spiritual issues to contend with. Miracles don’t last and they don’t ultimately save us. In fact, when you read through the Bible you often see many people who witnessed miracles and still would not follow God. Only Jesus Christ can save us and give us eternal life!
When it comes to miracles, it is important to understand that there is a difference between a healing and a cure. A cure is a temporary solution. A healing is an eternal solution. A cure is a physical response. A healing is a spiritual event. A cure does not last. A healing lasts forever. A healing is discovering God’s power within you to rise above any circumstance you face, even death!
If it comes down to a choice, I will take a healing over a cure, for a cure will only help one problem for awhile, but a healing will give me the ability to cope and deal with any circumstance that comes my way. This is a true miracle: a life changed and empowered by God. In the end, this is what miracles point to: God’s ability to transform us to live with his power and strength, no matter the circumstances of life.
True Miracles
I recall visiting a lady in the hospital who was dying of cancer. Naturally, she was very sad and depressed. I took her hand at her bedside and asked for God to work in and through her circumstance. I came back a few days later to discover that she was laughing with the nurses and enjoying the hospital meat loaf! She saw me and said, “I have been healed!” I asked, “What happened to the tumor?” “Oh, the tumor is still there,” she replied. I was a bit confused. Helping me to understand, she said, “Pastor, I am enjoying every moment as a gift, and I am on my way to heaven to be with my Savior. Why shouldn’t I be happy?” That day I witnessed a miracle.
Miss Thompson also experienced a miracle. She had no idea that she would play a part in a miracle, but she did. Miss Thompson was a hardworking 5th grade teacher in the mid-west several years ago. She tells of a poor student she once had named Ted. He was very sloppy and unattractive. The kids would always make fun of him. Miss Thompson would get frustrated at his wrong answers on tests. When she looked into his records, it made sense. His mother died when he was in the 3rd grade. His father showed no interest in him. He was neglected and abused.
But something happened at Christmas time that year that changed everything. Ted brought in a gift for Miss Thompson. It did not look like the other gifts the kids gave. It was wrapped in brown paper and held together with Scotch tape. When Miss Thompson opened it, out fell a gaudy rhinestone bracelet with half of the stones missing and a half-filled bottle of cheap perfume. The kids snickered, but Miss Thompson silenced them by splashing a droplet of the perfume on her wrist and letting each one smell it. She also put the bracelet on. When the day ended and all the children had left, Ted came up to Miss Thompson’s desk and said, “Miss Thompson, you smell just like my mother. And the bracelet looks good on you. I’m glad you like my gifts.” When Ted left Miss Thompson just cried and prayed for a miracle.
The next day Miss Thompson was committed to loving all of her students, especially Ted. As a result, Ted began to show great improvement. By the end of the year, he actually caught up with many of his classmates and even moved ahead of some.
Well, the school year ended and time passed and Miss Thompson heard nothing from Ted or about Ted. She always wondered what happened to him. Then, one day, she received a note in the mail:
Dear Miss Thompson:
I wanted you to be the first to know. I will be graduating second in my class.
Love, Ted
Four years later:
Dear Miss Thompson:
They just told me I will be graduating first in my class. I wanted you to be the first to know. The university has not been easy, but I liked it.
Love, Ted
And four more years later:
Dear Miss Thompson:
As of today, I am Theodore Stallard, M.D. How about that? I wanted you to be the first to know. I am getting married next month, the 27th to be exact. I want you to come and sit where my mother would sit if she were alive. You are the only family I have now; Dad died last year.
Love, Ted
Miss Thompson attended that wedding and sat where Ted’s mother would have sat. And that day she witnessed a miracle – a miracle that began when Ted was in the fifth grade (source of this story: Quest for Character by Chuck Swindoll).
The miracles of God are all around us. The question is, “Do we see them, and are we changed by them?” Amen.
Series: The Seven Wonders of the Faith