What is a miracle?
- A miracle is a Divine intervention in the ordinary course of nature.
The miracle working God of the Old Testament is still a miracle working God today!
Psalms 77:14 (TLB) You are the God of miracles and wonders! You still demonstrate your awesome power.
Job 5:9 (NLT) He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.
Jeremiah 32:27 (NIV) “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Matthew 8:1-3 (NKJV) When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. (2) And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” (3) Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
- Most people do not question Jesus’ ability to do miracles. But they do question His willingness where they are concerned.
- Faith begins where the will of God is known.
- The ability to receive a miracle begins where the will of God for you is known.
Who Will Jesus Heal?
- Jesus healed someone who did not even know Him.
Matthew 15:21-28 (NKJV) Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. (22) And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” (23) But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” (24) But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (25) Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” (26) But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (27) And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” (28) Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
This woman acknowledged Jesus when she said, “Yes Lord,”.
A healing miracle is such a powerful and personal thing that it shows the character of God and He uses it to prove that He is the One True God and He genuinely loves people.
- Jesus healed those that were outcast from society.
Luke 17:11-19 NKJV Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. (12) Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. (13) And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (14) So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. (15) And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, (16) and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. (17) So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? (18) Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (19) And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
- Jesus heals those who are left behind because of their disease.
(Mark 2:1-5 NKJV) And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. [2] Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. [3] Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. [4] And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. [5] When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
(Mark 2:10-12 NKJV) [10] But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, [11] “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” [12] Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Life had left this man behind because of his paralysis. He was always at the mercy of everyone else. Thank God for the friends he had.
- Jesus heals the one who was limited because of disease.
(Mark 3:1-5 NKJV) And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. [2] So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. [3] And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” [4] Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. [5] And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
The religious leaders were more concerned about whether Jesus was going to break the law than they were about the man being healed.
- Jesus healed the man from his mental illness.
(Sickness and disease can affect someone mentally as well as physically.)
Mark 5:1-20 (NKJV) Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. [2] And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, [3] who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, [4] because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. [5] And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. [6] When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. [7] And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” [8] For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”
Mark 5:1-20 (NKJV) Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind…
- Jesus heals those conditions that are long standing and that maybe you have learned to live with.
Luke 13:10-13 NKJV Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. (11) And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. (12) But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” (13) And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
Luke 13:16 NKJV So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”
- Jesus wants to heal people so that they can have some normality in their lives and not have their lives revolve around some kind of sickness.
(Mark 5:21-24 NKJV) Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. [22] And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet [23] and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” [24] So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
(Mark 5:35-43 NKJV) While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” [36] As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” [37] And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. [38] Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. [39] When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” [40] And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. [41] Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” [42] Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. [43] But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
The commandment to not say something had nothing to with what Jesus was doing or had done or even the effect on His ministry. The reason He said this was that they had been amazed with a great amazement.
He had just healed a twelve year old girl and actually raised her up from the dead. In the eyes of the people she could have become a spectacle and been harassed for the rest of her life. The nature of people is that for the rest of her life there would have been whispers about her and what she had experienced. Plainly put, Jesus wanted her to have a normal life as a little girl, a teenager and then a young woman. He said to give her something to eat. He wanted to restore to her normality in her life.
- It does not matter what the condition is or how great or how small, He cares about it and wants us to be healed.
Mark 6:4-5 NKJV But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” [5] Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
Their unbelief did limit Jesus in what He was able to do there. BUT he still healed some LITTLE physical problems.
Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Jesus is the same miracle working Jesus today, that we read about in the Bible. He has not changed and will never change.