"A miracle is an event which is not producible by the natural causes that are operative at the time and place that the event occurs." --William Lane Craig
Jesus simply wouldn't accommodate the Pharisees when challenged for a showy miracle they couldn't deny was from God; why should He oblige unbelievers? After the resurrection, he showed Himself only to believers! Remember: Miracles don't make faith, faith makes miracles. Even King Herod tried to entice Jesus into doing a trick on demand, and when He wouldn't they mocked Him (presumably for not offering any proof of His kingly pedigree). Jesus did say that the only miracle that the evil generation would see was the sign of Jonah (i.e., the resurrection), which was the greatest miracle in history. But Jesus doesn't have to validate Himself to believers who see Jesus in action in their personal lives. Transformed lives from an encounter with Jesus is the biggest miracle of all we can witness.
When people doubt certain miracles, they are really doubting the very possibility of miracles at all. They deny the supernatural completely in their Secular worldview. Are they calling the apostles deliberate liars and deceivers? Science cannot disprove miracles because they lie outside its domain. Science cannot forbid miracles, period. They are unusual events caused by God; for if they happened all the time, they'd be called regulars. Miracles are not a violation of the laws of nature as skeptic David Hume posited.
And miracles are vital to the Christian experience and faith since we believe in a God of wonders; if you take miracles out of the other religions they remain intact. But if Jesus had performed no miracles, He would've been but a footnote in history. Jesus needed to authenticate His messiahship and deity; they weren't done willy-nilly nor for personal profit, convenience, or favor. They can be seen as a visible attestation of God's presence. Miracles were never merely for show, but had met a purpose and taught an important lesson concerning Jesus' deity; however, even though Jesus did perform many "signs" the people still "would not believe" in Him (cf. Psalm 78:32; John 12:37)--not that they could not, but would not!
Jesus simply wouldn't accommodate the Pharisees when challenged for a showy miracle they couldn't deny was from God; why should He oblige unbelievers? After the resurrection, he showed Himself only to believers! Remember: Miracles don't make faith, faith makes miracles. Even King Herod tried to entice Jesus into doing a trick on demand, and when He wouldn't they mocked Him (presumably for not offering any proof of His kingly pedigree). Jesus did say that the only miracle that the evil generation would see was the sign of Jonah (i.e., the resurrection), which was the greatest miracle in history. But Jesus doesn't have to validate Himself to believers who see Jesus in action in their personal lives. Transformed lives from an encounter with Jesus is the biggest miracle of all we can witness.
When people doubt certain miracles, they are really doubting the very possibility of miracles at all. They deny the supernatural completely in their Secular worldview. Are they calling the apostles deliberate liars and deceivers? Science cannot disprove miracles because they lie outside its domain. Science cannot forbid miracles, period. They are unusual events caused by God; for if they happened all the time, they'd be called regulars. Miracles are not a violation of the laws of nature as skeptic David Hume posited.
And miracles are vital to the Christian experience and faith since we believe in a God of wonders; if you take miracles out of the other religions they remain intact. But if Jesus had performed no miracles, He would've been but a footnote in history. Jesus needed to authenticate His messiahship and deity; they weren't done willy-nilly nor for personal profit, convenience, or favor. They can be seen as a visible attestation of God's presence. Miracles were never merely for show, but had met a purpose and taught an important lesson concerning Jesus' deity; however, even though Jesus did perform many "signs" the people still "would not believe" in Him (cf. Psalm 78:32; John 12:37)--not that they could not, but would not!
Jesus had nothing to prove or gain personally and knew that miracles only give a desire for more miracles and don't always have an impact on faith (look at the stubbornness of Israel who had experienced the miracles of Moses!). He did say that if Sodom and Gomorrah had seen the miracles Capernaum had, they would've repented. They didn't conjure up faith as a rule because faith is given, not achieved! Soli Deo Gloria!
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