What the Bible says about Miracles of Jesus Christ
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Matthew 8:8

The centurion's faith is commendable because he had received the Word of God. In asking Christ to heal his servant by His word, he shows that he trusted God's Word. He believes that all that is necessary is for God's Word to be spoken for healing to occur in even the most desperate case. The centurion's faith is great because it did not require the bodily presence of Christ to heal, surpassing even that of the nobleman whose son was healed (John 4:49). His faith is also shown to be greater than that of Mary and Martha, who also thought Christ had to be present to heal their brother Lazarus (John 11:21, 32).

Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Centurion's Servant (Part Three)

Matthew 8:15

An important aspect of the miracle is manifested as Jesus lifted the woman by the hand, and the fever left her. The laying on of His hands (see Hebrews 6:2) was something He did often. He even touched lepers, though the Gospels never mention Him laying hands on a demon-possessed person. Through His hands flowed the power of the Holy Spirit, producing immediate restoration to health.

Another feature of this miracle is the way He infused full strength into the woman, enabling her to serve her guests. Her recovery did not include a period of weakness and exhaustion, which usually follows a high fever, but she at once became energetic and full of health. The restoration of her health must have encouraged great gratitude, which manifested itself in service to Jesus and the others there.

This sets a pattern for all who are healed, both physically or spiritually: They should use their new strength to serve God and His people with thankfulness (I Thessalonians 5:18). Peter exhorts, "If anyone ministers [serves], let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ" (I Peter 4:11).

Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing Peter's Mother-in-Law

Matthew 12:10

The man Christ healed is described as having a "withered hand." With professional accuracy, Luke alone tells us that it was his right hand, as ancient medical writers always noted whether the right or the left was affected. Since most people are right-handed, his right hand was especially important to him since he likely needed it to work. In addition, only the man's hand was withered or shriveled, not his whole arm, apparently the result of paralysis due to some accident or disease rather than a congenital deformity.

He was in the right place—where he should have been—on the Sabbath day. If he had stayed home that day, would he have had this wonderful opportunity to be healed? The same principle holds true regarding our own Sabbath attendance with others of God's church, when possible. If we fail to attend the commanded "holy convocation" on the Sabbath, we may miss out on the spiritual healing God provides through the inspired messages from His Word, as well as the encouragement of the brethren to press on in faith and obedience to God. As the author of Hebrews writes:

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Withered Hand (Part One)

Mark 7:32

The man's deafness was absolute; he could hear nothing. This greatly limited him, especially in those days when sign language and other communication helps did not exist as prominently as they do today. The poor had no access to speech therapists, and the medical practices of the time offered no hope at all.

His deafness also put him in danger, as people use their hearing more than they realize to avoid harm. Spiritual deafness is no different: When we cannot hear or refuse to hear the Word of God, we endanger ourselves greatly, not hearing the warnings of God's ministers against the enticement and pull of sin and its curses and penalties. While physical deafness is a very limiting disability, it does not normally lead to death, but spiritual deafness is infinitely worse, leading to eternal death.

The man was almost entirely mute except for a speech impediment that kept him from communicating with others verbally. The word "impediment" in Mark 7:32 does not mean he could not make any sounds but that he had great difficulty in speaking. He could make sounds with his mouth, but they came across as gibberish. Mark's account states that Jesus "loosed" the man's tongue, which may indicate that the problem was a birth defect.

Deafness and dumbness are often associated because humans learn to speak by hearing. A person who cannot hear his own voice or the voices of others has difficulty with pronunciation. If a person becomes deaf later in life, he will be able to speak much better than one born deaf or who loses his hearing as a child.

The relationship between the inability to speak and deafness pictures some of sin's effects. Those who are deaf to the Word of God will have great difficulty speaking properly of spiritual matters. Even the most educated sinner betrays an impediment in his speech as soon as spiritual truths are introduced, but when he opens his ears to receive the truth, his spiritual speech will improve greatly and continually. Just as Jesus physically healed the man to enable him to hear, He must spiritually heal us so that we can understand God's Word (see John 8:47; I Corinthians 2:9-14).

Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Deaf-Mute (Part One)

Mark 7:32

The phrase "they brought to Him" describes others presenting the man to Christ. From this, we can learn several lessons of service. Those who presented the man to Christ were involved in a work everyone should emulate, that is, leading people to Christ as the solution to their needs. This work involves compassion and sacrifice. It is not proselytizing, per se, as it is done most effectively by being a true witness of God's way of life.

We must have compassion for people needing help, as those who brought the deaf-mute man to Christ had, otherwise they would not have gone out of their way to bring him. In addition, bringing others to Christ shows a willingness to pay the cost, as it is a sacrifice of time, effort, and sometimes money—and often brings criticism and ridicule from the world. It may not be an act that brings prestige in the eyes of the world, but it is wonderful in God's sight if His name is promoted and glorified.

The men in this scenario simply took a man to Christ for healing. Our work may be as simple as turning a person's attention to an article or sermon, or in this Internet age, showing him the church's website to make him aware of spiritual solutions to his problems. While these efforts can lead people to Christ, the most effective way is to be a true witness of God's way of life by living righteously (Psalm 37:30; Proverbs 10:20-21, 31-32; Revelation 20:4).

Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Deaf-Mute (Part One)

Luke 4:38

It is probable that Peter's wife's mother (likely a widow) was living with them. The family and their friends were quite concerned by her fever-stricken condition. Aware of the miracles Christ had begun to perform, they pleaded with Him to intervene on her behalf.

Yet, only Luke, a physician, adds the vital fact that she had a high fever. A doctor in Jesus' day would have noted the degree of fever to assess the severity of the patient's illness. Luke would have made careful inquiry into the details of the situation before recording his account. Thus, his testimony to the miraculous power of Christ is more reliable and thus of great importance, especially to new converts and skeptics.

Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing Peter's Mother-in-Law

John 4:46-54

The healing of the nobleman's son (John 4:46-54) is thought to be Jesus' first-recorded miracle of healing. In Jerusalem, He had accomplished some extraordinary miracles, which, though not documented, must have produced significant results, for the apostle writes that "many believed in His name when they saw the signs [or miracles] which He did" (John 2:23). Christ's miraculous ministry no doubt caused a stir among every level of society.

In this miracle, a nobleman from Capernaum asks for Jesus' intervention on behalf of his dying son. This worried father journeys to Cana to seek the help of a proven performer of miracles whose fame was rapidly spreading, and Jesus obliged him, seeing his faith. Only John notes this occasion, indicating how particular he was in what he chose to record of Jesus' life and work. He probably selected his material based on the valuable spiritual lessons they provide for Christian development.

Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Nobleman's Son

Related Topics: Miracles of Jesus Christ | Signs


 

 

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