All Miracles Point to Creation

Perhaps the most unique books in the Bible are the Gospels because they contain the account of Christ. In particular, they not only detail his life but also the many miracles he performed. I addressed the need for miracles in a previous post (The Necessity of Miracles), so I won't go into a lengthy discussion about that here. Rather, I intend to focus on the nature of the miracles and their overall intention. Simply stated, I believe all miracles point to creation. There are two parts to this concept: 1. creation itself; and 2. the Creator. An examination of the creation account indicates God created the heavens and the Earth out of nothing - ex nihilo as it's known. This means God did not use any pre-existing material. Even the emptiness of space did not exist until he created it. The nothingness, as it were, had to be created. Additionally, God spoke creation into existence. He did not require an elaborate plan. There was no set of blueprints and a project timeline. With just a few words, the world we know came into existence. Furthermore, an important point to consider is that his spoken words were merely a reflection of his will. In essence, God willed creation into existence! Such is the sheer power of God, and it is truly beyond our comprehension. Jesus is God. He is the Creator incarnate. As we will see, he has complete dominion over his creation.  

Wine, anyone? Many years ago, my mother taught Sunday school to young children. During that time, she marveled young minds by using a hidden container of red food dye that she added to a glass of water in order to illustrate Jesus' first recorded miracle. The children were amazed at the seeming transformation. While this was simply a trick used for illustrative purposes, what Jesus did had nothing to do with chicanery. I do not intend to conduct an in-depth analysis of this account. Rather, examining it from a distance, I what immediately strikes me about this account is Jesus didn't do anything. That is, he didn't say any special words, offer a prayer, wave his hands over the jars, or even get up. He simply commanded, which was a reflection of his will. In addition to Jesus willing the transformation of water into wine, on a bit of a scientific observation, is he did use pre-existing material - water. Certainly there is a way to explain the chemical and molecular structure of water and wine and what would be needed in order to transform water into wine. And while that is intriguing and worth noting, what is more important is that Jesus demonstrated his power over creation on a molecular level. Simply stated, he was able to will a molecular change into existence, one that transformed water into wine, which could only be done by the Creator, the one who has dominion over creation. 

A little healing is in order. I do not intend to examine each miracle, especially the many that involved healing people, because categorically speaking they are somewhat similar in reference to the intention of this discussion. There are many accounts of Jesus healing people. In some cases, he touched them, in others he simply commanded them. Regardless of their malady or the manner in which he cured them, the point is Jesus had the power to heal. That is, as the Creator, he had complete control and mastery over his creation, which includes people. Moreover, this mastery was a reflection of his will. This concept is key. The will, essentially, is the power of the mind to control one's actions. For example, an individual might determine a plan of action for his life and take the steps necessary to achieve it. Well, in Jesus' case it was really no different. It was his will to heal people. That is, it was a conscious thought. However, what surpasses human will is that while we have the capacity to think about such things, we lack the power to do them. Our will is limited by our ability to take action. Jesus' will, on the other hand, had the complete power to accomplish anything without the requirement to take action. Stated succinctly, all Jesus had to do was think it into happening and it did, just like creation. 

Great faith indeed. This was this case with the centurion's servant. Over the years, this particular account has been the subject of many a sermon and Sunday school lesson and deservedly so. Jesus not only performs a miracle, but he gives accolades in the process. Perhaps, and I could be wrong, no one in the New Testament fully comprehended who Jesus was except the centurion. Oh, I'm sure the disciples figured it out over time. After all, they were witnesses to Jesus' ministry, much of which is not recorded in the Bible. They saw and experienced many things that certainly grew their faith and convinced them of Jesus' identity. My point, though, is that in this particular moment, the centurion understood something that others did not; he understood the power of the will. As he noted to Jesus, "For I myself am a man under authority, with many soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes..." There are two things happening in this account. First, the centurion recognizes and acknowledges Jesus' authority. He accepts it as complete and unequivocal. Similar to his own, it was beyond question. Two, he understood the power of the will as it related to that authority. Authority essentially exists in a stagnant state until exercised. In this case, it was exercised by command by both Jesus and the centurion. Of course, Jesus' authority was complete and total. The centurion understood this. In essence, he understood that Jesus was the Creator, that he had complete mastery over creation and could exercise his will with just the spoken word as God did in the beginning. 

Fish and bread; it's what's for dinner. The feeding of the five thousand is certainly one of the more well-known miracles. Sunday school matriculation would not be complete without covering this account. It's easy to gloss over this and dismiss it because by comparison it's not as dramatic as some of the other miracles. Let's face it, healing people, calming a storm, and raising people from the dead is where it's at, right? Well, in a manner of speaking, I suppose those miracles might be more impressive in their overall application. But when it comes to feeding the five thousand, it wasn't as simple as herding everyone through the drive-thru and having Jesus pick up the tab. In fact, there was no drive-thru because there weren't any restaurants, supermarkets, or convenient stores. People made do with what they had, and what they had was next to nothing. But this didn't trouble Jesus. With only five loaves of bread and fish, he fed five thousand men plus women and children. Conservatively, I'd say that's at least ten thousand people. The exact number is of little significance. What is significant is that this miracle in particular, I believe, is demonstrative of creation itself. While some may argue Jesus began with pre-existing material, the fishes and loaves, he managed to provide more than enough food for everyone. How? Where did all those fish and loaves of bread come from? As in the beginning, he created them out of nothing! Jesus simply willed them into existence. In addition to the sparse amount he began with, Jesus added to that by creating more - ex nihilo. 

Back from the dead. Of course, no examination of Jesus' miracles would be complete without mentioning his power over life and death. This is a unique attribute reserved only for God. In fact, it is a central element of Christianity. Comprised of two parts, salvation involves forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Jesus' death on the cross secured forgiveness for sins because he died as a substitute for us. His resurrection is our resurrection in that we have been granted eternal life because he rose from the dead. While the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead typically grabs the headlines, Jesus brought others back from the dead. Each of these miracles is unique and could be the subject of its own post. Rather than delve into each one, we will consider two elements that is common to these particular miracles. First, and most obvious, Jesus has the power over death. As he noted, he is the resurrection and the life. This is critical because only God, the Creator, the one who breathed life into man, has the power over life and death. Second, and perhaps not as obvious, is Jesus also has power over the human body. Certainly the accounts of the many people he healed is indication of this. But what many do not consider is the regeneration that occurred when he brought people back to life. More than just restoring their soul, in an instant, by the power of his will, he regenerated their bodies. The account of Lazarus, who was reported to have been in the tomb for several days, illustrates this fully. God formed man from the dust of the ground. Only his Creator has the power heal, restore, and resurrect.

In performing miracles, Jesus did more than validate his identity; he demonstrated the power, glory, and majesty of the Creator. Without pre-existing material and with just a spoken word, God brought everything into existence. Jesus, the Word, was there. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...Through him all things were made" (John 1: 1-3). Perhaps the greatest miracle occurs in Genesis. Perhaps the greatest miracle is creation itself, and the accounts in the Gospels are merely excerpts from a much larger application. Whatever the case, Jesus clearly demonstrated he was in fact God, the Creator of all things. And all miracles point to creation!