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The Miracle and The Cross

(From Nov 4, 2014)

Eric Metaxas has a new book.  You may remember his name from Amazing Grace, the stor
y of William Wilberforce, or Bonhoeffer, the story of, well, Bonhoeffer.  (He also wrote for Veggie Tales.)   In his new book, Miracles, his goal is to detail and authenticate the validity of miracles today.  To do this he defines miracles as “God’s personal messages of His Presence in the world.”  By that definition just about anything can become a miracle.  And according to this book, anything does.  As Metaxas admits there is a great deal of subjectivity when it comes to ‘God’s personal message.’ Do dreams and visions qualify? Do peculiar circumstances qualify?  Do random, chance meetings with strangers qualify?  This book says yes.  But if everything is a miracle, nothing is a miracle.

God is the author of miracles.  The Bible closes the door of discussion completely when it comes to recognizing them.  No one wondered if Moses did miracles to effect Pharaoh’s decision regarding the Israelites leaving Egypt.  No one wondered if Elijah and Elisha were working for God when fire came down from heaven or the dead were raised to life.  No one wondered if Jesus really healed multitudes or fed 5000 with five loaves and two fishes.  No one wondered whether the apostles healed.  Miracles have never been subjective exercises, open for opinion. A miracle is “an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/miracle?s=t) That is the primary definition.  There is no miracle in the Bible that does not match that definition.

The common New Testament word for miracle means “attesting sign.”  In other words, the miracle is a testimony to something.  Isaiah 35:1-6 says that when God’s glory appears in the form of the Messiah, supernatural events will occur, particularly the healing of the blind. Jesus did that in John 9 as a sign that He was from God. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:12 that miracles served as signs proving he was an apostle.  Miracles are not merely messages of God’s presence in the world. The purpose of biblical miracles is an integral part of the meaning of miracles.  Miracles are signs that those doing the miracles have God’s authorization. (See also Hebrews 2:3-4. Miracles were signs that confirmed that the Gospel was authorized by God.)

Jesus warned about looking for miracles as a prerequisite for belief.  He called those who asked for ‘signs,’ i.e. corroborating miracles, an evil and adulterous generation (Matthew 16:1-4.)  In fact, Jesus says there that the only sign to be seen, the only sign necessary is His resurrection. (see also Luke 16:31.)

It is risky to clamor for miracles.  God has not promised that anyone who seeks one will have one.  Jesus says in Matthew 7:22 that false prophets, under Satan’s authority may also do miracles.

Our greatest, best and most tangible hope is the miracle of the Resurrection.  It is the only miracle which secures salvation. “. . . If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Rom 10:9-11.