Mark 6:2

"And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!" Mark 6:2

Son of God. Son of Man. Master Teacher. What else could a guy ask for in a Savior? How about Miracle Worker?

Of course we know that Jesus is a miracle worker. He performed many miracles beginning with the miracle at the wedding feast. Isn't it interesting that Jesus created "new wine" for the wedding, that which is pure, unadulterated with fermentation? Later in His ministry, He tells us that no one puts new wine in old wineskins because the new wine, as it ferments, expands and breaks the old wineskin, which is no longer pliable.

Shortly after the miracle of the new wine, Jesus began to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, raise the dead, and cast out demons. All of these are spectacular events, but I believe one of the greatest miracles was the feeding of the 5,000. In the middle of nowhere Jesus produced enough bread and fish to feed the multitude. Oh, by the way, the 5,000 count was just men. I'm sure we could count a few thousand women and children in the group as well. Now THAT'S a "feed". It wasn't fancy, but it was good. The reason I think this was a great miracle is this: it proved that Jesus had the ability to feed an army, but He chose to go to the cross alone. It also demonstrates His teaching about the "bread of life", He is the bread of life, and He is sufficient to feed an unlimited quantity of people.

I am also attracted to the miracle of walking on water! How I would like to be able to do that! Can you imagine the places we could catch fish if we could only get there? No problem. Step out of the boat and walk to the hard to reach fishing hole! But again the miracle was more than meets the natural eye. Jesus demonstrated to His disciples that He controlled nature. He could overcome the problem of gravity. Peter sank after a few steps. He immediately stopped the storm, and the sea became as calm as glass. There is more to the miracles than we can imagine.

Every miracle had a lesson or a purpose. Every one of them resulted in changed lives, no not only the physical ones, the spiritual ones. Each resulted in the advancement of the Kingdom of God. This trend was continued in the Book of Acts. Peter opened the eyes of the blind beggar, and thousands were redeemed. It seems, though I cannot be totally certain, that every miracle performed in the New Testament was first and foremost evangelistic! Do I dare say that some of the miracle workers today have other things in mind?

Yes, it is good to have a Savior who is wholly God and wholly man. It is wonderful to have a Savior who teaches God's truth in a way that can be understood by the common man. It is powerful to have a Savior who can heal the sick, feed the multitudes, and raise the dead. But there is something even greater than all of this. We will discuss that tomorrow. Amen and Amen.