Miracles!

So Jesus said to him, “unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe“. John 4:48

I read lately that every miracle must have a witness in order to be a miracle. Someone has to be there to record it and to report the results.

A miracle is startling, but it is simple. It is simple because it is a miracle. It is power coming directly from God instead of indirectly through nature or human wills says G. K. Chesterton Miracles appear in the scripture when God is speaking to his people through accredited messengers, and because of that, miracles in the Bible always have a purpose. Jesus’ sole purpose in miracles was to teach spiritual truth, demonstrate his own character and show His father’s power. Miracles had one purpose – to confirm faith. Jesus himself is the one convincing and permanent miracle. If Christ had not been raised from the dead, out faith is useless.

The miracles of Jesus serve as a glimpse and foretaste of what God will accomplish on a grand and glorious scale when Jesus comes to establish the New heaven and the New Earth. The miracles of Jesus offer a foretaste of that day-a glimpse of heaven on earth. Miracles show the compassion Jesus had for people. He used miracles to teach us to have faith.

The birth of Jesus is a miracle in itself! A virgin girl from a humble background chosen to be the mother of our Savior!! God sent a miracle in the form of a tiny baby who would save the sins of the world. God came down in human form to show the world His love and His willingness to show that love by living and teaching among us. He used wise men, shepherds and angels as witnesses of the miracle of the holy birth.

If miracles need witnesses, then what a great opportunity for us. This world needs a cloud of witnesses to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord. We can witness that a babe was born of a virgin in Bethlehem. We can be a witness that that Babe gave His life for you and for me. We can witness that He took away your sins and mine by His death. He gives a grace that not only forgives our sins, but offers relief from pain and grief. The church can be the kind of witness that reaches out to a world that is hurting.

Disciples were witnesses of the miracles of Jesus during His ministry as were others. They gave witness to the power of the resurrection. We, as Christians, have to be of one mind, one heart and one soul as we witness to the world of the coming of the light of the world born as a babe in a manger.

We need miracles in our lives today, and this Christmas I’m praying that we will see them. God wants us to have miracles of kindness, miracles of healing, miracles of forgiveness, miracles of answered prayer, miracles of joy, miracles of peace, and miracles of love.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s take the time to witness the miracles all around us every day!

Merry Christmas!

Miracles do happen, they happen every day. We don’t recognize them for our minds get in the way. We think we know what’s going on when something strange occurs, but when we try to figure it out, the vision often blurs. There is no explanation when God comes by our way and does things that are not possible on any ordinary day. We often say quite honestly, we want a gift from God, but when He gives us one we end up feeling odd. We see it or we feel it but we still don’t quite believe that this is indeed a miracle our minds just can’t conceive. But God’s so good, He loves us so and has such mighty power, He cares for us and fills our needs, no matter the day or hour. Elizabeth Thornton Watkins