"Miss, I'd believe if God did a miracle"

The topic of miracles often pops up in school.  For example, when discussing with students why they don't believe in God it's quite common for them to saying something along the lines of: "I'd believe if God did a miracle!" Though interestingly, they don't know exactly what they want God to do and often say they might need a second miracle just in case it was a coincidence!

So, what is a miracle? Why are there miracles in the Bible? Should we expect miracles today? How do we know if something really is a miracle? Are miracles proof of the existence of God?

A biblical view of God, leads to a biblical understanding of miracles: In modern society we use the term 'miracle' for something that is highly unlikely, or, something we cannot explain. Students are encouraged by the exam board to learn the definition of a miracle as, 'something that defies the laws of nature'. However, the more I have thought about this definition, the more I have seen the importance of students knowing the biblical role of God in creating and sustaining the universe. The above definition can lead to a deistic view of God. Many people in society, without knowing it, are deists. They believe in a creator God, a distant God, a God who stands back and watches his work in progress. This view originated in the early C18th along with the discovery of machines. God became viewed a bit like the maker of a machine, or designer of a clock. A God who brings the world into existence, an unchangeable world with natural laws and order. But he isn't hands on whilst the machine is in motion. This leads to a couple of dangers. The more science explains how the machine works, and how the machine might have been created... the more people believe they can get rid of the need of God. Secondly, God is viewed as being distant and impersonal, a God who is not at work in the universe. In this view, a miracle is when God suddenly makes the unchangeable change.  God is only known when something different happens, when God is perceived to stretch out his hand and intervene. This further leads to what scholars call the 'God of the gaps'.  'God of the gaps' suggests that a miracle is something that we don't understand and cannot explain, and so God did it. However, the more science explains the world, the more knowledgeable we become... the fewer the gaps, the fewer miracles are perceived to happen and the smaller God becomes. Or, take the works of Derren Brown or Benny Hinn, they are able to do some of the things Jesus did... if they have discovered how Jesus did what he did... people start to get a smaller few of Jesus. And so, in Deism, God is only as big as our knowledge.

The Bible tells us that God is totally in control of the universe (theism), he didn't just create it, but he sustains it, he holds it together, he is constantly at work within the world (Hebrews 1:3, Matthew 10:29). In His graciousness to us, God uses laws of nature. Without laws of nature and some predictability we'd live in a chaotic world with very little stability. Because God is in control of the laws of nature, he can change them and use them as he pleases. A miracle doesn't have to be a suspension of the laws of nature, they may just be a God using the laws of nature differently. Take the crossing of the red sea in Exodus. God parted the red sea, not by removing a law of nature, but by using strong east wind (Exodus 14:21). No where in the Bible alongside God performing a miracle do we read, "And so God defied the natural laws..." God doesn't defy the laws of nature. He isn't ruled by laws of nature, a miracle isn't when God suddenly refuses to obey the laws of nature and stretches out his arm in rebellion. A miracle may be, God using the laws of nature differently. 

God doesn't need to perform miracles to prove his existence. Through creation and life alone, God tells us there is enough evidence for us to know that he exists. Only, we suppress that truth. God has made his existence crystal clear to us, yet we so often ignore the truth that is staring us in the face. Romans 1: 18-20:  'The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse'. And so if we want to know whether God exists or not, we just need to look at creation, the intricacy, the beauty, the design, the way things fit together. Further our ultimate proof of the reality of God is in the person of Jesus. Hebrews 1:1-3 - 'In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.' If we want to know whether God exists or not (apart from creation), the Bible is full of evidence for us. 

The Bible refers to what we call miracles as 'signs' and 'wonders'. This is because, miracles always have a purpose, they point us to something greater. We shouldn't focus all our attention in awe of the miracle, but to what the miracle is pointing to. Just like you wouldn't think about how amazing Doncaster is from a road sign, you need to follow the road sign to discover how wonderful Doncaster is. The writer of John's gospel tells us that he records the signs so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ (John 20:31). When reading miracles in the Bible its important we note the passages explanation of that miracle, you see, the miracles always signify something important. For example, in Mark 6, Jesus has fed the thousands from a small amount. People were astonished and didn't look for what this pointed to. And so when Jesus walks on water, his disciples think he is a ghost. He calms the storm, they are astonished... because they hadn't understood what the feeding symbolised. They hadn't seen the link between what Jesus did and Moses, they hadn't realised Jesus was the new Moses. If they had, they wouldn't have been stunned by him walking on water. Or take the healing of the paralysed man. They key in this passage is that Jesus states he can forgive sins. The people knew that only God could forgive sin. But Jesus' words alone weren't enough for the people, so as proof of who he is, that he had forgiven the sins of the man, he healed him. Jesus wanted people to see that forgiveness of sin is more important than being healed of illnesses.  

The demand for miracles is not new! The Gospels are full of people requesting miracles from Jesus. Yet, Jesus wasn't best impressed by all these demands. Not because he couldn't perform them, but because Jesus didn't come to be just a miracle maker. In Matthew 16:1-4, the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus wanting Jesus to show them a sign from heaven. Jesus' response is revealing: “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away. Jesus, came to bring people back into relationship with God and so, in Mark 1:35-39, Jesus knew that people were searching him out, he knew they wanted was to see miracles. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”  Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Further, we know miracles were not on tap in the early church too (If they were the 'thorn' in Paul's flesh would surely have been removed!).

Miracles don't guarantee faith: I'm just about to start the topic of Miracles with my AS group. We'll be looking at miracles until Easter. Interestingly, before Christmas I asked the group whether they thought they'd seen any miracles. Each one of them believed they had. However, the miracles hadn't necessarily led them to believe in God. And this is what happens in the Bible, when people saw what Jesus did, they didn't always understand who he was and treat him as God, often they would demand to see more miracles. Jesus knew that miracles did not guarantee faith. Last year, when teaching Mark's Gospel to my year 10s miracles certainly did not produce faith, if anything it made them more skeptical! "Surely you don't believe he did that!" "As if he walked on water, it was probably just a very small and shallow pond!" In Luke 16, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man does not enter heaven and once he discovers he is in torment forever, he asks for his family to see someone risen from the dead so that they could see a miracle, and thus believe in Jesus. However, the response the rich man is given is; 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' And so, if we want to believe in Jesus, if we want to be certain of whether God exists, God tells us we need to read the Bible. You see, if we don't trust what the Bible says, we are very unlikely to trust a miracle is proof from God. At the end of John 2, we see that many people have come to believe in Jesus due to the miraculous signs. However, Jesus does not trust them. Following this in John 3, Nicodemus comes to God and states he thinks Jesus is from God due to the miraculous signs. Jesus' response is to tell him, he needs to be born again, he needs to trust in Jesus and not Jesus' signs.

Miracles and the early church: In 2 Corinthians 12, miracles, signs and wonders were performed by Paul to authenticate his ministry as an Apostle, it was a stamp of authenticity of the gospel and of his ministry.  In Hebrews 2:3-4, reveals that miracles testified to salvation, according to God's will. Miracles happened, when God wanted them to. This passage also indicates that the 70 sent out were able to perform miracles.

Miracles can be performed by others. Both in the Old and the New Testament we are warned that miracles are not proof of the existence or work of God. In Deuteronomy 13:1-5 Moses warns us about false miracles, signs and wonders. Jesus warns us that false prophets and unbelievers can perform miracles (Matthew 7:21-23, Mark 13:22). And so we must be careful when we experience people performing miracles, we must watch out, there is the danger they can draw us away from God.

Miracles happen today. God is constantly working in ways which may surprise us. One of the greatest miracles was the resurrection, today amazing miracles happen in the lives of people as they come to trust in Jesus as their Lord. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 explains that miracles can be a gift of the Holy Spirit. Gifts of the Holy Spirit in this context were to serve the church and for the common good. Further, because miracles are a gift from the Holy Spirit, we need to recognise, it is not a natural ability and we must thank God.

Authentic faith is not based upon miracles and Jesus warns us not to base our faith in miracles alone. If we want to be certain of God's existence we need read the Bible and trust in the creator and sustaining God. Hebrews 11:1-2 reminds us that biblical faith is in God and his promises, not in one off miracles. 'Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.' Of course miracles can strengthen faith, they can encourage and have a huge role in our lives. But the Bible does not give the impression that faith is generated from miracles.