Miracles of Jesus Christ - Essay Example

?Miracles are circumstances where the laws of nature are defied. And this ultimate display of power is best exemplified by no other than Jesus Christhimself. Among the numerous miracles performed by Jesus Christ, eight (and in some literature, seven) miracles have “stood out” as the most evident of God’s glory. And all these were recorded in the book of John. The book of John is a well-written gospel that identified Jesus Christ as the awaited Son of God and promised Savior. Accordingly, John symbolically used common and everyday objects and situations so people may understand the identity of Christ as the Redeemer. And these were all manifested in the eight miracles of Jesus Christ. Turning of Water into Wine: Jesus Christ as the Living Water Jesus Christ’s first miracle according to John happened during a wedding in Cana in Galilee. There are many facets in the story that would reveal Christ’s deity. Firstly, it could be surmised that John used the symbol of water to signify spiritual cleansing. The element had been numerously cited in the bible to exemplify purification. And to purify oneself, one must have to undergo the process of a parallel spiritual cleansing. And this is achieved through compliance of the instructions of Christ. To point out, in the miracle of turning the plain water to an excellent wine, Mary specifically ordered the servants to follow the instructions given by Christ. These servants represent humanity who has specific orders to dutifully follow the life that Christ lived. And by following the path that Jesus walked, humanity’s old and sinful self dies to pave way to the rebirth of a new and cleansed self. When we receive Christ the Living Water, we symbolically go through death and are resurrected. In this way, Jesus Christ revealed his deity as water element who can wash away our impure selves so we may become clean before God, our Father. Healing of the Dying : Jesus Christ as the Omnipresent God The second miracle that identified God as a supreme deity is when He healed the son of a prominent official as shown in John 1:1-18. The general theme embedded in this account, we may say, centered on incarnation through the power of faith. In this account, God showed Himself as a deity who is capable of healing regardless of time, distance, space, nationality, sickness, etc. He shows no favor and looks upon everyone equally as long as faith is firmly anchored on him. For humans, distance and time (among other limitations) are physical hindrances that prevent us from fully believing in the power of God. But God’s glory is demonstrated when He fully healed the dying son of the official even when he was not in the scene. And God through Jesus Christ, as an omnipresent deity, conquered the challenges brought about by space and time. Restoration of Sight : Jesus Christ as the Light of the World The third miracle performed by Christ is comparable to the previous miracle in such a way that it can be categorized under healing miracles. In this chapter, Jesus Christ manifested His glory and power by restoring the sight of a blind man. In a physical sense, the blind man symbolized blind faith among non-believers and even those who already saw Jesus but remained skeptical about His identity. The parallelism between physical blindness and spiritual blindness were emphasized in this story. Physically, the blind man was not able to see Jesus but the moment He passed by him, he developed a knowing feeling of His presence and was therefore healed. This scenario is a significant event that identified Jesus’ deity as the Light of the World. Biblically, this could be explained by John in the verse: “I am the light of the world”, he said. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness (John 1:2). In the same way, our spiritual blindness comes to an end when we allow Jesus to work into our lives. Feeding the Five Thousand : Jesus Christ as the Bread of Life Like Jesus’ identification of himself as the water that cleanses, one miracle also revealed His deity as the Bread of Life. In John 6:1-15, Jesus performed a miracle by multiplying five loaves of bread and two fishes to feed five thousand people who came to listen to His word. The miracle teaches us that apart from our physical needs, we also need to eat the Word of the Lord for spiritual sustenance. As all the previously discussed miracles, this marvel also follows the general theme of paying strict observance to the examples set by the life of Christ so we may be like Him; that is to know by heart the Word of the Lord as this is necessary for our survival in the spiritual world in the same way as food is necessary for our survival in the physical world. Restoration of Life: Jesus Christ as the Resurrection Jesus Christ’s glory was also proven when He performed a miracle by resurrecting a dead man by the name of Lazarus. Deceased and buried for four days, Lazarus’ family was without hope that he may live again and was even regretful that Jesus was not with them during his last hours. But Jesus wept for the loss of His friend and was moved by the faith of Lazarus’ sisters that He willed to perform the miracle. But more importantly, Jesus saw the need to bring Lazarus back to life so that those who did not believe in Him may see that He himself is capable of conquering death as He is the Resurrection. Healing of the Lame: Jesus Christ as the Way to the Father Jesus once again performed another healing miracle when he restored a man who had been lame for thirty eight years and had stayed near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem to seek recovery. Like the previously discussed miracles where Jesus revealed His deity as a healer, this miracle also presented a stark contrast between the physicality and spirituality of the people. Because Jesus performed this miracle on a Sabbath day, it was criticized and regarded as a disobedience to the laws of Moses; with specific violation to the first law which was to honor God, the Father, on Holy the Sabbath day. This goes to show unlike other miracles, this touch-based on the laws given to Moses and its renewal. This miracle teaches us that rituals performed in order to follow the Ten Commandments are no match to the faith we put upon Jesus, be it the Sabbath day or otherwise. As Jesus’ revealed Himself as The Way to the Father, we are being taught that faith by performance will not grant us salvation. Instead, because Jesus is The Way and that He is a co-heir of God and therefore treated as co-equal, it is by His grace that we are saved. And because God is holy and men are naturally born unclean, Christ must serve His purpose to fill this gap by bridging us and becoming The Way so we may be presented to God, our Father. Calming of the Storm: Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life The second to the last miracle performed by Christ revealed God’s glory and power over natural laws – Hence, Jesus’ power to calm storm and walk on water. Looking deeply at this example, it can be surmised that Jesus’ deity is identified when we focus on Him in all facets of our life for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As humans, it is but natural for us to believe that in life, we have to weather different storms, and at numerous times, we have to struggle to stay afloat. Similarly, this is reflective with the disciples’ voyage on a stormy night at sea. Despite the tumult at sea, they were assured of a safe arrival because Jesus Christ was in them. In the same light, this miracle teaches us that because Jesus Christ himself is The Way, the Truth, and the Life, it is necessary for us to firmly anchor our faith in Him most especially when we are hit by life’s storms. Because Jesus has full power over nature and all other circumstances in this world, He is also the same deity who can turn a chaotic situation into a calmer one. Hence, when people are intently focused on Jesus Christ as the way to the Father, as the Truth about all things, and as the Source of all life, we can claim victory over different kinds of hardships and challenge. Catching of Fish: Jesus Christ as the Fisher of Men In this account, the disciples were futile in their attempts to catch fish during the night but when Jesus instructed them to cast their nets; they were able to acquire more than what their nets could carry. In parallel, these disciples symbolized the people who have accepted Christ as their Savior and Redeemer and are hence Christ-like in their actions. However, the belief in Christ is not sufficient to live a truly Christ-centered life. For like Christ, believers must also be able to spread the word and plant the words of Christ to other men. When nurtured, this planted seed will grow and create a person who will acknowledge and develop a relationship with God. When this is done, the fruits may be harvested and must follow the same cycle again of planting the seeds of God to other people. Just as what Jesus Christ did to His disciples and what His disciples did to other men. Similarly, this harvest can be compared to the fishing act of catching itself is difficult given the numerous challenges and dangers posed in the open sea. And when faith along with the execution of the teachings of Christ, no obstacle can withhold this and the glory of Christ will be revealed. References: Town, Elmer L. The Gospel of John: Believe and Life: A Verse-by-verse Bible Study Commentary.Fleming H. Revell Company. 1990. Morris, Leon. Jesus is the Christ: Studies in the Theology of John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans; Leicester, Engl.: InterVarsity Press, 1989. Normal Anderson. “Thoughts on the Eight Signs of John's Gospel”. Stem Publishing. N.d. http://stempublishing.com/authors/anderson/8SIGNSJN.html. (accessed on August 18, 2011). Jack Kelley. “The Seven Miracles In John: A Bible Study”, gracethroughfaith.com blog., entry posed n.d., http://gracethrufaith.com/selah/spiritual-life/the-seven-miracles-in-john/ (accessed on August 18, 2011). Read More