THE WHO AND THE HOW OF JESUS MIRACLES
A). WHO DO THE MIRACLES POINT US TO?
Scripture portrays a variety of people performing miracles. And all of these men save one are just that — mere men. When, say, Elijah or Paul performs miracles, it doesn’t point to their person. After all, when those at Lystra were tempted to worship Barnabas and Paul after Paul’s miracle, the apostle implored the crowd to remember that they were mere men (Acts 14:15). The Holy Spirit enabled these miracles; they were testaments to His power, not Paul’s or anyone else’s.
To many modern theologians, Jesus’s miracles are really no different. He too did his miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit. As a result, they don’t point to His person — except insofar as Jesus relies on the Spirit — but to the human nature He shares with us. Like us, He must rely on divine resources outside Himself. Thus the question of how humans perform miracles gets transposed to Christ’s miracles, all the while avoiding who He is as God’s Son.
But by giving so much room for the Spirit and the humanity of Christ, a vital Christological truth gets squeezed out: persons, not natures, do things. Yes, Jesus Christ has two complete natures, one divine and one human. Yes, He always acts according to both of these natures. Still, it’s the person of Jesus who confronts us in the Gospels, and Christology stresses that He is one united person — the second person of the Trinity. The miracle of the incarnation is that this one person became everything we are without ceasing to be everything He is. So when we see Jesus perform a miracle in the Gospels, our first question should be WHO is this?
□ CASE STUDY: WALKING ON WATER
On the surface, Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14 seems to affirm that He worked miracles as a man empowered by the Spirit. In Matthew’s narrative, Jesus has just finished feeding the 5,000. His disciples get into a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Rather than get in with them, however, Jesus withdraws to a mountain to pray. By the time it was between 3 and 6 a.m., the disciples’ boat is far offshore and being tossed by waves. Their fear is intensified when they see what they take for a ghost approaching them on the sea.
It’s no ghost, of course; it’s Jesus Christ. The disciples’ cry of fear is met with Jesus words: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). Peter then asks Jesus to prove himself by commanding him to walk on the water, too. The ensuing episode initially seems to set up a parallel between Peter and Jesus: when Peter walks by faith, he walks supernaturally on the water; when he walks by fear, he starts to sink. Jesus apparently confirms this when He reaches out his hand to Peter: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew14:31).
The disciples didn’t marvel at Jesus’s complete dependence on another, nor did they ascribe praise to the Spirit’s power. Rather, their eyes are drawn to the incarnate Son of God as the one worthy of praise.
One might presume that here we have a mere man, Peter, able to do what Jesus can do so long as he walks by faith. Thus, the operative difference between Jesus and Peter isn’t that Jesus is the fully divine Son, but that in His humanity He fully relied on the Spirit. This episode, therefore, doesn’t reveal the Lordship of Jesus Christ; rather, it points to the inbreaking of the kingdom and the model Jesus provides for relying on divine resources other than his own. With this reading, the who of Jesus is lost in the drive to compare and contrast the how of Peter and Jesus.
□ BUT WHO REALLY WALKED ON WATER?
Three clues in this passage, however, point to a different understanding of this miracle.
First, we must take note of Jesus first words, which show He is employing this miracle to affirm His full identity. When Jesus reveals to his fearful disciples that “it is I” (Matthew 14:27; Greek ‘ego eimi’), this isn’t a call to recognize His human features that mark Him out as “Jesus from Nazareth.” Rather, He’s appropriating God’s name revealed in Exodus 3:14 (I AM: ego eimi), as He does again in John 8:58. He’s commanding His disciples to take heart and not be afraid because He, the one walking on the water, is God.
The second clue flows from the first: Jesus is appropriating an Old Testament theophany motif. Who tramples the waves of the sea but Yahweh alone (Job 9:8)? Through this and His personal identification with the divine name, Jesus is making clear the who of this miracle: the incarnate second person of the Trinity who, though veiling his heavenly glory in human flesh, didn’t abandon or mute the attributes of His divine nature (as if He ever could!). No, the Creator who first fashioned the sea now masters it through His own power.
The third clue is found in the disciples’ response to this revelation. Initially Peter addresses God-incarnate-who-walks-on-water as “Lord.” But then, after Jesus gets into the boat and the wind ceases, they worship Him: “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). It’s clear that for the disciples this miracle bears the unmistakable marks of a divine person (cf. Psalms 107:23–32). The disciples weren’t marvelling at Jesus’s complete dependence on another, nor did they ascribe praise to the Spirit’s power. Rather, their eyes are drawn to the incarnate Son of God as worthy of praise. For them, the who explained the how and impelled them to spontaneous worship. Worship which as only God can, was received and not rebuked.
□ UNITY OF THE SON OF GOD
Because the incarnate Son of God is one person with two natures, we should expect to see Gospel episodes reflective of each nature. Even in this profound revelation of Jesus’s divine power on the sea, He uses human feet to walk on water, a human arm to save Peter from sinking, and a human voice to reassure His disciples of his divine identity. He adds His own saliva to mud with which to open the blind from birth, man’s eyes (John 9:6). I believe this and the other instances where Jesus uses spittle (Mark 7:33 & 8:23) are a sign, He is healing holistically; in other words it’s His whole person in His divine and human nature, who is acting in concert to make people whole.
□ JESUS ACTS AS ONE PERSON ACCORDING TO BOTH HIS NATURES.
Jesus is always one person acting according to both of His natures. They can no more be separated than can Jesus be separated from the Father. They are One. Too much study can lead to subdivision of this truth.
Many modern theologians seek to understand the mystery of the incarnation by dividing Christ, by isolating one of his natures and asking how a particular action is possible. Not only do Christological problems result; it leads to grave Trinitarian ones as well. For to suggest Jesus’s miracles aren’t touched by his divine nature is to divide the works of the Trinity, to parcel out discrete acts among the Father, Son, and Spirit. Classical Trinitarian theology, however, joins God’s essential unity (Deuteronomy 6:4) with the co-inherence of the persons (John 14:11) and holds that every work of the Trinity is undivided. When God acts, each person acts. It’s not wrong to say that the Spirit is acting in Jesus’s miracles; He is. What is wrong, is to say that the Second Person of the Trinity isn’t.
Ancient creeds like Chalcedon have taught us “to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood.” Many of our Christological dilemmas would be cleared up by, with Chalcedon, first answering who is Jesus. He’s the “one and the same Son,” whose miraculous deeds cause us, like those first disciples, to adore the mystery of God incarnate.
B). HOW DID JESUS DO HIS MIRACLES?
A Muslim will always assert that Jesus only did miracles by Allah’s permission and leave. They have to do this in their attempts to diminish our Lord to a mere man without any divine attributes.
But there are simple ways to confront such heresy. The first is to ask a Muslim to show any miracle of Jesus where He said “I command you in the name of God” or “by the power of God” calmed the waves or healed people, or cast out demons? They will never find it. He simply spoke and it was so, just as here to Lazarus:
“After He said this, He shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out! ” (John 11:43 HCSB)
Moreover, He wasn’t ASKING for permission to do anything, He was THANKING the Father FOR hearing HIM! Not for His empowerment but for the benefit of those present. Why don’t Muslims quote the whole verse?
“So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You heard Me. [42] I know that You always hear Me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, SO THEY MAY BELIEVE YOU SENT ME.”(John 11:41‭-‬42 HCSB)
Jesus commanded and it was so. He always spoke with the authority of God. Where the prophets would always say “Thus says the Lord”, Jesus would say “But I tell you”. When Elijah restored the life of a boy, he prayed to God for it to be done (1 Kings 17:21). When Jesus healed and restored life, He simply commanded it. His word was sufficient. To Jairius’ daughter He said: “So He took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up! Her spirit returned and she got up at once” (Luke 8:54-55 HCSB)
Moreover when the 70 returned they reported to Jesus:
“The Seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us IN YOUR NAME.” (Luke 10:17 HCSB)
Yes there is power in the name of Jesus, power of healing and power of answered prayers:
“Whatever you ask IN MY NAME, I WILL DO IT so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] IF YOU ASK ME ANYTHING IN MY NAME, I WILL DO IT.” (John 14:13‭-‬14 HCSB)
Who alone hears and answers prayers? To whom alone must demons submit? God in both cases. So does Jesus.
Who alone forgives sins? And gave physical healing as a sign of His authority to bring spiritual healing? God alone can forgive sins. Well so did Jesus. As the Pharisees were quick to point out:
“Why does He speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone? ” (Mark 2:7 HCSB)
“Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think: “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21 HCSB)
Who alone can read our thoughts? God. Well so can Jesus:
“But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? [23] Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? [24] But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — He told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” (Luke 5:22‭-‬24 HCSB)
As for John 14:12 that is telling what will happen when HIS NAME is invoked in the power of the Holy Spirit:
“And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness, [30] while You stretch out YOUR HAND FOR HEALING, SIGNS, AND WONDERS TO BE PERFORMED THROUGH THE NAME OF YOUR HOLY SERVANT JESUS.” [31] When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness. [33] AND THE APOSTLES WERE GIVING TESTIMONY WITH GREAT POWER TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS, and great grace was on all of them.” (Acts 4:29‭-‬31‭, ‬33 HCSB)
Moreover, Jesus did EVERYTHING that the Father does and shows Him and He does NOT NEED THE FATHER’S PERMISSION:
ALL that the Father does the Son does in like manner:
“Then Jesus replied, “I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does these things in the same way.” (John 5:19 HCSB)
“And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, SO THE SON ALSO GIVES LIFE TO ANYONE HE WANTS TO.” (John 5:21 HCSB)
□ CONCLUSIONS
Jesus regarded His miracles as proof of His identity. He appealed to them as one of the proofs of who He is, along with the testimony of John the Baptist, and of the Father and of the prophetic fulfilment of the word. (See John 5:31-47).
“If I am not doing My Father’s works, don’t believe Me. [38] But if I am doing them and you don’t believe Me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father.” (John 10:37‭-‬38 HCSB)
“Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? [10] Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. [11] Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.” (John 14:9‭-‬11 HCSB)
“When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples [3] and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else? ” [4] Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: [5] the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news. [6] And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed.” (Matthew 11:2‭-‬6 HCSB)
“Go and show John again … – Jesus referred them for an answer to these miracles. They were proof that he was the Messiah. Prophets had indeed performed miracles, but no prophet had performed so many, or any so important. Jesus, moreover, performed them “in his own name” and by his own power. Prophets had done it by the power of God. Jesus, therefore, performed the works which none but the Messiah could do, and John might easily infer that he was the Christ.” (Barnes)
Yes, Jesus only does what He sees the Father doing, (John 5:19). He only speaks what He is commanded by the Father (John 12:49-50). He has sovereign authority (Matthew 28:18) and has been given all judgment (John 5:22). He gives life to whoever He pleases (John 5:21). He resurrects (John 6:44 & 6:54). He needs no permission from anyone. He is God acting in unison with the Father and with the agreement of the Holy Spirit. Amen.