Jesus Miracle Maker

Introduction

I had read in a Christian facebook group about a church praying for an unborn baby. This baby had showed through sonogram that she was missing needed organs and that she would not survive birth. The doctors gave the family no hope. So that family went to church, called the Elders and they prayed and called the church to pray and the family went back to doctor and they found more organs that just weren’t there! The doctors said well even with these it;s not enough, and they went back to the church and prayed again, and they did it again, and again. I read from this post that the baby girl was born, healthy and happy to this Christian family. God had appeared these organs in this child in his mighty ways, God in his sovereign love did this. I couldn’t find the originally source, but I can say I had a friend whose wife feel down a flight of stares when pregnant and with prayer that baby is alive and well today. God is saving us in our storms!

The Scripture Today

English Standard Version Mark 4:35–41

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

What Are Miracles?

Setting up the Background

The Doctrine of God Defining Miracle

Scripture uses a number of Greek and Hebrew nouns that are translated “miracle,” “sign,” “wonder,” “work,” and so on. None of these terms corresponds perfectly in its usage to the English term miracle. For example, the Greek term sēmeion, “sign,” often refers to miracles, but it also refers to events that we would not call miracles, such as circumcision (Rom. 4:11). There are also narratives of miracles in passages lacking any of the nouns designating a miracle: see, for example, 1 Kings 17:17–249 and Mark 7:24–30. So we should not assume that word studies of these nouns will cover the biblical data broadly enough to generate an adequate definition of miracle.

1 Kings 17:17–24 ESV

17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

The Raising of the Woman’s Son

Mark 7:24–30 ESV

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

The removal of a demon from the girl

What it is not

They’re not magic.

They’re not simple things. This is the movement of God in our universe.

They can’t be put into a narrow box of human understanding.

A Definition

The Doctrine of God Defining Miracle

miracles are unusual events caused by God’s power, so extraordinary that we would usually consider them impossible. I will call this our preliminary definition of miracle

That is a working definition from John Frame, Theologian at Reformed Theological Seminary.

C.S. Lewis on his book Miracles said this:

The Doctrine of God Natural Law

“an interference with Nature by supernatural power” (C. S. Lewis).13

Let me expand on this issue.

The Doctrine of God Defining Miracle

What events in Scripture, if any, may be suitably called by that English term? So we begin with the most obvious point: miracles are unusual events caused by God’s power, so extraordinary that we would usually consider them impossible. I will call this our preliminary definition of miracle. And we note that Scripture tells us of many such events: the flood of Noah’s time (Gen. 6–9), the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah in their old age (Gen. 18:10–15; 21:1–7; Rom. 4:18–22), the turning of Moses’ staff into a snake and back again (Ex. 4:2–5), the plagues on Egypt, Israel’s crossing of the sea on dry land, and so on.

The Three aspects of a Miracle

Control

The Doctrine of God Miracles as Demonstrations of God’s Covenant Lordship

Miracles are, perhaps most obviously, the result of God’s enormous power.

Think of God Splitting the Red Sea, or delivering the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace in Daniel.

Moses records this in Exodus 15:1-10

Exodus 15:1–10 ESV

1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. 4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. 5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. 7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. 8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ 10 You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

Pharoah and his forces Didn’t stand a chance! When we look at today’s text you see Christ Calms the storm. Power over nature, firm control

English Standard Version Mark 4:35–41

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Luke in his account records that the Disciples Marveled at Jesus’s actions!

Think of it this way. Pharoah was considered a god to the Egyptian people, Nebuchadnezzar set himself up as a God as well. And God was over them in power and Control. Even in the early church

Authority

The Doctrine of God Miracles as Demonstrations of God’s Covenant Lordship

Miracles do not simply attest revelation, but actually are revelation. They reveal the character of God (his power, care, and compassion), the person and work of Jesus, the blessings of redemption, and its fulfillment in the messianic banquet.

You can see this Authority of Jesus in his Miracles in his healing of the paralytic

Mark 2:1–12 ESV

1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

His authority is tied to his divinity, his ability to do miracles is him revealing to us that he has this authority.

In the Miracles of Jesus you see him perform the same miracles as his father in the OT here is a list

The Doctrine of God Miracles as Demonstrations of God’s Covenant Lordship

Jesus’ miracles often parallel the works of Yahweh in the Old Testament, such as miraculous feedings (Ex. 16; John 6:1–14), stilling a storm (Ps. 107:29; Mark 4:35–41), raising the dead

(1 Kings 17:7–24; Luke 7:11–17; John 11:1–44), and healing the blind, deaf, lame, and mute (Isa. 35:5; Luke 7:18–23).

So this miracles attest to his authority.

his defeat of death on the cross shows his authority.

Presence

The Happening of miracles lead to worship and awe of God repeatedly. They demonstrate is presence to his people look at Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah 6:1–8 ESV

1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

His presence lead to worship and service, his atonement for Isaiah’s sin leads him to worship and service you see this in the NT as well

You see this response to Jesus as well

Luke 5:1–11 ESV

1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

God when he acts leads you to action his miracles do the same.

Jesus, Miracles, and You (Application)

Prayer - Many of you are in need of a miracle right now. If we’re honest as a culture we all could. When you look at this scene the storm was on and the ship was sinking, and some of us are still stuck in verse Mark 4:37

Mark 4:37 ESV

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.

You’re to busy bailing out the water, but it’s not working. You’re work isn’t enough, their is no human solution, your toast.

You can’t fix that broken relationship.

Your health is taken a turn for the worst.

The check book doesn’t add up and won’t.

Your life has suddenly changed and it’s not going back.

Your Children or grandchildren are being slowly taken in by the demons who would kill them, Transgender-ism, homosexuality, communism, and the bevy of new Pagan gods. Our Culture, America is being destroyed by these things. Paganism and Christ cannot stand together, and you know that what can you or our families do.

Maybe you’ve been thrown into thew lions den or a furnace.

This is when you look to the front of the boat.

Mark 4:38–39 ESV

38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

You need to call on Jesus. You have but to call on him. He is the God of miracles. The crafter of the universe, the ordainer of time will make a way for you. Maybe it will be extravagant like the story I shared at the beginning, or maybe it will be in a small way, but you need to call out to him.

Men - you want to see the world change are you a praying man? Do you know that before God re responsi before God for your family? Praying before dinner and bed is good, but that’s not enough. Are,you the centriole who goes before his family and troops to as Jesus for aid?

George Washington and prayer in the woods and the briti soilder seeing that and knowing that they would loose the war.

Fatherhood is linked to prayer.

if your to proud today, now is the hour of repentance. Maybe some of you are barely keeping your head above water at this moment. This is the Holy Spirit reminding you to call onto Christ today. hear that again, today is the moment to call unto Jesus.

If your not a Christian you also have Christ in the boat. Look unto your creator and call him who he is your Lord and Saviour, and he will deliver you, like he delivered the disciples from the storm.

Provision

Other then prayer all we can offer God is ourselves. You may know the story of feeding the 5000 but let me share with you a detail that we get from the gospel of John 6:1-14

John 6:1–14 ESV

1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

Did you catch the detail that john recorded? John 6:9

John 6:9 ESV

9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

This boy had only barely bread and 2 fish. Translation, barley bread was for the most poor of Israel and the fish were most likely sardines or small bait fish, perfect for a boy to eat in thay day with very little means.

Jesus took the bread and fed 5000 which you could take to mean really around 20,000 because they would only count families not individuals.

So maybe you need to do like the people did and obey Jesus.

Maybe you’re that boy with little, but God is telling you to do something big with what you have, We still have siding blown off the side of our church from the hurricane. Do you have the means to fix that?

We talk about our church, but it is the mission of God here in our neighborhood. Are you like that little boy giving your time, talent and treasure? There were 5000 families and only one boy stepped up. God will use you to do big things you might be the instrument used to ignite a miracle of God.

what you give will be magnified by God, what you do will be expanded. Your part will lead as we saw with this small boy to the people saying: John 6:14

John 6:14 ESV

14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

They say this btw because that is the miracle of Elijah, a boy giving and God building from it. God does the same thing again and again. Are you willing to be part of a miracle of provision for God’s kingdom here is SRQ, here is Florida, here in America?

Are you building a legacy of Christ?

Compassion

The next thing you need to know about miracles is that they come from a place of Jesus’ compassion for you. God’s Miracles come from a place of compassion for you and me.

Mark 6:34–36 ESV

34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

Notice that he doesn’t say only believers or unbelievers, we don’t know the spiritual fate of these people, yet Jesus had compassion on them.

Notice Something men, the God man the epitome of manhood Jesus had compassion on the crowd. When you see a need does it move you to action? Do you want to see children delivered from evil. What are you doing to build a spirit of compassion?

Maybe it’s just picking back up your tools and building again. Are you building or leaving a legacy to your heirs or are you focused on yourself.

Jesus had compassion and so he was working on behalf of those he created. Is your home a place of compassion, is your heart?

You need to understand that when God does something big it’s out of compassion for you.

He sent his son because he loved the world.

He spared Daniel from the Lions.

He saved the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt.

Maybe for you the thing you need to hear today is this truth. Jesus has compassion for you. Truly, he saw the need of that crowd and does something. Jesus loved that little baby, he made that little baby we spoke about earlier and he gave her the organs to live.

He sees you for who you are, he knows you all the way down, even the secret things and he still has compassion for you. No amount of you don’t know can keep Jesus from having compassion for you.

And because Jesus has compassion for you, he will deliver you.

Marveling and fearing

We need to be a worshipful people. Our God has delivered us from destruction. That should deeply enliven your soul. You were owned and enslaved by the devil and Christ has freed you from that. Do you honestly marvel and fear God any more.

Luke 8:25 ESV

25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

Does what Jesus has done show up in your life? Do people see your faith or do they just see a collection of habits and traditions? Do you demonstrate the fear of God in your home? Would the neighbor attest to your love of Jesus?

Do you still bless the Lord for saving you and his people, our brothers and sisters? Listen to this Psalm 148

Psalm 148:1–14 KJV 1900

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: Praise him in the heights. 2 Praise ye him, all his angels: Praise ye him, all his hosts. 3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: Praise him, all ye stars of light. 4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, And ye waters that be above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord: For he commanded, and they were created. 6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, Ye dragons, and all deeps: 8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; Stormy wind fulfilling his word: 9 Mountains, and all hills; Fruitful trees, and all cedars: 10 Beasts, and all cattle; Creeping things, and flying fowl: 11 Kings of the earth, and all people; Princes, and all judges of the earth: 12 Both young men, and maidens; Old men, and children: 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord: For his name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven. 14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, The praise of all his saints; Even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord.

I used the KJV because it better shares the worship Everything owes our Lord. Even the dragons will praise him, you must Marvel and worship Jesus.

Is your home a Marveling home?

Are you know for your God-fearing?

I’ve read the histories of America, can you say that of our country?

Men when you make much of God so will your family and eventually so will your community. You are made to strengthen your family to lead and you will start a snow ball of faith tat can become an avalanche

ladies the way you do it is encourage your husband and your children. Will your husband is building lean into the gifts God has given you to bless him and your children by extension.

For the widows, build up your children, build and encourage the church.

How to Marvel, just start making a hymn of your life.