The Miracles of Jesus

Do Miracles Still Occur Today?

John 21:25 ^{Amplified Bible}

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were recorded [in detail] one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

            This is a somewhat shocking statement by John who reveals that the writers of the gospels had to be selective when chronicling the story of Jesus. In other words, Jesus told far more parables and performed far more miracles than are recorded in scripture.  Generally speaking, His miracles were to confirm His divine identity. Those who had spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear recognized His status as who He said He was...the prophesied Messiah and Son of God.

            The early church performed miracles to verify “the authenticity of God’s revelation and to usher in a new age among God’s people.” [1] So what about today? Are we wrong to seek and / or expect miracles to occur in our time?

            “There is nothing inappropriate in seeking miracles for the proper purposes for which they are given by God: to confirm the truthfulness of the gospel message, to bring help to those in need, to remove hindrances to people’s ministries, and to bring glory to God.” [2]

            There are various schools of thought regarding whether miracles continue today or ended when the last Apostle died. This isn’t conclusive proof; however, you may have experienced a miraculous event in your own life, which would confirm their existence to you. Perhaps not, but I know that God doesn’t entertain the whims of men. He is the great I AM THAT I AM who does as He so wills. I disagree that miracles are no longer needed, and I agree that their existence would definitely confirm God’s existence and that His power and authority over His creation is still in effect. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

[1] Holcomb, Justin; www.thegospelcoalition.org

[2] Grudem, Wayne; Systematic Theology, p.360.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Temple Tax

Matthew 17:24-27 ^NIV

“After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, ‘Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?’” -  Matthew 17:24

            This is an example of Jesus authority as God. He was and is essentially the king of all creation. While the temple tax was required of all Jewish men for the upkeep of first the tabernacle and then the Temple, being the king, Jesus was not required to pay such a tax. However, so as not to offend those who were unaware of His kingship, He paid the tax.

            Peter affirmative response to the collectors regarding the tax was somewhat ignorant, in that he honestly assumed, but didn’t actually know, whether Jesus paid the tax or not. This created a slightly awkward situation which Jesus handled gracefully and graciously. Although we are citizens of heaven, on earth we are to follow the rules of the authorities by being responsible, law abiding residents.

            The miracle comes when Jesus told Peter to “go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” 

            How does this relate to us today? Just as an ambassador keeps the local laws of the country he was visiting to properly represent the one who had sent him, so we, as ambassadors of Christ, are to abide by the laws of the land that have been established by men. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament

The Miracles of Jesus

Feeding the Five Thousand

John 6:1-14 ^NIV

“...Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.” - John 6:1-3

            This particular event was to be a teaching to strengthen the disciples faith. As evening approached it was apparent to Jesus that after a long day the throng of people would be very hungry. He asked Philip, who lived the closest to where they were*, where they could buy bread to feed the people? The number five thousand mentioned only accounted for the men, therefore, if you add both women and children to the number you could be looking at feeding at least ten thousand people, if not more. Jesus question was to see what Philip would answer. All Philip could do was give a negative response regarding why feeding the crowd wasn’t possible. Peter’s brother Andrew said there was a boy with a basket of two fish and five loaves of bread. He added that wasn’t nearly enough to feed so many people. What Jesus did then was meant to bolster the faith of the disciples. 

This was an example in line with Jesus words regarding faith and the amount needed to perform a miracle. Matthew 17:20 says: “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” The disciples had missed the point. 

Jesus lifted the bread and the fish up toward heaven and gave thanks to God. The miracle was that the two fish and five barley loaves fed everyone until they had had their fill and still there were leftovers. Jesus instructed his disciples to collect all the scraps so that nothing was wasted, and they came back to Him with twelve baskets of scraps. The people recognized the miracle and were ready to “force Him to be their king”, so Jesus slipped away into the hills to be by Himself. 

How does this miracle apply to us today?  It is a lesson in faith for us as well. The faith question makes one wonder why miracles of this magnitude don’t take place anymore? It depends on who you talk to. Missionaries from all parts of the globe speak of miraculous events taking place, yet they don’t seem to happen as often as it would appear in scripture. Though miracles in scripture at times seem bunched together, there may be days, weeks, months and in the case of the Old Testament miracles, even years that pass before another miracle might manifest itself. Like the existence of God Himself, just because you don’t see miracles doesn’t mean they aren’t happening. So don’t lose faith because things don’t take place the way you want or in the time frame you desire. Trust God. If a miracle is required God knows and will do what is necessary to bring things about. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament.

*Philip was from Bethsaida, which would have been approximately 9 miles away. 

The Miracles of Jesus

The Raising of Lazarus

John 11:1-45 ^NLT

“A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary, and Martha.”- John 11:1

            This miracle was solely for Jesus glorification and nothing else. After all the miracles that Jesus had performed throughout the gospels, this particular miracle would be climactic in that raising someone from the dead simply didn’t happen all that often. The participants in this story, though believers in Jesus as the Messiah, all had different reactions to this event. Mary and Martha, with whom Jesus was friends and had spent much time in their company, lamented that if only Jesus had been present He could have kept their brother Lazarus from dying. While still in Perea, the disciples were intrigued by the purposeful delay as Jesus allowed two days to pass before He left for Bethany. 

            It is estimated that it would have taken a full day to travel from Perea to Bethany. That would account for the day the messengers came from where Lazarus was to go to Jesus. Scripture says Jesus then waited an additional two days, which was a total of three days almost as a way of ensuring Lazarus’ death. On the fourth day Jesus ventured to where Lazarus lie. In the hot Palestinian climate the body of Lazarus would have already begun to decay, thus emitting the terrible smell of death.Why didn’t He come straightaway?

            Jesus had raised others from the dead, including Jairus’ daughter in Matthew 9:18-26 and the widow’s son in Luke 7:11-15, but this one was more personal. He knew Lazarus. He was a friend. He was close to Mary and Martha and undoubtedly would have done anything for them. So why the delay in coming? It was for the sole reason of showing all in attendance that God was the master over both life and death, even someone who had been dead for four full days. 

            Scripture tells us Jesus was angry and that He wept. While why He was angry seems unclear, it is widely thought that His anger was due to the unbelief that death was not the end of the road for Lazarus. Death is seen as being terminal. The end of life. But to Jesus, it was just another opportunity to show people how powerful their God was. His weeping may have been also due to their unbelief or simply because, seeing the sisters and the well-meaning mourners weeping and wailing over Lazarus’ death, He became overcome with emotion and wept along with them. Either scenario is possible. 

            As scripture shows us, even raising Lazarus from the dead did nothing to dissuade the religious leaders from wanting Jesus dead. Coming to this area, which was only two miles outside of Jerusalem, was risky for Jesus because of the disturbance He caused when He came into a town or city. The Pharisees were attempting keep the Roman government from bringing additional hardship to the Jewish nation. Their relationship with the Romans was tenuous at best. As long as they were quiet and obedient, the Romans gave them certain liberties. Jesus made waves wherever He went simply because of who He was.

            How does all this relate to us today?  First off, regardless of your circumstances, God always does what is necessary to do at the right time and always has.  Whether in Bible times or in this day and age, He is consistently God to His children. There is nothing He cannot do should He so choose to do it. It’s our responsibility to trust God no matter how things look. God wins all the time. Secondly, we can see that believing in God means death isn’t the end. We have an eternal home awaiting us. That, my friends, is very good news. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament

The Miracles of Jesus

The Man Born Blind

John 9:1-12 ^NLT

“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ‘Rabbi,’ his disciples asked him, ‘why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?’” - John 9:1-2

            In Jesus’ day, it was the common belief as perpetrated by the Pharisees, that a person’s suffering was the direct result of some great sin. Depending on their condition it could have been a sin committed either by themselves, or as with this man who was born blind, their parents, or grandparents. The disciples asked Jesus about this very thing, no doubt remembering Exodus 34:7 which says, “I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected — even children in the third and fourth generations.” Jesus was quick to respond that this man had this condition from birth so that God’s power could manifest itself in a miraculous way. 

There is no indication as to the age of this man. It’s also interesting that the blind man didn’t ask to be healed. Apparently the other blind people Jesus had encountered had had sight at one time in their life. Therefore perhaps this blind man wasn’t expecting to be given his sight.

Furthermore, it is interesting that Jesus never said to the blind man that he was healed or even that he would be healed if he followed the Lord’s instruction by washing off the mud covering his eyes with water from the Pool of Siloam. Now there is no indication as to where Jesus was walking when he encountered this blind man. It is completely possible that the Pool of Siloam was quite a distance away. It would have had to be faith that drove the man to follow Jesus instructions for walking a long distance without sight had to have been quite a chore. Having said that, I can believe that some, if not all, of the people present when this event took place would have followed the blind man, perhaps even directing him to the place he was told to go.

            Once the man had done what he was told and could see there were several reactions from those in attendance. The neighbors were both surprised and skeptical, at first not believing it to have been the same man they had given alms* to. The Pharisees revealed their disbelief and preconceived prejudice against Jesus. The man’s parents kept silent not wanting to be asked to leave their synagogue for supporting Jesus’ works. But now the once blind man had a different reaction altogether. His faith was rewarded and would no doubt continue to grow. In subsequent verses the man was brought before the Pharisees. He told them precisely what had taken place. The Pharisees, blind themselves due to their hatred for Jesus, stated that He could not be from God because He healed on the Sabbath. The man had a classic answer: to paraphrase, I don’t know anything about what you are saying. All I know is that I was born blind and now I can see. Facts will defeat prejudicial lies every time. 

            How does this relate to us? God heals who He chooses to heal, how He chooses to heal and when He chooses to heal. He healed those that were enemies of the Jews and the Jews themselves. He may choose to heal you of your affliction or for some reason known only to Him, He may choose not to. We must trust that God always knows what is best for us. He created us, surely He cares enough for us to sustain us in this life that He has given us. Don’t spend your time looking at your surroundings. To end, I quote a chorus: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament.

* The money people gave to the poor.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Lame Man by the Pool

John 5:1-15 ^NLT

“Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish Holy days. Inside the city near the Sheep Gate was the pool of Bethesda with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people - blind, lame or paralyzed - lay on the covered porches waiting for a certain movement of the water, for an angel of the Lord came from time to time and stirred up the water. And the first person to step in after the water was stirred was healed of whatever disease he had.”   - John 5:1-4

            Here we have another healing only this time there’s a bit of a twist. This particular man wasn’t asking to be healed. According to scripture this man had been lame for 38 years. No doubt he had lost all hope of being healed, for he couldn’t get into the pool himself and had no one to place him in the pool either. Jesus asked the crippled man what may appear on the surface to be a naïve question by asking the him if he would like to be made well.  Instead of simply saying ‘yes’, he said “I can’t, sir.” His explanation told the story.  There was no one to put him in the water at the appropriate time. To that Jesus replied, “Take up your mat and walk!” It was the Sabbath.

            The religious leaders of the day already had several run-ins with Jesus regarding breaking their restrictive, man-made rules. No working or walking on the Sabbath. So this man had broken two of their religious rules. The Pharisaic leaders quizzed the man, wanting to know who would do such a thing. The man didn’t know for Jesus had disappeared into a crowd. 

            Shortly after the man’s encounter with the religious leaders, Jesus returned to him to continue by telling him to stop sinning or something worse might happen to him. That statement leads us to believe that some sin may have caused the condition he had been in for the 38 years. There is no indication that this man came to faith in Christ, nor expressed any gratitude for his healing. I suppose that would show us that not all who are healed are thankful to the extent that they take the initiative to thank God. That is irrelevant in the respect that God does what He does regardless of the response He receives in return. 

            What does this event mean to us today?  No matter how helpless and hopeless you may feel in your situation, there is nothing God cannot do for you. There is no emotional hurt, or physical disease that is so firmly and deeply embedded in us that God cannot reach it and heal it. We must never let any situation cause us to lose hope. God always knows what He’s doing and does what He does for a very specific purpose. That applies even if the healing doesn’t come this side of heaven. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible, p. 2294, c.2007; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, c.2004.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Government Official’s Son

John 4:46-54 ^NLT

“When [a government official] heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.”- John 4:47

            The government official spoken of was more than likely an officer in King Herod’s service. He had to have walked 20 miles just to see Jesus showing that he obviously believed Jesus could heal his dying son. With all the healing the Lord had been doing throughout the countryside in big cities and tiny villages, word of these miracles must have gotten to this man. 

The officer, when speaking to Jesus showed Him respect by calling Him ‘Lord’ in verse 49. This title showed that the officer saw Jesus as having greater authority than he did. The officer’s faith must have been the same as the Centurion from Matthew 8 and John 7, for they both would give orders to their troops and their men never would have disregarded or disobeyed an order given. Therefore, when Jesus said to him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” (verse 49), the officer went straightaway without a word. As he was on his way home, his servants met him on the road and told him the news... “his son was alive and well”. 

Here John is showing, as his fellow disciples had done, that Jesus ministry was open to all, not just the Jews. This gentile officer’s faith was rewarded. He had to first believe, which is plain to see because he came such a long way just to see Jesus. Plus the scripture states in verse 50 that ‘he believed what Jesus had said and started home’. He put feet to his faith by submitting to Jesus and following his instructions.

How does this relate to us today?  We must understand the principle that we can’t simply say we believe Jesus can take care of our problem(s). We must act as if He can. When you pray regarding a problem or a need, live your life as if you believe Jesus is more than capable of doing what He has said He would do according to scripture. Quote verses back to the Lord as a means of bolstering our own faith. He enjoys hearing His word coming back to Him from our own lips. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible, p. 2293-2294, c. 2007.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Wedding at Cana

John 2:1-11 ^NLT

“The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told Him, ‘They have no more wine.’”- John 2:1-3

            Weddings were gala events that would last a whole week and involve the entire community. To run out of wine would be a travesty of grandiose proportions which would amount to a social disgrace that would haunt the newlyweds their whole life. This is why Mary brought running out of wine to Jesus attention. His response to her may have sounded curt and somewhat disrespectful, but in reality, the word ‘woman’ as a means of addressing someone, even ones mother, was considered a polite way for Jesus to speak to her. He was no longer under her care but was beginning His God given mission to save the world. That is why He said to her that it wasn’t yet His time. Expecting that Jesus would do what was necessary to remedy the situation, Mary told the servants to do whatever her son said. 

            It was customary for the wine to be diluted by three parts water to one part wine as the celebration moved on thru the week and the revelers taste for wine had dulled. This was the first miracle Jesus performed as He began His mission to save mankind. It was done so matter-of-factly that few even noticed. This was irrelevant to the Lord as He was simply responding to a socially important need.

            How can this relate to us today?  Perhaps we could take this event to mean to us that even the seemingly mundane things in life are important to someone and the Lord is always ready to meet the needs of His children. With His mission now complete Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for the saints. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible, p. 2283-2284, c.2007; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, c.2004.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Servant’s Ear

Luke 22:50-51 ^{The Amplified Bible}

“And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus replied, ‘Stop! No more of this.’ And He touched the ear and healed him.” 

                  This miracle was done in front of those who had come to arrest Jesus. Their hatred for him must have run so deep that they apparently didn’t even notice the miracle itself, so bent they were on locking him up. The gospel according to John gives us a little more information as to who sliced off the servant’s ear and what the name of the servant was. It was Peter, the impetuous one, who sliced off the servant’s ear and the name of the high priest’s servant was Malchus. Jesus wasn’t in favor of a violent incident, so He told the disciples to stop the violence immediately. He knew what fate awaited him and God wouldn’t be allowing anything to steer His plan off course.  

            Once again we see that it was Jesus touch that brought restoration to Malchus’ ear. It must’ve happened so fast that it is possible no one really notice the miracle take place. Peter obviously knew, since he was the slicer and being the recipient of the slice, Malchus also knew what had taken place. I would imagine this event might have changed Malchus’ life from that point on. Because of Jesus the consequences of Peter’s sudden, violent outburst was averted. 

            What can we learn from this incident? First of all, Jesus didn’t shy away from performing a miracle in the presence of his captors. He is the peacekeeper and does not condone violence, even when it is meant to defend Him. He had a path that He must follow and would not be deterred.

This should tell us that Jesus is determined to do that which must be done, whether it be back then or now. He does what pleases Him to do, for His will lines up perfectly with His Father. Therefore, we can be confident that God’s will for our life shall be performed when it is needed most. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Ricard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Ten Lepers

Luke 17:11-17 ^NLT

“As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’”- Luke 17:11-13

            Once again we find Jesus healing people who are outcasts of society. Leprosy was highly contagious, therefore, those with the disease stayed far away from others. While we don’t know exactly what town they are in, we know they are somewhere between Galilee and Samaria. Samaritans, according to the Jews, were nothing more than idolatrous half-breeds who were literally hated by the Jewish people. Leprosy is no respecter of persons; it infects whoever it will. In this case both Jews and Samaritans suffered together.

            Luke points out, as he often does, the fact that Jesus final destination is Jerusalem. That will be the culmination point of his heavenly mission. All along the way Jesus never hesitates to meet the needs of those suffering from various ailments. 

            The lepers cried out to Jesus, yet asked for nothing specifically, just that He have mercy on them. The Lord tells them to show themselves to the priest, which is the common ritualistic practice of those who had been unclean and believed they had been cleansed. It took faith to go when still in their leprous state, for little did they realize that their faith walk would find them progressively being healed as they followed Jesus instructions. 

            It is curious that only the Samaritan came back with praise on his lips for God. The others were healed as well yet it apparently didn’t enter their minds to return and thank both Jesus and God for their healing.

            How can we relate this to us today?  The one glaring point that stands out is that when God does something for you it is necessary for you to thank Him. It is not required. Jesus didn’t tell the ten lepers to come back to Him praising and thanking God, but you have to know that God is very pleased when we do. It means we get it. We understand that without God we truly are incapable of doing anything of eternal value. With each divine interaction we grow a little closer to our Lord. This is a very good thing and the only way to begin to know God even as we are known. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible, p.2244, c.2007; Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Copyright 2004.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Man with Dropsy

Luke 14:1-6 ^NLT

“One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely.”- Luke 14:1-2 

            Jesus had become a bit of an anomaly in that he was definitely a deviation from the norm. Therefore many people crowded about him watching his every move. There was a man there at the Pharisaic leader’s home with very swollen arms and legs*. Once again, for the 4^th time in Luke’s gospel, the question of healing on the Sabbath was raised. According to the Pharisees this was the same as working and strictly forbidden on the Sabbath. The Pharisaic leader and the others had no response to Jesus query. when He asked, “Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?” The silence was deafening. Without saying another word Jesus reached out and touched the man and sent him away completely healed. Jesus knew their laws and knew that they thought him a blasphemer. Knowing what must have been in their hearts, the Lord asked them the following question: “Which of you doesn’t work on the Sabbath? If your son or your cow falls into a pit, don’t you rush to get him out?” Again they had no response.

            The religious leaders in Jesus’ time were considered the ‘watchdogs’ of the faith. By all appearances the Pharisees were waiting for some theological flaw to arise out of Jesus’ teaching.  The leaders of the faith had personally added hundreds of additional rules and laws to be followed as a means of controlling the Jewish people. Jesus was the arbiter of grace, for he was God in human flesh who came to be among His creation for a time. He was there to reveal God’s gracious forgiveness that was offered to all. We should thank the Pharisees, for it was their rejection of Christ that caused God the Father to open salvation up to all non-Jews, as they were allowed to be grafted into the vine, who was Jesus. (Romans 11:11-31)

            How does this relate to us today? It should be fairly obvious that God pre-arranged (caused or allowed) all of the events that carried us thru the OT to and thru Jesus birth, life, ministry, and death to bring salvation to the world. The Pharisees, a once proud, righteous group who were the bastion of the Jewish faith had been reduced to an arrogant, self-righteous group who saw the Messiah as nothing more than a blaspheming heretic who sought to compromise what they had constructed.  Unbeknownst to them, God knew their rejection was coming and allowed Jesus to suffer in our place, thus opening the door for all to approach God as evidenced by the tearing of the 4” thick woven veil from the top to the bottom at Christ’s crucifixion. We must never allow ourselves to become like the Pharisees, thinking we are better than anyone else because we have been saved, perhaps for a long time. Remember, God looks upon the heart of every man, woman, and child. Nothing can be kept from Him, for He knows all that can be known. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Copyright 2004.

* Back then they called it ‘dropsy’, but today it is called ‘edema’...an excessive amount of fluid in tissue spaces or body cavities.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Crippled Woman

Luke 13:10-17 ^NLT

“One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight.”- Luke 13:10-11

            Once again we find Jesus teaching in a synagogue as was his practice whenever he came into a town. The Pharisaic law prohibited healing on the Sabbath, which was the day Jesus happened to be teaching.  The sad fact regarding the religious leaders of Jesus day was that they were unable to see past the laws that they themselves had instituted in the name of YHWH (YAWEH)* to what Jesus, out of compassion, was doing. We take note that when the leader of the synagogue protested about a healing taking place on the Sabbath he spoke to the crowd and not directly to Jesus. The thought here was that healing was considered part of a physician’s profession; therefore, Jesus was essentially working on the Sabbath. The Lord replied that the leaders of his day were hypocrites, in that they were working when they untied their animals and brought them out of their stalls for water. Which is greater, caring for your animals or healing a human being?

            The woman that Jesus healed had been in physical bondage to Satan for eighteen long years. It is incredible to see that with one statement she was totally healed. He didn’t touch her, but simply called her over and told her she was healed. The praising of God began all over again, as with every other time a miracle had taken place. The reason for the miracles was to reveal that God indeed was among his people and was able and willing to not only heal their sicknesses and physical disabilities, but forgive them of every sin they had ever done. 

            What does this mean for us today?  So many events in scripture relate to us today because God doesn’t change. He is consistently the same. He shows no favorites and has mercy and compassion toward His entire creation. That includes us. God heals as He so wills. He administers blessings to us regularly, even when we seem least aware of it. There are no such binding religious rules that would keep us from healing an individual on the Sabbath today. Yet God heals when and where he chooses and not when we ask all the time. We are to praise God for who He is and not withhold our praise because things don’t turn out the way we’d like them to. God knows what’s best for us and will never shortchange us in any facet of life. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible, p. 2234, c.2007; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Copyright 2004.

* YHWH was the way the Jews wrote God’s name because they felt unworthy to even speak His name. Today we refer to God in some cases as YAWEH, the complete name.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Widow’s Dead Son

Luke 7:11-17 ^NLT

“Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. ‘Don’t cry!’ he said.”- Luke 7:11-13

                  The village of Nain was just a few miles southeast of Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. As was the norm, once again a large crowd (no number is given) was following him. Wherever he went, whatever he was doing, there were throngs of people. This was only after his deeds had been broadcast throughout the land of Israel and beyond. Word of mouth travels fast and Jesus case was certainly no different.

                  We see in this story that Jesus saw the widow in the funeral procession and felt deep compassion for her loss. Because of whom he was he knew she had no husband, and the deceased was her only son. In those days a widow would become destitute without a male figure in her life to provide for and protect her. There would be no work for her to do so she would have to fall on the mercy of her community.  In this case Jesus corrected a desperate situation for this widow by merely touching the coffin and speaking a few words.

                  This miraculous event served as an illustration as to how the people themselves were dead in their sins and were in need of a spiritual resurrection. It also began to solidify Jesus as the oft prophesied Messiah that was to come. The news of this raising of the dead reached the ears of John the Baptist who sent his own disciples to ask Jesus if he was the expected Messiah. Jesus told them to tell John what they had seen. He didn’t answer them directly with a ’yes’ or ‘no’ answer, but rather allowed his actions to speak for him. It was true then and is still true today that you can know more about a person not by what they say, but by what they do. Hence the familiar phrase, “actions speak louder than words”.*

                  How does this relate to us today?  As mentioned above, without God we are all just dead men and women walking. Of course, we don’t realize this until we are confronted by the reality of Christ. As Christians it is our responsibility to BE Christ to the world around us so that they begin to realize that they are in need of redemption. Salvation from sin is available to all, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done in their life. Even though they must suffer the consequences of their sins this side of heaven, they are still not beyond the reach of God. We must learn to see others thru the eyes of God, for his eyes are not tainted with prejudice and/or judgment. If we ask Him to bless us in this way then we can attain more of a likeness to Christ for all to see. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible, c.2007; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Copyright 2004.

* Mark Twain said that, but the entire quote is: “Actions speak louder than words, but not nearly as often.”

The Miracles of Jesus

The Miraculous Catch of Fish

Luke 5:1-11 ^NLT

“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets*.”- Luke 5:1-2

            Feeling the crowd pressing in upon him, Jesus retreated to one of the boats and asked Peter, the owner of the boat, to push the boat away from the shore so he could speak from the water. That created a perfect amphitheater where the sound resonated throughout the area and all the people could hear him. When Jesus was finished teaching the crowd he turned to Peter and told him to go out to deeper water and let down his nets to catch some fish. It wasn’t a suggestion, but rather a directive. Peter was tired, having fished all night without catching one fish, but he honored the Lord’s wishes and to his amazement nearly as soon as the nets hit the water they were full to overflowing with fish. So much so that the nets had begun to break. Peter, realizing what was taking place dropped to his knees and asked Jesus to leave him for he was too great of a sinner to be anywhere near him. Jesus told him not to be afraid and let him know that from then on he would be fishing for men.

            Think about how Jesus must have felt with throngs of people following him and getting in his ‘personal space’, as some would say today. But it didn’t seem to faze the Lord. He simply adjusted the situation by moving to a higher place or taking a boat out a little ways into the water so all could hear him better. Even when pressed he exhibited a kind, selfless spirit, one that we sorely need ourselves. His main concern was introducing his hearers to the kingdom of God and the gift of redemption that awaited those who followed him.

            How does this story relate to us? We must grasp the significance of Jesus intermingling with the commoners of Israel. He invited the lowest individuals according to society’s norms to come, listen and be changed forever. This ruffled the feathers of the religious leaders as seen throughout the gospels. He comes to anyone who is in need, therefore, he comes to all because we are all sinners in need of his grace and forgiveness. It should also be said that just as Peter, James and John left their boats and followed Jesus, so we must leave our past behind us and commit our future solely to him. We must understand that following Jesus is much more than simply acknowledging him as Savior...he must also be the Lord of our lives. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible, c. 2007.

* “Fishermen on the Sea of Galilee used nets, often bell-shaped one with lead weights around the edges. A net would be thrown flat onto the water, and the lead weights would cause it to sink around the fish. Then the fishermen would pull on a cord, drawing the net around the fish. Nets had to be kept in good condition, so they would be washed to remove weeds and then mended.” - Note from Life Application Study Bible, p. 2195.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Blind Man at Bethsaida

Mark 8:22-26 ^NLT

“When (Jesus & his disciples) arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him.”- Mark 8:22

            Again, we see people begging Jesus to touch and heal someone as with yesterday’s miraculous event. I believe the people begged Jesus for a miracle because they were not at all accustomed to such things happening in their midst. They were amazed and frightened at the same time. Who is this man who can heal the sick with a single word or touch? Even in our society today we would be awestruck at seeing such a thing up close and personal. The only difference is that today people would find a million reasons as to why it wasn’t really a miracle. Man’s arrogance is his undoing. It reveals an incredible amount of ignorance regarding the truly important things in life.

Why did Jesus take the man by the hand and lead him outside the village? It would appear to be for the same reason as the previous post, to be alone with the man and not with a crowd of onlookers. In this particular case Jesus actually spit on the man’s eyes and then touched his eyes. Asking him what he could see may mean that this man wasn’t born blind, for how else would the man know that the people walking around by them looked like trees? How would he know what trees looked like? It was then that Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again and the man’s vision was completely restored. This man’s healing came in stages and was not instantaneous. The reason for this may be to show his disciples that not all healings were immediate, but rather gradual in nature.

            What does this mean for us today?  That God is a personal, one-on-one God who desires to deal with us on an individual basis. Knowing God as we hopefully do, we can accept miraculous events as natural when He is involved. Some responses come right away and some take time, but just as the man eventually left with his sight, so we will be satisfied with the answer God knows we need the most.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: Verse Notes from The Life Application Study Bible, p.2127; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Copyright 2004.

The Miracles of Jesus

The Deaf & Dumb Man

Mark 7:31-37 ^NLT

“Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns (the Decapolis). A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.”- Mark 7:31-32

            Word is getting around about the man who does miracles. A deaf man with a speech problem was brought to him. The people begged Jesus to heal him. The people didn’t yet know the true dynamic of God. One needn’t beg for anything from God, but merely ask. Jesus was more than willing to heal those in need for it was another example of his power and authority over his creation. 

            As mentioned in an earlier post, the Decapolis, or the Ten Towns, were inhabited by gentiles. God’s healing power was meant for all and not just the Jews. This is shown by his unhesitating willingness to touch ANYONE who was in need.

            Scripture tells us Jesus takes the deaf, mute man away from the crowd. It would appear that he had chosen to deal with this man on a more personal level. The Lord placed his fingers in his ears and then, spitting on his own fingers, touched the man’s tongue with his saliva. Then, looking up toward heaven Jesus said, “Be opened” and INSTANTLY the man could both hear and speak plainly.

            Why did Jesus tell the people not to speak of this event to anyone? “Jesus knew that publicity over such miracles might hinder His mission and divert public attention from His message.” ^[1] But the people disobeyed and even though the Lord took his ministry out into the desert region throngs of people still sought him out. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Copyright 2004.

^[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/do-not-tell.html

The Miracles of Jesus

Healing the Demon Possessed Man

Mark 1:21-28 ^NLT

Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil (unclean) spirit cried out, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”- Mark 1:23-24

 

“You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath]!” ^{(James 2:19 AMP)}

Since Jerusalem was too far for many Jews to travel to for worship on a regular basis, many towns build synagogues of their own. The synagogues served as a place of worship and as a school. The young boys would be taught the Old Testament and the Jewish religion during the week. Saturdays the men would gather there to hear a teaching from the scriptures. Since there was no permanent Rabbi (Teacher) present in each town, the town leaders would ask travelling teachers to speak on occasion. This is why Jesus would go into the Synagogues of the towns he visited. He spoke with the authority of God because he was God.

Demons were the fallen angels who rebelled against God in alliance with Lucifer. They can do much harm to a person yet are powerless in the presence of Jesus. This is why we see the evil spirit (demon) cry out to Jesus in the manner in which he does. The reason I put James 2:19 under today’s text is to show what scripture says about demons in relation to Christ. In each case of demon possession in the New Testament we see that the demons knew exactly who Jesus was and what power he wielded. In Jesus day they were quite active as a means of displaying Christ’s power and authority over them.

Everywhere Jesus performed miracles the people were amazed and somewhat alarmed. They had never seen such power with their own eyes and didn’t understand what was happening or who this man was. Could this be the Messiah the OT prophets spoke about?

            How does this apply to us today?  God has complete power and control over his entire creation. Even the demons of hell must submit to his authority. Satan is a defeated foe. We must allow to sink into the deepest recesses of our brain that nothing is impossible for God. No one can stand against him. No force is greater than him. Everything that can be known is known by him. God is the great I AM. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning, and the end. He is the yea and the amen. Live for him and prosper even as your soul prospers. Amen. 

Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Life Application Study Bible, footnotes from p.2098, Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Copyright 2004.

The Miracles of Jesus

Healing the Paralytic Man

Matthew 9:1-8 ^AMP

 (Some people) brought to Him (Jesus) a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. Seeing their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], Jesus said to the paralytic, “Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven [the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God].”- Matthew 9:2

            In Mark & Luke’s gospel account of this miraculous event, they have these people lowering the paralytic down thru the roof. That was no ordinary feat. They had to climb up onto the roof. Merchants homes would more than likely have stairs build within the home to get to the roof. Less fortunate people would have a wooden ladder to use to get up there. There may be thatch on the roof that would have needed to be moved aside and the men would have had to make a hole in the roof itself to lower the mat on which the man lay down into the midst of Jesus and the crowd of people within the home.

            I like the Amplified version of these verses because faith is alive and active, and this version uses that word ‘active’ in its text. They had heard of the miracles Jesus was performing and allowed their faith to rise up to the point of taking the paralyzed man to Jesus for healing. The Lord marveled at their incredible faith.

            Here we see the religious leaders grumbling and complaining again. They were talking quietly among themselves, saying that Jesus was blaspheming by actually forgiving the paralyzed man’s sins. They knew full well that only God can forgive sins. Jesus, knowing what was in their hearts, asked them why they had such evil thoughts in their hearts? Jesus then pointed out by example that forgiving sins is a greater miracle then healing the paralyzed man. Therefore, he performed the lesser miracle by simply telling the paralyzed man to stand up, take up his mat and go home. The people in the crowd were astounded at such a sight and began to praise God. Jesus had made his point. Anyone who can heal the sick would have the power to forgive sin, thus proving his power from on high directly to them.

            What can we learn from this for today? Never underestimate God’s ability to not only know your thoughts and the motivations of your heart, but also his ability to heal and forgive sins. No one is beyond the reach of God and being no respecter of persons he will absolutely do for you what he has done down thru the ages. Provide forgiveness, peace, hope and mercy to all who seek it. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Notes from The Living Translation Study Bible, p.2021.