Miracles and the Gospel

When you read the Gospels, it’s clear that Jesus did supernatural miracles during His ministry, including many miracles of healing.

But Jesus is no longer with his disciples in body. Would miracles cease? Would the power of Jesus leave with Jesus? No. Jesus promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” The presence and power of Jesus was with His Church through the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 3, this is the very first miracle we see the apostles do since Jesus ascended. God used Peter and John to heal a man who was crippled from birth.

That’s what this miracle communicated. The ministry and message of Jesus have not ceased, but continue in His followers – in His Church.

“The main point of the story is the continuing power of the name of Jesus to perform the same gracious and healing acts which were signs in the Gospels of the coming of the kingdom or rule of God.” –I. Howard Marshall

By healing this lame man, God is making it clear that Jesus is still the Messiah. And His followers carry the authority of Jesus because they carry the mission of Jesus.

So not only was Jesus a miracle worker, but Jesus made it clear to his disciples that they would do the same.

Miracles may not happen in the same way or the same frequency today, but they do happen.

I say that with certainty, because I’ve seen miracles happen. I’ve seen people on their deathbed be healed and recover. I’ve seen demons cast out of people. I’ve seen God heal disease, both in our country and others. We all saw and heard a miracle just a couple of weeks ago right here when Jeanne Chavez asked for prayer for breast cancer. We prayed, and God healed her days later. God still works miracles.

And I know God works miracles today because the work of the gospel goes on today. If God does miracles for the chief purpose of pointing to the gospel, it should be no shock that God is still pointing the gospel today, and sometimes He performs a miracle to do it.