¶ … Sign Miracles of Jesus Christ
During Jesus' life, he performed many miracles, a large number of which are recorded throughout the bible in various books. Some of these miracles are mentioned by more than one disciple, and some take on more significance than others. Each of the miracles adds to the perceived ability of Jesus and his tie to God himself. Among them were the eight sign miracles that will be discussed here. These miracles not only point to Jesus' abilities, they also indicate his deity. While skeptics remain, there is much evidence that the miracles performed by Jesus actually occurred. Here, it is important to address all eight of the sign miracles and why they point to Jesus' deity.
The Healing of the Lame Man
One of the first miracles performed was the healing of the lame man (Hoffman, 2004). This man had been at the pool at Bethesda for 38 years, but was not able to get into the water on his own. He was waiting for someone to help him into the water, but no one had -- and so he had been living right there by the pool. When Jesus came to the pool, he told the man to get up and be well (The Holy Bible, 1984). This was evidence of his deity before it showed that he could perform miracles that others could not do (Towns, 2002). Additionally, Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath day, something the Pharisees would not consider doing. The man had been lame for such a long period of time, but Jesus made him like new in an instant (Towns, 2002). That was truly a miracle, and would not be "realistic" in the sense that a person who did not have deity could not perform something like this. Those who saw the miracle take place were further convinced that Jesus had powers beyond that of a normal person, and that he was who he claimed to be -- the Son...
This nobleman went to Jesus and asked him to heal his son, who was dying (Towns, 2002). Jesus did not go to the son, but just told the man that his son was healed, and to go home. The man did so, and as he was heading home his servants came to him and said that his son was alive (Towns, 2002). Naturally the man was very grateful, and he also realized that the time of the son's recovery coincided with the time when Jesus said the son would be healed. Because of that, he believed that Jesus was who he said he was, and that he really could perform miracles (Towns, 2002). The man's entire household all decided that they would believe in Jesus and in God (Morris, 1989). This is evidence of his deity, because it shows his power over space. He did not need to go to the dying person to heal them, and was able to do it with only a word from wherever he was located at the time (Towns, 2002; Morris, 1989).
Turning Water into Wine
The miracle of turning water into wine is one of the most commonly discussed miracles performed by Jesus. The story goes that the wedding celebration was running out of wine to offer, and Jesus asked that someone bring him water. He turned all the water into wine, so there would be enough for everyone (Riches, 2000). This points to his deity because it shows how he has power over creation (Towns, 2002). He can take something and use it to create something else, which is not something that is able to be done by any normal human in the way Jesus did it. That is very important when recognizing his deity, because having control over creation is a power that has been attributed to God, and Jesus is purported to be God's son, acting in his…
