I may have a few things to say about miracles.
Why?
In July I had the opportunity to share with a group of kids at summer camp about some miracles in the Bible. Studying and thinking about miracles in the Bible was fun, and there’s so many to choose from. And I always wanted to answer the question, “So what?”, as if a camper would be asking themselves that very question.
Why do miracles happen? Who cares? What’s the point of miracles in the Bible?
God does miracles for a reason and I think we, the readers, are invited to read and discover the reasons for ourselves. I think there’s a few reasons, from my own reading and thinking.
Now, not every reason I list will apply to every instance of miracles in the Bible, because every circumstance is different. People and stories and places are not the same throughout the Biblical corpus. But there are patterns, and that’s where we find clues for understanding God’s miracles.
We can say, generally speaking, that miracles happen (in the Bible — modern day miracles are a different matter altogether) because God wishes to make himself known. As the Creator has power over creation, and in his miracles he breaks past the walls of human understanding to reveal his worthiness to be worshiped as God alone. How many times throughout the Bible does a great miracle take place and the person who benefits from the miracle acknowledges the supremacy of Israel’s God? It happens a lot, especially to those outside the nation of Israel. And maybe that goes to show the point of miracles in these instances; God is not the God of Israel only, but the God of the whole world.
In Egypt, during Israel’s captivity under the oppressive rule of the pharaoh, God gave great power to Moses to work many amazing miracles, for two reasons: To bring about the salvation of his people, from Egypt into the Promised Land, and for judgment upon the Egyptians for their cruelty towards God’s people. God shows himself to be the Creator—who has the power to give and take away. The Creator has the authority and power to create and to reverse creation (this is, I think, part of divine judgment …. Just read the Old Testament prophets to see what I’m talking about).
The same is true of Jesus’ miracles throughout his ministry, especially in John’s gospel. The glory of the Son in revealing the Father is a major motif for John and is the impetus, really, for Jesus’ ministry. The miracles of Jesus in John demonstrate the glory of the Son, as he is the one who will bring salvation for God’s people and judgment against those who rejected him. But his miracles also show Jesus to be united with the Creator, and has authority and power to bring about new creation. If Jesus can heal somebody from their lifelong sickness, walk on water, multiply the loaves and fishes, raise somebody from the dead, and even have the authority to raise himself from the dead, then he can do great things for those who place their trust in him.
To summarize, miracles in the Bible, by and large reveal these things about God (and the list is by no means exhaustive):
to show that he is God;
to show that he has power over all things;
to rescue his people in various situations, but especially from being trapped in sin;
to show that he can be trusted;
to show that he is bringing restoration to the world.
Let us pray: Almighty God, your Son revealed in signs and miracles the wonder of your saving love. Renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by your mighty power; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Alternative Services, Collect for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost)