New Testament · Miracles
The Miracles of Jesus
9 minute readbeginner
Signs that point beyond themselves to who Jesus is and what the kingdom looks like.
By the end of this lesson
Categorise Jesus' miracles and explain what the Gospels say they signify.
Passages to read first
- Mark 2:1-12
- Mark 4:35-41
- John 9
- John 11:1-44
Historical context
Illness in the first century often carried social consequences as severe as physical ones. Leprosy and certain conditions brought ritual exclusion, so healing meant restoration to family, worship and community, not merely relief of symptoms.
The lesson
The Gospels record roughly four kinds of miracle: healings, exorcisms, power over nature, and raising the dead. John prefers to call them signs, because their purpose is to point.
They point to identity. Stilling the storm leaves the disciples asking who this is that even wind and sea obey. Forgiving the paralysed man's sins provokes the charge of blasphemy — the healing is offered as evidence for the harder claim.
They point to the kingdom. When John the Baptist asks whether Jesus is the one, the answer lists healings and good news to the poor — Isaiah's picture of restoration arriving in person.
They are consistently personal. Jesus asks Bartimaeus what he wants. He touches a leper, which no one did. At Lazarus' tomb, knowing what he is about to do, he weeps.
They are also limited and deliberate. Jesus does not heal everyone in Judea, refuses to perform signs on demand, and often tells people to stay quiet. The miracles are previews of a restored creation, not a system for guaranteeing outcomes now — which is why faithful people still pray and still suffer.
People
Jesus · Bartimaeus · Lazarus · Martha · Mary
Places
Capernaum · Sea of Galilee · Bethany · Jerusalem
Reflection questions
- Why does John call miracles signs?
- What does it mean that Jesus wept at a tomb he was about to empty?
- How do you hold together honest prayer for healing and unanswered prayer?
Put it into practice
Read John 11 and note every time Jesus deliberately delays or engages a person rather than the problem.
Cross references
- Isaiah 35:5-6
- Matthew 11:2-6
- John 20:30-31
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Key takeaway
Miracles are signs of a kingdom breaking in, not a mechanism for controlling outcomes.
Knowledge check
1 question. Nothing is graded against you — this is just to see what stuck.
1. What term does John use for Jesus' miracles?
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