(Miracles of the New Testament - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3)
In the first part of this study, we reviewed the reasons why Jesus performed miracles. In the next two parts we will look at many of the miracles themselves.
For convenience sake, we have divided the miracles into these categories: physical healings, Jesus' power over nature, the driving out of evil spirits, the raising of the dead and conversions. Finally, we want to look at the role of faith in these miracles.
The most prevalent of Jesus' miracles were:
Physical healings
The Scripture: Mark 7: 33-36
"While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged Him, 'Lord, if You are willing You can make me clean. Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' He said. 'Be clean!' And immediately the leprosy left him."
1. Who came to Jesus?
2. What did he say?
3. What did Jesus do and say?
4. What happened?
The Scripture: Mark 29-30
"As soon as they (Jesus and His disciples) left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So He went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them."
5. Where were Jesus and some of the disciples?
6. What was wrong with Simon's mother-in-law?
7. What happened when Jesus touched her?
The Scripture: Luke 17:11-14
"Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met Him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, 'Jesus, Master, have pity on us!' When He saw them, He said, 'Go show yourselves to the priest.' And as they went, they were cleansed."
8. Who came to Jesus?
9. What did they call to Jesus?
10. What did Jesus tell them to do?
11. What happened?
Jesus' Power over Nature
One of the more spectacular aspects of Jesus' miracles was His power over nature.
The Scripture: Matthew 9:23
"[Jesus] got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him saying, 'Lord, save us! We're going to drown.' He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him.'"
12. Where were Jesus and His disciples?
13. What happened?
14. What did the disciples do?
15. What did Jesus do?
16. What happened?
17. What did the disciples ask?
After John the Baptist's death, Jesus tried to retire to a solitary place, but the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. The disciples reminded Him that the crowds had not eaten in a long time. They told Jesus to send them away so they could go and buy food.
The Scripture: Matthew 14: 15-23
"Jesus replied, 'They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.' We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,' they answered. 'Bring them here to Me,' He said... Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children."
18. What was the problem?
19. What did Jesus tell the disciples?
20. What was their complaint?
21. What did Jesus do?
22. What was the result?
23. How much food was left over?
24. How many people were present?
Matthew relates a similar story in which Jesus fed four thousand people.
Casting out Evil Spirits
The New Testament records many instances of possession by evil spirits. Some authorities believe that Satan concentrated his forces during Jesus' lifetime on earth to challenge Him and His followers.
In Scripture, verse after verse, Jesus commanded evil spirits to come out of people. We'll look at two incidents.
The Scripture: Luke 8:26-30, 32-33
"Jesus was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 'What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!' For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' 'Legion,' he replied because many demons had gone into him. A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them and He gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs and the herd rushed down the steep bank, into the lake and was drowned."
25. What were some characteristics of this demon-possessed man?
26. What did the spirit ask Jesus?
27. What did he say his name was?
28. Why?
29. What did the demons beg Jesus to let them do?
30. What happened when they went into the pigs?
It is interesting to note that after he was cleansed, the man asked to become a disciple of Jesus.
Following His Transfiguration, Jesus came upon His disciples and the teachers of the law arguing with a man. The man said he had brought his son, who was possessed by an evil spirit, to the disciples to heal him. He said his son had been robbed of his speech. When he was seized by the spirit, it threw him to the ground, the boy gnashed his teeth foamed at the mouth and became rigid. The disciples had been unable to deliver him. When the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a convulsion.
The Scripture: Mark 9:25-27
"When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit, 'You deaf and dumb spirit,' He said, 'I command you come out of him and never enter him again.' The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out... Jesus took him (the boy) by the hand and lifted him to his feet and he stood up."
31. Who had come to the disciples?
32. What were the signs of his possession?
33. What did the spirit do when it saw Jesus?
34. What did Jesus do?
35. What did the spirit do?
36. What did Jesus do next?
In the third part of this study, we will continue looking at the miracles Jesus performed and at the role of faith in these miracles.
(Miracles of the New Testament - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3)
The Answers
- A man with leprosy
- “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean."
- He touched the man and said, "I am willing."
- The leprosy left him.
- At Simon and Andrew's house
- She was sick with a fever.
- The fever left her and she waited on them.
- Ten lepers
- "Have mercy on us."
- To show themselves to the priests
- They were cleansed.
- In a boat
- A storm came up.
- They cried out to Jesus that they were about to drown.
- He rebuked the storm.
- The storm abated.
- "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and waves obey Him."
- The people had had nothing to eat for a long time and they were in a solitary place.
- To feed the people
- They had only five loaves of bread and two fishes.
- After giving thanks, He gave the food to the disciples, and they gave it to the people.
- Everyone ate and everyone was satisfied.
- Twelve basketfuls or broken pieces
- Five thousand men, plus women and children
- He did not wear clothing or live in a house. He lived in solitary places and was extremely strong.
- "I beg of you, don't torture me."
- Legion
- Because many demons had gone into him
- Go into a herd of pigs
- The herd rushed down the steep bank into a lake and were drowned.
- A man and his demon-possessed son
- The boy was mute; the spirit threw him to the ground; he gnashed his teeth, foamed at the mouth and became rigid.
- It convulsed the boy.
- He commanded the spirit to come out of the boy and never return.
- It convulsed the boy, shrieked, and came out of him.
- He raised the boy to his feet.
All scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, New International Version
(unless otherwise indicated)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, New International Bible Society
Copyright © 2006 by JoAnne Sekowsky