Why Did Jesus Do Miracles?

We’ve all heard of Jesus’ most well-known miracles, his walking on the water, feeding 5,000, healing lepers and raising Lazarus. In fact, many of these stories are so familiar to us that we zone out as they are being told. Familiarity dulls our sensitivity and we are no longer amazed.But think of the lepers who were healed and think of their families' reaction when they were able to return home. These people hadn’t read the Gospels, or any children’s Bible story books. These things happened to them. Imagine what they felt.They were amazed.This summer, we want to be amazed again by the miracles of Jesus, and we want to hear about them like we have never heard about them before.Why did he perform miracles?For one, people had needs and he cared about them and their concerns. In his first miracle, it was as simple as bailing out a distraught father by providing wine that he had not planned ahead well enough himself to provide for his guests. For the widow at Nain, it was bringing her son back to life so that he could continue to care for her.But there was more to his miracles than just the felt needs of people in his day.Once again, we are looking back on these things and we're familiar with the stories. The people who lived in that day were in the middle of it, and it was all new to them. We know about Jesus now. But when Jesus came on the scene and people started hearing about him, they did not know who he was or what he was there for. They were familiar with the Messiah who had been prophesied in their Scriptures, but this Jesus sure didn’t seem like him. They were expecting a conquering Messiah who would overthrow Rome. But this man carried no sword and taught his followers to love their Roman enemies. And he claims to be the Messiah foretold by their prophets?They saw no sword and did not hear political speeches. But their family members and friends were being healed. His powerful words were sweeping across the countryside and lives were being changed. It was abundantly clear that this man was different. He claimed to be the Messiah. But how could they know?Hebrews 2:3-4 says, “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles” (NIV). Jesus himself acknowledged that his people would never believe on him if they did not see any evidence that he was indeed the Son of God (John 4:48). He could have refused to give that verification, but he understood their skepticism, and he confirmed his claim with miracles.There is still more, however. Every one of Jesus' miracles, like everything that Jesus said and did, had a profound message in it. If we do not pay attention to the details, we miss the incredible message that accompanies each miracle.Every Sunday this summer, we’ll be amazed by a miracle, and we’ll be moved by the message behind it. Try to make it every week, and bring someone with you. For the weeks you miss, stay caught up on our app or online. Because these miracles were also meant for you!