Why did Jesus do miracles?

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When Jesus lived on this earth, he made some astounding claims. As a twelve-year-old, Jesus reminded his parents that God was his Father. In his sermons he said things like, “I am the light of the world… I am the way, the truth and the life… I am the living bread that came down from heaven…” (John 8:12, 14:6, 6:51). Near the end of his life, Jesus answered the question “Are you the Son of God,” saying, “Yes, it is as you say” (Matthew 26:64).

Jesus claimed to be divine. One would think that the divine would be able to do things on earth that mere humans could not. If Jesus really were divine, he should have been able to perform miracles.

Jesus did just that. He healed the sick, walked on water and even raised the dead. These miracles helped to support his claim that he was the true God come to earth to save mankind. Jesus said, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves” (John 14:11).

Jesus’ miracles did more than just support his divine claims. Jesus’ miracles provided him an audience to hear his message. Some came to see Jesus drawn by the prospect of seeing or receiving a miracle. When they came, Jesus also took the opportunity to tell them about the good news of forgiveness.

However, Jesus’ miracles were no mere marketing tool. Jesus genuinely cared about people and used his divine power to bring healing and happiness. The Bible tells us, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14).

Finally, Jesus’ miracles helped to build up the faith of those who believed in him. For example, one night Jesus slept in a boat while a deadly storm raged on the sea. Deathly afraid, Jesus’ friends woke him up and pleaded with him to do something. In a miracle of divine proportions, Jesus raised his hands, rebuked the wind and the water, and the storm immediately calmed (Luke 8:22-25). Jesus’ miracle of power over the storm helped bolster the weak faith of his friends.

To be tempted

Being Tempted?

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“Lead us not into temptation” – (Luke 11:14).

Those are familiar words from the Lord’s Prayer. Yet there seems to be something almost sinister about them. Would God actually lead you into temptation?

At times you may want to blame God for falling into temptation. Your circumstances maybe caused you to lie. Maybe the people around you were a bad influence on you. Can you blame that on God? The apostle James says you should not accuse God of tempting you because: “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone” (James 1:13).

Satan is the author of evil.

The reason the devil’s temptations work so well is because they connect with desires you have deep inside. “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin” (James 1:14-15).

Interestingly, there is one time in the Bible where it seems that God led someone into temptation. “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1). God led Jesus into the desert but it was the devil who tempted Him. And God knew that the devil would not succeed! This passage shows that the devil is real. The devil wants to lead people into sin. He wanted to tempt Jesus most of all.

The Holy Spirit wanted Jesus to trade places with you.

Jesus faced every temptation and hurt and disappointment you face. For all the times you have failed by giving in to temptation, Jesus succeeded. He succeeded as your substitute. When you believe that, God counts Jesus’ success as though it were yours.

Jesus Before His Ministry

What Was Jesus Doing Before He Began His Ministry?

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“Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.”  The Bible, in Luke 3:23, gives us that life-marker for Jesus.  The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) then go on to describe a three year ministry of Jesus.  So we know Jesus died, rose and ascended into heaven at about age 33.  What was Jesus doing all those years before he celebrated his 30th birthday?

Aside from the account of Jesus’ birth and infancy, there is only one account in the Bible about his boyhood.  That’s the time when the 12 year old Jesus was in the temple courts of Jerusalem amazing his teachers with his knowledge of the Scriptures.  You can read about it in Luke 2:41-52.  The account ends in an interesting way.  God tells us that the boy Jesus did not remain in Jerusalem in the temple.  Instead he was obedient to his earthly parents and went back with them to his hometown of Nazareth.  There in Nazareth, from age 12 to 30, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

That’s it.  That’s all we’ve got in the Bible about what Jesus was doing for all those years.  We might wish we had more.  That’s when it’s good to remember that the Bible wasn’t given to us so that we could know every detail of Jesus’ life on this earth.  It was given to us that we might be, as Paul once wrote to Timothy, “wise unto salvation.”  That’s a shorthand way of saying the Bible tells us exactly what we need to know about Jesus in order to believe in him and be saved.

Speaking of “saved,” consider that one little statement that summarizes 18 years of Jesus’ life and what it says about being saved.  “Jesus grew in favor with God and men.”  This means Jesus was loving God perfectly and loving his neighbor as himself perfectly for all those years.  He was keeping every single command of God’s holy will.  The Bible says that he was just like you and me except that he did not sin.  Jesus, true God from eternity, came to earth and became a perfect human being.

So what does that have to do with being saved?  It means you have a perfect Substitute.  Jesus places his perfection over your sin so that you may stand before God as not guilty.  Jesus himself affirmed this at his baptism when he told John that he had come “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).  And the apostle Paul underscored this truth when he said that Jesus “was born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

Peace

What does Jesus teach about Peace?

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It was more of the same: The usual morning battle to persuade the sixteen year old to get in and out of the shower in under an hour.  The struggle to get the seven month old fed, dressed, changed, and dressed again.  The usual clash with thousands of other drivers also trying to shave minutes off their daily commute times.  The mental fatigue involved with trying to figure out what went so wrong that there are separation papers in the glove box needing to be signed by Friday.  The physical wars all over the world covered daily on talk radio news.  It was more of the same.

As she squealed into stall number 21 five minutes late for work, the stupid bumper sticker on the Chevy in stall 20 caught her eye again as it did every day: “No Jesus no peace; Know Jesus know peace.” She scoffed to herself and then shouted out loud for all to hear, “What-EVER!” sounding a lot like her teenager.

Although the noise of life makes it difficult to have peace, this is exactly what Jesus promises, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

Jesus’ peace most likely won’t quiet a screaming child.  Jesus’ peace doesn’t guarantee a slick commute in the morning.  Jesus’ peace won’t make all your problems and all the world’s conflicts fade away.

Jesus does, however, promise a peace that will quiet your heart.  Knowing that Jesus came into this world to heal damaged relationships with God brings peace to a troubled soul.  Knowing that Jesus came to open wide the doors to heaven brings true peace to confused and searching minds.  Knowing that Jesus is waiting to welcome you to his eternal home where there will be no more “noise” makes all the noises of life a little easier to deal with.

Jesus promises, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”

How did we get the Bible?

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Very frankly, that question is the topic of lengthy books and scholarly study. After all, it’s a huge question! How do we know that we have what God originally gave? We want – and need – to know! Here’s a very brief explanation.

God gave the Old Testament in the Hebrew language, along with a bit of Aramaic (a cousin language to Hebrew). The Jews then took the originals and made copies. As they did, they had to be absolutely precise. The scribe was allowed to correct one error. If he were to make more than one error (in the whole book!) he had to throw away the copy, and start over. The copying was painstaking, careful work. Because of that, our copies of the Hebrew Old Testament are extremely consistent, with hardly any questions about the text at all.

God gave the New Testament in Greek, the common world language of that time. Because Christianity spread into Europe, North Africa, Turkey, etc., many copies had to be made. So, for example, one person would dictate the text, while several people made copies. The result is that we have hundreds and hundreds of copies of the New Testament, coming from those several different regions of the world. By comparing all the manuscripts, we are able to be positively sure of almost every single word in the Greek New Testament. In less than 1/10 of 1% of the text are there any questions at all as to what the text ought to read, and in each of those cases, no truth of the Bible is impacted.

One example. Matthew 1:18 begins, “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: …” But, quite a few Greek texts read, “the birth of Christ Jesus” instead of “the birth of Jesus Christ.” Some others read, “the birth of Christ,” and there’s even two which read “the birth of Jesus.” We’re not sure what the text ought to read. Because it’s God’s Word, we take every single word seriously. Yet we also realize that whether the text reads, “the birth of Jesus Christ” or “the birth of Christ Jesus” etc., there is no question whatsoever as to the point God is communicating.

So can you be sure that we have the Bible, the pure Word of God? The answer is “yes.” And we thank God for that, for He’s promised that even if the mountains were to pass away, yet His Word will never pass away (Matthew 24:35, 1 Peter 1:24-25)! God has preserved it! And He will!

He Calms Our Fears

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When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”… Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him (Luke 5:8,10,11).

Simon Peter and his friends were fishermen when they first knew Jesus. After a long night of catching nothing, they were ready to call it quits. But Jesus told them to put out their nets in the deep water. It was now the hottest and brightest part of the day. A catch of fish seemed even less likely at this point.

The miraculous catch Jesus gave them ripped their nets and caused their boats to sink! Immediately, Peter realized that this wasn’t just another teacher, but the Son of God. When Peter saw God’s power that day, he was filled with fear. More than ever, he felt the big difference between God and himself. He was a sinner and God was not. He was entirely at God’s mercy.

Maybe it was a huge thunderstorm or the power of crashing waves that first made you realize how big God is and how small you are. When we see the awesome wonders of God in this world, sometimes we feel the same way Peter did. Sometimes we conclude that we need to distance ourselves from God because of our sin. He is perfect and we are not. The Bible tells us that God has every right to punish us for all of eternity because of our sin. All of this strikes fear in our hearts. Jesus’ powerful miracles had this same effect on people. But at the same time, his miracles draw our attention to an important fact about our powerful God: he is here to save us. Jesus calms our fears.

Jesus told Peter, “Do not be afraid…” As God’s Son, he wasn’t there to harm Peter. He was there to save him, and that is just what he did when he died on the cross and rose again. Jesus’ words calm our fears as sinners before a holy God. Now, we don’t need to cry, “Away from me, Lord, for I am a sinner!” Instead, in the peace of his forgiveness, we can take the time to set down the nets of our daily work and follow him to something greater in his Word.

How Do I Deal With My Alcohol Problem?

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First, congratulations on your willingness to believe you have a problem.  That means you’ve gotten past the stage where you insist, “There’s no problem, I can quit any time I want.”  The Bible says, “So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12).  If you’re down on the ground looking at the mess in your life and thinking, “My drinking is behind all this,” you’re already on your way to real change.

You’ve probably tried some things already to get your drinking under control, like limiting your drinking to beer, or to drinking only after five or only on weekends.  Didn’t work, did it?  Or maybe you tried promises and resolutions – “That’s the last time I drink too much, I swear, I really mean it.”  That didn’t turn out too well either, did it?  It’s time to try doing something different.

The Bible says, “The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:15-16).  That means finding people you can be honest with, people who will understand your drinking problem, and talking and praying with them about your problem.  Forgiveness and strength are found in our relationship with Jesus Christ.  When James mentions “a righteous man,” he is speaking of believers who are clothed in Christ’s perfection.  The road to change will begin with Christ’s assurance of forgiveness.

Your best choice for people to talk with is going to be people who share your problem, people who have had a drinking problem but have found ways to stay sober.  They’ll know how to encourage you, and they’ll know when you’re not being as honest as you need to be.  They’re out there.  You can probably think of a few already.  Find them, start meeting with them regularly, and listen humbly to their recommendations.  A good place to start looking for them is at your local church–start by asking the pastor whom he might suggest.

And remember what the Bible said in James – “the Lord will raise him up.” It’s true. God has healing power he will put to work in your life.  Just don’t assume that that means you’ll end up without any cravings for alcohol or that you’ll be able to drink normally.  “Healing” may mean the simple ability to say “no” to your cravings, or having your obsession with drinking fade away.  And it’s definitely going to mean a renewed relationship with God, as you turn your problem over to him and humbly accept the help and direction he gives you through your new allies.  God bless this new direction in your life!

What is the Bible trying to tell me?

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If you’re like me, a book needs to grab you right from the start or you don’t keep reading.  Many people have wanted to read the Bible, only to get bogged down in the long list of unfamiliar names just five chapters into the book.  They stop reading.

The Bible seems like such an important book to so many people.  But it is very long.  It is not organized like a conventional book. Its message can seem so confusing.  I wish someone could condense the Bible’s message in a few sentences.  Just what is the Bible trying to say, anyway?

Break the entire Bible down to its barest minimum and you end up with two basic messages: The Law and the Gospel.  1)  The Law tells us that we have rebelled against God and as a result deserve God’s punishment, and 2) The Gospel tells us that God has saved us from the punishment of our rebellion through his Son, Jesus Christ and as a result we can live forever in heaven.

The Bible is full of passages that make demands of us.  The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) or Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) are some of the more familiar parts of the Bible that explain the kind of perfect life God demands.  When we fail in any way (either in what we say, think or do) – even just once – then we are no longer perfect.  We are rebels and sinners.  God says clearly in the Bible, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).

The Bible is also full of good news.  One of those passages is known by its familiar reference,John 3:16.  It reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  That’s good news!  God’s act of love trumps our sins.  Jesus has forgiven all our sins.  Heaven will be home for all who believe this!  Or, to quote the rest of Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God presents these two messages in many different ways in the Bible.  Most of those ways are through the real life events of real people – people you and I can identify with because they were rebels just like us.  And Jesus saved them just like us.  Read it and you’ll find out for yourself.

Godly Living

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When people die and go to heaven, they enjoy eternal pleasure not because they were good people. They enjoy eternal pleasure because they were confident that Jesus Christ lived not just a good, but a perfect life in their place. When people die and go to heaven, they enjoy eternal pleasure not because they were without sin. They enjoy eternal pleasure because they knew and rejoiced that Jesus Christ suffered the punishment for all their sins.

Jesus died for the sins of the world. Jesus died for you. It’s true! As the Lord gives you confidence that this is true, that Jesus is your Savior, you know that you have eternal life.

Jesus then says to you, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

You may not have grape vines at your house. You do have lamps. You have cords on your lamps. You plug in the cords. Why? You need power from the power plant. The power plant is the vine. Lamp cords are the branches. If a lamp remains connected to the power plant, it will light up a room. Apart from the power plant, a lamp does nothing.

You are a lamp. As a baptized child of the Lord certain that Jesus is your Savior, you are plugged in to the power plant, Jesus Christ. As you remain in Jesus, you will bear much fruit.

Christ’s love in you lights up a room. As you marvel at God’s forgiving love, you long to forgive those who sin against you. As you marvel at Jesus’ patience, you long to be patient with those who test you. As you marvel at Jesus’ gift of trust in him, you long to share the news of Jesus with those who don’t know him, that they also might trust him and be saved. You want them to learn to trust him and be saved too.

As you remain in Jesus, you will bear much fruit.

How can you remain in Jesus, how can you remain “plugged in?”

You can’t. You and I, even as Christians, still have a sinful flesh. If remaining in Jesus were left up to us, we surely would become unplugged.

It is God who works in us both to will and to act in line with his good pleasure. Thank God! He gives us the strength to remain in him.

What tools does God use to keep our love for him strong? He uses the Word of God. Read your Bible often. Use the church directory on this web page to find a place where you can hear the truth. God’s words are living and powerful. They fight off the tricks of the devil.

What tools does God use to keep our love for him strong? He uses our Baptism, which continues to assure us that we are dressed in the beautiful robe of Jesus’ perfection. He uses the Lord’s Supper, where God places on our lips the very tools which won our forgiveness, the body and blood of Jesus.

Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. Remain in him. Read his Word. Rejoice in your baptism. Celebrate his Holy Supper!

Connected to the power station, your lamp will burn brightly.

Why can’t people forget after I apologize?

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The friend I hurt with my sinful actions seems to have forgiven me. But he can’t forget. What’s wrong?

Nothing’s wrong. I need to remember that human beings are not machines. When we hurt each other, it cuts deeply, and deep cuts leave scars. I can’t expect my friend who has forgiven my wrong to delete all memory of that wrong from his mind automatically. People just don’t work that way.

But there are some things I can expect. I can expect that, if he has truly forgiven me, my friend will not keep bringing up my offense. That would not be in keeping with God’s advice in the Bible: “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). I can expect that my friend forgives me, even if he cannot forget right away.

I also can expect—and here’s the best part—that God has completely forgiven my sin. There is no offense of mine that Jesus left unpaid. He took my guilt upon himself and removed it forever.

Even though the sin is gone, the consequences may remain. It’s going to take a while for my friend to rebuild his trust in me after the way I hurt him. I need to give him time. But I also need to try my best to help him trust me again. That means showing the love God has for me by helping my friend, building him up, and forgiving him as I have been forgiven.