Miracles

A miracle is an event that is considered inexplicable by natural or scientific laws and is instead attributed to a supernatural or divine cause. The word miracle comes from the Latin word mirari, which means "to wonder". 

In the Bible, miracles are often seen as God performing something extraordinary to reveal himself to humanity.

According to the World Wide Web, aka Internet, Jesus performed 37 to 40 miracles in the Bible. I'm not talking about God's miracles. No one could ever account for all of them, with the birth of Jesus being one of them.  I want to talk about the miracles Jesus did

He turned water into wine

Made blind men see and deaf men hear

He healed a paralyzed man

Healed men with leprosy

Cast demons out of minds

Healed a man who could not speak

Rose Lazarus and a child of a synagogue leader from death.

Forgave SIN

Fed 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish.

John 21: 24-25 says "24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written."

I'm gonna believe John's account versus the internet...

Our gospel reading today (John 6:1-21) is of 3 miracles: feeding the 5000, walking on water, and bringing the boat to the shore in a short time.....

Now, when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, [17] and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. And it had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. [18] And the sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. [19] When therefore they had rowed about three or four miles, they beheld Jesus walking on the sea ( MIRACLE #2) and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. [20] But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." [21] They were willing, therefore, to receive Him into the boat, and immediately, the boat was at the land to which they were going.(MIRACLE #3)

This miracle also appears in the gospels of Mark (6:47-52) and Matthew (14:24-33). Both gospels contribute to a better understanding of what took place. Mark's gospel explains why they were afraid when they saw Jesus walking on the water. They thought he was a ghost. On the other hand, Matthew gives a much more detailed picture of the event.

In Mark's, as in John's version, Jesus identified himself by saying, "It is I; do not be afraid," the disciples calmed down and welcomed Jesus in the boat. Matthew gives additional information. "And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." (Matthew 14:28 NASB)

Peter's fear of the voice on the water was so deep that he would instead go to the voice, even if it meant leaving the boat's safety rather than letting the person in the boat with them. I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to take my chances letting someone in the boat with me than to step out of the boat on a stormy sea.

But not Peter. Why?

Well, the text already answers that question: He was afraid. It doesn't say he was rational; it says he was afraid. Is fear ever rational?

Well, yes. It is rational to be afraid to jump off a bridge with nothing but a bungee cord tied to your feet. It is irrational not to be frightened.

As Matthew's version of the miracle goes, Peter stepped out onto the water and began to walk toward Jesus. However, when he became aware of his fears again, his faith flickered, and he began to sink into the water. In sheer desperation, he cried out, "Lord save me." (Matt. 14:30). Though his faith flickered, it didn't fail him, and neither did Jesus. Jesus reached out his hand and saved him.

John gives a much shorter version of the miracle. John doesn't even mention Peter, the star of Matthew's version. Why? The drama of Peter's encounter with Jesus would muddle his point rather than illustrate it.

The story of Peter walking on the water is powerful (Matthew 14:22-33). It dramatically illustrates the Yo-Yo syndrome. You know, every Christian struggles between fear and faith and between following Christ and forsaking Him. In one moment, we shudder with fear; the next, we stand tall in faith. One moment, we are willing to do whatever it takes to serve the Lord; the next, we count the personal costs and say they are too high. Maybe John didn't include this part of the story because he wanted to avoid losing his message in the illustration.

When you read John 6:16-21, do you sense a matter-of-fact tone to the text? Though this was one of the miracles or signs as John calls them, in his gospel, he doesn't refer to it as a sign. It is almost as if he only included it to explain how Jesus got from one side of the sea, a body of water 6 miles wide and 16 miles long (Calvin, V. XVII, p. 236) to the other. The miraculous aspect of what took place was almost assumed. It, indeed, wasn't trumpeted. Why? John's focus at this point of His gospel was to underscore the mission of Jesus, not to recount the details of one of Jesus' miracles. Remember, John weaves miracles in his text to serve as a signpost that points the reader to Jesus as the Savior.

Chapter 6, verse 15 explains why Jesus separated Himself from the disciples and walked on water: "Jesus therefore perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force, to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone." (John 6:15 )

Jesus had no political ambitions. His only desire was to complete the mission the Father sent Him on. He did not come to be famous or make people's lives easier; he came to be the world's Savior.

It was his mission that was important, not the approval of men, the power of leadership, or the prestige of popularity. He had a mission, and he was determined to complete it.

So, have you ever wondered what faith and love have to do with one another? How are they connected?

Faith works by love. It is energized by love. Faith is put into motion by love. Why is that?

In 1 Corinthians 13, read the whole passage of the bible. Pg 1382

God wants us to walk in love because love never fails. He wants the best for us, and since the best is found in love, you and I must walk in love to receive God's best. This includes honoring Him, forgiving, and walking in the fruit of the Spirit.

You and I cannot pick and choose what we want to believe from God's Word and disregard the rest. It's all connected, and it all centers around love. Faith and love are connected.

Miracles are seen every day and everyone in here is a miracle, if you need to see these miracles, look around. but if you dont have the love of God in you, you will never have faith and without walking in faith, neither can you walk in faith without walking in love. For God . Amen