Yeshua of Nazareth performed amazing miracles … these miracles were life-giving to thousands of people, yet sometimes we don’t look further to see the significance of what he did. Like even the disciples, we miss the meanings in the parables and miracles, and it is an honor and privilege to look closer – see WHY Yeshua did what he did.
The miracles were not only to help people. They were His divine authority over everything on earth.
The first miracles (as seen in the book of Mark) that Yeshua performed were healing the sick and casting out demons. He showed the powers of darkness that He, the light of the world, had come and was in authority over them. Interestingly, he did not want to be immediately known as the Son of God. He stopped people from hearing, and he spoke to them in parables, saying “he who has ears to hear, let them hear.” He wanted his message of salvation to be heard and understood by those who WANTED it – those who knew they were sinners and wanted to be made righteous and whole – those who would diligently study His Words. His disciples did not begin this way; they often asked Yeshua for clarification.
The miracle of healing a paralyzed man
One sabbath day in Capernaum, (Matthew 9:1-8,Mark 2:1-12, and Luke 5:17-26 NKJV,) a paralyzed man was let down through the roof of the house where Yeshua was staying for Him to heal. There were Pharisees present. (The pharisees were experts in the law of God. However, they added their own laws, known as ‘fence’ laws, that would ensure that none of the Israelites would even come close to disobeying a law. However, in doing so they missed the meaning of the simple laws given at Mount Sinai, and worse, established themselves as lawbreakers. (See Deuteronomy 4:2))
Yeshua forgave the man’s sins, and the Pharisees had a big issue with that. They didn’t think he could forgive sins because they didn’t believe He was God. But in order that he might test their hardened hearts and offer them the opportunity to see and understand, Yeshua showed them – he miraculously healed the paralyzed man with divine power.
(Something interesting we might take note of was that immediately before displaying his power and authority in such an amazing way, Yeshua extinguished the Pharisees authority in one fell swoop – he told the man to take up his mat. That may seem like no big deal to us, but the Jews back then understood that it was against the Oral Law to carry something, like a mat, on the sabbath. Because the Oral Law was distracting the Jews from focusing on the actual law and the spirit of the law, and because the Pharisees asserted that their personal fence laws were necessary for everyone, (thereby adding to the law of God), it is important to understand that Yeshua was breaking down the Pharisees’ traditions; he was not breaking down the Law of God.)
Casting out demons
Yeshua silenced the demons he cast out because they knew He was the son of God (Mark 1:34.) At first, he wanted to keep it a secret. We can’t know for sure why, but we can make guesses based on why he refuses to do things in other cases. Sometimes because it was against the Law of God, (refer to the passage concerning Jesus’ tempting in Luke 4,) and sometimes, as he said, “His hour had not yet come.” (John 2:4 and John 7:6.)
Yeshua cast out demons with authority. (Examples of Yeshua casting out demons: Mark 1:21-28; 5:1-20; 7:24-30; 9:14-29) Yeshua was once approached by a Samaritan woman. (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30 NKJV) She begged Him to heal her daughter. Mathew says that Yeshua was silent. The disciples then asked Yeshua to send her away! Yeshua replied, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (By ‘lost sheep’, he meant the Israelites that were scattered in the exiles of the Old Testament.) The woman knew she was not a lost sheep. She was a Samaritan. But she responded, “Yes master. But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.”
Her response shows such a mind-blowing understanding of how God’s family works! She compared herself and her daughter to dogs in the master’s household. Dogs aren’t children, but they are still part of the household.
This was the point that the Samaritan woman was making. She told Yeshua, “But I am in your household! I know I’m a Samaritan, but I believe in You! Please accept me, even as a dog, and heal us with your mighty power.”
Yeshua then told her, ““O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”
Then, Yeshua accepted her into His household. He gave her the crumbs. And her daughter was healed. All because of her great faith.
This miracle showed three things:
1. Yeshua had authority to cast out the demon.
2. The woman, although a Samaritan, demonstrated by her faith that she was worthy of acceptance into God’s kingdom.
3. Yeshua had come to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But that did not mean that he would not honor the promises that God made to the foreigners
Proof of deity
Over the course of history, there have been many men who claimed to be messiahs, but we can easily understand that something that big should not be believed until it is proven to be true. So, the question would arise; how would people know for sure that Yeshua was the Messiah, other than that He said that he was?
The answer lies in the Prophetic books. Isaiah writes,
“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,
And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;
It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,
Even with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
The excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
The excellency of our God.
“Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.
Isaiah 35:1-6, NJKV
I understand that this passage relates to the coming of the Messiah. Whether it refers to the first or second coming, I do not know, but we can see that “the glory of the Lord” will come and He will “save”. Isaiah said there would be miraculous reversals of sickness (see the sentences in bold.)
The eyes of the blind opened -> John 9
The ears of the deaf unstopped and the dumb singing -> Mark 7:31-37 The lame leap like a deer -> John 5:1-15, Acts 14:8-10 (a miracle of Paul through the power of Jesus Christ.)
“The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” – Mathew 11:5, NKJV
Conclusions
The miracles that Jesus performed were not merely to heal the sick – they also illustrated His authority over creation, power over darkness, and the proof that he was the Salvation of God.
Yeshua knew he and his teachings would not be accepted by the Pharisees and Sadducees, because they held to unnecessary traditions instead of merely keeping the Law of God that Yeshua preached.
Thanks for reading!
Makayla
Yah's Girl 