by Garrett Glende
“It’s a miracle!” The expression is heard often in our culture, but do we ever pause to give much thought to what is actually being expressed by these few words? Most likely the person really just means that something highly unlikely just happened, maybe by luck or good fortune, but for the Christian the term “miracle” has a much more profound significance. When we think of miracles in the US, thoughts of defeating the Russians in Olympic hockey or something that happened on 34th street at Christmas time come to mind. But are these really miracles? Did God really have anything to do with an underdog US squad defeating the mighty pros from Russia? What is a miracle anyway and does God still work this way? Most importantly, how should we respond as Christians?
As we make our way through Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, it may seem like a weird time to bring up this topic, but he places it here because it is under the larger umbrella of God’s interactions with the world, two of which we looked at earlier (creation and providence). Grudem defines a miracle as “a less common kind of God’s activity in which he arouses people’s awe and wonder and bears witness to himself.” The qualifying phrase “less common” is necessary, as everything in the world is brought about by God’s action or decree, so there has to be some sort of distinction between a normal action of God and a miracle. Miracles are used specifically to make God’s name known and bring people to worship Him. Jesus and the apostles performed miracles so that their message would be authenticated and we often see that the crowds react in fear and amazement at what they have witnessed.
There are three words used in Scripture to speak of miracles. The first is “sign” (semeion) which is something that distinguishes itself from something else, usually referring to God’s power and omnipotence. The word “wonder” (teras) is also used when an extraordinary act causes people to be amazed and awe-struck. Thirdly, “mighty work” (dynamis) is used to describe the great power behind the miracle. These three words fit well into the definition that Grudem provides, showing that miracles are powerful events that point to the majesty and wonder of God, leaving the audience astonished.
Do miracles have anything to do with us today though? We don’t see seas parting, people feeding thousands with a few loaves and fish, or men rising from the dead. So is it logical to think that God doesn’t act in this way anymore because we never see it? We must first recognize that the high concentration of miracles throughout the period of biblical revelation was purposeful. The many miracles that Jesus and the apostles performed were done with the intent of authenticating their message. We no longer see these things performed by believers today because we have something more sure than signs and wonders, the holy word of God. Still, we must not think that God could not intervene in this way if it was pleasing to Him to do so.
We don’t see the same spectacles that the Israelites and early church members saw, but we still can see God’s hand working every day in our lives. Surely God does intervene directly throughout our time here on earth, but many times we might not notice. He could allow a car to swerve just in time to stay clear of you on the freeway or bring about a generous friend in a time of need. If we acknowledge the doctrine of God’s providence, then we know that He really has a chief role in all of life’s events, but there are certainly things that happen that are out of the ordinary. We should not presume on God that He is unable to get us out of seemingly impossible situations, as we so often do. When tough times come, it’s easy to give lip service to God’s faithfulness and provision, but do we really believe in our hearts that God can work miracles? Hopefully our knowledge of God’s power and sovereignty will cause us to trust Him more in all circumstances.
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