Are Miracles Really as Miraculous as We Think They Are?

I'm amazed at how many people reject the Bible because of the "unbelievable miracles that are totally unrealistic" in their minds.

Be careful if this is how you think.

This mindset is not just a rejection of the Bible or the concept of miracles, it's a rejection of God Himself. Here's why: if there is a God, logically there can be miracles (the temporary suspension of the way nature typically works) for God, being omnipotent, can do as He pleases. These miracles were witnessed by tens of thousands of people in history and recorded on reliable documents (the biblical documents) as evidence of God's existence and will.

Besides, what is the definition of a miracle? Who decides what a "miracle" is or is not?

If water traveled upward into the sky, we would call that a miracle. But water falling downward isn't anything fantastic in our eyes? If a body of water separates in two so that people can travel through it (the Exodus), we call that a miracle. But if land splits in two, we call that an earthquake. If a man is born of a virgin, we call that a miracle. But if a woman is impregnated via in vitro fertilization, we think that's quite normal!

If WE are able to impregnate a woman who has never had sexual relations with a man, how much more is GOD able to do that as well?

Is God unable to appear to us in the form of a man? Is God unable to allow his human body to be killed? Is God unable to raise that human body? As the Bible says, "Nothing is too hard for the Lord" (Genesis 18:14).

Have you ever considered the fact that God is personal? And if He's personal, then we can relate to Him. If we can relate to Him, then we can offend and anger Him. If we can offend and anger Him, we can expect to face a consequence for that.

Why would you choose to not think about the most important questions anyone could ever ask? Why would you choose to follow the cult of typical thinking and conclude it's impossible to know the answers to these things?

Why Caring for the Poor Your Whole Life Doesn't Necessarily Mean You're a Good Person

Let's say a man owns many plants and a dog. If that man is good to his plants, meticulously taking care of them with precision and care every day of his life, but he's cruel towards his dog, beating him and ignoring his basic needs, would you consider that man good? Of course not. Why? Because the admirable treatment of lesser beings (the plants) doesn't justify or atone for the poor treatment of higher beings (animals).

In the same way, if a man is good to humans (through philanthropy or charitable work his whole life), that doesn't excuse his poor treatment of God (never thanking God for his life, being angry and bitter towards Him, not seeking Him, not obeying his commandments, ignoring his work in the world, blaming Him for the evils of the world, not bringing glory to Him, etc.) That's because caring for lesser beings (humans) doesn't justify our poor treatment of the higher being (God). And even though good treatment of humans is often times indicative of a love for God (Matt.25:37-40), it is not necessarily indicative of it. Many who hate God (atheists, etc.) do wonderful things for people.

Thankfully, God has provided a way for you and I to be forgiven for our poor treatment of Him. Instead of immediately punishing us, he punished his perfect Son, Jesus Christ, on our behalf. All who believe in Jesus with sincerity and love will be forgiven and escape the judgment He'll one day bring to every human being. Do you know how angry and vengeful we get at other human beings who mistreat vegetation and animals? They're ostracized from society! But God, who "does not treat us as our sins deserve" (Psalm 103:10) is not like us. He is full of compassion and mercy and will forgive, save, and give us eternal life if we change our core beliefs about ourselves and Him (repent) and believe the words of his Son, Jesus.

10 Unfamiliar, Shocking Statements Jesus Made (And What They Mean)

Statement #8: "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" - Matthew 27:46

This statement may not be unfamiliar to most, but it is surprising and confusing. There are two HUGE mistakes people make when coming to terms with this statement made by Jesus when he was on the cross.

Mistake #1 (commonly made by unbelievers): It is commonly believed by a number of secular scholars that Jesus is disillusioned and confused here. They say this is the ultimate moment of tragedy in Jesus' life. Jesus, in their view, thought that God was going to give him the victory over his adversaries, but now, on the cross, Jesus's hopes are dashed and so he cries out, "Why have you forsaken me? Why have you abandoned me in this holy agenda to reform this nation?" Secular scholars are sure to "respect" Jesus by saying his attempts at religious reform were commendable, but ultimately he went too far. However, they go on to say his life wasn't a waste for he exemplified love, sacrifice, humility, and "how to be truly human" inspiring generations of people to live the same way.

The Truth: This interpretation is completely flawed, and I would even go so far as to say willfully ignorant, for this reason: All throughout Jesus' ministry he told people he was going to die. Secular scholars reply by saying, "No, Jesus never predicted his own death. His disciples made that up to make it look like Jesus knew what he was doing." If that's true, though, why did his disciples include Jesus' cry, "Why have you forsaken me?" If Jesus' disciples were trying to make it look like Jesus knew what he was doing by adding untrue statements of him predicting his own death, then why include the statement, "Why have you forsaken me?" Makes no sense. The truth is, Jesus knew exactly what he was doing.

So why did Jesus question God in this way? We'll get to that in just a second, but first I want to address the other common interpretive mistake people make concerning this statement:

Mistake #2 (commonly made by believers): It is often believed by many Christians that because Jesus is not only fully divine, but fully human, he is struggling with doubt here. This is basically a softened version of mistake #1. They wouldn't agree with the secular view of this incident that says Jesus is a victim of the powers of his day, a man whose plan had gone awry. They would say that the plan (to be a substitute sacrifice for sin) was still in place, but Jesus, in his humanity, was doubting that plan. In his heart he knew it had to be, but in his humanity he was struggling.

As a result of holding this view, it is unfortunately preached that it is o.k. for Christians to doubt, (since Jesus did too). This is a common belief taught by many Christian counselors and psychologists as well as those in the emergent movement. They say, "It's ok to doubt. It's ok to even be angry with God. He can handle it." This is foolishness though. Never is it acceptable to doubt God, and never is it acceptable to be angry with God. You will not find one verse in all of Scripture that commends or allows for doubt and anger towards God. Those who would disagree with me on this point would point to a number of prophets, psalmists, etc. that express doubt and anger toward God and his ways. But just because something is described in Scripture doesn't mean it's prescribed; just because it's portrayed doesn't mean it's permitted. The whole reason Jesus suffered for our sins was to remove the hostility between us and God. Why would he then approve of being angry at God? And concerning doubt, Scripture is explicit: "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not supposed that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-7).

So, why did Jesus make that statement, then? Two reasons (with the most important reason given first):

1.) Jesus was making sure everyone around him knew that he was fulfilling Scripture. The cry that Jesus made was a verse from Psalm 22, a messianic Psalm that predicted the Messiah's death. In fact, in v.16 of that Psalm, David makes this very odd statement: "They have pierced my hands and feet." All throughout the Psalms, David often times spoke of himself as a blameless man who deserved to be blessed of God for keeping God's law perfectly, as well as a king of divine appointment who suffers unjustly at the hands of his enemies. But was David blameless? Did David keep God's laws perfectly? Obviously not. He was a great sinner. Did David deserve God's blessing? Of course not. None of us do. The truth is, as Jesus taught, most of the Psalms were in reference to him (Luke 24:44). They pointed God's people to the the anointed Son-King who would suffer unjustly at the hands of his enemies, but ultimately triumph over them, dashing them to pieces like a clay pot (Psalm 2). When Jesus cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" every Jew within earshot would have known he was quoting Psalm 22:1. None of them made the connection of him being the Messiah because of it, but later his disciples would understand. Jesus wasn't expressing doubt or confusion. Just the opposite: He was expressing certainty about who He was and what he was doing.

2.) Lest we deny the humanity of Jesus, we need to realize he was also expressing genuine agony and pain. I'm sure tears were in his eyes. Obviously he was exhausted and filled with extreme pain. Not primarily physical pain, but emotional, psychological, and spiritual pain over being forsaken by the Father. And as Isaiah 53 says, everyone thought his death was proof that God wasn't on Jesus' side; that God was punishing him for being blasphemous and wrong: "We esteemed his stricken." But, Isaiah goes on to say, "BUT, he was pierced for OUR transgressions." In other words, he wasn't being punished for HIS sins. He was being punished for OUR sins. This punishment, this rejection, this abandonment Jesus received was more horrendous than you or I will ever be able to imagine, and even throughout all of eternity "I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross." Jesus was experiencing the horror of all horrors: God's full wrath for every sin that had ever been committed by those he was dying for.

It's helpful to keep in mind that just because people cry, "Why?" doesn't mean they're confused. I cry "why?" very often when I go through painful times, but even in the midst of my heartache, I know exactly why: because God is testing and strengthening my faith, causing me to depend on Him for my good and His glory. Jesus' statement was a cry of agony, not confusion.

The Lord Jesus was not a misguided, confused, self-appointed prophet with a mistaken messianic complex. He was the Son of God, the King, the Messiah, the anointed one, the promised one of the Old Testament, and he was dying at the hands of wicked men out of his great love for you and me.

10 Unfamiliar, Shocking Statements Jesus Made (And What They Mean)

Statement #9: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26).

This shocking statement by Jesus is a head-scratcher for many, but it doesn't need to be. All that needs to be understood is the context. Not just the literary context (the surrounding verses the statement was spoken in), but, most especially, in this case, the historical context (the time and place the statement was spoken in) ...

People back then didn't pride themselves in going against family values and beliefs like many do today. In those days, you adopted what your family believed and that was it. Not a whole lot of independent thinking going on. You didn't have access to information back then like you do today - no internet, no radio, no t.v., ... for goodness sake most didn't even have access to books! To believe something different from your family was the biggest slap in the face you could give them. Especially since your family was all you had. It was an agrarian culture. People grew up in small villages, they lived with their family, they worked with their family, and they were totally dependent on their family for their very livelihood. There were no government programs to help you if you lost your job or got into financial trouble, nor were there programs for the orphans, widows, and elderly. Your family was your program.

Now, imagine telling your family - your sole source of security and identity - this: "Guys, I've decided to follow this man, Jesus. I've decided to adopt his teachings, his whole belief system and his worldview. And this man, Jesus, says that our religion, Judaism, is spiritually bankrupt, that it's been hijacked by a bunch of hypocrites, and is in danger of experiencing the judgment of God. He says that we have a self-righteous approach to God. He says that we're just as sinful and lost as the Gentiles and he is demanding that every Jew abandon Judaism (as taught by the current spiritual leadership) and follow him."

Saying this to your family would have been the biggest slap in the face you could give them. And it would have cost you everything - your whole life! As a result, most Jews rejected Jesus because they feared what others thought, they feared losing the security, benefits, and identity of their family. The last thing they wanted to see was a look of spite, hatred, and rejection coming from their own parents! The last thing they wanted was for their children to say them, "You're not welcome in our home anymore. You're not allowed to see your grandchildren anymore. We don't want your new theology rubbing off on them." They would have been devastated financially and emotionally for following Christ.

But Jesus said, "Don't let that happen. Do not let anything or anyone come between you and me. If something is dragging you away from me ... sever all ties." Why? Because rejection of Jesus leads to eternal condemnation. It leads to hell. It leads to an eternity of torment and pain apart from the loving presence of God. But acceptance of Jesus leads to eternal life. And, as Jesus said elsewhere, How is it going to profit you if you gain your family's acceptance, if you gain financial security, if you gain all the comforts and pleasures of this temporary life ... but lose your own soul and spend an eternity with no security, comfort, and joy? Don't trade an eternity of perfect bliss, enjoying the Creator of the universe, for a few fleeting moments!

Therefore, most specifically Jesus was saying, "In order to become my disciple and enter heaven you must despise anything or anyone that comes between you and me because that thing or person is going to keep you from an eternity of perfect existence."

Perhaps you're in a similar situation. Perhaps you find yourself in a "tug of war" battle. You know in your heart that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, but you're afraid of what it's going to cost you. My plea to you is this: Don't throw away eternity for a spec of time. If people are getting in the way of that, hate them. Reject them. Yes, Jesus has called us to love. But he's also caused us to hate. Not in the sense of despising them in your heart or treating them poorly, but treating them in such a way that they view your actions as hatred towards them. Jesus says, "If they view abandoning Judaism as hatred towards them, then so be it. Hate them."

And we, too, must be must be willing to do the same ... for the one who loved us, even when we wanted nothing to do with him.

10 Unfamiliar, Shocking Statements Jesus Made (And What They Mean)

Statement #10: "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will" (Luke 10:21).

Often times we only focus on the latter half of this statement (God revealing truth), overlooking (or ignoring) the first half (God hiding truth). In this passage, Jesus actually thanks God for hiding the truth of salvation ("these things"). Notice Jesus doesn't say, "Father, it's such a pity that you had to hide these important truths from the hardened unbeliever. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but you know what's best so I'll concede to your will." No. Jesus thanks the Father for hiding them from the hardened unbeliever. Jesus, unlike many evangelicals today, thanked God not only for his salvation, but his judgment. That's because judgment is justice; it's right and good. It also saves the world from further corruption. Therefore, even in judgment God is saving! David said, "I will sing of steadfast love and justice" (Psalm 101:1). There are all sorts of songs and prayers where God's people celebrate God's judgment on the wicked. Are you willing to sing of God's love and His justice?

Friends, we should not deny or even downplay God's judgment. It is right and just. But we do mourn over man's unwillingness to repent, and we do not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezek.18:32). We pray for them and love them and call them to the truth of Christ, but we also recognize that the judicial blinding that a hardened unbeliever receives is good and right and even worthy of our gratitude. But we also use this as a warning to examine ourselves and "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil.2:12).

It's Not Calvinism We Have a Problem With

When I teach Calvinism, or what men like George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, and John Owen have called "the doctrines of grace" or "the gospel of grace," Christians often times react negatively. They object, "I don't think God chooses who gets saved who goes to hell. That would be unfair. We're responsible for choosing him!"

But here's a provocative response to people's hostility towards Calvinism: If that's your reaction, you don't have a problem with Calvinism, you have a problem with the biblical doctrine of total depravity and original sin. Total depravity and original sin teach the following things:

1.) When you and I were brought into this earth, we were stillborn, spiritually speaking. As David said in the Psalms, "Behold I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" (51:5). That is to say, we were born "dead in our trespasses and sins," as Ephesians 2:1 says. Now, whatever it means to be "dead in our trespasses and sins," we know this: it's worse than being physically dead. Spiritual death is worse than physical death. If you're spiritually alive, but physically dead, you'll live forever. But if you're physically alive, but spiritually dead, you could potentially spend an eternity apart from God.

2.) We are all culpable for Adam's sin. Just listen to Romans 5:12: "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through the one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned..." Now, does this mean that you and I were physically there in the garden of Eden? Does this mean that you and I bit into the fruit that Adam and Eve bit into? No. We weren't guilty for what they did, but we are guilty of what they did. For example, I may not be guilty for another man's exact same sin (robbing a bank), but I am guilty of that man's sin in principle (greed).

You see, when Adam sinned he did exactly what you and I and everyone else would have done: he sided with evil's opinion about God (the evil of unrighteousness) and then tried to deal with his sin and shame in his own power (the evil of self-righteousness). In this sense, theologians call Adam our "figurehead" or "representative." He represented exactly what you and I would have done if we were put in the same circumstance - a circumstance that was totally loaded in our favor (perfect mental and physical health, happiness, bliss, strength, free access to God's help and wisdom, etc.).

So, in this sense, Adam's choice was our choice. Here's a helpful example: Have you ever heard the phrase "absolute power corrupts absolutely?" It means that if you give someone absolute power, it's going to corrupt them. This isn't just true of black people, it's true of white people, too. It's not just true of rich people, it's true of poor people. It's true of young and old, male and female. When someone is given total control, that person always does bad things with his or her control. That's why living in a democracy where leaders have checks and balances is necessary in order for human government to operate justly. Even then it's difficult for a leader to not abuse his power. All people are guilty of this. Many self-righteous people think to themselves, "Not me. I would use my power to better the world." Not so. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. You would do what others have done. History proves this. Now, not every person with absolute power has ruled to the worst of his ability, but he has still always abused his power to one degree or another.

The same is true of Adam's sin. Given the same circumstances, we would have done the same thing: we would have sided with Satan's view of God (unrighteousness) and then we would have tried to save ourselves by trying to deal with our own shame in our own power (self-righteousness). In this way, we all sin when Adam sinned.

So, as the Bible states "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6). And, "None is righteous; no, not one ... no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one" (Romans 3:10-12). Everyone is responsible. Everyone of us would have rejected God, therefore everyone of us are justly condemned and everyone of us have justly experienced the penalty of that sin: spiritual death.

So, the doctrines of original sin and total depravity teach that we, in effect, already had our chance. We already rejected God before we were born. We already sinned and turned from him. Any chance that God gives anyone after the fall of mankind is an undeserved chance. Many people think: God owes it to everyone to give them an opportunity for salvation. That's like saying all condemned murderers deserve a second trial.

Therefore, it is not surprising for God to save some and condemn others. It's surprising that he would save any at all! Instead of resisting God's sovereign choice and election, we ought to be trembling in our shoes that he chose to have mercy on us and spare us from a life of eternal torment away from his presence. This ought to utterly revolutionize our attitude towards God. We need to repent of the mistaken mindset that says, "I made it in because of my choice," and start saying, "I made it in because of his choice. I will live the rest of my life in humble, grateful obedience." Any other mindset simply leads to us to pride and self-righteousness.

Are Rules Antithetical to Relationship?

Never tell someone that Christianity is about a relationship rather than rules. Scripture is replete with rules on every page. David said "My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times" (Psalm 119:20) and "my hope is in your rules" (Psalm 119:43) and "when I think of your rules, I take comfort" (Psalm 119:52). In fact, when God commands us to be in relationship with Him, that's a rule. God's rules are wonderful because "your rules help me" (Psalm 119:75). Rules keep us from harming ourselves, and without the rules of God, we wouldn't even know how to have a relationship with God. I know the phrase is intended to keep people away from a legalistic approach to God, but there are better ways of explaining that to people than simplistic, cliche phrases. Instead, perhaps it would be more helpful to say, "You can't have a relationship with God by following all the rules. But the good news is that Jesus did that for us. When we believe this, God gives us His Spirit who then enables us to follow his rules."