Jesus and Miracles
The following table represents either miracles Jesus performs or comments He makes about miracles. It also examines the motives behind the miracle and the effect the miracle had on observers.
Passage | Miracle (and/or comment) | Motive (and/or effect) |
John 2:1-12 | Turning water into wine at the marriage of Cana | Petitioned - disciples believed in Him |
John 4:46-54 | Nobleman’s son healed | Petitioned/Compassion but noted the people would only believe if they saw miracles |
John 5:1-15 | Man with an infirmity 38 years is healed in Jerusalem at Bethesda | Compassion - but as it was a Sabbath the Jew’s were angry with Jesus |
John 5:19-20, 36 | Jesus says the works He does are a witness from the Father that He is His Son | Miracles are a witness from the Father |
Matt 8:1-4 Mark 1:40-45 Luke 5:12-15 | Leper cured (tell no one - but the priest) | Petitioned/Compassion (telling the priest is interesting as was potentially a Messianic sign Luke’s gospel mentions that as result many were healed) |
Matt 8:5-13 Luke 7:1-10 | Centurion's Servant healed | Petitioned/Compassion (amazed at centurion’s faith) |
Luke 7:11-17 | Raised the widow’s son at Nain | Compassion - done in public so the crowds marvelled |
Luke 7:18-23 | In response to John the Baptist’s question Jesus heals a number of people | Public demonstration Jesus’s Messianic claims |
Mark 1:21-28 Luke 4:31-37 | Capernaum synagogue - man with an unclean spirit cured | Compassion - done in public so the crowds marvelled |
Matt 8:14-15 Mark 1:29-31 Luke 4:38-39 | Peter’s mother-in-law healed of a fever | Compassion |
Matt 8:16 Mark 1:32-34 Luke 4:40-41 | Many in Capernaum healed and set free from demons (same day as Peter’s mother-in-law & centurion’s servant healed) | Petitioned/Compassion (the people of Capernaum responding to the healings they heard about that day) |
Matt 8:23-27 Mark 4:35-41 Luke 8:22-25 | Calms the wind and sea on Lake Galilee | Petitioned/Compassion (disappointed at the disciples lack of faith) |
Matt 8:28-34 Mark 5:1-20 Luke 8:26-39 | Demon possessed man set free (demons enter the pigs) | Compassion & Demonstration of Messianic authority? (local people beg Jesus to leave - cured man to tell people what the Lord had done for him) |
Matt 9:1-8 Mark 2:1-12 Luke 5:17-26 | The paralytic man who is forgiven | Demonstration of Jesus being God therefore He can forgive sins |
Mark 3:7-8 Luke 6:17-19 | Great multitude healed (Mark’s account does not refer to healings) | Petitioned/Compassion - - done in public |
Matt 9:18-25 Mark 5:21-43 Luke 8:40-56 | Young girl raised to life | Petitioned/Compassion - done in private |
Matt 9:20-22 Mark 5:25-34 Luke 8:43-48 | Woman with the issue of blood | Petitioned/Compassion - - done in public |
Matt 9:27-31 | Blind men healed | Petitioned/Compassion (told to keep it secret but spread the news anyway) |
Matt 9:32-34 | Mute man healed | Petitioned/Compassion - done in public so the crowds marvelled |
Matt 9:35-36 | Healed many in the cities and villages | Compassion |
Matt 11:1-6 | Refers to His miracles as evidence of His being the Messiah | Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Matt 11:20-24 Luke 10:13-16 | Judgement on Chorazin, Bethsaida & Capernaum for not repenting despite seeing the miracles | Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Luke 10:17-20 | Power of the disciples in healing and deliverance | Demonstration of the gospel |
Matt 12:9-13 Mark 3:1-6 Luke 6:6-11 | Man with a withered hand | Compassion & Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Matt 12:22-23 | Mute and blind man | Petitioned.Compassion & Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Matt 12:24-30 Mark 3:20-27 Luke 11:14-23 | Defence of His miracles as from God not Satan | Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Matt 12:38-42 | Pharisees demand a sign | Jesus refuses their request - wrong motive |
Matt 13:53-58 Mark 6:1-6 | Few miracles in Nazareth | Lack of miracles due to unbelief |
Matt 14:13-21 Mark 6:30-44 Luke 9:10-17 John 6:1-14 | Feeding the Five Thousand | Compassion but also a very public demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Matt 14:22-33 Mark 6:45-52 John 6:15-21 | Jesus (& Peter) walk on the Sea of Galilee then the wind stops | Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
John 9:1-12 | Whilst in Jerusalem Jesus heals a man born blind | Compassion and to make a point to His disciples |
John 10:32, 37-38 | Believe the miracles so that you may know ‘that the Father is in me and I in Him’ | Miracles are a witness from the Father |
Matt 14:34-36 Mark 6:53-56 | As many as touched Jesus and His garments were made well | Petitioned/Compassion & Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Matt 15:21-28 Mark 7:24-30 | Woman of Canaan’s daughter is made well | Petitioned/Compassion |
Mark 7:31-37 | Decapolis a deaf and mute man is healed | Petitioned/Compassion - told to keep it quiet but they spread the news |
Matt 15:29-31 | Multitudes in Galilee healed | Petitioned/Compassion & Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Matt 15:32-39 Mark 8:1-10 | Feeding the Four Thousand | Compassion but also a very public demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Matt 16:1-4 Mark 8:11-12 | Pharisees & Sadducees seek a sign | Jesus refuses their request - wrong motive |
Mark 8:22-26 | Blind man healed using spit in Bethsaida | Petitioned/Compassion - not to tell anyone |
Matt 17:1-9 Mark 9:1-8 Luke 9:27-36 | Transfiguration | God opens heaven as a demonstration that Jesus is the Messiah |
Matt 17:14-21 Mark 9:14-29 Luke 9:37-42 | Child with epilepsy caused by demonic possession | Petitioned/Compassion & Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Luke 13:10-17 | Women cured of infirmity she has had for 18 years | Compassion in a public space on the Sabbath |
Luke 14:1-6 | Man cured of dropsy | Compassion in a public space on the Sabbath |
Luke 17:11-19 | Ten lepers cleansed | Petitioned/Compassion |
John 11:1-45 | Resurrection of Lazarus | Petitioned/Compassion and a public demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Matt 20:29-34 Mark 10:46-52 Luke 18:35-43 | Blind men receive sight at Jericho | Petitioned/Compassion & Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
Matt 21:14 | Blind and lame healed in the Temple | Petitioned/Compassion & Demonstration of His being the Messiah |
John 12:28-30 | A voice speaks from heaven | The Father gives testimony to the Son |
Matt 21:18-19 Mark 11:20-24 | Withered Fig Tree | Demonstration of His being the Messiah & teaching lesson |
John 14:10-14 | Believe for the works and if you believe me you will do greater works | Miracles are a witness that Jesus is from God |
John 15:24 | Their sin remains because despite the miracles they still hated Jesus | Miracles are a witness that Jesus is from God |
Luke 23:6-12 | Refused to do Miracles in front of Herod | Jesus refuses their request - wrong motive |
Matt 28:1-20 Mark 16:1-20 Luke 24:1-43 John 20:1-31 | Resurrection | The fact that God raised Jesus is a demonstration that Jesus is the Messiah |