|
Apart from the miracles that related to the diseases and other conditions of the body, Christ also dealt with the physical elements. He stilled the storm (Matthew 8:23-27). However, he also showed that he could be superior to a storm and walk on the sea (Matthew 14:22-33). He also showed that he could change one element into another, as when he turned water into wine (John 2:1-12). He could also multiply material things as when he multiplied the loaves and fishes (Matthew 14:14-21). He also showed that this miracle was not something that could not be repeated for he did a similar thing again (Matthew 15:32-39; 16:9/10). Christ also showed that he could control the creatures of the sea, bringing them where they could be caught (Luke 5:1-11; John 21:1-14). Then Christ showed that he knew where there was a fish that had a stater in its mouth and could bring it to a place where Peter could catch it on a hook (Matthew 17:27). How the stater got where it was we are not told. It was really a most remarkable miracle. (Speaking reverently, Christ could, so to speak, tap into the divine database which showed the whereabouts of fishes, select one, control its movements, bring it where it was wanted and ensure that it bit into Peter's hook !) Why did Christ go to such lengths to get a stater? No doubt He could have used a simpler method, but probably he wanted to show Peter and us what things there were in his power to do. He also no doubt wanted Peter to do something to get the stater; something that involved work (fishing) and not give a coin to the treasury that had not involved any labour to get it at all. In this miracle there is a picture which reconciles sovereign election and the preacher's responsibility. Peter was so to speak the preacher casting a hook (Christ speaks elsewhere of him catching men - Matthew 4:18/19), but Christ had to bring the fish to the place where it would take the hook. That was his sovereign action. |
|
Christ's miracles testified to who He was, as Peter said: " A man borne witness to by God to you by works of power and wonders and signs" (Acts 2:22). Christ Himself testified to the fact that had the works that He had done been done in such places as Tyre and Sidon they would have repented; similarly with Sodom (Matthew 11:20-24). He also stated as to his works that they bore witness to him (John 5:36) and that it was sin for the Jews to refuse to accept them as evidence of who He was (John 15:24). His works were good works (John 10:32/33; Acts 10:36-39) so that they not only showed who He was, but the kind of person He was and the kind of person that the God who sent Him was (John 10:32; Acts 2:22). All this has to be taken |
|
into account when we think of Christ's miracles as well as the spiritual import of them. His physical miracles had spiritual significance, particularly in John's Gospel. For instance, the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand led Christ to speak of spiritual food (John 6). |
|
Though Christ did great signs and wonders we must always remember that it is spiritual things that are what is really important and we should beware of getting taken up with what is spectacular (Luke 10:17-20; John 6:26/27 and 63). |
|
|
|
May 2000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|