Throughout his life, Jesus performed numerous miracles confirming his status as Messiah and Savior. In this article we discover some of his most important miracles and the meaning they have for all Christians.
Miracles of Jesus in order
Surely you have heard about the miracles that Jesus performed during his passage through our earthly world at the Eucharist or on other occasions. And so it is, how many miracles did Jesus do? Our Lord Jesus Christ performed approximately 43 miracles, although this number depends a lot on how you count them.
All of them are narrated in the Gospels of the New Testament and some have become so popular that they have even reached non-believers and they know their stories perfectly well.
Today we will go a little further and look at the significance of some of these miracles, as well as their location in the Bible and the verses that tell you about them. Even if you already know some of them, we recommend you to stay to maybe have a new point of view or share the explanation that we will give you to whoever you think may be interested.
You should know before you start, that not all miracles that are told outside the Christian communities are accepted by religious institutions, so they do not appear in the books of the Bible. Therefore, we will focus on the miracles that are narrated in the 4 Gospels of the Bible in the Reina-Valera 1960 version.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the main miracles of Jesus in the Bible!
Jesus’ first miracle: Turning water into wine
Although it does not appear in all the Gospels, in fact it only appears in the Gospel of John, there is a consensus that the first miracle that Jesus did on Earth was the conversion of water into wine at the Wedding at Cana. This miracle has been represented in different audiovisual versions. We leave you with one of them to give you an idea of what this miracle was like:
The episode is narrated in John 2:1-11, being this fragment the only one in which it is explained. To put you in context, Jesus and his mother, the Virgin Mary, were invited along with his disciples to a wedding at Cana. During the ceremony, someone noticed that wine was missing and Maria turned to her son to do something about it.
Below you can read the verses that narrate this situation:
“And when there was no wine, the mother of Jesus said unto him, They have no wine.
Jesus said to her, “What have you to do with me, woman? My time has not yet come.
His mother said to those who served, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:3-5)
And so it was, Jesus instructed them to fill some jars with water and take them to the maestresala, who is in charge of serving the food and drink at the ceremony. When he tasted the liquid contained in the jars, he exclaimed that it was a very good wine, without knowing that such a miracle had occurred.
This appreciation that the wine Jesus made was good is seen in verse 10, in which he explains how the wine he had just tasted was much better than the wine they had served first, theoretically very good as well.
“And he said unto him, Every man first serves the good wine, and when they have drunk much, then the inferior; but thou hast reserved the good wine until now.” (John 2:10)
One interpretation of this miracle is that Jesus came to change our lives to fill them with joy, as wine fills the cups in a ceremony with joy.
The Miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes
This miracle occurred twice, although the best known of all is the first. This is the only miracle that appears in all four gospels so we have many points of view to explain it.
The fame of this miracle is so great that it has appeared in many movies. From Tu Biblia Online, we share with you this video where you will see the situation and the moments of joy that Jesus and his disciples lived.
To find it you must open the Bible to Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-14. On this occasion, Jesus wants to be alone after receiving the news of the murder of John the Baptist and decides to get away from the people. Even so, his followers follow him and a large number of people end up gathering with him.
There Jesus healed the sick and preached his message, and when it was evening he wanted to feed all those people. Even so, there was not enough food for everyone, and from five loaves and two fish offered by a child, Jesus got food for more than five thousand people.
The main verses of this excerpt are found in Matthew 14:16, when Jesus tells his disciples that he can feed everyone; John 6:11, the moment of the miracle; and Luke 9:17, where we see that there was even enough food left over for many more people.
Jesus said to them, “They have no need to go away; you give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:16)
“And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were reclining; and likewise of the fishes, as much as they wanted.” (John 6:11)
“And they did all eat, and were filled; and they took up that which was left over, twelve basketfuls of fragments.” (Luke 9:17)
The second multiplication is explained in Mark 8:1-10 and Matthew 15:32-39. On this occasion Jesus had been walking for three days with more than four thousand people and wanted to feed them so that they would not lose heart. As in the previous miracle, Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes and the whole world ate.
“They had also a few small fishes; and he blessed them, and commanded that they also should be set before them.
And they ate and were satisfied; and they gathered of the fragments that were left over, seven baskets.” (Mark 8:7-8)
The meaning of this miracle is that close to God there is no place for hunger and need. We must nourish our spirit by reading the Holy Scriptures, praying and acting according to God’s message. With this we will live in peace and the Lord will keep us from all evil.
The miracle of Jesus walking on water
On this occasion, Jesus told his disciples to cross the sea to go to the other side, while he said goodbye to the crowd. This happened just after the first multiplication of the loaves and fishes that we have just told you about. Is it hard to imagine the scene of this miracle? Don’t worry, we leave you with a video that will help you understand how it all went down:
According to Mark 6:45-52 and John 6:16-21, the miracle consisted only of Jesus walking on the waters as if on dry land to assist his disciples who were weary after hours of rowing against a headwind.
The disciples cried out in fear , thinking it was a ghost, but when Jesus came to the boat he reassured them, as John shows:
“But he said unto them, I am he; fear ye not.” (John 6:20)
On the other hand, Matthew 14:22-33 adds a small episode to the previous narrative that is highly charged with meaning. Matthew recounts how when Jesus approached the boat Peter asked him, if it was really him, to make him walk on the sea as well.
Jesus did so and Peter began to walk on the water. At one point he was afraid because of the strong wind and began to sink, being saved by Jesus, who grabbed him by the arm. The fragment reads as follows:
“And immediately Jesus put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and said unto him, O man of little faith, why didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)
The teaching of this miracle is the true power of faith. With faith, that which seems impossible becomes feasible, because God’s power is infinite. Even so, we must remain steadfast in faith and not waver in the face of adversity.
The miracle of Jesus calming the storm
One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples to cross a lake and on the way he fell asleep. Then a great storm arose and violently tossed the boat, frightening Jesus’ disciples.
At that moment, some of them turned to Christ in fear of dying under the waters and he calmly rose up and caused the waters to subside. He reproached his disciples for the little faith they had, since he was very clear that nothing bad was going to happen to them.
This miracle can be found in Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41 and Luke 8:22-25, narrated in a very similar way. We highlight the verse Matthew 8:16 which denotes Jesus’ great trust in God, giving a very important example of faith.
He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:16)
As in the previous miracle, here Jesus wants to make his disciples and all humanity aware of the importance of faith. Let us live our daily lives with faith in God and we will achieve everything we set our minds to.
Watch carefully this fantastic video, and notice the confidence that Jesus exudes, to inspire you and to take him as an example of life.
The miracle of thethe resurrection of Lazarus
Lazarus of Bethany was a good friend of Jesus Christ, being this character one of the few in the Bible with whom Jesus shows his most human side, thus confirming to us that God became man to save humanity and encourage our faith.
In chapter 11 of John’s Gospel, we are shown the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus, and we recommend you read it for its profound meaning. The resurrection part corresponds to John 11:38-44, and comes after an intense situation in which Jesus even weeps over the death of his friend:
“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)
It was then that Our Lord went to the tomb where Lazarus was buried and the miracle occurred. Jesus’ companions removed the stone that guarded the tomb and he, with his voice alone, raised Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. The verse John 11:43 is one of the best known verses in the Bible and as you will see, there are many reasons why this is so:
And when he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43).
The meaning of this miracle is to make us see that our God is a God of life, and that the death of the flesh is only one more moment of our spiritual life. Jesus is resurrection and life, and whoever believes in him will never die. We see this in verse 26 of the same chapter and we should remember it every moment of our lives:
“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, believing this” (John 11:26).
As in every miracle we have analyzed, we share with you the scene of a movie in which you can see the representation of this powerful story, where once again, Jesus Christ showed the power of God’s strength and love.
Miracle Jesus heals a leper
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke narrate how Jesus once healed a leper he encountered while passing through a city. Specifically you can find the episode in Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 1:40-45 and Luke 5:12-16.
Leprosy is a highly contagious and chronic disease in which sufferers develop skin spots that can lead to disfigurement and in some cases disability. For years, lepers were excluded from society because of the possibility of contagion, so that in ancient texts they always appear marginalized and in deplorable economic conditions.
Today leprosy has been eradicated in much of the world, although there are still cases in emerging countries such as India that are treated with modern drugs.
So Jesus met a leper who begged to be cured. In the Gospel of Matthew the situation is perfectly explained, and we can see how Jesus dared to do what no one would ever do: he touched the leper and healed him.
“And, behold, a leper came and fell down before him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3)
When the man was healed, Jesus asked him not to say anything to anyone about what had just happened, for if the people found out, they would all come in crowds to see him and he would not be able to pray in peace. Even so, according to Mark 1:45 and Luke 5:15-16, that request was not successful and the people went out to receive Jesus, who decided not to enter the cities and to stay in desert areas.
“But he withdrew himself into desolate places, and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)
With this episode, Christ gives an unparalleled example of humanity. We must take into account the detail of touching the sick person before healing him, as a symbol of welcoming him into society. The society of the Sons of God excludes no one; on the contrary, it includes everyone who wishes to share in God’s love.
Enjoy with the emotional images that this miracle leaves us:
Miracle Jesus heals a blind man
In the Bible we find four different situations in which Jesus heals blind people. The first two are very similar in that in both Jesus heals two blind people by placing his fingers on their eyes. These can be found in Matthew 9:27-31 (the first) and in Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52 and Luke 18:35-43 (the second).
Below is a representative fragment of these two miracles:
They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.
Then Jesus was moved with compassion, and touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight; and they followed him.” (Matthew 20:33-34)
On the other hand, on two other occasions Jesus used his saliva to cure the blindness of two men he met along the way. These miracles are narrated in Mark 8:22-26 (the first) and John 9:1-12 (the second). That of John’s Gospel is the most detailed explanation of all, since it devotes the entire chapter to speak of blindness.
John highlights in the final verses of the chapter what happened after healing the last blind man. The Pharisees questioned him as to how he had been blind from birth, and he who was blind answered with complete sincerity.
The interrogators decided to expel him, so the man returned to Jesus, who made an important reflection that explains the miracle explained:
“Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world; that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be blinded.” (John 9:39)
That’s right, Jesus came to teach us the true faith and show us the way to follow through the Word of God. Those who previously believed in other gods saw how Jesus came to save the world and those who believed in nothing were called by faith.
Here you have the chapter that narrates this new miracle of Jesus, who, as you will see, with his miracles, had more parishioners who trusted in him and in the word of God. His fame was becoming so great that some skeptics began to see him as an enemy.
The miracle of the resurrection of the son of Naim’s widow
Here we find another episode in which Jesus restores life to a person. In this case, it happened in the town of Naím, where the burial of the young son of a widowed woman was being celebrated.
As recounted in Luke 7:11-17, it all happened very quickly. Jesus came to the widow and told her not to weep, then touched the bier and ordered the deceased to rise. And so it happened.
“And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
And he drew near and touched the bier; and those who bore it stood still. And he said, Young man, to you I say, arise.
Then he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother” (Luke 7:13-15).
To understand this miracle we must know that at that time if a widow was left childless she lost all her property and had to be supported by other relatives, neighbors or friends. Thus, the death of the son of Nain’s widow was a serious problem for her, added to the great sentimental loss of losing a son.
Jesus again brings out his human side and sympathizes with the woman. Here we see reflected how God’s laws are not the same as human laws, so Jesus did justice for the woman, who was able to have a better life thanks to this miracle.
Discover how this passage was, with this beautiful representation:
The miracle of Christ’s resurrection
The last miracle we will see today is the most important miracle in the history of Christianity, without any possible comparison. We are talking about the very resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ who was condemned to death by the Jewish authorities of the time.
Although none of the gospels narrate the moment of the resurrection, all of them tell how Mary Magdalene and other women went to the tomb where Christ was buried and found that the heavy stone had been moved and the body had disappeared.
In addition, they all tell how these women had an angelic apparition telling them that Jesus had risen and that they would find him in Galilee:
“But he said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was crucified; he is risen, he is not here; look at the place where he was laid.
But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.” (Mark 16:6-7)
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John also tell that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and her companions after his visit to the tomb. Jesus reassured them and told them to go to Galilee with his disciples.
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go, tell my brethren, that they may go into Galilee, and there they will see me.'” (Matthew 28:10)
The resurrection of Christ is different from the other miracles of resurrections explained above. In fact, the other resurrections can be qualified as reanimations, since those people would die again later on.
When Jesus is resurrected, he does so for all eternity, in an immutable body that will never die again. This resurrection is the basis of our faith and the fact that unites all Christians throughout the world.
Let us believe in the resurrection of Jesus and let us sing every day giving thanks for it. The Lord gave us his son to save mankind and we have to let people know such a feat.
After Jesus was resurrected he appeared to the eleven apostles in Galilee, where he gave them a very valuable message that we must make our own:
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Enjoy this video which shows one of the most important miracles and moments for all Christians.
The Miracles of Jesus for Children
Below, we leave you a video explaining all the miracles that we have been explaining but for children, with a simpler and more entertaining language. We hope you like it!
The miracles of Jesus in art
Many artists have been inspired by the life of Jesus and the power, strength and love of God our Lord. Thus, among the great variety of Christian artworks that we can find, some of them are inspired by the miracles of Jesus. We’ll show you the most important ones!
- The Wedding at Cana – Paolo Veronese
- Healing of the Leper – Cosimo Rosselli
- Cure of the Paralytic – Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
- Multiplication of loaves and fishes – Vera Gindinblat
Miracles of Jesus today
Times have changed, but the miracles of Jesus are still present today. Our faith and trust in God and the teachings of Jesus Christ help us to believe in the impossible and to make real what others deny.
We want to share a very moving story with you, so that you understand that miracles are not a thing of the past, but are the present and the future. It only depends on us, our trust in the Lord and the hope that everything that others deny, will one day be fulfilled by the work of God.
Draw your own conclusions from this short skit, where mechanics laugh at a co-worker for his faith in God the Father Almighty. The faith of the likeable mechanic will change the mockery of his companions for the admiration of the Lord’s work.
If you liked it, be sure to share it with your loved ones.
Prayer for a miracle
Life is a miracle on its own, but there are times when we have very big problems where we see no way out.
At this time we need help, and to get out of the well we need to pray to God and give him all our faith, with a prayer that will show us the right path and the solution to our hardships.
As always, we recommend that you choose a quiet place so that nothing will disturb you and you can focus all your strength on praying for the miracle you are longing for. God will hear you and help you with all his love!
God,
Now that I am here in your presence,
I ask you to grant me a miracle,
and I come to you with all my innocence.
With conviction of your eternal love,
protects me and fills me with your essence,
you who desire all that is good for me,
your great love works in my conscience.
I thank you for all your support,
and in your hands I place my great dream.
I feel in my being your divine truth,
and the miracle I earnestly ask for.
Under your grace, Divine Will,
and with the good of the whole world in mind,
that everything is done perfectly,
I thank you for always listening to me.
Amen.
And with this prayer we end this article on the main miracles of Jesus in the Bible.
We hope you have learned something about them or discovered some you didn’t know about. Now you know that the Lord’s power is infinite as is his love, let us worship him with all our heart.
See you next time!