The Miracles of Jesus

According to Webster's Dictionary, a miracle is an event or action that apparently contradicts known scientific laws and is hence thought to be due to supernatural causes, esp. to an act of God

The gospels record that Jesus performed a number of miracles. Not including Himself, three times He brought people back from the dead; Jairus's daughter, Lazarus, and the widow's son at Nain. He healed a man with leprosy, Peter's mother-in-law, the Roman Centurion's servant, two men from Gadara, a paralyzed man, a woman with an issue of bleeding, two blind men, a man who was both mute and possessed, a man with a shriveled hand, another man who was blind, mute, and possessed, a Canaanite woman's daughter, a boy with a demon, two other blind men, a deaf mute, a man possessed in the synagogue, a blind man at Bethsaida, a crippled woman, a man with dropsy, ten men with leprosy, the servant of the high priest, the son of an official at Capernaum, a sick man at the pool of Bethesda, and a man who had been born blind. In addition to these miracles, He calmed storms, walked on water, withered a fig tree, fed 5,000 people one time and 4,000 another time (both from a few loaves and fish), turned water into wine, and miraculously caused large numbers of fish to be caught.

According to John, there was more.

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

John 21:25 NIV

The early apostles and Christians claimed Jesus did these things. If He didn't do these things, there never would have been any early Christians, because the miracles listed were done publicly. In many cases, the miracles weren't "just" public, but they were performed in the presence of large crowds. The miracles were so famous, that the ruler of Galilee and Perea - Herod Antipas had heard of them.

And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.

Luke 23:8 NIV

Some saw the miracles, knew that they were miracles, and based on this, asked if He was the Messiah.

The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.

John 10:24-26 NIV

Later in the same chapter, Jesus repeats that He has performed miracles, and people admitted that there were miracles performed:

Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

John 10:31-33 NIV

Again in the same chapter, Jesus discusses the miracles He performed in the presence of people:

Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.

John 10:37-38 NIV

This happens again in the 14th chapter:

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves

John 14:11 NIV

The miracles occurred. The only question is whether people choose to believe.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.

John 15:22-24 NIV