“God did extraordinary miracles through Paul…”

I must admit I’ve always been intrigued by a statement of Jesus that’s recorded in John 14:12:  “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father” (NKJV).  Not being a Greek scholar, I’m told that “greater” means greater in extent, not necessarily in power or number.  So what Jesus was saying is that when the gospel message spreads to other places (countries, specifically), the same power that produced miracles in Jesus’ day would occur in many more places, thus being “greater”.

OK, I get that.  But if there were one time in Scripture where it seems that miracles done after Jesus arose to heaven were possibly even greater than what he did, here it is: Acts 19:11-12:  “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them”.  It says right there that these miracles were extraordinary.  The word literally means, “uncommon” and thus rare, even for God!  The text doesn’t say anything about how this idea got cooked up or who came up with it.  Maybe they got it from the incident found in Mark 5.  Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ daughter when the woman with a female problem (menstruation) thought to herself, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed” (v. 28).  She did, and she was: “Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering” (v. 29).  So maybe the clothes/hankies/aprons notion was repeating this.  But we still don’t know for sure.  We also don’t know for sure — but I totally doubt it — that Jesus “raised funds” through these pieces of cloth like some self-promoting TV evangelists have done.  To such depths have some fallen.  Worst still, some literally “buy in” to such quackery.  The cool thing about the passage in Mark is that after Jesus “realized that power had gone out of him” (v. 30), he wasn’t short or down on his power supply.  No, he is the well that is never low, no matter how many times you dip into him for water.  The power went out and accomplished its intended effect.  Not so with us.  We get expended.  Just try running around the block a couple of times, or better yet, a short (or longer!) marathon.  You’ll be wiped out, and in serious need to restore your power.  Jesus was and is never that way.  Power goes out of him but it’s never short in him.

Miracles were big for Jesus, but not because he was a showman or a show-off.  Far from it.  Miracles were what substantiated his messianic credentials.  John 5:36 and 10:24-26 say so.  The latter text is very specific and blunt.  The Jews asked him point blank, “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”  He replied, “I did tell you, but you do not believe.  The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me”.  This may be no more clearly demonstrated when he healed the paralytic carried on a stretcher by 4 friends recorded in Luke 5.  The man’s four buddies can’t get into the house where he taught, so they climbed upon the roof, hauled their handicapped friend up with them and then lowered him down on the stretcher “right in front of Jesus” (v. 19).  Now, watch the connection between miracles and his messiahship.  First he says, “Friend, your sins are forgiven” (v. 20).  Those are probably the five most important words anyone could ever hear.  Do you remember when Jesus said that to you?  But consternation broke out among the Pharisees and the teachers of the law: “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  Bingo!  Got that right, but their hearts were facing inward, not upward.  So Jesus pins them in the corner they ran to: “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?  Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’” (vs. 22-23).  Ouch!  They could do neither, so they had no room to talk.  Jesus did both, not just one.  The physical healing proved his spiritual identity.

Many times people, including some Christians, wonder if God performs miracles today.  Clearly the biggest miracle he does is take us out of Adam’s family and adopts us into his own family.  But that doesn’t seem to satisfy the critics.  Jesus said, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign!” (Matthew 12:39).  He describes them that way because they walk by sight — the want to see some action and be wowed.  But they don’t want to trust him.  As in the early church when it was first getting started, God does proportionately more miracles when his word is penetrating new cultures where his Word is not common or known.  For those where God’s Word is or has been known, the need is a little different than those who have never known or heard.  The former can find him in the printed page, the latter through demonstrations of power.  Either way, do you work in a place where the next miracle might take place?